Yes, this is where it is at. The Dem ground troops will turnout the vote because their job depends on it.
The question is which GOP candidate will motivate the activists in the base to volunteer to work their church, work their precinct, talk to friends and family and GOTV?
Rauschenberger might be able to inspire that kind of grass roots support from conservatives. I'm less convinced that Judith Topinka can, as she seems to be a female Republican version of Blagojevich.
Well, US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has put a lot of the Democratic organization people, i.e. the Mayor's staff, under indictment. And another investigation into teacher's retirement fund shenanigans has snared a former DNC treasurer and has identified Offical A (believed to be Blagojevich) as directing contracts to political contributors. Washington types may hate him for any indictments in Plaumegate, but we love him here in Illinois. He may be the first US attorney to indict two Illinois governors (he's got George Ryan on trial as we speak). Peter Fitzgerald wanted to give the old-boy political network in Illinois a real kick in the pants when he tapped Patrick Fitzgerald for the job. It's working.