The Capitol Fax Blog » Green was a Red

Monday, Nov 6, 2006

Just when you think it couldn’t get any goofier, Rich Whitney was red-baited.

It turns out the Green Party candidate used to be a Red. The Topinka campaign and the Illinois GOP, anxious to herd Republican voters back into line, held a press conference after the Daily Herald broke the story.

Green Party governor candidate Rich Whitney of Carbondale was a national figure in the Socialist Party before resigning his post in 1993 after getting in a feud and quitting for law school.

â€œNaturally, I donâ€™t trumpet the fact that I was a Socialist. I was a Socialist because in my political evolution, Iâ€™ve always cared about working people,â€ Whitney told the Daily Herald late Saturday night. â€œIâ€™m not a Socialist now. A lot of people did things in the 60s and 70s they donâ€™t do now.â€

You can say that again.

Here’s part of the Republican press release:

“Rich Whitney has deliberately misled the voters of Illinois about his past and his 20 years as a member of the Socialist Labor Party of America,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna.

“These revelations about Whitney’s extreme views show voters now more than ever that this election is between Judy Baar Topinka and Rod Blagojevich,” said McKenna. “On Tuesday when voters step into the voting booth, they need to know if they want a change from Rod Blagojevich’s broken promises, they need to vote for Judy Baar Topinka to move this state forward.”

Whitney did a pretty good job of handling himself, considering the subject matter and Topinka played good cop to the GOP’s bad cop:

[Whitney] said his positions in the governor’s race — funding education by raising the income tax and lowering local property taxes, universal health care and cleaning up corruption — are “mainstream” positions.

“I’m the one that’s running on the mainstream,” he said. “Putting a casino in Chicago? Now that’s a kooky idea, OK?”

But even as McKenna denounced Whitney’s views, Topinka, who proposed a Chicago casino, sought to downplay the third party’s significance.

“I don’t think that’s particularly mainstream Illinois,” she said of Whitney’s past. “But, you know, again, I’d have to stress, I don’t think he’s really been a big issue here. It’s between Rod Blagojevich and me.

Discuss.

- posted by Rich Miller

76 Comments

- Jechislo - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:04 am:
The non-Whitney supporters who have said they will vote for Whitney will go against throwing their vote away when they get in the booth. They will vote for the only person who can truly change Illinois government over the next 4 years - Judy Barr-Topinka. I predict it will go down to the wire. It ainâ€™t over till itâ€™s over - and it will be early tomorrow morning before itâ€™s over. Topinka is still very much in this race.

Go Judy Go.

- Curious - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:12 am:
I’m no professional, but this struck me as interesting: JBT is down at least a little in the polls. I would expect her to release a poll conducted by her own campaign that shows her doing much better than the scientific polls say she is doing.

Instead of releasing her numbers, her campaign manages to dig up decades-old stuff that they think is dirt…on a third party candidate from the Green party (????).

I wonder if this erratic behavior is due to their own polling and canvassing which suggests that Whitney is a much stronger player than previously supposed.

Tomorrow night it will be interesting to see whether it is the votes for JBT or for Whitney that are the “throwaway votes.”

- smack-o-cratic - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:14 am:
As disaffected voters find out Whitney was a Socialist, they’ll re-think their “protest” vote. This could really hurt the Greens goal of hitting the magic 5%. Where will the votes now go? Danged if I know…likely Topinka I suppose.

In an “informal” poll at a Springfield restuarant over the weekend the the vote total was 60% Topinka, 30% Whitney and 10% Blagojevich of the votes for the three. Not a surprise given the locale.

- Conservative Republican - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:17 am:
..” a lot of people did things in the 60s and 70s…” well, how about the 80s and 90s, Rich Whitney, when you remained a socialist?

Lame dodge.

- VanillaMan - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:19 am:
Whitney’s “outing” doesn’t hurt him with Democratic voters, but should with Republican voters. Topinka’s protest voters need to come home. Blagojevich’s protest voters still can say they are opposed to corruption, and vote for their principles.

Bottom line - Whitney voters will be ethical Democrats.

