37 Comments - wordslinger - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 9:43 am: I’m pretty sure this script is cribbed from an old Lee Greenwood tune. - Can - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 9:43 am: ==I’m Cristian. I’m pro-life. I’m pro-gun.== It’s been asked before, but I’ll ask it again: Who would Jesus shoot? - ChicagoJ - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 9:46 am: Urban and far left left take: At this point I am not sure there is room in the modern Democrat party for anti-choice and pro-gun candidates. What is even the point of having such a watered down progressive candidate in the party’s coalition? - Give Me A Break - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 9:46 am: Hey he left out I believe in Black Lung for workers and I really believe in smaller gvt. unless it means my district’s state jobs. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 9:47 am: Yeah. He forgot coal. So, I guess he set himself up for an attack. lol - Charry - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 9:49 am: I’m a Christian. I’m pro-life. I’m pro-gun, I’m a Repub… Democrat. Could this be the first Democrat to show up at a rally wearing a MAGA hat? - Someone you should know - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 9:50 am: Never gonna give you up Never gonna let you down Never gonna run around and desert you Never gonna make you cry Never gonna say goodbye Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you - Texas Red - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 9:52 am: Dude is confused, he is running for a party that has a platform in opposition to all his priorities. - Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 9:55 am: BlueDogDem? - A guy - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 9:57 am: Thanks for playin’. - Not It - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:01 am: If a Republican ran an ad saying they were pro-choice and favored gun control the right would go insane. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:19 am: This ad is basically just a pre-response to accusations that are sure to be leveled against him by the GOP. Charlie Daniels said it best in “Uneasy Rider” Well you may not know it but this man’s a spy He’s an undercover agent for the FBI And he’s been sent down here to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan […] Well he’s a friend of them long-haired hippie type pinko [expletive] I betcha he’s even got a Commie flag Tacked up on the wall inside of his garage He’s a snake in the grass I tell ya guys He may look dumb but that’s just a disguise He’s a mastermind in the ways of espionage —- So, the above ad is basically this rejoinder from the song… They all started lookin’ real suspicious at him And he jumped up an’ said now just wait a minute Jim You know he’s lyin’ I’ve been livin’ here all of my life I’m a faithful follower of Brother John Birch And I belong to the Antioch Baptist Church And I ain’t even got a garage you can call home and ask my wife /s - Reality - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:20 am: Chicago J, the point is he will vote for Madigan as speaker. - Stan - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:26 am: I’m kinda surprised by the comments. I think it is a pretty effective ad. It wasn’t that long ago that this could have been an ad for many Dems. There are a whole bunch of pro-life, pro-2a, pro-union people out there. - Saluki - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:30 am: Ah yes. The old make fun of the Hillbillys post. Good to know some annual traditions never go away. - Texas Red - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:31 am: The IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund loves the guy - Southern_Dawg - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:33 am: Rich is right in his Charlie Daniels comparison. I’m in Williamson County. This is the district. Always has been. Longtime Dem district too. Home to Ken Gray, Glenn Poshard, Paul Powell, Gary Forby, his father Larry Woolard…list goes on and on. Rich knows this district well. - Under Influenced - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:35 am: Bahahaha he just Rick-rolled all of southern Illinois!! - Lester Holt’s Mustache - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:37 am: I don’t see the problem here. Guy wants to run as a dem, more power to him. Maybe he believes trickle-down economic theory is a load of bull, or that our state government is underfunded and needs a change to our income tax structure. Or maybe he thinks trump is a dope and doesn’t want to be associated with the trump party. It’s exceedingly dumb to reject the guy out of hand just because he’s conservative on these two issues. