By Steve Rhodes
Remember. you can print this out and take it with you into the voting booth and/or use it for rolling papers.
PRESIDENT:
It’s a close call.
U.S. SENATE: Neither Illinois senator is up for re-election or indictment this year.
U.S. HOUSE: Congressional races by district:
1. Bobby Rush vs. Donald Peloquin.
I don’t know what’s most aggravating about Bobby Rush, his unholy alliance with the nation’s telecoms, his race-baiting grandstanding or his nonsensical hyperbole. Probably it’s the fact that there’s no evidence he does anything for his district that couldn’t be done by a cardboard cutout.
“Rush has one of the safest Democratic districts in the country, and he acts like it,” the Tribune says. “He refused to meet with his Republican opponent for an interview with the editorial board.” He also has “one of the worst missed-vote records in Congress over the course of his career.”
It’s time for a change. Peloquin is the longtime Republican mayor of Blue Island. If he doesn’t represent South Side Chicagoans well in his first term, he can be sent packing with little to no harm done. Vote Peloquin.
2. Jesse Jackson Jr. vs. Brian Woodworth and a couple other mopes.
If Jackson had been forthright about his problems, it would be a lot easier to be patient and return him to Congress. Unfortunately, he hasn’t. Also unfortunately, there’s no reason to believe that Woodworth or the others would be good for the district. But the utter dishonesty of Team Jackson ought not be rewarded. Marcus Lewis is running as an independent and that’s reason enough to give him your vote.
3. Dan Lipinski vs. Richard Grabowski.
Lipinski continues to be rewarded for being installed in this seat by his daddy, who in turn is now a lobbyist who shares certain interests with his son. No! Lipinski also refuses to make a public endorsement in the presidential race, which is the height of weaselly couragelessness. Grabowski is the official Republican in the race and we’d like to see him win – he’ll get slaughtered – just to fuck things up.
4. Luis Gutierrez vs. Hector Concepcion.
Gutierrez has gotten rich off gentrification with a little help from his friends and that’s not okay with us. And while it’s always satisfying to see someone stick it to Mike Madigan, this soap opera is too thick with all-around grossness to enjoy or condone. Concepcion, meanwhile, may not even be a real candidate. All the more reason to vote for him.
5. Mike Quigley vs. Dan Schmitt and Nancy Wade.
Quigley was briefly thought of as a reformer when it was easy to deride the hapless Todd Stroger as a paragon of inept governing, but once elected to Congress he quickly found his level as just another Democratic hack. Nancy Wade is the Green candidate and we encourage those who live in the 5th to give her your vote.
6. Peter Roskam vs. Leslie Coolidge.
We don’t much like Peter Roskam, so, you know, whatever.
7. Danny Davis vs. Rita Zak and John Monaghan.
Danny Davis has been looking for a soft landing for years and we want to give it to him! Please relieve him of his pain! Do him a favor and vote Zak. Er, scratch that; she wants the job even less. Vote Monaghan! Er . . . Crap, the help-Danny-retire vote is gonna split! Won’t someone offer him a board seat or something so we can all move on?
8. Joe Walsh vs. Tammy Duckworth.
I’m not entirely sure who the Democrats would really like to see win this race; Joe Walsh is a useful idiot and incredible fund-raising tool for them. Duckworth was a lackluster candidate when Dick Durbin and Rahm Emanuel plucked her out of obscurity in a cynical and unsuccessful ploy to install her in the old 6th district instead of the real Democrat, Christine Cegelis, who might have actually won the seat, and she’s still lackluster. But thank God she’s rushing to fill the void of representation for the business community in Congress! Punt.
9. Jan Schakowsky vs. Tim Wolf.
Ugh.
10. Bob Dold vs. Brad Schneider.
This is getting depressing.
11. Judy Biggert vs. Bill Foster.
Foster is one of the few folks on this list we were prepared to like. But, really, Bill?
12. Blll Enyart vs. Jason Plummer and Paula Bradshaw.
No-brainer.
13. Tim Johnson vs. David Gill and John Hartman.
Hartman is the independent.
14. Randy Hultgren vs. David Anderson.
Anderson is one of the more thoughtful candidates this year, if his Tribune questionnaire is any indication.
15. John Shimkus vs. Angela Michael.
Shimkus is a royal goof; vote for the non-candidate.
16. Adam Kinzinger vs. Wanda Rohl.
Wanda Rohl is a self-described “citizens’ candidate” and we like the cut of her jib.
17. Bobby Schilling vs. Cheri Bustos.
Oy.
18. Aaron Schock vs. Steve Waterworth.
Um, yeah. Is it over yet?
GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
Voting against Michael Madigan is imperative – even if his direct opponent is, as usual, MIA.
That means voting against every Madigan-backed candidate and Democratic tool who enables his demonic rule over our quasi-politico-police state.
10th: Derrick Smith vs. Lance Tyson.
Tough one. A vote for Smith would do well to send a message to Madigan & Co. On the other hand, once he’s convicted and removed from the House again, they’ll probably just install . . . Tyson. Danny Davis is still backing Smith to cover his ass on the West Side, which still seems to favor the indicted hack installed by a fake-repentant Jesse White; Toni Preckwinkle won’t endorse Tyson because he was a Todd Stroger crony.
In other words, this race is all about the Democrats and their petty high-school crappiness; it’s really rich stuff to watch them fake their outrage over one of the least corrupt members of their party who is so clean he only took his (undercover) dupe for a few thousand with a generous kickback.
Voting in this race only encourages them. So does non-voting.
JUDGES:
I didn’t research judges this year, but the Trib recommends firing these six.
For more information, Jack Leyhane has links to the various judicial ratings.
COOK COUNTY:
Did you know Dorothy Brown is up for re-election?
Did you know Anita Alvarez is up for re-election?
Did you know they should both be tossed out on their asses?
Did you know there isn’t any real opposition?
Did you forget you live in Cook County?
CHICAGO REFERENDA:
A joke being played on you.
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The elected school board amendment will still be on ballots in 327 precincts in 35 wards. Of course you should vote Yes.
WATER REC BOARD:
This guy should probably go.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on November 6, 2012