RSS Feed MenuMark Kirk made a rare unforced error last Friday night that he needs to make sure not to repeat. Speaking to a Republican dinner in Winnetka Illinois, Kirk was attempting to rally the crowd and made an unforced error when he said that “we are on the way to making this guy a one-termer.”
First and foremost, and all Republicans should take notes, no matter how much we disagree with President Obama, he remains the President of the United States and calling him “this guy” isn’t acceptable. Mr. Kirk knows this, of course, and simply wasn’t thinking. Nonetheless, it’s a mistake that shouldn’t be made. But beyond just syntax, Kirk made a tactical error that he absolutely must not repeat no matter how tempting. Kirk can only harm his chances if he attacks the president. Illinois voters consider the president one of their own and a Research 2000 poll from last month shows the president’s favorables among Illinois voters sit at 60% while his unfavorables are at a meager 36%.
Kirk’s path to victory is straightforward. He is better on jobs, he is better on national security, he is (unlike his opponent) clear of ties to corruption, and finally, he is pragmatic and not a partisan ideologue. His opponent, Alexi Giannoulias, is self-destructing in a rare way, raising credible questions about whether or not he is truly fit to hold office. Ties to corruption and bank failure make him more than vulnerable. Attacking Giannoulias is a good idea. Attacking the president can only hurt Kirk’s chances to win independent votes. Focus on the opponent, avoid the giant in Washington. It’s what’s gotten him to this point. It is what will lead him to the Senate.
Independent // Mar 17, 2010 at 12:46 pm
Jeb, Jeb, Jeb… thank God you aren’t advising any real GOPers running for office. With advice like that, who needs enemies to rip apart a GOP campaign?
First, part of the Nov 2010 elections will be about Obama whether you like it or not. All mid-term elections play in part to the most unpopular elements of a newly elected president –in this case, the GOP is blessed far, far, far beyond bounty with the Bozos from Chicago running the WH. You can bet that the Obami won’t be asleep at the wheel like they were in NJ, VA and Mass; they’ll play out every single Chicago Thug School trick in the books.
Ginnie-da-crook is vulnerable. For Kirk to be successful, though, he must motivate those who support him as well as those who don’t like all the Obami are doing to our national debt, our natl deficit, our trade imbalance, our kids’ future and the economy.
If you think pounding on Ginnie-da-crook is all that’s necessary to win, you have a lot to learn about running a statewide race for the US Senate.
A lot. And your learning curve doesn’t look too promising, either.
ottovbvs // Mar 17, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Independent // Mar 17, 2010 at 12:46 pm
“If you think pounding on Ginnie-da-crook is all that’s necessary to win, you have a lot to learn about running a statewide race for the US Senate.”
……I can see you’re as much of an electoral strategist as you are an Independant.
Independent // Mar 17, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Electoral strategist as I am an Independent?
No, otto, the point we were making was that Jeb’s advice to Kirk to keep the gloves off when it comes to Obama was all wrong. 100%. Wrong. Obama is perfectly, splendidly, wonderfully fair game as is any prez in the off-term elections… the Democrats won the US House majority because NancyBoTox knew that and played dirtball politics all day long in every contentious race in the nation. To not lay a hand on Obama in this election –of all of them in the US– would be near criminal political malfesance.
Jeb’s advice to unilaterally disarm on this very crucial and basic opportunity for Kirk is asinine and fool hardy.
Ginnie-da-crook is a poster boi for the corrupt game of Chicago Thug Rule. Obama was the king of the ropey-dope game –as he proved today on Fox News. This is an election about the corruption of the Chicago Way –from ACORN to Blago to Burris to Obama to Durbin to Daley. The Democrat Culture of Corruption begins in Chicago.
Kirk’s best plan: no quarter given. No relenting on the punishing blows. Use negatives and paint Ginnie-da-crook as Obama’s alter-ego. Plow him and the Obama machine into the ground. Brass knuckles, baby.
It isn’t just important that Kirk win –he must politicallly castrate Obama and the Chicago Thug machine in the process. Brutally, publicly, relentlessly. This isn’t a time for subtle fair play.
agentprovocateur // Mar 17, 2010 at 9:05 pm
The point is that the president is very popular in Illinois, so it makes sense that by attacking him, Kirk may be hurting his own cause. Certainly Independent’s advice would be prudent if most of the voters in Illinois felt the sameway about the president that Independent does, but since they don’t, his/her advice is a wee bit faulty. I mean, certainly Kirk is more than welcome to run ads about that “Chicago Thug” in the White House. I suspect such ads wouldn’t serve him very well.
