In Illinois, we might be pissing away Obama's seat in the Senate

[AngryAmish]

" Republicans in Illinois hold no statewide offices, are minorities in both chambers of the State Legislature and struggle some years to recruit viable candidates even at the top of the ballot.

But the election last week of a long-shot Republican, Scott Brown, to the Senate in Massachusetts, a similarly blue state, has invigorated Republicans here."

Read the whole thing - but the problem is the Machine candidate - Giannouilias - is a completely mobbed up son of a banking family. Plus he is a complete douchebag with a 19 year old girlfriend. Did I mention he is a douchebag? We nominated this guy before except his name was Blagoivich.

We are pissing away the seat.

[Clio the Leo]

1. Never have I wanted to protest outside of the White House....

.... until now.

I want to play that clip from the end of "School Daze" with Larry Fishburn going "WAKE UP!!!!! WAKE UP!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!" over and over.

But I feel MUCH better with Plouffey back on the scene.

[Chulanowa]

2. Because more republicans = more progressive legislation!

Because the less power the Democrats have, apparently the more likely they are to get stuff we want done! Didn't you get the memo?

[xchrom]

3. If fuckin centrists won't learn -- then deal with fuckin pain.

Progressives will survive -- and if you don't want us
then kiss our asses and do without.

[Chulanowa]

4. If you think electing wight-wingers will get you what you want...

Then your only survival is going to be as yet another bunch of deluded dumbfucks squalling in your own shit at the base of the Republican party.

Have fun with that.

[xchrom]

9. No -- you have your fingers in ears as usual.

You wanna be a cry baby and threaten progressives
with a bad outcome if we don't play the game your way.

But god knows when you're pickin sides for your team -- you want nothing.

So kiss our asses -- and do without -- we're immaterial, remember?

[Chulanowa]

10. Pot, kettle, blah blah

Seriously. I'm telling you that progressives - which I consider myself to be, albeit one more aware than many on DU - are not going to get what they want from the Republicans. This isn't a "threat", and I'm certainly not the one sticking my fingers in my ears.

I'm telling you that the Republicans will fuck all of us over, and that you shouldn't be batting for their team. This used to be common knowledge, but I guess certain elements of DU just hate Obama more.

[xchrom]

11. You make up scenarios to suit your self.

No one said anything about helping/voting for repukes.

But leaders are repeatedly demonstrating they don't
want my vote either -- much like you are demonstrating now.

Do with out it then. I survived Reagan, bush and bush and bush again.

But this charade has become ridiculous.

[Chulanowa]

13. I don't want your vote; I'm not running for office

If I were, I'm pretty sure you'd be voting for me, anyway. I'm a socialist and a leftist who happens to brook no bullshit, much less bullshit from other liberals who ought to know better. Liberals like yourself.

I understand that you're one of the worthless variety of liberals, the kind who decide to go squat in the woods to smoke pot and eat cake frosting under the belief that if you personally don't participate, everything will grind to a halt and people will beg you to join in again. But there's this thing called a primary. We use it to get rid of members of the party we dislike without voting for those psycho fucks over in the Republican party.

Hell, there's even a thing called protest. And I don't mean the shit-brained variety of protest where you walk around with a sign and some bad limericks for an hour and a half, then go home. Learn your capabilities, and the methods used by those who came before you.

If you're talking about non-participation, you are talking about serving as a fifth column. The hippies were that column in the 60's and 70's. The Reagan Democrats were that column in the 80's. Don't take up the mantle for the 10's.

learn what you can do and then do it.

[Kaleva]

5. That's fine.

Polls continue to show Obama receiving high support from liberal Democrats. The unhappy few will be of no great loss.

[ShortnFiery]

12. It's more than "the unhappy few" liberals. If you continue to believe that

all is FINE, it's going to bite the ConservaDems in the a** come November's election.

Then, as usual, they'll blame us liberals.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

[GinaMaria]

6. It used to be that beating Illinois repukes was almost a slam dunk

Illinois repukes eat each other for breakfast, have egos the size of Montana, do not back down when they lose a primary (Oberweis) and embarrass themselves with in-fighting. They are usually high entertainment, they are such a disaster. To lose a seat to this bunch says something.

[Kaleva]

7. Illinois is an odd state.

Bush won the majority of white male and female vote there in 2000 and 2004. It's Chicago and Chicago alone that keeps the state reliably in the blue column.

[GinaMaria]

20. There are also working class people throughout the state

that would never dream of voting R. Combined with the urban vote, we appear to be D. Within the state however are many districts that are R. What has helped is that Illinois R's have been a joke. They split the party vote by running against each other in the general, they destroy each other in political ads, there's a lot of in fighting, they have huge egos and seem to be a better fit for the mad hatter's tea party than the repub tea party.

We are a funny state and I wouldn't trade it, except in the winter, for a little sunshine :-)

[Ildem09]

8. Alexi=Fail Hoffman=Win

Alexi looks like he is going to sale to victory. Hoffman should have campaigned downstate and rode the anti-chicago vote. Has the Emperor of Chicago came out on anyones side yet?

[AngryAmish]

14. I already voted for Hoffman

Daley supports G.

[ElmoBlatz]

15. Giannouilias has a 19 year old girlfriend?

Am I reading that right? I'm sorry, but its hard to take any candidate for a Senate seat seriously if he has a 19 year old girlfriend. Well, unless he's 25.

[Jennicut]

17. He is 33. I honestly don't think that is a big deal.

I am 34 and while I wouldn't date a 19 year old it is not exactly rubbing the cradle...14 year age difference.

[alcibiades_mystery]

16. Vote Hoffman

[AngryAmish]

21. already did

[Jennicut]

18. This is polling from Real Clear Politics. Giannoulias is tied or ahead.

Poll Date Sample Giannoulias (D) Kirk (R) Spread
RCP Average 1/26 - 12/9 -- 38.3 34.7 Giannoulias +3.6
Rasmussen Reports 12/9 - 12/9 500 LV 42 39 Giannoulias +3
PPP (D) 4/24 - 4/26 991 RV 35 35 Tie
Daily Kos/R2000 1/26 - 1/28 600 LV 38 30 Giannoulias +8
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/senate/il/illinois_senate_giannoulias_vs_kirk-1092.html


I am curious about Hoffman's numbers against Kirk as he seems to be the better, more progressive candidate.

[uponit7771]

19. This is good IMHO, these people aren't looking at the fact that coackly went on vaction with no...

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