- Conservative Republican - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:20 am:
Curious, the answer to your question is that Topinka and her group were never ready for prime time.

- Pat Hickey - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:21 am:
What is interesting is the spin employed by the progresive Smarter-Than-God’s- Religion Teacher crowd’s appeal to the disaffected:

‘Look RW is a Commie, but that is Ok, but he never bragged about it; Blago is a jaded crook; but real villain is the ‘EVIL COMBINE’ of Illinois and JBT is Part of the Payoff - So skip the protest vote and vote in Haircut - ‘Cuz Fitz is going to toss him in Oxford - and then the clouds will part and real Reform will come because because because . . . The GOP and the Cook County Dems have gotten together to keep Tony out in order to fight reform that Mike Quigley is cooking but he’s back Todd and Forrest is the Real Voice of Reform but he’s quiet because Daley is a crook bt still in power and Forrest is afraid of him and . . .there’s more - Don’t You Peopel Care About The Direction zThis Country Is Taking? Stupid Voters.’

- E-G - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:33 am:
How desperate is Judy that she has to resort Red-baiting against a THIRD PARTY candidate in order to make a last gasp attempt to salvage any chance of victory for her hapless campaign?

Talk about a sad commentary on an equally sad candidate. Picking on a third party candidate that has had as little exposure and money as Whitney is the moral equivalent of pushing over a kid in a wheelchair.

- Peachy - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:38 am:
I love this. Eric Krol thought he would be helping Topinka by assisting with this red baiting.

But as someone else on this blog has noted, the Topinka campaign has more clowns than a 3-ring circus.

This desperate move, combined with Topinka’s insult of the Cubs, and its going to be an early night tomorrow. No way can this woman be Governor.

- Squideshi - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:40 am:
Like I said before, it’s pretty funny that the Topinka campaign had to go back 14 years to try to find something on Rich Whitney. LOL She keeps saying that Whitney isn’t a factor, but she’s sending the exact OPPOSITE message by talking about this so much. She’s starting to look desperate!

- Bill Baar - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:41 am:
He spent 18 years as a peculiar kind of red. He was a follower of Daniel DeLeon. The Socialist Labor Party is a 19th century party and I’m guessing (as I recall some of these old comrades from the 60’s) they still have the 19th century’s sexual ethics. They’d be more at home in today’s IFI then the Democratic Party.

Illinois seems ripe for a third party but after finding out Whitney spent 18 years of his life with these creaky folks, you gotta wonder a bit about him.

I doubt this sways the disgruntled R’s holding up their noses at JPT. The candidate means nothing…

…but it is a bad sign for the Green’s future I think.

- Bill Baar - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:45 am:
The SLP’s Robert Bills hit the nail on the head though,

Thereâ€™s nothing wrong with being a Socialist, at least I donâ€™t think so. Thereâ€™s nothing wrong with changing your mind about being a Socialist. However, there is something wrong about a candidate asking for your trust while concealing the truth when asked: â€œWhat is your history? What party have you identified with over your adult life?â€

Green and yellow really do go together.

That’s all we need in Illinois is another dissembling Pol.

- Bill Baar - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:54 am:
As far as Red Baiting goes… I don’t know if Red Baiting makes much sense in an election were redeployment from Iraq probably means death for the Iraqi Communist Party. The left is throwing the Reds to the butchers right now.

- DOWNSTATE - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:56 am:
Not much different in the attitudes of the Socialist party and some of these Democrats that who believe that the wealth should be shared and socialized health care is the future.

- It is easy being Green - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 9:58 am:
This is the most pathetic campaign move ever! Camp Topinka is desperate. The Daily Herald has been fighting against the Greens this entire election. I won’t be surprized to see Whitney finish second in this race. Goodbye GOP in Illinois…time to make friends with the marginalized SLPs. Bet Judy couldn’t win a debate against the Socialists either, what is she thinking…for REAL?

- Confused Republican - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 10:00 am:
And Judy Topinka and Gov Blagojevich have led pristine lives I suppose? What a bunch of hypocrites. The gall of these politicians. Rich Whitney could have been a communist and he couldn’t keep up with those two.