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:46 am: ===exceedingly dumb to reject the guy out of hand=== Who did that? - wordslinger - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:55 am: If he combines “Uneasy Rider” with “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” (Steve Goodman and John Prine), he could produce the best Southern Illinois spot ever. - Forgotonia - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:58 am: Sure looks like a Mike McClain special. - Jibba - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 10:58 am: Saluki, you’re being too sensitive this morning. ChicagoJ is reflecting an internal struggle in the Dems over the last few years that the Rs already went through by purging Eisenhower Republicans. My feeling is that I’d rather have a Dem in place even if I disagree with many of his ideas, but I probably agree more with him than his opponent. For me, this applies even more at the federal level. When both parties were less homogeneous, there was internal negotiation as well as external negotiation, which added a check on excesses from both parties. - Downstate Dem - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 11:00 am: Not every Democrat has to be a bleeding heart liberal. That’s the point. Democrats are more inclusive. It’s only in the Rauner years that the rule seems to be that one cannot be moderate. It is possible to be pro-gun and pro-union. For those union members wondering which way to vote, just remember that your Second Amendment rights are protected by the Constitution. Your union job with good wages and benefits is not. Vote for the person supporting your union. - LXB - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 11:14 am: ==What is even the point of having such a watered down progressive candidate in the party’s coalition?== It would be one thing for a US House candidate running in a Trump +43 district, because on the very outside chance he wins it contributes to gaining a majority in the House. But there is no risk of Democrats losing their majorities in the Illinois statehouse this year, so…? On the other hand, I’m guessing the state party isn’t exactly pouring resources into this race, so it pretty much doesn’t matter one way or the other. - anon - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 12:00 pm: I do like the ads where the candidate looks directly at the camera, rather than a voiceover on top of flashy effects or images. - Gooner - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 12:29 pm: The fact that “pro-gun” is considered by most to be outside the Democratic Party’s mainstream is disappointing. While a party needs a core set of ideals, there should be room in the party for people who do consider themselves “pro-gun.” The ad is a nice introduction. It introduces himself to the voters. I was pretty impressed by the ad. It was simple, to the point, and put him in a good light when the GOP tries to attack him on those issues. - don the legend - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 12:45 pm: Lester says —Maybe he believes trickle-down economic theory is a load of bull, or that our state government is underfunded and needs a change to our income tax structure. Or maybe he thinks trump is a dope and doesn’t want to be associated with the trump party.— All day long. This along with I don’t want to take your guns and protecting the unborn sounds like a winning message in many counties and districts. - Saluki64 - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 1:39 pm: He’s not alone. Most “democrats” here in southern Illinois claim to be Democrats because of unions. Look at Gary Forby, John Bradley. Currently Natalie Phelps Finnie is sending out re-election fliers that says “I’m pro-life, I’m Pro-second amendment and my faith …..” Adds in there somewhere or in her tv ad that she’s also a Sunday school teacher. Under Influenced - no rick rollin’ here. All the voters know exactly who their “Democratic” candidates are and still vote for them ’cause they too aren’t really democrats. I called NPF campaign office and asked for the difference between her views and her Republican opponent. The staff member couldn’t tell me any except that NPF is for the middle class. Sign. - BlueDogDem - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 2:22 pm: Anony. Watch the BlueDogDem reference. - Lester Holt’s Mustache - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 2:32 pm: ==Who did that?== Four of the first 5 commenters (excluding yourself) - Jibba - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 2:39 pm: Gooner, the big problem is that “pro-gun” has been defined by Art 2 supporters, and excludes anyone who wants any type of gun regulation. I like guns and am a Dem and would support various gun control measures. Where do I stand? Art 2 people disown me. - Commonsense in Illinois - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 3:08 pm: Is this guy related to former Rep. Larry Woolard? Nephew perhaps? - Conventional Wisdom - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 4:12 pm: Perfect. Woolard might just win that contest. The real test of a Democrat should be whether they’re willing to fight for progressive economics and broad-based prosperity, not where they stand on social issues and identity politics. - Southern Illinois girl - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 8:03 pm: He is what the 117th district needs… a strong union Man, a man that takes care of all working families. - ju - Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 11:01 pm: If he combines “Uneasy Rider” with “You Never ==Even Called Me By My Name” (Steve Goodman and John Prine), he could produce the best Southern Illinois spot ever.== Redneck Life-appropriate too https://youtu.be/5W1fbZxazIw - wordslinger - Friday, Aug 24, 18 @ 9:43 am: –Not every Democrat has to be a bleeding heart liberal. – Have always found it strange that “bleeding heart” is a pejorative to some, especially those cafeteria Christians who wear their piety on their sleeves. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.