Politics: The word on Callahan’s chances is better than we are being led to believe
C.J. Summers beat me to the punch by commenting on Monday’s Word on the Street column. Karen McDonald points out that the national Democratic Party has not been as forthcoming with financial support to Colleen Callahan as many would like. This is nothing new, in my opinion. As long as I’ve been cognizant of politics, the national Dems have always written off the 18th District, even in years in which that party had candidate with a pulse.
But C.J. tried to compare and contrast the Word column with posts I have written that dare to suggest that there is strong support for Callahan, and that with some breaks she might actually have a chance.
In sports, you occasionally have games in which one team is the overriding favorite. They still play the games. And sometimes there are upsets.
Here’s another upset: A couple of years ago, a teenager who was ticked off about not being allowed to graduate early decided to run for school board. When they kicked him off the ballot, he ran a write-in campaign for the seat being held by the board president.
Aaron Schock won.
That same kid is now considered the overwhelming favorite to win the 18th District seat in Congress. His opponent is a well-known and respected broadcaster with a ton of name recognition. You can’t write Colleen Callahan out.
Not in this political climate. It’s three months to the election. That’s an eternity in politics.
Tags: 18th District, Aaron Schock, Colleen Callahan
[...] Local Politics: Peoria Pundit, who has a better feel for local politics than I do, thinks that Colleen Callahan has a legitimate chance in IL-18. [...]
Damn, my first try at a post went down with your site…so, for a 2nd time
Two other things Callahan has going for her
1. the abysmal image of the Republican party at the moment – by which I mean the current Republican modus operandi. I know and am related to plenty of traditional Republicans. They make sense. They are very little like current Republicans – who think spend, spend, spend, tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, trickle down economic lies, wars make money, let the poor eat cake, and if you don’t believe in my Jesus you’re a traitor and a tree-hugging librul freak.
2. Obama’s coattails – they’ve already proven themselves in Bill Foster. As well as other areas of the country with special elections where Dems have recently run and beaten incumbent Republicans, including Louisiana and California’s reddest areas.
For the reasons above, and then some, there are Republicans for Callahan. I’ve seen the buttons and signs.
Since I don’t live or work in Peoria, but talk to many people in the rural 18th, I’d like to add this:
Schock will probably win Peoria (a city beyond hope where the 18th is concerned), but there aren’t many small-town and rural folks who are currently in his corner.
Could it be that for once the 18th gets decided by all pieces of it EXPECT Peoria?