- YNM - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 10:03 am:
I have to say, I was actually impressed with Whitney’s handling of the issue. If only some more of our “mainstream” candidates could learn to address tough issues with as much authenticity and tact.

I think the line about lots of people not doing things they did in the 60’s and 70’s is great. I think that resonates with a lot of people …

Anyway, regardless of how anyone is voting, or how I am voting, I think Whitney either has the best handlers and media people or maybe is just a natural.

- Anon - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 10:11 am:
Big Red Topinka in desperate attempt to clutch at her one successful campaign strategy: claiming to have better hair than Blagojevich sees Green Party Whitney as a threat. Topinka must clarify that she is the red, not Whitney in these crutial decision-making moments left in this edge-of-our-chair election cycle.

Stay tuned folks, only a few more precious hours of Illinois political nonsense left until decision 2006.

- GreenieGirl - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 10:41 am:
What is this, a 1950s “red scare” again? Come on now. Whitney is the same guy he’s been since he began this campaign. He is fighting for things like a living wage and health care for everyone. The horror! That kind of talk should only scare you if you’re *pretending* to represent working people - like Rod and Judy do.
“Red and Green” - seriously? Sounds more like Christmas - and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet!

- Bill Baar - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 10:47 am:
The CPUSA was solidly for and I’m certain the Illinois party (what’s left) will be working for Dems in 2006. The last think they’ll do is work for Greens. (Camjeo an ex-Trot you know; that’s a real obscentity in their book.) They’ll work for Topinka before they’d work for an apostate Marxist. Even a former one like Whitney.

- Jade - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 10:47 am:
I saw an interview with Whitney. I didn’t think he could be goofier than Blagojevich and Topinka, but he proved me wrong.

Yea, and he handled this great. First of all, he made it sound like it was a 60’s and 70’s thing, when he didn’t resign unitl 1993. Then he said he wasn’t a communist, but was a Marxist. Gee, that is so much better. Then he sounded like every other politician by saying he adopts his message depending on where he goes. “IF campaigning in Southern Illinois I don’t start off by saying I’m pro choice either”. No, I bet he doesn’t. In fact he claims to be both pro-life and pro-choice. Pro-life on war and the death penalty and pro choice on abortion (anyway that is what is website says).

So, Comrade Whitney is a former Marxist, Socialist, Catholic pro-life/pro-choice Green candidate who is going to bring his goat farm to Springfield if elected. Just when I thought decision 2006 couldn’t get any wierder, we get to know the real Rich Whitney. Wow, Nieukirk is looking better and better.

- Fan of the Game - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 10:53 am:
A review of Whitney’s website shows that while his party allegiance has shifted, he still holds some socialist tenets.

- Jaded - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 10:54 am:
Sorry, 10:47 was from Jaded, not Jade, so the greenies where to direct their anger.

- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:06 am:
1. Most voters will never hear or read about this story.

2. Most voters don’t place “stopping the spread of worldwide socialism” on the top of their political agenda.

3. Most people weren’t voting for Whitney, they’re voting against Topinka and Rod.

4. Folks who are voting for Whitney are doing it to send a message on issues like education funding reform, ethics, health care and energy policy.

5. If Whitney were poised to win, voter reaction would be different, but he’s not, so nobody is worried he’ll actually socialize private industry in January.

I’m standing by my original prediction. Whitney still gets 6% of the vote. Those who were going to fall off fall off, but this story changes nothing.

On another note, I heard Krol on Chicago public radio’s “848 Show” this morning, and he couldn’t wait for a way to interject this story into the discussion, so he made a crack about the Whitney revelation and how it would probably garner Whitney more votes from the Chicago public radio staff.

I thought his comment was insulting and uncalled for, and I hope that WBEZ shows Krol the door and never has him back on the air. Krol is a B-list political columnist at best, but someone should remind him that the Daily Herald has a circulation of only 150,000, while WBEZ has roughly 600,000 listeners, and the folks at WBEZ are every bit as professional (if not more so), than the Daily Herald.

