48 Comments - Annony - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 2:46 pm: Possible opening statement for Obie: “Hi, I’m Jim Oberweis and I’m doing my hardest to try to drive every possible vote to other candidates by making myself look like an even bigger ass than I did in my previous campaigns. I keep saying I’m not a politician because I’m not. Being a politician necessitates that you understand the political process. I obviously have no clue how this stuff works. Here, have some ice cream.” - Bubs - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 3:38 pm: I hear they just named Jerry Springer as the new moderator. - B Hicks - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 4:03 pm: Please, not again. - Walking Wounded - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 5:28 pm: We could all hope for a thunderbolt of lightening to strike from the sky. Put the station out and keep the sad character(s) off the air. BTW, Bubs, I hear Jerry turned the moderator job down. Said it was beneath him. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 5:29 pm: It’s the last one, I believe, so we just have to deal with this one more time. - Lovie's Leather - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 5:48 pm: Whoa… we can write the word “ass” here. If I would have known that, I would have been calling Obee an “ass” for the last 2 months… dang… - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 5:48 pm: Let’s not get carried away. - the wonderboy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 6:14 pm: Annony- Granted I don’t like Obie and thus have a little bias, but that intro was hilarious. Seriously, my wife doesn’t even like talking politics and even she was cracking up when I read her your comment. That was a classic comment. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 6:17 pm: I agree. It was pretty funny. - Anon - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 7:02 pm: the site is not working for me…am i the only one?? - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 7:04 pm: keep trying. it’s working for me. just not very well. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 7:20 pm: How long has Gidwitz been dead for? Did they paint him grey? - Anon - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 7:24 pm: Still nothing for me….either my computer is strange or they don’t want us Central Illinoisans watching… - Anon - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 7:29 pm: Did ABC not devote enough bandwidth for this? Why won’t it work??? - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 7:31 pm: I dunno. It’s working for me. Close your browser and try again. - the wonderboy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 7:32 pm: Hey Andy Martin…enough about the Judy-George connection…we get the point. - the wonderboy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 7:34 pm: What does Andy have in his past related to theology? - the wonderboy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 7:46 pm: Couple of comments and observations: Oberweis–Is this guy a politician? Keeps telling me he’s not…getting a little old. Please don’t tell me about the 5 children and 13 grandchildren ever again. Gidwitz–I almost feel bad for the guy…he is sooo uncomfortable it is painful. By the way, might want to remove gadfly from the vocabulary…doesn’t really connect with the voters. - B Hicks - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 7:52 pm: Okay, how come none of the candidates have complained about how much time Rod spends in Chicago. I recall it being mentioned a couple of times in the last debate. - B Hicks - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 7:59 pm: Oh yeah, “if I don’t win; I hope Bill Brady is the GOP candidate.” Is the anointed one having doubts? She’s the bad girl that plays with the bad boys. I kind of like that. - Anon - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 8:03 pm: Andy Martin is a convicted felon? What’d he do? He seems like a nut job. I feel so sorry for Ron. I think he’d make a great governor, but he’d get killed in debates with Rod. Oberweis did really well, I thought. Brady seems like a used car salesman to me. Judy is so high on herself…no way she’d get my vote. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 8:06 pm: Oberweis and Brady were more organized and articulate than I would have expected. For a former CEO, I would have expected Gidwitz to be a much better public speaker as much of what CEO’s do is persuasion. If JBT goes into the general, she really needs to get new media consultants. She comes across as confused at times and doesn’t have Brady’s appearance of fluency. Does any of this matter in terms of actual votes? I don’t have a clue. - ISU REP - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 8:12 pm: I dunno Brady seemed to stumble a bit to me…Also Brady didn’t show up to the little candidates meet and greet in Bloomington today at State Farm, granted neither did any of the other candidates…but something in your hometown? I don’t know how savvy that was. I was waiting for fireworks and I got none tonight, how disappointing. I think Obie took his meds tonight up until the point where he said YIPPEE I finally agree with Judy on something, what is this guy on and how do I go about procuring some? - A.J. Pierzynski - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 8:25 pm: I’m for oberweis. He’s smart, plays fair and is honest. He has all the characteristics that remind me of myself. - todd - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 8:28 pm: Ob. did good tonight. - Anon - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 8:28 pm: A.J. (a.k.a. Mike) Yes, you are a bit pompous too. - YNM - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 9:33 pm: i’m on the road in chicago tonight and hoping to see it on tv at 1030 … if I ever say obie reminds me of me, put me in a chopper and send me to the looney bin … - Lovie's Leather - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 10:40 pm: “I’m for oberweis. He’s smart, plays fair and is honest. He has all the characteristics that remind me of myself.” AJ Pierzynski, quit with the propaganda. You are crazier than Andy Martin if you really believe that. If there is nothing for you to gain in Obee’s governorship, you lack all sense… and are as crazy as Andy Martin… (did I mention that before?) - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 10:42 pm: Lovie, I think that comment was meant as snark by a Cub fan who somehow made it through the moat. - Schiznitz - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 10:47 pm: Rich, 16 updates, you need to get a life. Aren’t there any muffins around politics for you to get in trouble with? - Establishment Republican - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 10:48 pm: What are the specifics of Andy Martin’s bio. He is a perennial candidate, mostly in Florida, who always states that he has done all of these things, but never provides any background. Nobody really ever calls him on it. - Lovie's Leather - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 10:50 pm: Rich, wrong… white sox fan… life long… I am a cub hater. Always have been… I still would like to never see Dusty Baker ever again… - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 10:51 pm: Let’s stay away from that topic. He is who he is. