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* Not surprising…
Democratic Party of Illinois, by voice vote and at the urging of Sen Durbin , endorses Sen Tammy Duckworth for VP
— Bernie Schoenburg (@bschoenburg) July 15, 2020
* Before he talked about Duckworth, Durbin talked about his own campaign…
I have an unusual challenge this time that I’ve never faced, and it’s one that we all need to take seriously, I take it seriously as I take every election seriously. But there is a Republican nominee, that you probably heard of the former Sheriff of Lake County. And now it appears, if he files the appropriate petitions, there will be a third party challenger, to me, an independent candidate, his name is pretty well known, Willie Wilson.
Mr Wilson has an incredible life story emerging from virtual slavery to the point where he became a successful business executive, a franchisee from McDonald’s, and then started his own business making personal protective equipment in China or Mongolia, I’m not sure where, but he has made a lot of money. He’s a multi millionaire. And he gives some of that money around, thank you for doing it in so many instances, it’s a real act of magnanimity on his part to help other people.
However, when it comes to the world of politics, it’s hard for me to follow what I just said, with his politics of today. He admits that he voted for President Donald Trump. He supported Governor Bruce Rauner. In this election cycle he has donated over $30,000 to Republican candidates for the Illinois House and the Illinois Senate is an active participant in the Illinois Republican Party, and yet he styles himself as an independent.
Well, I’ve got some issues I can raise with him if he’s going to be a Trump independent or whatever that means, obviously in the course of this election campaign.
But there’s a party issue here which I want you to think about for a second. Mr Wilson is not just running, Dr. Wilson is not just running to be the United States Senator. He wants to create another political party in Illinois, such as the Libertarian and Green Parties which we already have our state. And he has filed his petitions in a way that he would be creating the new Willie Wilson Party. And you think to yourself well what are the chances that that’ll happen.
Roughly 15% of the vote in November is likely to be African-Americans. If Mr Wilson can bring in 5% of the electorate, one third of the African American voters and others, then he will have established that third party. If he does that on a statewide basis, he’ll be able to field statewide candidates in the Willie Wilson Party in the next election cycle. He could do it as well if he has 5% in a legislative district or a congressional district.
So what’s at stake here is not just his candidacy for the Senate, but the establishment of a new political party and a new political dynamic in the state. I’m appealing to you and appealing to everyone in the state to join me and making certain that he doesn’t get 5% of the vote before it’s all said and done. I’m going to work hard to make sure that that doesn’t happen. I hope you’ll join me in that effort I need your help.
*** UPDATE *** Wilson just dropped $29,411.20 on a cable buy. Mostly in Chicago, but he’s spending about $4K in Peoria-Bloomington and Rockford.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 1:59 pm
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“But there is a Republican nominee, that you probably heard of the former Sheriff of Lake County.”
Bold of him to assume that anyone has heard of his Republican opponent…
Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 2:09 pm
Something must emerge to replace the Republican Party in Illinois. I would rather have Willie Wilson than most Republican officials.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 2:17 pm
“Roughly 15% of the vote in November is likely to be African-Americans”
Wilson is a threat to the dem base - gotta scare the heck out of Durbin
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 2:28 pm
I have great esteem for Senator Durbin’s ability to respectfully discuss his opponents, even when it’s an appeal as to why you should vote for him.
===endorses Sen Tammy Duckworth for VP===
I’m pretty sure that’s not how Vice Presidential Nominee selection works these days, but it is nice to have one’s home party’s rubber stamp as long as we don’t concern ourselves with the rubber stamp being an unnecessary gesture and what would lead someone to pursue it.
Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 2:29 pm
I wonder if Wilson will get more votes than the Republican. And I am serious. Might be a good thing if he did
Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 2:30 pm
The two major parties have made a mess of things so we definitely need better options(Willie Wilson probably isn’t it) and especially once again at the top of the ticket.
Comment by Arock Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 2:39 pm
===media included is silent===
Biden hasn’t picked a running mate. I don’t know why folks would report on “not the running mate” and most of the press you see speculating about Senator Duckworth involves someone’s personal opinion rather than anything that resembles investigative journalism.
If you think that the GOP is going to focus on something that narrow, you really haven’t been paying attention to what the GOP is up to these days. Senator Duckworth if nominated will be attacked for her service to our country after the same fashion as Senator Kerry was but they’ll use a more credible mouthpiece than Baby Swanson Frozen Foods and you can also expect to see a significant amount of birther-ism in addition to attacks against her loyalty which will be presented by the GOP without irony.
To borrow from another post, I think now is a good day to learn about Kettle Logic. Can commenters hat tip other commenters? Because hat tip to Hamlet’s Ghost for teaching me something new today.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettle_logic
Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 2:48 pm
Is there any polling that suggests Wilson really could pull 1/3rd of Black voters? Or is this like when credulous liberals were worried Kanye West could pull Black votes from Biden just because he’s Black?
Comment by Quibbler Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 2:57 pm
Also, instead of begging voters to support you to keep a crackpot from forming a third party, why not actually offer them policies that show why you’re worth supporting? It’s crazy how Democrats don’t even think to go there, even in the worst health and economic crisis in a century.
Comment by Quibbler Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 3:04 pm
It’s like 1990 all over again …
Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 3:08 pm
===why not actually offer them policies that show why you’re worth supporting?===
Good point, but this was, after all, a party function.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 3:16 pm
The Republican Party has lurched significantly right and the Democrat Party substantially left, Many on the center right and left are currently politically homeless.