In fact, while WBEZ has won a couple of dozen awards for broadcast journalism over the last two years, and it’s “This American Life” series is now syndicated on over 500 stations and about to get it’s own show on Showtime, I can’t remember the last time the Daily Herald — or Mr. Krol — won an award for anything.

- It is easy being Green - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:12 am:
Krol and Patterson have been waging their own campaign against the Green Party for months. Their reporting is as pathetic as the Topinka campaign. I cannot wait until this election is over so they can fade back into obscurity while the Green Party is established and growing by leaps and bounds.

- Squideshi - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:13 am:
Bill Baar wrote, “they still have the 19th centuryâ€™s sexual ethics”

Here’s another great example of a distortion. One of the Ten Key Values of the Green Party is FEMINISM, and that’s prominently displayed on the homepage of Whitney’s campaign website.

I think it’s great that Topinka is going after Rich Whitney. She’s giving him a lot of free publicity. It’s telling that she has given up on Blago and is now attacking the underdog. She’s looking more and more desperate every day!

- anon - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:15 am:
I was going with the greens as a protest vote but this troubles me. I wasn’t totaly won over by Nieuks weekend video but after seeing that he showed up and partied with Rich I think I am switching over and getting Nieuked. But there is a chance I will now sway back to my Dem party or heaven forbid vote for the republican JBT. Maybe I just need a few more ads to help me make up my mind.

- Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:15 am:
OK, enough attacks on the Daily Herald, please. Is the story wrong? No. Was Whitney up front about this from Day One? No. Should the Greens have expected this hit? Yes. Did the other Greens even know about it? Good question.

- Bill Baar - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:16 am:
Whitney still gets 6% of the vote.

I agreed with someone long ago at 17%. Socialist to me is not at all a bad word… Whitney joined a weird sect but Norman Thomas or Michael Harrington were not bad people in my book.

I agree this whole thing is not much other than it reveals a little about Whitney not being awfully frank about himself….

…but it’s not going to effect the disgruntled people out there in this election…. I orginally thought they’d go to Whitney and if they don’t it’s going to be because they’re willing to buy the lessor of two evils…

…the whole Whitney Socialist Labor Party affair will just be of interest in history buffs like me.

If Whitney gets the Greens on the radar screen I think they’re going to have to get a little more serious though, and I think based on Whitney’s Gun positions its going to be more of a Green-Libertarian rightish sort of party that would have more potential for them…

…of course they’ll split over that and will still be stuck with the R and Ds we have.

I hoping Periaca wins in Cook and can lead a house cleansing. He inspires me.

I remember George Meany long ago on meat the press talking about the conflict the AFL-CIO faced between McGovern and Nixon and wishing Norman Thomas were still around.

- Squideshi - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:17 am:
Yeah, Kroll and Patterson are both hacks. Probally the only media outlet that has been more biased is CBS2 Chicago. Thoughout the campaign, Kroll has been a giddy as a little schoolgirl whenever he can dig up a little “nugget” on the Green Party; otherwise, he just excludes them from his articles. No ethics over there.

- Squideshi - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:19 am:
Opps. I just saw Rich’s post after mine went up. Sorry about that Rich!

- Bill Baar - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:19 am:
â€œthey still have the 19th centuryâ€™s sexual ethicsâ€

I mean the Socialist Labor Party, not the Greens. Whitney spent 18 years with an antiquated party… I mean really antiquated.

- train111 - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:24 am:
I agree with the posters above who think that Whitney being a part of the Socialist Labor Party at one time will have no effect on the outcome. I would venture to guess that half of the people going to the polls tommorrow will not have heard of Whitney, and 90% will not know about his former SLP membership. I would venture to guess that the vast majority of those who vote for him will do so simply because there is another name printed on the ballott besides Rod Blagojevich and Judy Baar Topinka.
I think he will come out of it with 6 or 7% of the vote. There would have naturally been some fall-off in his votes due to the ‘wasted vote’ syndrome. I don’t think this revelation will effect anything.

train111

- It is easy being Green - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:25 am:
From the Sun Times 10/30/06
I love trees, but I have never hugged one
Lori Rackl
http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/116337,CST-NWS-whitmain30.article

Guess Whitney wasn’t hiding anything afterall. The story states: “While the state’s Green Party is relatively new, Whitney’s involvement in third-party politics isn’t. He met his wife, Paula Bradshaw, at a Socialist convention in Los Angeles nearly three decades ago. “

- Justice - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:25 am:
Holy Cow!!!! Just changed my vote to JBT. Dang…the ACLU is in itself enough to turn me off….but a Socialist…….way off from what I want!!! I do like concealed carry but with all things now known, I choose to cast my vote to JBT.

