Push-Polling in Illinois? (DNC Promoting ProLife, ProGun Libertarian)

http://blogs.wsj.com/ ^ | Oct 14, 2010 | By Jonathan Weisman

[Maelstorm]

Democratic operatives have apparently begun “push polling” in Illinois, trying to drive a wedge between conservative voters and Rep. Mark Kirk,...

According to people who have heard it, the call talks up Libertarian candidate Mike Labno as the only true “pro-life” candidate in a race that also includes Democratic State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Green Party candidate LeAlan Jones. It also referred to Kirk’s vote last year for Obama-backed legislation capping carbon emissions and setting up a system for polluters to trade greenhouse gas emissions credits.

The poll “asked how likely are you to vote…for governor, if today who…for Senate, if today who… (and mispronounced Giannoulias)…gave some negatives for Kirk including cap-and-trade… and listed Labno positions,” wrote a commenter on the website of the West Suburban Patriots, a Chicago-area Tea Party group. The poster said the poll concluded with a disclaimer that it was sponsored by the Democratic National Committee.

“It struck me that the DNC is promoting Labno to split the Kirk vote in favor of helping Ginnoulias. It would be ‘fun’ if the RNC would help the Green party candidate with a similar poll of likely democrat voters,” reads “Jan’s blog.”

The gambit may be working. On Labno’s Facebook page, one voter identifying himself as Michael Schwartz wrote, “I’m a new follower who stumbled upon Mr. Labno’s campaign after receiving a polling call. Until receiving the call, I did not know that Mike Labno was the only pro-life candidate running for U.S. Senate. Mark Kirk, who I assumed was pro-life, is not. After a more thorough review of Mr. Labno’s stance on the issues, I believe I have found my candidate for U.S. Senate on November 2nd. I’ve already begun spreading the word to family and friends here in Edwardsville (Madison County). Godspeed!”

[Maelstorm]

The Democrats may regret this. Mike Labno is the only conservative in the race that believes in the Tea Party ethic of smaller
government and protecting the constitution. He is also the only candidate who isn't a son of privilege and who is a self-made
man. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a successful project manager at an Electrical Construction company. He is
in this race to preserve liberty and the American dream for his daughter Emily who is 6. He works every day of his campaign at
a real job and then goes out campaigning every evening, on lunch breaks and one weekends. He hasn't even been able to see his
daughter much. Mike is a good man and he is Prolife and Progun and most importantly pro Constitution.

I've looked at the internal Rasmussen data and here is what I've found.
Mike is polling at 7% up from 5% up from 3%.

Oct 4th Poll

Republican 7% Democrat 3% Independent/Other 6%
Conservative 7% Moderate 5% Liberal 0%

Oct 12th Poll

Republican 9% Democrat 4% Independent/Other 7%
Conservative 12% Moderate 7% Liberal 0%

We are getting such good response that they have ran out of signs and most campaign materials. Friends have skyrocketed from 700 to nearly 1000 on facebook in 2 weeks and is growing steadily. There is also a major endorsement coming. Johnathan Weisman has been very good at communicating with us.

---

Mike Labno. He's running against 3 Liberals. He's one Man against the Machine.

[Grunthor]

I hope that Labno pulls enough votes from Kirk that Kirk loses. Let’s keep the leftists in the Democrat party.

[grumpygresh]

That b**ch Dim hack Tamara Holder was doing this recently.

[Crichton]

Go Labno!!!

[9YearLurker]

That posting from ‘Michael Schwartz’ actually sounds like just the sort of thing a Dem operative would have posted to prime the pump—after their push call sent people to his site.

[Dr. Sivana]

Gee, maybe the Republican Party can stop pushing Fiscally Conservative, Socially Moderate types... that would stop this tactic dead in its tracks.

[Windy City Conservative]

If Kirk was pro-life and conservative, and didn’t vote for Cap and trade, he’d have nothing to worry about. I have noticed that Politico and other MSM sites have been running stories to depress the conservative base into not voting for Kirk. One article in Politico said that Kirk feared the right and had memos and quotes to back it up. Kirk has obviously been tri-angulating. He has no base but establishment (R)s in Illinois, and some conservatives who just want an (R) in Obama’s old seat. Personally, I don’t want the Dem in the seat, but I would also like Kirk to lose, a.) because he would be of no benefit to conservatives, b.) try to teach the IL GOP a lesson, not that they will learn anything.

In the summer of 2009 the GOP establishment and John McCain rushed to endorse Kirk because they thought he would be a shoe-in and they wouldn’t have to help him financially. Well, he is down in the polls to a corrupt 34 year old, Obama crony, banker with 3 weeks to go. Just look at the GOP’s inability to place a good bet on candidates early on: Crist, Murkowski, Castle, Kirk, Specter, Scozzafava, McCain in ‘08 etc., etc. If they had 12 staring them in the face during a game of black jack, they wouldn’t say “hit me”.

[Maelstorm]

I know for a fact that Michael is not a plant. Look him up on face book. He I’d a principled conservative. I’ve talked with him personally.

[PhilCollins]

Rep. Kirk (my congressman) isn’t fiscally conservative, socially moderate. He’s fiscally moderate, socially liberal.

[Maelstorm]

Kirk is not a social moderate he is a far left social liberal. He’s radically pro-choice & anti-gun & progay activist.
He also is not even a reliable fiscal conservative. He voted for cap and trade, vote for Obama’s 192 billion stimulus and he has supported countless earmarks and leftist funding bills.

Kirk & Alexi are political blood brothers.

[Dr. Sivana]

Kirk is not a social moderate he is a far left social liberal. He’s radically pro-choice & anti-gun & progay activist. He also is not even a reliable fiscal conservative.

Oh, I know that. I'm just using the language the MSM and the Party Establishment like to use to sell us on them.

[9YearLurker]

Interesting, thanks.

[bkepley]

Illinois has had more than its fair share of RINO governors and for no reason that I can think of except possibly an honest Republican would be afraid the office would corrupt him.

[SunkenCiv]

It struck me that the DNC is promoting Labno to split the Kirk vote in favor of helping Ginnoulias.

Thanks Maelstorm.

• [Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney]
  Illinois Candidate's Name Misspelled As 'Rich Whitey' On Electronic-Voting Machines

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the name of

[Steelers6]

I didn’t need to be Push Polled by the Rats to support Labno, Mark Kirk pushed me along time ago to support Stufflebeam who they screwed out of being on the ballot or Labno!!

[CHISEL32]

If Mark Kirk is a far left social Liberal then the Democratic party is not even on the political spectrum its so far left. Wow what a ludicrous statement you just made. Kirk is a moderate on social issues and he is center-right on fiscal issues and also on International Affairs he is actually pretty good when compared to isolationist Labno. Also Labno does not believe marriage should be defined as one man and one woman according to the survey he filled on votesmart.org. Do not believe me go to votesmart.org and search Mike Labno