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Kirk faces the boo-birds
Tuesday, Sep 15, 2009 * US Senate candidate Mark Kirk faced some pretty loud booing and heckling at a recent DuPage County Republican event, which amply showed that he still has problems with the far right. However, Kirk also demonstrated how good he is on his feet by twice turning the boos into applause. Parts of the Republican crowd booed Kirk’s introduction and some angrily yelled chants about his “Yes” vote on the so-called “cap and trade” bill Thinking quickly, Kirk then asked for a moment of silence for a fallen soldier. It worked. He quieted the hall and eventually got them to cheer. The loud boos cranked up again (at about 3:16 into the video) when he brought up the touchy cap and trade subject. But then Kirk said he voted “Yes” on cap and trade because he was representing the “narrow interests” of his congressional district and vowed to vote “No” on the bill if he represented the entire state. And the crowd cheered. This just proves a point about perceptions. It’s only a “flip-flop” when a politician flips away from your ideology. It’s “statesmanship” if a politico flips toward you. He’s either got no backbone or he’s a smart politician, depending on which way you see things. * Anyway, Kirk kept “right” on hitting the hot buttons and smoothly firing out the ready-made applause lines with an ideological bullet-point tour through oil drilling, Nancy Pelosi, Hugo Chavez, his military service (quite a few times), the public option (he got the crowd to boo Alexi Giannoulias on that one) etc. This is one slick candidate, campers. The Democrats should definitely fear him. * Other campaign stories…
- Posted by Rich Miller
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- Lefty Lefty - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:37 am:
“It’s only a ‘flip-flop’ when a politician flips away from your ideology. It’s ’statesmanship’ if a politico flips toward you. He’s either got no backbone or he’s a smart politician, depending on which way you see things.”
This is one of the more astute and well-stated observations I’ve seen in the media lately. If everyone realized this maybe some of the shouting would stop.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:38 am:
The boos won’t last.
- Such Convictions - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:39 am:
Mark “I’m Going to Tell You What You Want to Hear” Kirk
- Team America - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:39 am:
I don’t have a favorite yet among the top GOP contenders for the 10th District, which are Coulson, Green, Dold and Cadigan, but over at my blog, I’ve been getting about 4x’s as many hits from searches for info on Dold than any other candidate. Could he be the dark horse that eventually comes out on top?
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:44 am:
Nixon’s Law for GOP candidates: “Run hard and fast to the Right in a primary, run hard and fast to the Middle in a general election.”
Kirk is wise to follow the advice.
The alleged GOPers booing him at the rally will come in handy in the general. He can run against them along with Blago and Burris.
- howaboutit - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:48 am:
That is pretty shady, if you start being booed bringing up fallen troops?
- just sayin - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:50 am:
So the largest tax increase in American history (cap & trade) WOULD be good for the 10th District, just not the entire state?
Mark Kirk can make a fortune selling used cars after he loses.
- Vinron - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:54 am:
Kirk has an entry posted at biggovernment.com, the ACORN undercover video site that is getting an enormous amount of attention.
- The Prophet - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:54 am:
It isn’t only “The Democrats” that should fear him.
Also, he doesn’t have any backbone (especially so if it might jeopardize his personal agenda of political career advancement). But, he is “one smart guy” when it comes to the art of politics. He is going to be tough for anyone to beat.
- One of the 35 - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:57 am:
Rich: I think the best part of Kirk’s presentation was where he mentioned the irony of fighting for the secret ballot in Afganistan while we are trying to take away the secret ballot in our own country for union votes. A very compelling observation.
- Deep South - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:57 am:
Note to the photographer: Get a tripod. I thought I was gonna be sick there for a minute.
- Anon - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 10:03 am:
I was there and heard Kirk speak. I now see why the national Dems were looking for a better candidate than Alexi. Kirk is a true patriot and our chance to get the Senate seat currently held by Roland Burris!
- Captain Flume - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 10:08 am:
Most successful politicians have backbones, very flexible ones. They have to have them to keep getting elected. And the point about perceptions and word choice to convey them is on the money, too. “Stakeholders” vs. “special interest group”, “unfunded mandate” vs. “shared responsibility” are a couple examples from recent commentary on Obama’s phrasing when giving speeches on particular topics he is pushing or opposing. “objective” news media would do well to convey these semantic nuances in their reporting.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 10:09 am:
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Mark “I’m Going to Tell You What You Want to Hear” Kirk
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Just wait; you’ll see. You have NO idea what’s in the works right now. But when it hits, it’s gonna hit hard.
(Sowee…I sound a li’l funny because I jusht got back from the Den’ist.)
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 10:12 am:
Great and fair analysis, BTW, Rich. Thank you for opening the discussion.
- Downstater - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 10:14 am:
Jason Plummer was not liked as Chair of the local Republican party and did not do anything of substance as chair. He chose not to run, when it became evident he would not be re-elected.
- Red Hawk - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 10:16 am:
I think he was pretty successful in switching gears here - and smart to hit cap/trade right off the top then moving onto the crowd-pleasing health care section. Dems certainly are in trouble if Kirk is able to mend fences with conservatives.