- Jasper - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:38 am:
The background on Whitney is relevant, as anything similar would be on Blagojevich and Topinka.

Whitney chose not to disclose this information because keeping it underwraps was more beneficial to his campaign.

Politicians should have to answer hard questions because voters deserve the truth. Whitney, because he is the new guy, should be no exception.

If something to the contrary of being a member of the Socialist Labor Party would have benefited him, I’m sure he would have disclosed it.

- Jake from Elwood - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:48 am:
As it turned out our “OTHER” candidate was a Socialist. . .Result? He probably went from about 11-13% of the vote to about 8% of the vote. . . He “done blowed up real good” like a Corvair, unsafe at any speed. Ralph Nader, any comments?

- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:49 am:
Jasper — Drink the koolaid if you want to, but admit it’s your choice.

As the Sun-Times story from October makes clear, Whitney wasn’t hiding his past.

I love that the mainstream media has refused to cover Whitney for six months, the Republican and Democratic candidates have refused to debate him, and now everybody wants to accuse Whitney of hiding.

It’s the world’s biggest Hypocrisy Buffet, a little something for everybody.

- steve schnorf - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:55 am:
If Whitney gets 6 or 7, then we probably won’t know who our Governor is until some time Wednesday.

- PalosParkBob - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:57 am:
Folks, remember that Whitney is the “none of the above” candidate on the ballot.

He could claim his policy would be to come into your home and kill your puppy and assault your children and he’d still get the “none of the above” vote.

Except for the less than 1% of the voters that are hard core commies in Illinois, the people casting their vote for him are hoping for a JBT election day decimation and Blago indictment, and that won’t change regardless of his commie past.

- DOWNSTATE - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 12:18 pm:
Why are the Greens so upset?This is typical election coverage of the canidates.Some stuff that is brought out at election time is a bunch of rumors.At least they told the truth.Hey is this guy fast on his feet or what.Get busted hiding his past and make it sound like it was nothing big.If that was Blago he would still be trying to say DUH.

- Downstater - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 12:29 pm:
I disagree that the Whitney socialist party revelation will not have an impact. This story is being covered quite extensively by the news media today. Finding out that he was not forthcoming about his association with the socialist party the day before the election will have a big impact on those who were thinking about voting for him. His association with the socialist party will have more of a positive impact for Topinka than Blago. I don’t see the Green’s getting 5% of the vote now let alone 6%.

- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 12:30 pm:
You can’t complain forever about not getting any media attention, then turn around and get upset at any negative attention you get when you do get some popular support. Comes with the territory. No one should get a free pass.

- Daniel Simpson Day - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 12:32 pm:
Nice post Jake! I wonder what Carpentersville Jack and the brain trust at the FTN thinks about the fact that they have been advocating that conservative republicans vote for a socialist. We are really through the looking glass this year. I am glad I am voting for Judy. She is now even more clearly the best choice!

- Nick Naylor - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 12:42 pm:
D-Day makes a point. I think this hurts Blago a little (and a little may be all it takes). Hard Conservatives simply cannot support a socialist (no matter the supposed “greater good”) and call themselves conservatives. It may only mean a point or two subtracted from Comrade Whitney and added to JBT, but in a race this close it could mean the difference between winning and losing.

- Dan Rather - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 12:45 pm:
If Krol is the B list, YDD, please name the A list along with their awards.

- RubeBrick - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 12:53 pm:
A little context, folks.

