Obama Wins Proxy War Versus McCain

Yesterday, little-known Democrat Bill Foster scored a major upset and won the congressional seat held for 20 years by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican. The race was a proxy war between Barack Obama and John McCain. Obama cut an add for Foster -- watch it:





Meanwhile, McCain campaigned for the Republican candidate Jim Oberweis, and fundraised for his campaign. Watch the two of them (about 2 minutes in):





AP has more on the race:

The race between Foster and Oberweis spawned a contentious campaign that saw both men counting on high-profile supporters to sway voters. Oberweis had Hastert and McCain; Foster leaned on Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama who endorsed him in a TV ad.

"The people of Illinois have sent an unmistakable message that they're tired of business-as-usual in Washington," Obama said Saturday night in a written statement.

Keep reading here.

Comments

[StillAmused]

12:10 PM on 03/10/2008

Gee... who'da' thunk? A GOP candidate, endorsed by Dennis Hastert and John McCain, actually LOST in the Year A.D. 2008?

Guess there's just no other explanation... must be that Obama magic.

[markusmarkus]

08:52 AM on 03/10/2008

We know who won - Democrat Bill Foster!

[realistxxx]

03:39 AM on 03/10/2008

This is one of the reddest of reddest districts one can imagine and it just went blue!

[Clinton] "It doesn't matter because I didn't help and I only win big races anyway." [/Clinton]

Time to re-calibrate the Clinton "Way-Back Machine"... because the Times They Are A Changing...

A 50 state, 10,000 district, 1,000,000 neighborhood strategy for 2008! Pounce on the mortally wounded Republicans and take back our country.

YES WE CAN!

[Amalek]

01:52 AM on 03/10/2008

If you are a republican be very afraid.

No place will be safe.

[BrooklynLager]

01:36 AM on 03/10/2008

PAY ATTENTION SUPERDELEGATES.

COATTAILS!

[KQuark]

01:15 AM on 03/10/2008

This is the main reason the DNC and Obama want to run a 50 state campaign in Survey USA Clinton can only win about 19 states versus McCrazy, while Obama can win 24-25. You need to have a 50 state strategy to maintain control of congress, state houses and Governorships. Clinton is the most polarizing figure in politics today and even if she does steal the nomination and squeak by in the general she will lose congress, state houses and Governorships just like Bill did because people will not trust her and want a balance of power by splitting their tickets. Anyone can see that the Clintons are radioactive political figures that have prevented Democratic rule for 16.

[flabingo]

11:38 AM on 03/11/2008

Amen!!!I could not say it better

[LawProf]

12:19 AM on 03/10/2008

If electing Democrats to Congress, state legislatures and governorships is the criteria, no super-delegate would vote for Hillary Clinton. Insiders know that if Hillary is the nominee, Democrats will lose the Senate for sure, and maybe much more, even if she wins the presidency by carrying large, industrial states. Although she is admired by many, Hillary is the most hated woman in America. She is so despised, that it is hard to think of any woman who would be in second place. As John A. Millin, chair of the Wyoming state Democratic Party put it: “It has become the dirty little secret in the Democratic Party. For reasons I don’t agree with and don’t completely understand, most voters in Wyoming seem to hate Hillary Clinton.”

[MartinEdwinAndersen]

09:28 PM on 03/09/2008

MORE MONSTEROUS MACHINATIONS BY THE CLINTONS ...

IT GIVES LIE TO ALL THE CHARACTER ASSASSINATION THE CLINTONS AND THEIR TRAINED SEALS HAVE ENGAGED IN AGAINST BARACK OBAMA ...

IF HE WASN'T READY FOR THAT 3 A.M. PHONE CALL, WHY THEIR DESPERATION IN TRYING TO GET HIM TO ACCEPT POTENTIALLY BEING A HEART BEAT FROM THE PRESIDENCY???

OR ARE THEY JUST THAT UNPATRIOTIC?


Clintons push a Hillary/Obama ticket
Sun Mar 9, 2008
8:11pm EDT

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary and Bill Clinton are again teaming up on Barack Obama -- this time saying the first-term U.S. lawmaker, whom they have derided as inexperienced, would be a strong running mate on a Democratic presidential ticket headed by the former first lady.

[inwonderland]

12:03 PM on 03/11/2008

FUZZY MATH Hillary.

let America break it down for you:

BARACK OBAMA LEADS IN STATES WON

BARACK OBAMA LEADS IN PLEDGED DELEGATES

BARACK OBAMA LEADS IN THE POPULAR VOTE.

Hillary must be dizzy from all the spinning she has been doing.

SHE BROUGHT THIS VICE PRESIDENCY ISSUE IN THE FORUM. NOW SHE LOOKS...

OPPORTUNISTIC (WHAT A SHOCK), WIN AT ANY COST, MARGINALIZER, and if the OBAMA MOVEMENT moves on.....hopefully Hillary will too before she, personally, rips the Party and the country in half.

[AtlantaBill]

09:18 PM on 03/09/2008

fantagor - great going, you got here first. Just wanted to highlight the fact that this race impacts the HRC/BHO race as well. You see, this guy Foster has switched a congressional seat from repugnocrat to democrat. Well, it's a swith in BHO's home state and therefore that will add one additional super delegate to Barack's column. Unless this guy foster flips and supports HRC. Just kidding, no chance of a flip so the Kid from IL is one step closer to the nomination.

[Jennysaypa]

09:04 PM on 03/09/2008

The peasants are revoting.

[seepee]

08:54 PM on 03/09/2008

Obama cut an add for Foster – rephrase “ BOUGHT A SUPER DELEGATE?”

[opines]

08:52 PM on 03/09/2008

McCain running on the war issue. Obama backed candidate wins handily.

Neocons, AIPAC, Pentagon hawks and weapons suppliers are 'comfortable' with either Sen Clinton or Sen. McCain. Obama's challenge on behalf of 2006 American voters, a majority of whom cast their ballots to withdraw from Iraq, was unexpected and poses a threat to deeply entrenched and powerful interests.

An augmented majority of voters against the war trust Obama to end the occupation honorably and swiftly. They aplaud, endorse his pledge to 'end the mindset' that led us into the war.

Until Sen. Clinton 'rejects and/or denounces' her neocon and AIPAC supporters, she can not hope to gain the support of those opposed to the war.

The MSM's mission is to divert the voters from the Iraq issue.

One need only scroll down any Huffpo item to see how well that mission is being accomplished.

[vaughan]

08:19 PM on 03/09/2008

Is this an example of Obama's coatails? I think Senator Obama will help a great deal for Democrats down the ticket -- people are very excited to vote for him, especially independents in the western states that are trending purple over red!

[ornery]

07:48 PM on 03/09/2008

I did think Barack's appearance in that Foster spot helped him beat Oberweis.

But: the Chicago Tribune, no Democratic paper, slammed OBW as deceptive and dishonest.

Also, there were some brilliant Foster ads--using humor, what a thought!--that helped Foster as well.

Particularly the talking cows. OBW is the heir to a dairy fortune.

Maybe he'll put his own mug on the milk cartons for the inevitable second bite at the apple in November, when Foster has to run again, since this was a special election just to fill Hastert's (rather oversized) seat through Jan 09.

Anyway, our Hyde Park Homeboy, we love ya.

[Nochnoi]

07:47 PM on 03/09/2008

The Republican party is falling apart......... Yay!!