- Wilecoyote - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 10:22 am:
Downstater: You are correct re: Plummer. His father’s many businesses are very sucessful but they have these weird draconian rules that all employees swear to live by such as no alcohol use (even in the privacy of their homes) and no facial hair is allowed. Strange but true. Very, very conservative family.
- shore - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 10:47 am:
There’s a reason he’s survived in the 3rd most Democrat district in the country and remember he’s run 3 times as many tough general election campaigns as his opponents put together.
Dold’s only government experience was working for Dan Burton who was a real big conservative, that won’t fly on sheridan road.
- Nikoli - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 10:56 am:
Wilecoyote: I don’t think you’re correct about these Draconian rules at the Plummer owned businesses. If you are, please provide evidence. I work with someone who’s father and brother both work for RP Lumber and who drink/have facial hair.
- Conservative Veteran - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 11:06 am:
In the 59th State Rep. District, the best candidate is Mohan Manian, a conservative. His site is www.manianforstate.com. Two other Republcians (a conservative and a moderate) will probably run. If that happens, the conservative vote will split, helping the moderate win the primary. I hope that Manian will be the only conservative, in that primary.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 11:11 am:
CV, that’s your one comment for that candidate. Future identical comments will be treated as spam.
- Lefty Lefty - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 11:17 am:
**sigh**
EFCA will not take away the secret ballot. If more than 50% of the cards are pro-union, there does not have to be a secret ballot election. This just makes sense. If 30-50% sign in favor of a union, then a secret ballot election is required. And the current talk is that the card check rule could be scrapped from the final bill.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 11:33 am:
Hey, Meterman, guess what?
You’ve just been banned for life.
Congratulations, moron.
- Abe Froman - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 11:39 am:
Kirk still has work to do with conservatives but is showing a real willingness to reach out. Some are so far out of touch with reality that they will never accept him, but much of the mainstream conservative community is coming around.
The trade off is simple. A small, vocal and strident fringe of right wingers who hover on the edges of the GOP will cling to their opposition to Kirk and make themselves look signficant on the blogs. But they in no way match up numbers wise to the moderates that Kirk will attract by not being a doctrinaire wingnut.
Kirk is wisely adjusting his positions to reflect statewide sentiments instead of just those of the North Shore. Over the course of the next year he will solidfy GOP support and prove very effective in getting independent support as he has in the past.
- Carl Nyberg - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 11:44 am:
Rich, what rules are you going to be enforcing on Kirk’s military service?
If Kirk and his supporters get to tout it, do Kirk’s critics get to point out that he’s a reservist who is adept at making his two weeks a year sound like he’s winning some conflict single-handed?
- Abe Froman - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 11:56 am:
Carl I hope you and all your fellow travelers follow the clever path of denigrating the service of the military reserve. The tone-deaf arrogance of Dems is the most potent weapon the GOP has.
Kirk, like all reservists, serves a lot more than two weeks a year. And while he hasn’t done a full combat tour while in Congress, he has done several in the past. They won’t let a member of Congress spend a year on active duty and it would be a danger to his comrades if he was there providing such a target for the enemy.
Fact: Kirk has extensive experience dealing with military intelligence issues first hand.
Fact: Kirk has been under enemy fire in a combat zone.
Fact: Kirk’s job in the military is a support function, not a forward combat job and he’s the first to admit it.
It just again proves that there is no bottom to the contempt that Dems show those who put on the uniform.
- hilarious - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:02 pm:
Abe- I don’t know if that’s true. Bring up Max Cleland and watch any Dem start frothing at the mouth.
Carl and his ilk are just terrified that Boy Wonder is going to be soundly trounced by Kirk, so they are going to try and attack Kirk in any way they can.
- Team America - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:13 pm:
The Hill is reporting that Emily’s List is endorsing State Rep. Julie Hamos over two-time loser Dan Seals.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/58783-emilys-list-backs-state-rep-over-seals
- DnSttsAnon - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:21 pm:
If you think Kirk is going to be welcomed with open arms downstate after his Cap and trade and Partial birth votes you must be for legalization also.
- Illinois Eddie - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:25 pm:
The conventional wisdom is Julie Hamos will be easier to beat than Dan Seals in Nov 2010. Between now and Feb, I’d expect to see TeamAmerica cheerleading for Hamos.
- shore - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:29 pm:
Team, I am your biggest fan, and an avid reader of your blog, but you are wrong here and have been decieved by an awful piece of journalism. EMILY’s list is a far left wing women’s group that ONLY endorses WOMEN, therefore there was never a shot they were going to endorse Dan.
The good news is, we don’t want to face Dan and they can help julie raise money in a primary. The better news is that they’ve had zippo impact lately in chicago unless you count Congresswomen Duckworth, Cegelis, Gash, and Feighenholtz as successes.
- shore - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:30 pm:
test
- shore - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:34 pm:
Team, I am a huge fan of yours and avid follower of the blog, but you are wrong here.
