Joe Walsh’s support explained?
Tuesday, Oct 11, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Lake County News-Sun’s “Talk of the County” is like an online letters to the editor page. I figure that this anonymous opinion posted to the page is pretty much the thinking behind Joe Walsh’s most committed followers…
Rep. Joe Walsh is a man who sticks by his word. He does what he says. He’s not a wimpy wishy-washy politician. I pick my battles. And don’t give me the poor example of not paying child support. The truth will come out. Those who are without sin can throw the first stone. And you have thrown yours by talking about someone without the facts.
Discuss.
* WBEZ’s Sam Hudzik tried to get Walsh’s GOP primary opponent Randy Hultgren to talk about whether he would run a negative campaign. Hultgren carefully dodged every question…
Last week, I chatted with Hultgren about the expected primary. I asked him if he would bring up the child support issue.
HULTGREN: You know, we’re going to talk about what we’ve been doing. I don’t, I really don’t know, what all is going to happen in this. I hope it doesn’t happen. I’m still hopeful that the courts are going to do the right thing and change these districts. So, what we’re going to do is focus on what we’ve been doing, and the good work that we’ve done for the people. […] In this district, particularly, I know that people are sick and tired of negative campaigns. I know in the media that, that people – they like that. But in this, there’s so much positive, that I feel like I can talk about, of what we’ve been doing and what we’ve done and what we’re going to do, that that’s going to be the focus.
I pointed out to Hultgren that his statement left the door open to using personal issues. He replied that his “focus is going to be on a positive race,” but added…
HULTGREN: There’s so many other things that play into it, of what people on the radio will say or what people in newspapers will say, but our focus is going to be positive. I think that’s absolutely what the 14th Congressional District wants.
Noting negative races in the past, Hultgren said, “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
So does that mean he’s personally pledging to run a positive race?
HULTGREN: Well, my focus is going to be on talking about positive things. We’re, I’ve, I’m careful on pledges, other than my pledges to serve the people that I represent as best as I possibly can, and to tell the truth, and to follow through on what I said I was going to do. Those are the pledges I’ve made and those are the pledges I’m going to keep.
That, my friends, is a careful answer.
Yep.
* And speaking of embattled incumbents, Republican state Sen. Suzi Schmidt now has a primary opponent…
Saying that incumbent state Sen. Suzi Schmidt will “have to run against her own incriminating 9-1-1 tapes” in the 2012 elections, former Lake County Board member Larry Leafblad of Grayslake formally declared his candidacy Monday to face his fellow Republican in the March 20 primary.
“The whole world was watching. Suzi mortally wounded herself,” Leafblad said in an appearance at the Round Lake Beach Cultural and Civic Center, referring to three domestic incidents between Schmidt and her husband, Robert, between December 2010 and Sept. 26 this year.
While neither Schmidt nor her husband were charged with any offenses in the incidents, Leafblad said he believes they made her “vulnerable next fall” among voters.
“The politicians that are tied to Suzi’s kite, because she’s got connections, (are) kind of circling the wagons around her right now,” Leafblad said following his formal remarks. “But the people are not. I’ve talked to 250, maybe 300 people throughout the last week or so (who) are very concerned that a Democrat could just walk into the position.”
* Meanwhile, Scott Reeder is rightfully not pleased with former state Rep. Mike Boland, who can’t make up his mind whether he will run for Congress or state Senate and is passing petitions for both offices…
Passing petitions to run for two different offices at the same time is sort like asking a gal to marry you, while still keeping your options open with the girl down the street.
Is Boland a two-timer pledging his devotion to the people of the 17th Congressional district while flirting with the voters in the 36th State Senate District?
* And Scott Cisek was remarkably candid about Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s primary race against former US Rep. Debbie Halvorson…
“Another city person getting in the race could only help Deb Halverson,” Cook County Democratic Party Political Director Scott Cisek said. […]
Though Jackson is already lining up support from local leaders in the black community, most onlookers downplayed the racial dynamic in the contest. Halvorson’s appeal to women could be a bigger factor, local Democrats speculated, especially in light of Jackson’s admitted affair.
Jackson “could have some real difficulty with women voters of every stripe,” Cisek said.
I’m assuming the Jackson campaign will use Halvorson’s pro-gun voting record to prevent her from winning over female voters, but Cisek has a good point.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 3:06 pm:
I think Walsh’s support is akin to the very profitable business plans of Fox News and Rush Limbaugh.
