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We haven’t had a good knock-down, drag-out here for several days over the 6th Congressional District race. Let’s start it off with a recent Lynn Sweet column on the low turnout at a recent Duckworth event.
It was snowing Sunday afternoon, and cold in north suburban Roselle, so I concede upfront that the weather impacted the turnout at a “family fun festival” campaign event for Democratic congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth.There is a saying in politics: If you want a big crowd, book a small room. The classroom in the basement of a Roselle Park District building at 555 Byrn Mawr had space to spare.
During the course of more than an hour, no more than 20 adults showed up, not counting Duckworth staff and children, and I may be overestimating the size of the crowd.
It’s not that the Duckworth campaign did not try to round up folks; I was hanging around her storefront headquarters in a Lombard strip mall Saturday afternoon, and I listened as about six volunteers spent hours making calls to drum up a Sunday audience.
This is a 6th District open thread. What’s going on lately?
(Updated to add the name “Lynn Sweet” because somebody in comments actually claimed that I had lifted her column and used it as my own without attribution, even though I never even hinted that it was mine and there was a link to her column in the original post. Ridiculous.)
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 1:37 am
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If you can’t round up more than 20 bodies during primary season crunch time, how in the heck are you ever going to raise you own money?
Will you ever be independent? Or will you always need to be at the beck and call of your Washington overlords?
Comment by Leroy Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 6:23 am
well, same old story: voters aren’t very engaged. as much as duckworth apologists complain about cegelis’ low name recognition in the summer of 2005, you can’t find a lot of voters who know duckworth’s name (i especially like the following exchange from a cegelis canvasser and a voter, “yes, i’m voting for christine and that nice veteran lady!”). of course, this is what makes the triple-d’s and double-d’s so valuable to a campaign: you know they’ll vote, and it’s likely they’ll actually pay attention to the race — sometime.
of course, we’ve been calling the double-d’s and triple-d’s cegelis voters. i don’t know what the duckworth campaign calls them!
Comment by bored now Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 7:03 am
Get a clue everbody! The “20 only” turnout not only reflects a lack of interest in Duckworth… it reflects the LOW NUMBER OF DEMOCRATS in the Sixth District. That 20 might actually mean the primary for her. Also call up the Unabomber’s mom. That will seal the deal for a primary win. The general, on the other hand….
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 10:37 am
Rich,
I don’t believe this has anything to do with Duckworth. It has more to do with waht Bored said. Voters are disengaged and who can blame them. They have caught on to the fact that it’s only the leadership in Washington and Springfield that have any real control or power and that rank and file legislators particularly if they are in the minority can’t really do much to better their lives. Only the junkies are engaged in this primary.
Comment by TM Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 11:42 am
1) Who is Zahm?
2) Sun-Times endorsement.
Comment by SenorAnon. Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 1:25 pm
FYI: The Daily Herald has posted the 6th Dist candidates answers to questions like “Why are you running for this office?”, “What is your preferred U.S. policy in Iraq and what benchmarks should be used to determine success or failure?”, and “How well or hasn’t the federal government balanced national security concerns with constitutional guarantees of personal liberties?” at the DH website.
Comment by So-Called "Austin Mayor" Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 2:48 pm
I think the big news is that Duckworth completed the Grand Slam of newspaper endorsements: The Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald and Pioneer Press.
The Tribune endorsement was no surprise. The Sun-Times endorsement dismisses Cegelis not for her lack of money, but for her lack of energy and appeal, something they say Duckworth has in spades.
I think the Daily Herald and Pioneer Press endorsements are the key though, because Cegelis often claims she’s the local candidate and Duckworth an outsider, but these are the local papers.
Here’s what the Daily Herald said:
“We, too, believe Duckworth is the strongest candidate in the Democratic primary and earns our endorsement.
Duckworth, who turns 38 this month, is a veteran of the war in Iraq who lost both her legs when her Army helicopter was shot down. But she is more than just a visual symbol for those opposed to the war. She understands not only defense issues, but also has good ideas on health care, the budget and immigration.”
And the Pioneer Press went even further, taking the residency issue head-on and subtlely coontrasting Duckworth with Cegelis:
“Duckworth offers a pragmatic approach to dealing with foreign and domestic issues. From promoting more Congressional oversight in Iraq war spending to changing policies so that Medicare can negotiate drug prices, Duckworth has realistic, attainable goals for a first-term congresswoman.
As a Guard officer, she also brings the leadership and motivational skills necessary to deliver on her mission. A likable, congenial person, she would work well within her own party as well as other members of Congress to get things done.
Her home is just outside the 6th District in Hoffman Estates, an area similar in economic and social makeup to the 6th District. We expect that she would represent the 6th District with as much diligence and commitment as she would the entire country.
When Duckworth says she will be a strong voice in Congress who truly understands the consequences of lawmakers’ decisions, her credibility is undeniable.”
These newspaper editorials go a long way toward vindicating Duckworth’s candidacy. Cegelis and her supporters can complain all they want to that the “Democratic Machine” controls the money, the unions, the pro-choice groups, local political leaders, and everybody else that’s lining up behind Duckworth, but it’s tough to make that case about all of the media.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 3:02 pm
Why did you lift this entire post from Lynn Sweet’s Chicago Sun-Times column and use it as your own with no attribution to Lynn?
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 3:05 pm
Um, the link is the attribution, silly. You ever read blogs?
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 3:06 pm
I have lived in this district for 22 years. Here’s an update from my town: I’ve seen dozens of Lindy Scott signs, two Cegelis signs and no Duckworth signs. I’ve had five mailers from Duckworth, one from Cegelis and one from Scott. Duckworth clearly has lots of money. I have seen one TV commercial of hers, none from the others.
I’m pulling for Cegelis- she ran against the incumbent and deserves a shot for an open seat. Nothing against Duckworth, but the national Dems recruiting a candidate against Cegelis says volumes about why the GOP runs Congress. Loyalty ought to matter.
Comment by max maxwell Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 4:18 pm
i would have been shocked, absolutely dumbfounded, and probably had a heart attack if duckworth hadn’t gotten all four endorsements. i disagree with rahm, but i have no doubt that he is able to pull off relatively minor things like lining up the establishment behind his pet candidates.
yellow dog must assume rahm is a complete idiot. i don’t.
Comment by bored now Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 4:25 pm
yes, mac, loyalty ought to matter, but as yellow dog has pointed out before, the old-line democratic establishment won’t support cegelis because she’s not one of them. they didn’t vote for her last time, ydd reports, and he’s implied that they won’t vote for her this time, either (should she win). loyalty (for them, apparently) is a one way street — you are expected to be loyal to them, but don’t expect them to be loyal to you.
Comment by bored now Tuesday, Mar 7, 06 @ 4:29 pm