by Amanda Erickson
Predicting that Republican Steve Sauerberg will beat Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in November requires a heavy (and we mean heavy) optimism streak. But you wouldn't know that from the press releases he's putting out.
Roll Call has a tiny item in Thursday's paper about Sauerberg's PR strategy. Apparently, a July 15 release claimed that Sauerberg was withing "striking distance" of the sitting Senator and Majority Whip. Their evidence? A poll by Southern Outreach, which shows Durbin ahead only 52 to 35 percent.
But, Roll Call warns, there are problems. First, the poll was completed in one day by robocalls, and only 1,500 voters were questioned. Additionally, 60 percent of respondents said they didn't know enough about Sauerberg to have an opinion of him, something that he'll need more than $1 million (the amount currently in his campaign coiffures) to fix.
But who knows? This election season, it seems like anything is possible.
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Comments
Heck, half the people in Illinois don't even know that Durbin is up for re-election.
The Illinois Republican Part is as dead as a door nail right know, and there isn't much on the horizon to make anyone think that is going to change anytime soon.
Posted by: JT | July 25, 2008 11:42 AM
RNC Bruce,
Are you okay with this so-called poll?
Posted by: Doug "Hussein" Zook | July 25, 2008 11:53 AM
Excellent news. Sauerberg is now within measurable sight of being relatively close to not being utterly humiliated in the election.
Posted by: Kent | July 25, 2008 12:39 PM
So the Republicans look like they are in better shape this time. After all they didn't hunt for an candidate with a similar name. Like when they went out and found Jim Durkin to run agains Dick Durbin. then they went to IL Republicans went to Maryland to find a black man to run against Obama. True story
Posted by: steve | July 25, 2008 12:43 PM
So the Republicans look like they are in better shape this time. After all they didn't hunt for an candidate with a similar name. Like when they went out and found Jim Durkin to run agains Dick Durbin. then t IL Republicans went to Maryland to find a black man to run against Obama. True story
Posted by: steve | July 25, 2008 12:44 PM
Who's Saurbraten?
Posted by: Quippy | July 25, 2008 1:02 PM
Sauerberg should just put billboards up all over the state with Durbin's quote comparing our soliders to Nazi's, Pol Pot regime or treatment in Soviet Gulags.
It is pretty sad that in the Peoples Republic of Illinois that Durbin only has 52% of the vote.
Posted by: Terry | July 25, 2008 3:31 PM
Sauerberg--is that a new flavor of ice cream being pushed by Oberweis???
Sort of tastes like sauerkraut??
Posted by: ornery | July 25, 2008 8:02 PM
Like many GOP campaigns in Illinois this year, Sauerberg is just marking time, going through the motions.
The old powers that be just wanted someone who would pass the blush test. No Alan Keyes. But beyond that, this thing was over before it started.
The Illinois GOP isn't even trying to win. State Chair Andy McKenna, Jr. led a State Convention last month in Decatur that was all about the self-interests of a few. The thing was a disaster and showed everyone that things are worse than ever. This November will probably be the worst yet for the IL GOP and Obama is only a minor factor in that.
But hey, Sauerberg seems to think everything is fine, so good luck to him.
Posted by: Just the obvious | July 26, 2008 10:40 AM