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Here’s John Fund on the LaHood/Flynn race: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/417055/establishment-and-tea-party-face-illinois-john-fund

National Review’s Jim Geraghty gave just a few reasons why conservatives should support Flynn:

A Good Unifying GOP-Primary Fight to Cleanse Our Palates

My fellow men and women of the Right . . . indeed, as my colleague Jonah pointed out, the family-squabble phase of the Republican primaries has arrived. You’re going to insist my assessment of Ted Cruz is condescending. You’re going to insist my assessment of Ted Cruz is agitprop hagiography. Repeat for all other contenders.

Let’s turn our attention to the special election in the 18th congressional district of Illinois to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of former U.S. representative Aaron Schock, (R., Peoria).

The date for the special primary election is July 7 and the date for the special general election is Sept. 10. Mr. Schock resigned last month after a controversy about his use of federal funds that is now the subject of a federal grand jury investigation.

Gov. Bruce Rauner called for a special election to replace Mr. Schock and on Tuesday released a statement finalizing dates for the election. A federal judge approved a consent decree to amend the election schedule to comply with the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

The 18th Congressional District includes the cities of Peoria, Springfield and Quincy and includes part of Stark County.

Can we all unify behind someone — some conservative — behind, say, a Republican running for Congress who’s the son of an Obama cabinet official? Right now the only filed candidate is state senator Darin LaHood — son of former Republican congressman-turned-Obama-transportation-secretary Ray LaHood. You remember, the earmark guy. The let’s-publicly-demonize-Toyota-while-the-government-owns-GM guy.

Sorry, we can’t. You may characterize this as blaming the son for the sins of the father, but besides the hereditary-monarchy aspect of Congress, the elder LaHood stepped up for the Obama agenda when the president asked.

As our John Fund writes:

LaHood is about as establishment a choice as one could imagine. He is the son of Representative Ray LaHood, the very moderate Republican who represented about half of the current district in Congress until 2009. He then left office to become President Obama’s Transportation Secretary, where he promoted pork-barrel spending and dubious high-speed-rail projects. His son’s supporters say his politics are distinct from those of his father, but clearly the LaHood name will be a mixed blessing in a primary. On the one hand, it brings strong name identification for Darin LaHood. But on the other, it leaves many of the district’s conservatives looking for a fresh, non–status quo alternative.

Somebody like Breitbart’s Mike Flynn? Fine.

Because if LaHood wins, despite his professed Republican status, you know what the national media’s take-away is going to be. “Despite all the ups and downs of the past six and a half years, Obama still plays in Peoria.”