Jim Oberweis ran for office nine times in Illinois. A new attack ad wants Southwest Florida voters to know what he said about immigration while he was doing it.
Southwest Florida First, a political action committee that has spent this cycle going after out-of-state candidates in the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, is airing a new spot on cable and digital platforms. The ad accuses the Bonita Springs Republican of once supporting citizenship and work permits for undocumented immigrants.
VO: Liberal Jim Oberweis ran nine times for office in Illinois. Supporting amnesty and even citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Oberweis: We ought to allow a clear path to citizenship.
VO: Now he’s running here. Pretending he’s tough on immigration. Oberweis even pushed work visas for illegal immigrants.
Oberweis: A special type of visa that could allow them to continue to stay here and work.
VO: Career candidate, perennial loser.
Oberweis: I’m Jim Oberweis.
VO: Don’t let him Illinois our Florida.
[From Rich: I regularly spend colder weeks in that very district. You can’t swing a dead lizard without hitting someone from the Chicago metro area. So, quite a few of the oldsters in the district (and there are a lot of oldsters there) already know who he is.]
…Adding… A flashback to Oberweis’ 2004 US Senate Campaign…
Never would have thought Chopper Jim would be accused of being soft on immigration. Or a liberal.
- James the Intolerant - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:36 am:
I moved from Chicago and live in this district and the ads are disgusting, candidates trying to establish who is the Trumpiest. Hopefully we can at least turn the governors seat, Donalds seems beatable.
The opposition is milking this for all they can squeeze. (Couldn’t resist) Like others, I think it’s a hoot that Obie is considered liberal down there.
Oberweis has poured nearly $5 million of his own money into the 19th Congressional District of Florida race. Primary is August 18, and many believe Oberweis can pull this off given he’s run TV commercials for over a year.
And don’t forget, one of Oberweis’ opponents this year is 2022 11th Congressional District of Illinois Republican nominee Catalina Lauf, who came in 3rd in 2020 Republican primary for 14th Congressional District of Illinois!
I thought I was somehow forgetting who Oberweis was with that SWFL First ad. It is both funny and scary (and I’ll ad maddening re: some campaigns) that he is being painted as a liberal. Up is down and down is up apparently…
I got some very good free Oberweiss ice cream from him when I bumped into Jim in downtown Springfield. He is not a complete LOSER, as he won election to the IL State Senate.
I left Florida over 4 years ago amd moved to Chicago. The best thing that could happen to Florida is for it to become more like Illinois. That state is so backwards and such an absolute awful place to live it is pure comedy hearing them continue to pretend otherwise.
My wife got a lot of free ice cream and that didn’t affect her character recognition skills. Although, the ice cream is good. (He doesn’t own it anymore)
- Lord of the Fries - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 3:27 pm:
LOVE AND MISS ChopperJim in IL, He was our favorite passenger/co-pilot in the IL GOPPIE clown car (steered by GovJunk) Sent all FL friends mail-in ballots for this vote. May send Chopper’s campaign fund so silver to bolster the run. best of luck Chop!
Jim is looking very good at 80, but if I were one of his heirs I’d be very upset at him for spending millions of dollars on his own money to win a seat in congress just so he can have a feather in his cap and an extra paragraph or two on his wikipedia page.
I don’t know how many terms he could possibly expect to run for, but so far it has been a very expensive mid life crisis that has never ended.
Imagine the things someone could fund with what he’s spent on just this campaign. People would have built monuments to his generosity.
Jim essentially sold the family farm and is using the money to do this.
Jim earned the money and has the right to spend it however he wants to. The heirs really don’t have a right to anything. Jim could will all his $$ to a charity if he wanted to.
- Someone you should know - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:12 am:
Maybe he should get the chopper out and shoot some video over hard rock Stadium, and redo his soldier field ad
- Proud Papa Bear - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:18 am:
Interesting. A place where Jim Oberweis is considered a liberal RINO.
- SAP - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:18 am:
Jim Oberweis is getting attacked for being soft on immigration? We are through the looking glass.
- Juice - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:20 am:
Never would have thought Chopper Jim would be accused of being soft on immigration. Or a liberal.
- James the Intolerant - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:36 am:
I moved from Chicago and live in this district and the ads are disgusting, candidates trying to establish who is the Trumpiest. Hopefully we can at least turn the governors seat, Donalds seems beatable.
- JS Mill - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:39 am:
They hit the nail on the head with career candidate. The RHINO stuff is funny and surreal.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:40 am:
Richard Nixon would be hard left in today’s GOP.
- King Louis XVI - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:45 am:
— Richard Nixon would be hard left in today’s GOP.—
… and both Bushes, Reagan, Ike, Hoover, Coolidge, Harding, etc.
- The Ford Lawyer - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:49 am:
“A place where Jim Oberweis is considered a liberal RINO.” –That place would be the entire Trumplican party.
- JoanP - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:53 am:
The phrase ”liberal Jim Oberweis” was not on my bingo card.
- Jack in Chatham - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:56 am:
Jim is 80 years old. I am uncomfortable voting for people in their 70s and 80s.
