People in IL aren’t enthused about either Mark Kirk (R) or Alexi Giannoulias (D) for the Illinois senate seat up for grabs this cycle*. According to Public Policy Polling, Giannoulias is leading the race… 31% to 30%. Giannoulias has his baggage as loan officer of his family’s bank which has recently been seized by the Feds and a less than stellar performance as state treasurer. Mark Kirk has swung to the right on issues (but not far enough it seems) from previously more moderate stances and seems to be caught in a continuing stream of falsehoods regarding his military service.
So now Mike Niecestro is offering himself as an independent conservative candidate for the senate. He says he has more than enough petition signatures to get on the ballot and is willing to put $1mil of his own cash into the race.
Think he’ll actually run or is he just trying to force Kirk to the right? If he does run, will he be viable or just split the Republican/conservative vote and clear the way for a Giannoulias victory?
*I refuse to call it “Obama’s seat” as that’s some stupid media made phrase and I haven’t come across anyone here in the Prairie State yet who thinks of it as some special thing. More likely, it’s thought of as “the seat that Blagojevich tried to sell and then stuffed with Burris”.
Well, I think Giannoulias is likely to be up to his eyebrows in the mess surrounding the family bank but there is no way I would consider voting for Kirk. And the idea of voting for someone who is further to the right…nyah, not gonna happen.
I honestly don’t know what I will do regarding this race in November. I suppose I will just have to wait and see what happens between now and then.
On the face of things, Illinois doesn’t strike me as a state where you can play the card of trying to force someone to the right as a political tactic very well.
I doubt the tactic will go off very well in a blue state.
That may be relevant in a House race, but the Senate is voted from the population of the state, not the geography, and the population of Illinois is still dominated by Chicago.
I know the Senate is a state wide race, thanks. That is in fact my point - in the 26 years before Blago, 3 different Republicans won election to the office of Governor (also a state wide race.;)) Additionally a Republican won election to the Senate (Patrick Fitzgerald) as recently as 1998 and served until Obama was elected to the Senate.
I have noticed a definite lack of enthusiasm for Giannoulias just like the OP mentioned. It seems this has a lot to do with questions about the family bank failure and what role he played in it. While you are correct Chicago has a dominate role in state wide races, don’t think that guarantees the Dem will win against a Republican. If you don’t believe me just ask Carol Moseley Braun, Dawn Clark Netsch, Glenn Poshard or Neil Hartigan.
He’s got a JD from Georgetown and a master’s from the LSE, and is a decorated intelligence officer. Why the hell does the guy think he even needs to exaggerate his qualifications?
A federal judge has ruled that Illinois has to hold a special election for the remainder of Obama’s senate term (all six or seven weeks of it come November). So we have two senate elections: one for the six weeks and one for the regular six year term. Since there’s no time for a primary, they’re allowing the parties to choose for themselves who to put on the ballot. Both major parties are expected to run their “real” senate candidates in both slots.
So not only do I not want to vote for either of those idiot jokers but now I’m expected to vote for them twice.
There’s an obvious Illinois/Chicago joke in there for you all.