Independent // Mar 18, 2010 at 9:17 am
agent’P: “… the president is very popular in Illinois, so it makes sense that by attacking him, Kirk may be hurting his own cause.”
Not exactly true, there, agent’P… but who’d have thought truth escapes the farLeft given your spin-fests of the past?
Remember this is THE most politically corrupt state in the Nation, home to the Obami Thug Machine, heir to the Daley Political Wrecking Crew who wrestled the 1960 presidential election away from Nixon with massive pro-Kennedy voter fraud… and delivered Obama the WH with the same technique: voter fraud.
This is the state that is Obama’s adopted home state –even tho’ the recently earthquake wracked Hawaii (according to Obama) is where his supposed birth records are located.
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/03/17/obama-the-louisiana-purchase-would-cover-an-earthquake-in-hawaii/
This is the state that Obama won in 2008 by a whompingly good 63-36% spread over McCain. Heck, even Al Gore (“Does-this-sweater-make-me-look-fat?”) won the state over the better man, Geo Bush, 56-43% in 2000. Democrats don’t like to remember Kerry, so I won’t embarass you on that score.
Obama today, removing his adopted city of Chicago, stands at only 52% approval rating in Illnois. He’s still got 94% of black approval in Chicago, 91% of Democrats in Chicago, 85% of all Chicagoans, 70% of 18-21 voters… so 52% is way, way down from his original, Inaugural rating of near 69% in Illinois –excluding Chicago again. Not a good trend for any political animal –least one only protected by a fake greek temple column.
Heck, given 1) the capacity of ACORN to fudge things and 2) the Chicago Thug Machine to find dead people who can still vote and express opinons –I’m kind of surprised Obama doesn’t 135% support in his adopted home state.
According to Rasmussen’s Daily Prez Tracking poll, there are now slightly more people in all of Illinois –Chicago included– who more strongly disapprove of Obama’s performance than can be found strongly approving… 35% to 32%.
But, hey agent’P, you stick with that line of Obama is “very popular” in Illinois and the strategy that Kirk loses if he takes on the president’s record of failed leadership.
In a hugely Democrat and politically corrupt state like Illinois, you’d think that a group like the Tea Party Movement would be scorned. Turns out, same poll, there are about 33% of Illinois voters think the TP Movement is a good thing as think it’s a bad thing. Imagine that? In Barrie O’s backyard. Wow.
agentprovocateur // Mar 18, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Nothing like a little frothy Obama Derangement Syndrome to get in the way of reality, eh? From the original post, “…a Research 2000 poll from last month shows the president’s favorables among Illinois voters sit at 60% while his unfavorables are at a meager 36%.” And your little idea of excluding Chicago from the equation would be entirely logical if the city was excluded from voting for the next senator from Illinois. Alas.
Independent // Mar 18, 2010 at 11:40 pm
There is no Obama Derangement Syndrome, agent’P. That term was original to only the farLeft and their penchant for attacking Geo W Bush with lie after outright lie.
But if you think you can get some mileage out of an old term that just reminds all of how unhinged you and your pals were for 8 years, you go ahead and use it as long as you can without everyone cracking a smile for the sheer irony of it.
Actually, you can exclude the Chicago market from the Nov 2010 vote tally. They haven’t really voted since Kennedy in 1960… the election results are provided by the Chicago Thug Machine a few weeks prior to Election Day… it’s the Chiago-Daley way, you know.
agentprovocateur // Mar 19, 2010 at 12:36 am
Glass houses, dear, glass houses. You have consistently proven yourself to be no better than those on the far left who frothed at the mouth over George W. Bush. Of course there is ODS, and, on this website, you are its chief victim.
“Actually, you can exclude the Chicago market from the Nov 2010 vote tally. They haven’t really voted since Kennedy in 1960… the election results are provided by the Chicago Thug Machine a few weeks prior to Election Day… it’s the Chiago-Daley way, you know.”
Awwww. Stereotypical banalities like this won’t stop Chicago votes from being counted in November. So sorry.