* I think almost everyone I know has received this Richard Irvin mailer…
Notice there’s no disclaimer saying who it’s from. The Irvin campaign sent a letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections blaming the omission on a vendor error.
* There’s even a new Irvin TV ad making the same claim…
Announcer: Who’s paying for this false ad against Richard Irvin? Check the fine print.
Mary Ann Ahern: The new ad paid for by the Democratic Governors Association. Republicans call it meddling.
Announcer: It sure is. JB Pritzker knows he can beat Darren Bailey and Jesse Sullivan. After all, they both supported Obama for President. Bailey even admitted he backed Joe Biden.
Bailey: I might have voted for Biden.
Announcer: So the next time you see Pritzker smearing Richard Irvin, don’t fall for it.
There’s no proof that Bailey voted for Obama in 2008. And, as you’ll see, he actually said he might’ve voted for Joe Biden in 2008, not 2020 as implied.
* The audio clip supplied by the Irvin campaign to back up the Biden quote claim…
* Transcript…
First of all, in 2008, you guys remember Rush Limbaugh? So he had Operation Chaos. And it was because everybody was scared to death of Hillary Clinton getting in. So the goal was if you didn’t have a local race, which, interestingly enough, we did at the time in Clay County, where I live at, we did not have a Republican running for state’s attorney. We had two Democrats running for State’s attorney. State’s attorneys grow up to be judges. So, I’ve never pulled a Democrat ballot in my life, but I can tell you, I’ll never do it again. Cindy and I being a, and this is, you’re gonna laugh at this, but the next two years Cindy and I were thinking, what if the world ends and Jesus comes back and we’re registered Democrats? That’s been that’s been 12 years, 14 years ago now. And you have no idea. And when I tell you this stuff, like I said you can walk over and ask Cindy about it. So I had a brother [crosstalk] I had a brother that followed him, and it made sense because it’s Hillary, I don’t even, I think I might have voted for Biden. I don’t even remember. Biden rhymes with [garbled]. I didn’t even know who these guys were in 2008. But we did that.
Emphasis added to show he’s being hit for voting for two Democratic presidential candidates in the very same primary. Also, please pardon all transcription errors.
Whatever the truth is, Bailey is gonna get absolutely freaking buried by this stuff if he doesn’t start fighting back on the air and in the boxes.
* And there is a way. A bit of Democratic oppo was tossed my direction today. Here’s Richard Irvin speaking in February of 2020 about former President Barack Obama…
And even through all of that, I don’t know if my grandfather, grandmother, or my slave-born great-grandfather could have ever imagined that our vote, our Black vote would make such a difference in this country that will elect a Black man to the presidency in 2008 when Barack Obama made history.
Also…
Again, none of this means anything if it ain’t on the air.
…Adding… Prompted by a commenter, I looked up Operation Chaos. According to Wikipedia, Limbaugh launched the program in late February of 2008. The 2008 Illinois primary was on Feb. 5. So, Bailey’s explanation may not actually be true.
- Captain Obvious - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 1:18 pm:
I got that flyer and wondered who sent it to me until I saw the return address was in Aurora. Knew it couldn’t be from any Democrat, Bailey is their dream opponent.
- JoanP - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 1:25 pm:
= what if the world ends and Jesus comes back and we’re registered Democrats? =
He’ll welcome you into heaven, that’s what.
- Thomas Paine - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 1:29 pm:
Irvin isn’t a Democrat or a Republican, he is just a grifter, looking for his next pay day.
When someone pays him to be tough on crime, he is a prosecutor.
When someone offers him more money, he defends criminals.
When he wants to be mayor, he runs as an Outsider against Dan Shomon’s candidate.
When he is mayor, he raises money from Insiders that include the very same contractors, developers, and unions he once criticized.
He is pro-mask mandates when JB is in town, and against vaccine mandtes when he runs against JB.
He will be pro-life, pro-gun, and pro-family right until 5he primary is over, and then he will be pro-choice, pro-gun control and pro-gay rights.
How do I know? Because Ken Griffin is peo-choice, pro-gun control and pro-gay rights.
Rabine is starting to look like the best chance for Republicans.
- King Louis XVI - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 1:29 pm:
— First of all, in 2008, you guys remember Rush Limbaugh? So he had Operation Chaos.—
Rush was playing a long game - creating “chaos” in 2022 IL GOP gubernatorial primary.
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 1:30 pm:
We’re in the upside down, where the top two R candidates voted for a wildly popular home state President, and both are going to tar the other for doing so.
Bailey is such a strange man. I’m not exactly a man of faith, but with even a cursory knowledge of Jesus and His teachings, I fail to understand what Jesus’s issue with registered democrats might be.
- SWIL_Voter - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 1:31 pm:
“ what if the world ends and Jesus comes back and we’re registered Democrats?”
This is really a pretty disturbing insight into the mind of some of these nuttier doomsday Republicans. Democrats are akin to Satan for these people. Pretty alarming people like this want more power over our lives
- Guy - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 1:36 pm:
Operation Chaos started well after the Illinois primary.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 1:39 pm:
The Apostle Darren Bailey followed the Prophet Rush Limbaugh… except if you pay attention long enough.
“If you gave an order that Santiago wasn’t to be touched, and your orders are always followed, then why would Santiago be in danger?”
===… but the next two years Cindy and I were thinking, what if the world ends and Jesus comes back and we’re registered Democrats?===
The vengeful God that Bailey touts would likely be angry, Jesus would be angry at the Pharisees that the Baileys are, and in actuality, the Baileys are textbook hypocrites Jesus warns us of?
Those tent revivals on Facebook must be something to behold.
- Biker - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 1:39 pm:
“I don’t want to govern, he’s the guy that wants to govern!”. Next weeks mailers, probably.