- Siualum - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 11:57 am:
Maybe he supported work permits for “illegal immigrants” to staff his dairy business with less expensive labor?
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 12:08 pm:
===Maybe he supported work permits===
Maybe he should re-run his Soldier Field helicopter ad to prove his purity. /s
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 12:09 pm:
For the younger crowd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nst-aXvdrR4
- West Side the Best Side - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 12:13 pm:
Certainly don’t want to Florida our Illinois.
- Boone's is Back - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 12:16 pm:
oof to the nine campaigns. Lots of PTSD.
- fs - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 12:47 pm:
== Maybe he supported work permits for “illegal immigrants” to staff his dairy business with less expensive labor?
==
A latter day Republican’s position on such permits may depend on how much farmland they own and how good their accountants are at hiding expenses
- Norseman - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 12:53 pm:
The opposition is milking this for all they can squeeze. (Couldn’t resist) Like others, I think it’s a hoot that Obie is considered liberal down there.
- New Day - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 1:01 pm:
BAHAHAHAHA
- Marc Avelar - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 1:03 pm:
=== Maybe he should re-run his Soldier Field helicopter ad to prove his purity. /s ===
He did. 2 weeks ago, Jim Oberweis recycled a 2020 TV commercial with the 2004 Soldier Field commercial included!
https://youtu.be/jdF8kTEkmRc?is=dvKFe02MJFwGkTiY
Oberweis has poured nearly $5 million of his own money into the 19th Congressional District of Florida race. Primary is August 18, and many believe Oberweis can pull this off given he’s run TV commercials for over a year.
And don’t forget, one of Oberweis’ opponents this year is 2022 11th Congressional District of Illinois Republican nominee Catalina Lauf, who came in 3rd in 2020 Republican primary for 14th Congressional District of Illinois!
The rematch nobody wanted.
- Hyperbolic Chamber - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 1:11 pm:
Florida GOP Viewer:
“This Overwise guy thought COVID was REAL?!?!?”
- Leslie K - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 1:22 pm:
I thought I was somehow forgetting who Oberweis was with that SWFL First ad. It is both funny and scary (and I’ll ad maddening re: some campaigns) that he is being painted as a liberal. Up is down and down is up apparently…
- About Time - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 1:57 pm:
I’d almost forgotten how utterly ridiculous the the Solider Field helicopter ad was. Ah, the good ol’ days.
- Watchdog - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 2:05 pm:
I got some very good free Oberweiss ice cream from him when I bumped into Jim in downtown Springfield. He is not a complete LOSER, as he won election to the IL State Senate.
- B - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 2:21 pm:
I left Florida over 4 years ago amd moved to Chicago. The best thing that could happen to Florida is for it to become more like Illinois. That state is so backwards and such an absolute awful place to live it is pure comedy hearing them continue to pretend otherwise.
- Morty - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 2:29 pm:
If they’re running Illinois retreads down there, could a Proft for Governor be on the horizon?
A lack of name recognition would be a net positive for Dan down there compared to Illinois.
- Norseman - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 3:27 pm:
My wife got a lot of free ice cream and that didn’t affect her character recognition skills. Although, the ice cream is good. (He doesn’t own it anymore)
- Lord of the Fries - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 3:27 pm:
I mean… where’s the lie?
- Annon'in - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 3:30 pm:
LOVE AND MISS ChopperJim in IL, He was our favorite passenger/co-pilot in the IL GOPPIE clown car (steered by GovJunk) Sent all FL friends mail-in ballots for this vote. May send Chopper’s campaign fund so silver to bolster the run. best of luck Chop!
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 4:55 pm:
===Jim is 80 years old===
Jim is looking very good at 80, but if I were one of his heirs I’d be very upset at him for spending millions of dollars on his own money to win a seat in congress just so he can have a feather in his cap and an extra paragraph or two on his wikipedia page.
I don’t know how many terms he could possibly expect to run for, but so far it has been a very expensive mid life crisis that has never ended.
Imagine the things someone could fund with what he’s spent on just this campaign. People would have built monuments to his generosity.
Jim essentially sold the family farm and is using the money to do this.
- btowntruth from forgottonia - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 5:27 pm:
Calling him a liberal is hilarious for bunches of reasons innit?
- Dotnonymous x - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 7:11 pm:
I’m in my 70’s and my memory and cognitive powers are as sharp as a…a uh…uh…you know the thing you hit with the…makes hammering motion.
- Steve - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 7:59 pm:
Jim is the wrong man at the wrong place at the wrong time when it comes to politics.
- Watchdog - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 9:47 pm:
Jim earned the money and has the right to spend it however he wants to. The heirs really don’t have a right to anything. Jim could will all his $$ to a charity if he wanted to.
- Da big bad wolf - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 9:59 pm:
===Jim Oberweis supported a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.===
Wait. That’s a bad thing? Why?
- Give us Barabbas - Monday, Jul 27, 26 @ 10:14 pm:
How many handicapped parking spots does he take up down there?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 28, 26 @ 1:26 am:
===if I were one of his heirs===
He’ll make more than he spends by the end of the election. No biggie.