ANY new political party is going to be populated by the disillusioned/disenfranchised/disgruntled/disappointed “fallen away” of other political parties. (Like, new parties are required by state law to begin with a bunch of neophytes fresh from tenth grade civics class or something?????)

C’mon, many people “migrate” politically over lifetimes. Examples abound: southern Dems to Repubs during the 1960s and 1970s, Republicans to Libertarians, etc. And Whitney migrated, too. Big frigging deal.

(Psst! The “Illinois Gorilla” (as he was called), Abraham Lincoln, was — Gasp! Gag! — a WHIG once upon a time!!!!!! Oh, the duplicity!! Oh, the scandal of it all!!!)

And for those of you who are contemptuous of (feign disgust and revulsion here, please) SOCIALISM in any of its permutations — well, may I respectfully suggest that you stand up as a matter of personal principle and kindly write to the Department of the Treasury at your earliest opportunity and renounce your Social Security benefit.

- Phil Huckelberry - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 1:00 pm:
hey Rich,

It’s completely right to go after the Daily Herald here. They ran an article weeks ago where John Patterson intentionally misled readers, and here you could practically see the saliva in the print of Krol’s piece. This isn’t simply a matter of them doing their jobs. They are serving as attack dogs, and we’re well within our rights to call them out on their lack of objective journalistic standards. Krol tried to do to Whitney what Blago has successfully done to Topinka. Why shouldn’t that be a topic for discussion?

Actually, I’d like to see you ask a question along those lines: which journalists have shown impeccable journalistic standards this year and which ones have consistently degraded the profession? I’d be even more interested in your take on that question.

- Judy, Judy, Judy - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 1:10 pm:
I was surprised to hear about this news too. But, from helping candidate Joe Maun, Republican, who is running against Debbie Halvorson, I’ve found that most people don’t know who their congressmen, senators, or state reps are, they don’t read the paper, they don’t surf the net, they just go about their lives. So if their vote is a protest vote or just a wow there’s another person on the ballot vote, they will vote for Rich Whitney because he is not JBT or Rod. But - I’ve changed my guess of Whitney getting 15% to not quite 10%. Who do I think will get those votes? JBT - that’s what her party believes and why they’ve gone out all about it. I was actually surprised to see they didn’t create a last minute campaign ad blasting Whitney for this today. Am I still voting for Whiteny you might ask, yes. I think as a whole everyone is scared of the unknown or a change so any 3rd party candidate is hard for us to vote for. But, I’m tired of Blago over-spending and I don’t trust JBT because her ads do nothing but slam Blago I haven’t found an substance to her. So, yes, I’ll be voting for Whitney - just to tell the Dems and Repubs to stop their pocket lining and remember they are supposed to represent us.

- Garp - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 1:22 pm:
Ya gotta admit, this is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Just call your opponent a communist and let the chips fall as they may.

The only problem the Green guy has is that his answer is, yes that’s true, but only for 18 years.

- zatoichi - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 1:31 pm:
The news on Whitney is an astonishing revelation? I read the Chicago Seed regularly and tossed a couple bricks at the ‘68 convention, so I guess my political career is done. That yahoo part of me still pops out occassionally. No Demo ever went Repub? Give the guy a break. Does he have to tell his entire life story to be credible? I heard he once slipped some money from the bank while playing Monpoly when he was 10. That’s proof he cannnot ne trusted. Still he’ll get 6%

- Jasper - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 2:00 pm:
YDD:

You sure about the Kool-Aid thing?

It’s a non-relevant point, but Whitney said he met his wife at a Socialist convention when he was a journalist. He did not say he was there for personal reasons.

Blagojevich has spent $14 + million on hammering Topinka with a bunch of lies and misinformation.

Again, Whitney is a serious candidate. He has received media attention and endorsements.

This is part of the deal, like it or not.

- Not So Fast - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 2:01 pm:
Ronald Reagan, believed by many conservatives to have been the greatest president, was a former Democrat. He was also the first divorced president. So much for family values.

Speaking of divorce, candidates for governor or president are almost always married. It seems that there has been little mention of JBT’s divorce and/or personal situation.

