Monday, March 20, 2006

If Mike Jacobs Wins

Illinois State Senator Mike Jacobs is running for the first time for the Democratic nomination in the Illinois 36th Senate District (he was never previously elected –- he was appointed to fill the vacancy when his father retired.) When telephone pollsters working for his campaign list reasons for voting against him they include the perception that since he was appointed he is beholden to party big-shots rather than to the voters.

If Mike is elected will that change? Would he then no longer be beholden to the party insiders and power brokers who originally appointed him? In spite of the fact that he has more than 100 times more money than his opponent and much greater name recognition it appears that it will be a close race. Likely Democratic primary voters are receiving phone calls from outside of the district telling them (incorrectly) that Mike Jacobs is the only pro-choice candidate in the race. If Mike wins it will be obvious to all that this assistance from Chicago and Springfield was probably responsible for the small margin of victory. Mike Jacobs would still be beholden to power brokers and party insiders rather than to the voters of the 36th Senate District.

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Jacobs wins we will be that much closer to the opening of WIU campus in Moline.

Anonymous said...

Great King Dave. I thought you were the true democracy. Not the Dictator of the land of Dave. You are joining the ranks of the the true ruling class. Leting only those comments that YOU feel are OK. Let the slant begin. To print or not to print that is the question.

Anonymous said...

King Dave. You are the true ruler of this blogg. I thought that you were the peoples blogg. I was mistaken. I bow down to the great ruler.

Anonymous said...

Long live the dictator. All bow down to him.

Anonymous said...

If Mike Jacobs wins there will be a much better democratic team to help Lane Evans and Mike Boland get to the winners circle.

Anonymous said...

Mike Jacobs has done a fine job for a first year Senator and deserves another go at it. He will get my vote.

Dave Barrett said...

The people's blog?!? No, it's MY blog. I am responsible for what is here, just the way that a newspaper is responsible if they publish a letter to the editor that slanders someone or contains offensive language.

As far as I know Mike Boland thinks he can work just fine with Paul Rumler. Have you heard something different.

As for WIU campus in Moline, the Thomson prison and high-speed rail, I don't see how Paul Rumler is likely to do any worse at getting his projects in the budget.

Anonymous said...

I thought it was a democratic blog. I didn't realize that it wasn't. The name of the site must have thrown me. This is the bloggers problem. They are supposed to be about freedom not censorship.

Anonymous said...

Wow Dave those are harsh words. And yes, Boland will be better off with Jacobs. They have a great team in Springfield. Jacobs took every one of Bolands bills that passed the house and passed them through the house. How is that for teamwork. The speaker of the house agrees with this also. He told Boland to not transfer his feud with Denny over to Mike. He realizes the importance of these men working together with Vershoore. I don't think that you know much abot politics if you believe otherwise.

Anonymous said...

According to an anonymouse over at Passing Parade, Boland held a press conference and said he was NOT endorsing Jacobs. Also hints that Obama is ticked about Jacobs including his photo on his campaign flyers. Beydler says a D/A reporter is talking to Boland now and expects more information shortly.

Dave Barrett said...

Blogging is very democratic in the sense that anyone can start a blog and QCOnline has been very democratic in the number and types of blogs they list on their site. I will try to approve non-offensive, non-slanderous, coherent comments more quickly than I did this morning from now on. That's the best I can do about meeting your democratic expectations.

Thank you paladin for your information about Mike Boland NOT taking sides in the Jacobs/Rumler race. That is what I suspected but I had not heard the latest.

Anonymous said...

If "Chicago and Sprinfgield" will be resposnible for Mike winning by a small margine will Senator Mike Jacobs be responsible for a bigger? Say anything over 55% of the vote? Or does Jacobs lose even if he was to win?

Please advise.

Dave, why are you censoring commentors when you never did before? Sself-appointed cultural elites never cease to amaze me> What's next, a "tip jar."

Anonymous said...

Boland has never been a team player - no surprises here folks.

Dave Barrett said...

bigman,
I don't know how big Mike Jacobs would have to win in order for people to feel he was elected by the voters rather than the power brokers in Chicago and Springfield. That may be a different margin for each person in the district. For me, after he compared himself to Rosa Parks while he was defending the gambling industry it will be hard for me to ever think he is representing me rather than the power brokers and big money boys, no matter how large his winning margin.

Anonymous 1:38. How does not taking sides in a primary race make someone "not a team player"? Why does Mike Boland have to favor Mike Jacobs over Paul Rumler in order to be a "team player"?

Anonymous said...

Wow, Mikey's keyboard is working overtime today. Too little too late Mike. Time to step aside gracefully. Don't worry, now you can go back to making more money and working from home.

Anonymous said...

Dave,

Jacobs' camp tested the "Rosa Parks" theme and it didn't hurt Jacobs at all. Knowing this you might want to try a new saw, as this one doesn't have any teeth.

For someone that so dislikes Mike Jacobs, you can't quit talking about him or using his name to prop up your sagging blog numbers. It worked for the DOPE and Bydler,who knows maybe it will work for you as well.

While you are at it, you might want to read Mike Romkey's new blog, as it is lame as well!

Anonymous said...

If I remember right, even if Jacobs was not elected he is still considered the incumbant. Is that correct? Sorry you choose to go with comment moderation.

Dave Barrett said...

dogfight,
If the Mike Jacobs campaign paid good money to be told that the "Rosa Parks" thing didn't hurt him at all then they've been had.

As for whether talking about Mike Jacobs helps increase traffic on my blog I have to admit that it does. Right now that does not translate into any money in my pocket, but in the future who knows. For now I am just talking about what is on my mind and things I feel strongly about.

I don't hate Mike Jacobs himself, but I hate the idea that someone who says the things he does is representing me in Springfield.

