by George Dienhart
Back when I was a committeeman, county GOP Chairman Bill LeFew said something to me about running for office. Paraphrasing, he said something akin to "If you run for office and lose the first time, people will give you a break. If you lose twice in a row, people start to look at you differently." Now Bill wasn't talking about Jim Oberweis, he was giving me advice about my future. I only wish that he had given the same advice to Jim Oberweis.
Last cycle, we found out that third time is definitively not the charm. While his conservative credentials are, for the most part, in order; one wonders how far off the campaigns first crisis is. Will he advocate herding illegal aliens into Soldier Field, or perhaps suggest that we just forget the primary and have the candidates draw straws? What ever it is, it is not something the GOP can afford locally, or nationally.
Locally, the 14th congressional district has been well served by Congressman Hastert. His office even helped me resolve an issue with the Dundee postmaster, many years ago. Coach Hastert's shoes will indeed be difficult to fill.. Jim Oberweis may not be up to the job.
When we talk about fundraising, we are going to need help from out of state on this one. Will a national PAC look at Jim Oberweis and contribute, or will they look at him and wait for the other shoe to drop. Will they see a leader, or a 3 time loser? We can't afford to find out. We need a smart, ethical, experienced legislator. We need someone who has actually won an election.
Who could that be? Steve Rauchenberger. In the interest of full disclosure, I did work for Steve on his gubernatorial bid. I am suggesting this because of who he is. In no way is this based on my previous association with the former campaign. I am suggesting it, because he is the right man for the job.
No one in the State of Illinois is more qualified to have some kind of input on the federal budget. Certainly, there is not a smarter candidate available. Steve is the correct choice for Illinois and for the nation as a whole. He also has name recognition, as a politician. Most importantly, he is not a laughing stock.
This is an extremely important election, for a State GOP that is supposed to be trying to get things right. It's not a time to support someone in order to repay old debts, or to support someone because they will throw more of their own money into the abyss. It's time to support the right man for the job.
What you say Steve, are you up for one more run?