There’s a sizable market of consumers/voters that want to buy the proposition that they’re innocent victims, and all the problems of the world are caused by people they’re predisposed to dislike, anyway.
- Seriously??? - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 3:32 pm:
So, Walsh’s supporters are just as delusional as the man himself. That makes sense.
- Lake County - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 3:42 pm:
Anytime a candidate wins a major office they have some blind followers who believe he / she is almost perfect. I think we have seen that consistently with our long list of elected officials who have served time and still have motivated and vocal supporters. That is true here in a the far north ‘burbs. The reality is that Walsh is that candidate that BOTH parties pray they don’t get stuck with in any wave election. This time the right got Walsh, he’s a local boy and we will have an election this spring to fix that glaring problem. ….and don’t let the vocal few confuse you, the Repubs. up here know what needs to be done they just aren’t going to crow about it.
- Foxfire - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 3:45 pm:
There’s an old saying that goes something like this: “you’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.” I believe that; however, if you accomplish nothing, does what you stand for actually mean anything?
- walkinfool - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 3:55 pm:
To support a person because he stands by his word, is pretty weak if what he says is either foolish or outright damaging to the country.
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 4:09 pm:
Walsh’s victory and continued support have me rethinking the alleged high standing of suburban schools.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 4:13 pm:
You all may think he is an idiot, but there are people who really love someone who is consistent. If anything he is consistent, you may say consistently wrong, but he is consistent and there is a segment out there who feels government is too big, spends too much and has too much dabt and he is consistent in his actions are such that those folks will find agreement with him.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 4:23 pm:
Hey, don’t you know it’s a waste of your day
Caught up in endless solutions
That have no meaning, just another hunch
Based upon jumping conclusions
Caught up in endless solutions
Backed up against a wall of confusion
Living a life of illusion
- just sayin' - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 4:24 pm:
The tea party “movement” is mostly over, especially in IL. What’s left of it are mostly waring factions and nuttiness. The tea party is now a drag on the GOP and Walsh is toast largely because of them.
- titan - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 4:24 pm:
“Jackson “could have some real difficulty with women voters of every stripe,” Cisek said.”
Do we now have striped voters (or striped female voters anyway)? Which ethnic/racial category do they get classified into?
- Just Me - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 4:30 pm:
Personally, I find it a little insulting when politicians circulate petitions for more than one office at a time so they can make their mind up at the very end. They should have the desire and fire to run for public office for a specific reason, and playing this little game suggests they are elected officials for the wrong reason. It is even more insulting when the two offices they seek aren’t even in the same level of government.
- mokenavince - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 4:35 pm:
Joe Walsh is every thing that’s wrong with Congress. My 8th grade teacher Miss McCann always
said empty heads rattle much,sounds like Walsh fits the bill. He only represents himself. He should be a poster child for the know nothings.
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 4:47 pm:
- just sayin’ - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 4:24 pm:
“The tea party “movement” is mostly over, especially in IL. What’s left of it are mostly waring factions and nuttiness.”
Some are pivoting to elect local officials, monitor voter fraud and place precinct committeemen in township organizations. Many now realize their effect, at least at the local level, can be quite significant. The movement ain’t dead, it’s different.
- Carl Nyberg - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 5:31 pm:
Is there a history of female voters turning on a politician and ousting him in the primary for cheating on his wife?
- just sayin' - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 6:25 pm:
Cincci, it’s dead.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 7:08 pm:
Wordslinger,
100 percent right. Walsh is making $175,000 nowadays. Once he loses to Randy, he’ll be a made man by FoxNews and he’ll be making double that. On the positive side, he’ll be gone from public office and his kids (and poor ex wife) will finally see that money.
- PoliGeek - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 7:50 pm:
So now it’s (realistically) Koehler and Bustos left.
I feel like I’m going to the prom without a date. Neither are exciting. Cheri Bustos hasn’t paid her dues, and Dave Koehler is nothing to write home about either.
Is Des Moines nice this time of year, Cheri?
- amalia - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 8:40 pm:
SIU Public Policy Institute polling with lots of questions tonight.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 11, 11 @ 11:04 pm:
Don’t tease us like that, Amalia. What were the questions?
- amalia - Wednesday, Oct 12, 11 @ 9:10 am:
also opinion of Durbin and Kirk and job performance. Casinos as source of revenue. cigarette tax, budget cuts for DNR, “the poor,” k-12 educ, University educ.