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Publius Forum Republican Primary Endorsements

-By Warner Todd Huston

As a follower of politics who wants to associate with other followers of politics, the worst thing one can do to muck things up is to make a public endorsement of a candidate for office. As soon as you pick a candidate you risk a schism with friends. It won’t take long before some of them will begin to look aghast at you, raise a pointing finger and start making that screeching noise that the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers made when they found an evil human amongst them. It is the best way to get people to scream “you’re no REAL (insert party affiliation here)!!”

Yes, politics is a hard game; it ain’t bean ball, as the saying goes. Still, we are all compelled to make our choice to show that we’ve been paying attention at least. Then there’s that whole citizenship “thang” where it’s our duty as citizens to make an informed choice. So, at the risk of becoming an enemy to the masses, here are my choices for the upcoming primaries.

Senate
There are only two credible candidates for Senate, John Arrington and Patrick Hughes.

Mark Kirk’s campaign commercials portray him as a “center right candidate.” This is a lie. Kirk’s career rating from nearly every conservative group shows him to rank 50% or less on a conservative scale. This makes him a center left candidate, not a center right candidate. So, Kirk is not a contender for me.

Of Arrington and Hughes, it is Hughes that has the better game. So, Hughes it is. I believe his conservative credentials are top shelf.
www.patrickhughesforsenate.com/Home.asp

Secretary of State, Treasurer and Attorney General
There is only one GOP candidate each for these offices:
Sec. of State: Robert Enriquez – enriquez2010.us
Treasurer: Dan Rutherford – danrutherford.org
Attny Gen: Steve Kim – stevekimforag.com

Governor
The toughest race of all this year. We have some really great candidates and a few dogs this time. Let’s cross out a few names immediately. Bob Schilerstrom is the worst of the pack. He stands against our Constitutional rights as an anti-gun nut and he is pro-gay marriage. Those two items right there makes him persona non grata around these parts. The second candidate we can immediately dispense with is Andy McKenna. This guy keeps claiming he’s an “outsider,” but no one in the race is more of an insider than he. McKenna is a connected, rich-kid that has been associated with all the worst crooks in Illinois politics. His misuse of Party funds in that poll debacle is he least of his problems. The third least credible candidate is Jim Ryan. The fact that he’s anti-Second Amendment is bad enough, but his ties to the criminal Tony Rezko and the fact that he’s already proven himself to be a state-wide loser from the past makes him a bad choice all the way around. So, there are the three that never for a second figured into the race as far as I am concerned.

Of the remaining four I was initially excited by Adam Andrzejewski, but in the subsequent campaign he showed evidence of some lack of familiarity with government. I think he should stay in GOP politics, though. In the future this young man could be a major leader in the state. But as of right now I don’t think he is quite ready. In the end, I voted Adam down.

Then there’s Bill Brady. He has quite a lot of support from downstate, which is good. But I just don’t see any there there with Brady. He just seems flat and sort of unexciting. So, I couldn’t go with Brady.

That leaves Dan Proft and Kirk Dillard. I love Proft’s directness and find his positions well thought out and spot on. He is fearless in his insistence that things need to be upset in Springfield and I love his dark sense of humor. I am a bit troubled by some of his past connections, especially on immigration, though.

That leaves the safe bet, Kirk Dillard. Dillard is a bit of a dull campaigner. I won’t say he is himself a dullard, but he seems somewhat humorless and pedantic. I’ve hated most of his stump speeches, too. Yet, he has some good political ties and a ton of worthwhile experience that will help him in Springfield.

So, between Proft and Dillard it is an agonizing choice. I am only grudgingly going with Dillard. Lordy I’d like to choose Proft, but I think the one thing that makes me shy from him is that he is, indeed, an adversary to Springfield. That might at first thought seem like a good qualification but we just had a Governor that was an enemy of the legislature (Blago) and we saw how that all went, didn’t we? With his experience, Dillard just edges Proft but if Proft, Andrzejewski, or Dillard get the nomination I will enthusiastically vote for any of them. If Brady wins the nomination, I will vote for him but I won’t do so enthusiastically. On the other hand, I will not support any of the other three. McKenna, Ryan, and Schillerstrom would all be a big mistake and I could not support any of them.

**UPDATE** Dillard Just lost me (Sunday, Jan. 17)

Well, it didn’t take long. Remember I said it was close between Proft and Dillard? The only thing that put me over with Dillard was his more standard closeness to the process and being able to work with the Party and the legislature. So because of that I felt Dillard edged out Proft.

Well, that was before I found out that the Teachers union endorsed Dillard. Now Proft edges Dillard. I wish I had seen this before I even posted my endorsements last night! That’ll teach me for spending Saturday goofing off and not keeping up on the news.

With the unions now supporting Dillard that is enough for him to lose me, for sure. There is only one reason that a public employees union would endorse a candidate and that is because they’ve either gotten assurances from that candidate, or they are at least confident that said candidate will bend their way.

I am virulently anti-union and if they are pro-Dillard that is enough to knock him out of contention for me. In fact, it is enough to push him down to third place for me under Adam Andrzejewski.