- Rabid - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 1:43 pm:
Was it paid for by “democrat for bailey”
- Say What? - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 1:48 pm:
Welcome to the big leagues Darrin. What is the catcher saying to the pitcher at the mound as you step into the batters box?
“This one has trouble with the curve.”
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 2:00 pm:
Did Irvin vote for Biden in 2020? Attacking Bailey over this calls Irvin’s own votes and other statements and actions to attention.
- Lake Villa Township - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 2:03 pm:
Did Richard Irvin vote for Alan Keyes over Barack Obama in 2004?
- Baloneymous - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 2:10 pm:
praying for the rapture to arrive, that’s what I want in my candidate for governor. good grief.
- John Lopez - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 2:47 pm:
=== Did Richard Irvin vote for Alan Keyes over Barack Obama in 2004? ===
Irvin, in fall of 2004, was readying his first run for Aurora mayor in early 2005, so doubtful he’d have voted for Obama.
My guess, Irvin left that race blank, and didn’t vote for anyone.
- Rudy’s teeth - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 2:51 pm:
With Bailey’s candidacy, I’m getting a strong Jim and Tammy Faye vibe.
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 2:51 pm:
“Notice there’s no disclaimer saying who it’s from.”
I did. Then I saw the return address was Aurora and put two and two together. What an amateur mistake.
- Dankakee - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 2:55 pm:
= what if the world ends and Jesus comes back and we’re registered Democrats? =
This tells it all. Republicanism is a religion now. They think they are the Holy Romans and everyone else are Carthaginians to be conquered and subjugated. What a perfect gaffe.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 3:02 pm:
=== I’m getting a strong Jim and Tammy Faye vibe.===
Televangelists. Tent reviving Facebook folks.
===My guess===
So you don’t know.
The point is to let Irvin say, unless you’re Irvin’s spokesman?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 3:04 pm:
===Republicanism is a religion now===
For many self-identified… it’s a cult.
Trump, a living grifter is the leader. Religion is far too generous at this point.
- Jibba - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 3:16 pm:
The priest told us when we were kids that dogs have no souls so they don’t get into heaven. Now we have it on good authority that Democrats apparently have none either. Guess that leaves me free to start coveting things and checking out false idols.
- JS Mill - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 3:25 pm:
So Bailey, the alleged christian, does not think democrats get into heaven? Interesting, but we already know he isn’t a fiscal conservative (he is a socialist) and now we find out the apostle doesn’t actually believe in the christian doctrine.
Irvin, on the other hand, insinuates he was taking down crack houses and now his ads are really playing up the “combat” vet side.
Jessie Sullivan is starting to look honest in comparison to these guys.
BYW- I received the flyer as well. Given the Irvin campaign’s issue with honesty and being up front I am not buying the “mistake”. More like incompetence.
- Rudy’s teeth - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 3:32 pm:
Darren Bailey and debate should not exist in the same sentence. Bailey lacks fluency and coherence when he speaks extemporaneously.
Outside of reading scripture, he easily falters. Bailey’s ability to discuss policy and programs is weak. One-way conversation on FB Is his strength; a debate would be a debacle.
- vern - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 3:34 pm:
From the Irvin letter to SBOE:
“It has come to the Committee’s attention that a political communication, prepared on behalf
of the Committee and which included a disclaimer identifying the Committee as the payor, was very
recently mailed to voters without that disclaimer.”
What’s the point of phrasing it like that? If the communication was sent to voters without the disclaimer, then it didn’t include the disclaimer. I believe it was an accident, I don’t think this is some shady conspiracy. Just a weird lie to open with.
- Juvenal - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 5:12 pm:
=== Notice there’s no disclaimer saying who it’s from. The Irvin campaign sent a letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections blaming the omission on a vendor error. ===
The misfires just keep coming from Team Irvin.
This is basic stuff they are flubbing.
- West Side the Best Side - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 6:25 pm:
Hey, Darren, pretty sure that when the world ends Jesus isn’t going to be checking voter registration to see who makes it to heaven. I could be wrong of course, just like I could be wrong about thinking God doesn’t follow sports and really doesn’t care about who wins any given game, contrary to what some people might think.
- The Old Man - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 6:34 pm:
Bailey needs to understand that NO ONE IS A REGISTERED DEMOCRAT OR A REGISTERED REPUBLICAN IN ILLINOIS. Those animals do not exist. As a retired Civics teacher I can tell you that in Illinois you are a registered voter .(period) Choosing to vote in a particular primary does not make you registered with either party. It simply shows your choice that primary election day.
- Anthony - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 7:13 pm:
—Rabine is starting to look like the best chance for Republicans.—-
*Michael Scott voice* God No! Please! No! Nooo!!
- Huh? - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 7:15 pm:
“Jim and Tammy Faye”
Please do not besmirch the baker’s soiled televangelist reputation by associating them with beetle.
There are certain standards that must be maintained by the grifting bible thumpers and weepers.
- Registered Democrat - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 9:34 pm:
Who got this audio? Haha
- Longtime Rush Limbaugh fan - Monday, Apr 4, 22 @ 11:39 pm:
I remember operation chaos well. It was not an attempt to stop Hillary Clinton. It was an attempt to sow chaos and bloody both Clinton and Obama so that neither could win in the general. Keep the race close so that they keep beating each other up. It didn’t start until Obama started winning in middle to late February. All of a sudden, Obama was the frontrunner. Hillary was no longer a shoe in. This was after the Illinois primary. Bailey may have wanted to stop Hillary but it does not seem to be at the direction of Rudh Limbaugh.
- Rabid - Tuesday, Apr 5, 22 @ 5:52 am:
Blame the printer for your mistakes. Don’t fall for it