Democracy would be extraordinarily well served with a viable new Party or two, or three. That is the rule and not the exception in many Democracies worldwide.
It is a concept whose time has come. A new well funded, center driven Party would have the opportunity to be formidable in the near term.
Comment by Say What? Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 3:23 pm
I applaud Mr. Wilson for being generous with some of his money, but I view with some curiousity anyone who runs for a bunch of offices and never wins (2015-Mayor of Chicago; 2016-President of the US; 2019-Mayor of Chicago; and his current campaign, 2020-Illinois Senator). Mr. Wilson is certainly allowed to run if he wishes, but it’s like he keeps trying until he gets something, anything. In my mind, Bob Fioretti of Chicago is a worse offender, running for anything and everything and never winning, typically serving as a spoiler against someone.
Comment by Christopher Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 3:24 pm
===would have the opportunity to be formidable in the near term===
Highly doubtful.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 3:24 pm
He’s only one win away from becoming Oberweis.
Comment by Proud Sucker Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 3:50 pm
== the Democrat Party substantially left,==
On what planet can this be claimed? The party standard bearer is significantly to the right of his predecessor and he’s allied with the 2006 era Bush GOP apparatchiks who championed the Iraq War. The 2020 Dem Party is barely discernible from GHW Bush era GOP
Comment by Bob Loblaw Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 3:56 pm
I remember Durbin fretting on numerous occasions that the Republicans had put Jim Durkin up against him in 2002 to confuse the voters. He has a history of getting concerned over trivial inside-baseball politics. Durbin defeated Durkin 60-38.
Comment by Oldtimer Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 4:16 pm
=The Republican Party has lurched significantly right and the Democrat Party substantially left=
Parties have always had their extreme elements. Things are just getting amplified right now partly because of social media and because we have a President who’s decided his best chance of reelection is to solely appeal to his base. Dick Durbin is by no means a far left Democrat. Candidates like Wilson have to run at the fringe. It’s the only way they get attention.
Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 4:17 pm
=Highly doubtful=
By near term, I mean within the next 10-15 years. Historical context.
Clearly, what constitutes far left and right has changed in the past few years.
That the center is homeless in both parties is true. Ask Brandon Phelps and Jerry Costello. Ask the dozen IL House Republicans who departed in 2017/2018.
Costello was once thought of as an excellent downstate Lt. Gov. candidate. No way that would have been tenable in 2018. Jim Edgar could not possibly win a Republican primary state wide now.
Comment by Say What? Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 4:30 pm
==A new well funded, center driven Party would have the opportunity to be formidable in the near term.==
Let’s put it this way, with apologies to Tolstoy:
All liberals are alike.
All conservatives are alike.
But centrists are centrist in their own way.
You have anti-abortion crusaders who also want universal health care, and defense hawks who want lower taxes, legal pot, and stronger unions. Most centrists’ opinions are not middle of the road, but rather an idiosyncratic mix of liberal and conservative. It’s impossible to build a broadly acceptable platform, which is why we’re unlikely to see a viable centrist party any time soon.
Comment by Benjamin Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 4:31 pm
Change the state voting method to Ranked Choice Voting, and have all the parties that you want. We need to break the duopoly.
Comment by Odysseus Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 4:32 pm
=All liberals are alike, all conservative are alike=
All evidence over the past several years to the contrary. Most cannot even identify exactly what it means to be either. The definition is pretty individual, or at a minimum frayed in terms of historical definitions.
Fiscally conservative, socially moderate to liberal would be the big picture centrist definition. MUCH larger crowd than you are acknowledging.
Comment by Say What? Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 5:04 pm
=That the center is homeless in both parties is true. Ask Brandon Phelps and Jerry Costello. Ask the dozen IL House Republicans who departed in 2017/2018.=
Oh, you mean the social conservative, pro-union vote. That wasn’t the “center,” but yeah, that has kinda died out, more because of demographics than anything else.
Comment by Socially DIstant Watcher Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 5:05 pm
I wonder if Scott Lee Cohen and the ‘86 Larouchies (whomever of the latter is still around) will support the Willie Wilson Party. Maybe even Rauner himself.
Comment by Chatham Resident Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 5:44 pm
Shouldn’t Willie Wilsons’ 15 minutes of fame be up?
Comment by Honeybadger Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 6:13 pm
==the Democrat Party substantially left==
This is laughable, even by your usual standards. Both-sides-isms are a popular rhetorical tool among conservatives these days, but it’s demonstrably false. If it were true, Bernie would be the nominee and AOC or Tlaib would be speaker of the house. It’s easy for conservatives to assume this because trump twitter is the GOP, but liberal twitter isn’t the dem party. Dem voters (at least so far) haven’t let the lunatics *actually* run the asylum.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 7:01 pm
I misread the headline as “Willie NELSON Party” and was prepared to change my registration.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 7:24 pm
Interesting times. Interesting dynamic.
Comment by Lake Effect Thursday, Jul 16, 20 @ 7:08 am
@Say What?: If you have some kind of polling that shows that there’s a a sizable fiscally conservative/socially liberal bloc, particularly one that rivals the down-the-line liberals, I’d like to see it, and I’m prepared to admit I’m wrong. Otherwise, that’s a pretty bold claim to make without evidence.
Comment by Benjamin Thursday, Jul 16, 20 @ 10:39 am