[Non-Sequitur]

Oberweis is a rich, flipflopping liberal a$$hole who has never even been able to win an office.

Oh hell, I know that. The 14th District run was what, his third or fourth attempt at national office? He won the nomination because he had money and the name. And that might be enough to get Hastert the younger the nomination, too.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I lost count how many times he tried to run. He wanted to be Governor, but just kept looking for the next available office. He just simply bought the nomination with the help of Hastert. Despite my dislike for the guy's lack of any core principles (nevermind his sleazy attacks on Lauzen), I thought he might similarly be able to win buy the special, too... that was until someone privately sent me his and Dem Foster's personal approval ratings days before the election.

When I saw that (as opposed to strictly a head-to-head matchup, which many believed Oberweis would close), it was astonishing. The GOP managed to put up a guy with toxic personal numbers, probably the most unpopular major GOP candidate in the state of IL. Foster's were high, too, as they would be for a Dem in a GOP district, but they weren't as high as Oberweis's (a similar high-profile comparison would be between Bill Nelson in FL and Katherine Harris. Nelson had about 50% disapprovals, but KH's were something over 60-70% (with literally half the GOP giving her negs), and she predictably lost in a landslide against the most unpopular Senate Dem incumbent up in '06). I knew he was going to lose. If I were the Dems, I'd want this guy nominated for every major office in IL. He's like a goldmine for them.

[PhilCollins]

The congressional races were Oberweis’ third & fourth attempts at national office. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002 & ‘04.