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 10:52 pm: Lovie, I didn’t say you were a Cub fan, I said that “AJ” was a Cub fan, or at least a Sox hater. - Lovie's Leather - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 10:52 pm: Thanks for the attention though… I just have to satisfy my Republican male ego… - Lovie's Leather - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 10:54 pm: Why would somebody with the name “AJ Pierzynski” be a cub fan or even a sox hater? I feel misled… - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 10:55 pm: Schiznitz, there were 17 updates. lol I was sitting at the computer anyway. No big deal. Besides, 13 days before the election, the only life I have is this stuff. It beats working, though. - Establishment Republican - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 11:19 pm: It seems like all the Republican candidates are basically pledging that they will support the eventual nominee. So, at least there will not be a situation like in 2002 when Corrine Wood refused to endorse Jim Ryan for months and Patrick O’Malley never did. The question was posed to them as to whom they would support other than themselves, only Oberweis and Topinka answered. Oberweis said Gidwitz and Topinka said Brady. As for the debate, they are all sort of not ready for prime time tonight (which is fitting since the debate started at 10:35). Television debates may not be Topinka’s forte but she clearly is the only candidate who can beat Blagojevich. I really like Brady personally but he stumbled over his answers quite a bit tonight and took some positions to the right that would just make it tough to win in Illinois. Why Andy Martin is in this debate, I will never know. Kudos though to Andy Shaw for taking him on in one of the questions (although the name change aspect he brought up is sort of ironic.) Sadly, Martin is a little better in this format stylistically than most of the others tonight. As for the effect of the debate on the primary, it seems like nothing truly memorable happened and thus the frontrunner is remaining the frontrunner. - Establishment Republican - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 11:23 pm: Oberweis’s use of “YIPPIE” was pretty bad for him. It is sort of a semi-Howard Dean scream. It would look bad in a tv ad. Back to the debate style, Oberweis does a good job of staying on message and looking comfortable at the podium, but plenty of us Republicans have far too many issues with him to favor him just because of that. Ron Gidwitz looked like he was making a hostage video. - Lovie's Leather - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 11:27 pm: I totally agree with you, Establishment Republican. Nobody in this debate seemed to break out. Topinka remains the frontrunner solely on the lack of enthusiasm of other candidates. Being a “Gidwitz guy,” I was disappointed in his performance. I am still trying to convince everyone to vote Gidwitz but all of my peers are the “Christian Right.” Wish me luck… Even though Brady did stumble a little, he really hit a note with me and I think he would make a great Governor. Oberweis and Martin have proven their instability, so I would have a problem if either one of them (not saying that they could) win the nomination. It appears Topinka will win the nomination… I just pray for a Rauschenberger now… - Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 11:30 pm: I still think that Brady is the best performer on camera, even if he is running too far to the right. He was an early favorite of mine, but add him to the trash heap of candidates that ran a purely positive campaign and thought raising money is beneath him. I expected the negative attacks on Topinka to start earlier and drive her numbers down sooner, opening up the field, but I guess everybody was a little trigger shy. They are fools if they stop right now because the negative ads are working. I look for Oberweis to siphon just enough votes off of Brady and Topinka to win. What really struck me was that even though Topinka is supposed to be the seasoned politician and the person whose been working day-in, day-out on these issues, she really doesn’t seem to have any better grasp on the issues than any of the other candidates, and perhaps worse than most of them. What does it say about these guys that Andy Martin can stand up on stage with them and — to the uninformed voter — seem just about as reasonable, polished, and ready for the job as the rest of them? Uninspired. - Establishment Republican - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 11:33 pm: And on a closing note (that might get deleted). Is WBEZ’s Ben Calhoun eligble for All Kids? Goodnight. - Lovie's Leather - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 11:35 pm: didn’t catch this one on the first time around… Bill Brady’s closing remarks, “…to move the Republican farty forward.” nice. - Anon - Wednesday, Mar 8, 06 @ 11:58 pm: Let me say this…I do not like Judy. Would not vote for her. However, I am glad to see that she finally took some advice and toned down the makeup some. And her hair looked nicer as well. I’d say polished-appearance-wise, she looked the nicest she’s ever looked. Which, in the long run isn’t saying much. Oberweis seemed to have the most laid-back, congenial personality tonight. It was a good night for Jim. - Anon - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 12:09 am: Poor Gidwitz. I guess that is to be expected when he has nitwitz like Joe Calomino coaching him and running his campaign. - Annony - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 12:17 am: Thanks for the kudos on the intro. A few more witticisms and perhaps Rich will let me write comedy for Illinoize. At the moment, I’m just not sure whether I’m deeply frightened by the prospect of Andy Martin owning a gun or whether I think I should have seen that one coming. - Central IL Stater - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 12:18 am: The question was posed to them as to whom they would support other than themselves, only Oberweis and Topinka answered. Oberweis said Gidwitz and Topinka said Brady. What gets me is that Looserweiss would pick Gidwitz - someone who is pretty much different from him. That comment enough would tell loads about him for the right wing of the party. Dang. Since unfortunately, I didn’t see the debate but did hear part of it in the van, can’t respond much more. I did enjoy the analysis. I think Andy Martin sounded good but we all know he’s a nutcake. Looserweiss actually sounded okay on the radio. Brady sounded nervous, poor babe. “Even though Brady did stumble a little, he really hit a note with me and I think he would make a great Governor” And he’s pretty darn cute too. lol I’m gonna try to listen to this debate before the internet goes down. Rich, I understand what you mean about this is becoming our life. Have a good night! - Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 12:43 am: Annony, send me an email and I’ll get you going at Illinoize. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.