Clout Street writes that both Jim Oberweis and Bill Foster are mostly financing their campaigns for the special election. That’s not the story. The story is that Jim Oberweis, who has run for U.S. Senator (2002, 2004) and governor (2006) still lags in non-candidate fundraising behind Bill Foster who is making his first run at office. The summary: After five years running three times for offices overlapping the 14th Congress District, candidate Jim Oberweis still has fewer donors totaling fewer dollars than first time candidate Bill Foster.
In August 2005, when Jim Oberweis was running for governor, I blogged the following:
From Capitol Fax, “[Candidate Jim Oberweis] reported raising $782,562, but $680,000 was from himself, in loans. Apparently, not a lot of grassroots fundraising going on over at that campaign.”
But what about in the field?
According to a campaign press release, Jim says, “As I have toured the state of Illinois and met with grassroots Republicans, I have been humbled by their generosity.”
From Oberweis Dairy, one of those “grassroots Republicans” is pictured below… it’s a cash cow!!!
For Jim Oberweis it’s a different office, but the same story. Oberweis still isn’t attracting a lot of support. Financially Bill Foster dominates Oberweis in small dollar donations - an indicator of grassroots support. The latest poll numbers (pdf) from the Foster campaign reinforce the money story, with Foster and the more established Oberweis neck-and-neck (Foster is ahead in the poll by four points, and is trending up, but that’s within the +/- 4.9 margin of error). For a Democrat in the 14th to have raised more contributions than, and be neck-and-neck with a Republican is unprecedented in the district’s modern history.
Comments 2
DEAR FELLOW DEMOCRATS AND VOTERS-
I FIND IT TROUBLE THAT OBERWEIS IS HITTING FOSTER WITH THE CLAIM OF ” THROWING MONEY AT THE PROBLEM.” IF I WERE RUNNING THERE, I HAVE A QUESTION OF MY OWN!
AS A DEMOCRAT, I FEEL FOSTER SHOULD ASK HIM OPENLY ABOUT HIS STAND ON ILLEGALS? IN THE LAST U.S.SENATE ELECTION OBERWEIS IS AGAINST ILLEGALS, THEN LATER, FOR THEM. NOW HE IS AGAINST THEM.
QUESTION? DO THE GOOD PEOPLE OF THE 14 TH CONGRESS WANT A MAN WHO ” FLIPS, FLOPS” ON THE ISSUES? CAN HE BE TRUSTED IN CONGRESS? TIME TO PUT AMERICA FIRST JIM AND THE G.O.P.??? STOP FEEDING US THE SAME OLD BULL SHIT! ( “pardon my french ” dear readers. )
-ROBERT JONES
Posted 02 Mar 2008 at 3:58 pm ¶A PROUD BLUE DOG DEMOCRATIC MEMBER
At this point I’m not even sure if Oberweis knows why he is running. Voters certainly don’t want him holding office; that has been proven three times and probably a fourth soon.
His fear mongering “tax raiser” ads are just another example of his MO: since he has no substance, and nothing to say worth hearing, he must falsely attack his opponent and hope voters have gotten dumber in the meantime.
Foster surely is his worst nightmare: a business owner who built his business instead of inherited it, who actively manages his business instead of passively rakes in a skim on other people’s money, who employs Illinois residents instead of illegal aliens (oh, wait, JO claims to have fixed that), and who speaks clearly instead of with twisted logic.
Posted 05 Mar 2008 at 6:04 pm ¶Post a Comment