Anonymous said...

Dave,

Sorry but your wrong.

Research reveals "real people," not self-appointed blog owners, like what Mike Jacobs has to say.

Simply, voters see Mike Jacobs as a breath of fresh air in a cramped world.

Sure, Mike could change his open and frank style, but what is the point in that? Don't we have enough cookie-cutter politcians running the world?

If that is your flavor you should change you web log from the "Moline Illinois Democratic Maverick" to "Moline Illinois Please Don't Rock the Boat," as this better describe your point of view.

Anonymous said...

Well put Dave. It's hard to believe that we are represented by the likes of Mike Jacobs. His behavior and quotes are often too crude for my taste.

Dave Barrett said...

postcereal, you know what would be a breath of fresh air? To run for a state senate seat with only $1500 in campaign contributions, going door to door meeting the voters face to face, without the money for fancy phone polls and slick mailers. Now that would be a maverick candidate who was unlike all the other cookie-cutter mold politicians.
What was frank and open about Mike Jacobs saying he was going to put his size 12s up someone’s backside? He was careful to not say just who he was "threatening". It was just a rhetorical threat by a phony tough guy. Guys that talk like that are a dime a dozen. All talk and no show.
Mike Jacobs a breath of fresh air, a frank and open maverick? Give me a break!

Anonymous said...

The best part about that quote Dave, is that he totally ripped it off of the TV show American Chopper, right down to the size of the shoe, word for word.

But we're supposed to believe that he's his own man. What a joke.

Anonymous said...

Dave you sure brought out the Jacobs fans with half truths. Jacobs voted against at least two of Boland's proposals. If he wins we should hope to see a :new" Mike Jacobs, a little humbler and less of putting his foot in his mouth. At Johnnie Ellis' funeral he banged the podium and swore he would 'everthing in my power to ensure Johnnie's widow would be appointed to his county seat." Well, that has passed with lauren Loftin being appointed. No comment from Jacobs; he was good enough to congratulate her and cozy up to her at a recent gathering of precinct committment called by John G. At least Mike knows how to behave sometimes in public.

Anonymous said...

Dave you are the phoney. I know Mike Jacobs and he is no phon. And he definately is a tough guy. Challenge him to some sort of boxing or wrestling for cherity event if you dare Dave. I think that you not challenging him for cherity would show who the phony is and for sure that he is much tougher than you.
What a joke.

Dave Barrett said...

Well, if you want a tough guy to be your state senator there are some real tough guys around. We have some champion ultimate fighters in the area and some retired tough guy boxers. If you see some sort of value in having a tough guy as your state senator why just settle for a guy who occasionally tries to talk tough?

Anonymous said...

Dave I don't care if he is a tough guy. You are the one that said that he was a make believe tough guy. Of course I knew you wouldn't do it for charity. I just find it ironic that you brought the tough guy thing up.

Anonymous said...

Jacobs idiots... nice talk. We aren't allow to comment on this (or any other local) blog - only the anti-Jacobs are allowed to speak?

Dave Barrett said...

sirley,
I am not sure I should have published your comment because I have been deleting incoherent ones and your comment doesn't make a lot of sense. But since you were so nice to make up a name (I get so tired of comments from anonymous) that I decided to give you a pass. Yes, people with opposing opinions are allowed to comment, but your comments has to make sense. I do have standards.

Anonymous said...

Dave I think it would be great for you to do a charity boxing match against the make believe tough guy. I would love to see you get a beatdown. You seem obsessed with this tough guy thing. You must have gotten picked on at school and can't get over it.

Dave Barrett said...

I never claimed to be a tough guy. But even without being a tough guy myself I can recognize a phony tough guy when I hear one. It is easy. A phony tough guy makes threats of violence against unidentifiable and nonexistent people. "If someone thinks I am giving up fighting for funding for [whatever it was, WIU Moline campus, high speed rail, Thomson prison, riverboat gambling expansion] I am going to put my size 12s up their backside." This is a typical phony tough guy statement because it is threatening the air.
I find phony tough guys very annoying. I find Mike Jacob's phony tough guy talk especially annoying because I suspect people in other parts of the state are laughing at us because we have a buffoon for a state senator. People did laugh at me when I was a child and I am very sensitive to that.
Thanks for your concern.

Anonymous said...

I read on another site that you are fighting Jacobs for charity. Is this true? It would be a great cherity event. Maybe Beydler could go after you fall dave. Then Reeder. Wow! This could be a great event.

Dave Barrett said...

You were misinformed. I am not a fighter and I would prefer that our elected offical would refrain from fighting and threats of violence also.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Senator Mike Jacobs on a solid Democrat victory.

Anonymous said...

Well Dave, as we now know, Mike Jacobs did win. So what is your hope for the future? Should we all just be resigned to politics as usual in RI County? What is your opinion about the primary election?

Anonymous said...

To anon@ll:42 pm 3/21---I wouldn't exactly call Jacobs' win a "solid" victory.

Dave Barrett said...

paladin,
Taking my cue from the Inside Dope I will say that it appears that Mike Jacob's may have been humbled a little bit by his narrow victory. A little more humbleness, a little recognition of his good fortune in having his political career handed to him by his father and little less arragonce will serve him and his party well. After a good primary battle good Democrats should all pull together to secure victory in November. (That's my official position and I am sticking to it, at least in public.)

Anonymous said...

56-42 is a landslide in a primary. Look it up. I think Rumler ran a nice race but don't try and deminish this win with all the print media along with the sitting Rep Boland and the blogs at Jacobs throat for 8 months. Jacobs also took a stand on the pork plant. Upsetting several hundred Jacobs supporters. Add all this together and I think you could call all of this impressive.

Anonymous said...

Mike Jacobs did win!