So, Proft it is.
www.proft2010.com

Lt. Governor
Even though he’s the Party choice (and these days whatever the State Party wants is suspect almost immediately!), Matt Murphy is probably the better choice for Lt. Guv. So, I am going with Matt. It seems to me that out of all the many Lt. Guv candidates, Murphy is the most able to take over for the governor if need be.
www.murphy2010.com

Comptroller
Judy Baar Topinka was never in the running as far as I am concerned. She is a member of the good old boy network and a symbol of the past that will drag the ticket down. But with the other two candidates we have an interesting contrast. First there’s William Kelly. I love this guy for many reasons. He’s unafraid to be himself, he’s a great activist, and he’s always there with a ready quote. But I feel that our state is in such a mess that we need someone with intimate knowledge of the financial situations that the Comptroller will face in this tough economic climate. So, because of that, I am going with Jim Dodge. His knowledge of the economic situation that the state currently faces leaves him with the experience that we’ll need in that situation. So, Jim Dodge is my choice.
www.jimdodge2010.com

2nd and 3rd Districts
There is only one GOP contender in each of these two districts. For 2 its Isaac Hayes and for 3 its Michael A. Bendas.
www.isaachayesforcongress.com
www.bendasforcongress.com

5th District
My choice is Rosanna Pulido. I have known Rosanna for a few years now and feel her stance on the issues is more conservative than that of Mr. Ratowitz. This one was very close, though. I guess what pushed me over the top for Rosanna is that the Eagle Forum supported her.

www.rosannapulido2010.com

8th District
I love everything candidate Joe Walsh says. His platform and ideas are right on. He even has the support of the Palatine Tea Party folks. All good stuff. Unfortunately, I cannot support him because only about 10 years ago Mr. Walsh was a liberal Republican. Last time he ran for office he was pro-abortion and on board with several center left social policies.

Now I don’t begrudge Mr. Walsh his rebirth as a conservative. In fact he is what we want, converts and let’s all take a second here to realize that our most famous Republican was a convert. Ronald Reagan was famous for having once been an FDR New Dealer, after all, so we shouldn’t deny converts to our side.

On the other hand Ronald Reagan spent decades changing his political direction. He spent decades writing and theorizing on conservative ideas. Yet, Mr. Walsh made an almost sudden about face in order to get elected. Mr. Walsh just might be sincere in his beliefs, certainly, but I just can’t take his claims at face value in such an important election year. His sudden conversion just smacks of opportunism.

That leaves me with Maria Rodriguez, Dirk Beveridge, John Dawson, Christopher Geissler, and Gregory Jacobs.

Of the remaining group I find it hard to chose. All are so similar in ideology that it almost makes no difference. But the only one with much experience is Maria Rodriguez, so I guess that tips her in. She does have an extensive list of endorsements, as well. Groups such as the Eagle Forum, Ill. Fed. for Right to Life, Concerned Women for America, as well as a slew of local pols.

Rodriguez has signed the ATR “Taxpayer Protection Pledge,” is against gay marriage, She stands against Obamacare, is pro-growth, anti-bailout and low tax. So, Maria Rodriguez, Mayor of the Village of Long Grove, is my choice.

For more info check out her website at www.mariarodriguezforcongress.com and see her candidate questionnaires at the Northwest Herald and the Chicago Truibune.

9th District
I have not followed this race very closely, but it seems to me that Joel B. Pollak is the better choice. So, I tentatively support Pollak.
www.pollakforcongress.com

10th District
Another close call. Robert Dold seems to have a well-oiled campaign, for instance. He even has some campaign buttons already! So, he’s well funded. He is fairly good on the issues and got the nod from Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica — I respect Peracia a lot, too.

The State GOP is supporting Beth Coulson. There is no way on this planet, however, that a conservative could support this candidate. She’s even more liberal than the center left Mark Kirk who she is looking to replace. Coulson is definitely out of the running here.

Hamann is an anti-war nut, so he is out, and I don’t see Green going anywhere.

That leaves me with Doctor Arie Friedman. This is an impressive candidate, for sure. Former Naval aviator and Gulf War vet, Friedman later became a pediatric doctor. His stances on the economy, healthcare, and national security are spot on for a conservative. He also has the support of at least one Tea Party group. So, Friedman gets my endorsement.
www.friedman2010.com

11th District
The only choice for 11 is Captain Adam Kinzinger. I’ve written about him before here. Kinzinger is an impressive young man.
www.electadam.com

14th District
I’m going with Randy Hultgren in the 14th. He’s a proven winner having been elected in that area several times already. I am not big on some of his budget votes in Springfield, though. Still he has far more experience than Hastert the younger. Plus, it galls me that people outside the district — heck, outside the whole state — have flooded in here to support Ethan Hastert attempting to anoint him our candidate by proclamation of the elites.
hultgrenforcongress.com

In my local races, in the 22nd and 25th District State Senate races I am going with Steve Rauschenberger and Chris Lauzen respectively. In my 44th District State House race it’s Bille D. Roth. In the Cook County Board of Review, the only choice is Dan Patlak whom I’ve previously endorsed. Also I support Timothy O. Schneider for the 15th District Cook County Board. Not that it’ll matter, but I guess I’ll go with Roger Keats for Cook County Board President, but I was glad to see John Garrido enter the race and hope he keeps trying for office.

So, there you have it. Let the stone throwing begin.

Now, remember: the primary is coming fast. It’s February 2, Ground Hog’s Day. So, get out there and vote, won’t you?
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“The only end of writing is to enable the reader better to enjoy life, or better to endure it.”
–Samuel Johnson

Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as Andrew Breitbart’s BigGovernment.com, RightWingNews.com, CanadaFreePress.com, StoptheACLU.com, TheRealityCheck.org, RedState.com, Human Events Magazine, AmericanDailyReview.com, and the New Media Journal, among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events and is currently the co-host of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Conservatism” heard on BlogTalkRadio. Warner is also the editor of the Cook County Page for RedCounty.com.

He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of PubliusForum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston

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