EMILY’s List is a far left women’s group that only endorses women candidates who support unlimited abortion. They never endorse men for anything so Dan/pup never had a shot at an endorsement. They send nasty emails and flyers into homes in glencoe and wilmette to scare moms that xyz republican is going to tell their daughter what to do with her body if they don’t vote against him or give money to defeat him.
The good news is, they’ve had zero impact lately in contested races unless you count Congresswomen Cegelis, Duckworth, Gash and Feighenholtz as wins.
- Team America - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:37 pm:
Go Hamos! ;-)
- Wilecoyote - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:44 pm:
Nikoli: Maybe those rules only apply to supervisory and management. But, I know a retired FBI agent from STL who was recruited several years ago by the Plummers to assume a new position of Security Director or a similar titled job. Before he retired, for years he had a short, well groomed white beard. After the job was offered, he was told: By the way, you have to shave that beard and refrain from drinking.
- Team America - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:51 pm:
Shore- Seals may never have had a chance, I guess, and it seems HuffPo backs you up.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/15/julie-hamos-lands-emilys_n_287281.html
But, the more significant issue is whether this support will be enough of a boost past Seals’ left-over supporters and what remains of his goodwill up in the 10th in areas that have never heard of Hamos but still have faded Seals stickers on their Volvos.
- downstate conservative - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:51 pm:
Glad to see Plummer getting into the race. He comes from a wonderful family of hard working, honest people with good family values. I’m actually surprised that he’s willing to give up his 16 hour days at the business to jump into public office, but God Bless him for doing so. We definitely need more young conservative folks with a track record of success in the private sector.
- Rob_N - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:54 pm:
TA says, “The Hill is reporting that Emily’s List is endorsing State Rep. Julie Hamos”
Emily’s List endorses women. Why is that news?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 12:58 pm:
Let’s all remember that Emily’s List backed Sara Feigenholtz for congress this year. Didn’t help much.
- Team America - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 1:08 pm:
Rob_N- you’re right and Shore pointed that out. Just goes to show I don’t know much about Emily’s List. But, it still seems important for the fact of the support itself, so we’ll see if this does enough for Hamos.
- Rob_N - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 1:41 pm:
TA, I hadn’t refreshed the page before posting so didn’t realize Shore had posted his snark.
–
EMILY’s List has also backed Reps. Bean, Halvorson and several more who have not only won but flipped their seats from R to D.
Since (like Dan Seals) Mark Kirk wouldn’t be eligible for EMILY’s List either, I wonder if other pro-choice groups are going to continue to back him as he “runs to the right” as someone put it.
- Nikoli - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 1:52 pm:
Wilecoyote: That might be true based upon your friend’s job. Maybe the Plummers don’t want their security director drinking in case he is called at odd hours regarding a problem at a RP location or something. As for the hair, other companies (such as Family Video) also have rules against facial hair, but my understanding was that if you had the hair prior to them hiring you, it could stay. However the moment you shave it off, it has to stay off.
Whatever the case, Jason is a decent guy. I’ll hold off on commenting whether or not he’d make a decent Lt Guv until I see more plan specifics. His family does know how to run a business though.
- Rob_N - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 2:06 pm:
Nikoli and Wilecoyote,
Disney does not allow facial hair either. It’s a prereq to employment in their parks. They also require their employees to wear silly costumes on days with 100° temps and 100% humidity. :)
Fact is an employer can require many behaviors as a condition of employment. They pay you so they have say over how you look and act while earning their money.
- downstate conservative - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 2:22 pm:
When Plummer takes office as Lt. Governor, I’m sure the least of his worries will be the facial hair of state employees.
And Nikoli is definitely right…the Plummers do know how to run a business (and grow it exponentially).
- Okay Then... - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 2:51 pm:
Thanks a lot Rich Miller, now the democrats are going to come at Kirk even harder. They’re probably digging throw his trash cans at this very moment.
Democrats, no worries—there’s nothing to see here—move along. You guys have nothing to fear in Mark Kirk. He is not a threat to any of you. Keep your eyes on Wallace or Arrington or Hughes. Now, those guys are kinda scary.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 3:47 pm:
“… fellow travelers..”
That’s a blast from the past, Abe.
Keep your eyes peeled: I just looked through the Chicago White Pages and noticed a surprisingly large number of both Rosenbergs and McCarthys. Cohns, too.
- Newburg - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 4:29 pm:
I am a downstater and will be backing Kirk. We want a winner who takes Obama’s seat.
- WOW - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 10:47 pm:
Rich, I agree with your assessment; Kirk should be feared by his opponents, he will likely defeat them.
- centraliLguy - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 1:55 am:
Downstater: As a GOP Chairman who served with Jason and who has a family member who is a precinct committeeman in Madison County, I found it necessary to correct your comments above. Jason has a great reputation amongst the county chairman and, in my opinion, was a great leader in our organization. It is pretty common knowledge for anyone involved in the party that he did not run for re-election because of how actively involved he was in the Presidential primaries. My sense from everyone I know in Madison County is that Jason is well liked, well respected, and much appreciated for stepping in and turning around a county party that was basically dead when he arrived. For someone who was supposedly so ineffective and unpopular, it was pretty amazing to see his slate of officers and handpicked successor run virtually unopposed.