- Keyser Soze - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 2:13 pm:
So what if Whitney is a Commie. A vote for him is really just a vote for Blago. But, then that’s probably just a vote for Quinn. Yet, if you invoke the sanity clause there is little choice but to vote for the zany JBT. Logic 101.

- Jasper - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 2:17 pm:
Not so fast:

Why would Topinka’s marriage status be relevant?

I think that raising a child as a single mother and still having time to give back to the public and take the heat that comes with public service is as good of a value as you can find.

- Squideshi - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 2:23 pm:
I see that the Pinka footsoldiers are now taking a page out of the Blago book. I always get a good laugh when they all start posting on the blog at the same time because it’s just so obvious. Judy is getting so desperate; and the fact that people simply don’t care about an irrevelant prior political affiliation, from more than 14 years ago, is only making her more desperate.

In other news, Rich, were you aware of the Hearld story that accused Whitney’s campaign manager of breaking state ethics law? Cindy Canary over at the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform actually said that she was misrepresented in that article and that there was no clear violation, as Patterson claimed that there was. Plain false.

- Bill Baar - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 2:45 pm:
The funny thing here, I suspect Whitney was mum on his Socialist Labor Party past because it’s a pretty stodgy bunch of guys… and it was mostly guys as I remember them.

This group was old left when Eugene V. Debs was running for President in 1912 on the regular Socialst Party ticket that had eclipsed the SLP by then.

- Jaded - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 2:53 pm:
Well some of you people are certainly drinking kool aid mixed with something. If you think that an issue like this won’t make a difference after a generation or two of Americans grew up hating/fearing Socialism, Communism, Marxism, and Facism (”ism’s in my opinion are not good” Ferris Beuller) which most people think are all one and the same, then you don’t know politics as much as you all claim you do.

To say it won’t make a differnce because people aren’t paying attention is one thing, but if you think a downstate conservative Democrat, or a card carrying Republican from any part of the state will ever admitto voting for a Socialist (or in this case a former Socialist even if he currently supports right to carry legislation) then you are a little too into the green (if you know what I mean!

- It is easy being Green - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 3:05 pm:
Jaded,
I didn’t want to dignify your posts with a response, however, how many people do you think will admit they voted for either Rod or Judy? My guess is far more people will proudly both cast a vote and admit to supporting Whitney/Greens.

The Green Party is the future. Get ahead of the learning curve now and join us. ilgp.org

- Nick Naylor - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 3:16 pm:
Hey Rube-
I will gladly renounce my social security benefit (Not that there will be one when I get to 65 … or 70 … or 75) for the right to make my own decisions with regard to MY money, provided that the money that I have already contributed to this pyramid scheme you speak of is refunded (with interest, or course) and I can opt out of other “social services” that the big government socialist left advocates “provide” me with if I do not use or do not want them.

- Nick Naylor - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 3:17 pm:
*** respectfully submitted, of course!

- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 4:03 pm:
Dan Rather:

Chicago Columnists’ A-List:

Rich Miller
Greg Hinz
Phil Kadner
Eric Zorn
John Kass
Mark Brown
Kristin McQueary
Ray Hanania
Ben Joravsky

- Bluefish - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 4:07 pm:
Looks like I’ll be eating crow for thinking Whitney would get 18% or more. Change that to 4% or more. Glad I waited until tomorrow to actually vote.

- VanillaMan - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 4:20 pm:
I am surprised at the level of comments.

If you are old enough, or attended a university, you would have been taught that planned socialist governments are our future. So, how can anyone be surprised that Whitney believes that stuff enough to become a registered socialist? In a lot of “educated” circles, socialism is still considered progressive. Even after the fall of Communism, and the economic decline of those “progressive” countries of Western Europe, a lot of Democrats are still rooting for some kind of happyland government experience.

So what if Whitney was a registered Socialist? For crying out loud, we have a slew of crackpot politicians touting the same old hash of government planning as some kind of “new idea”.

Geez people, Pelosi is a freakin’ Socialist by all practical purposes. She’s probably to the LEFT of Whitney on some issues.

Whitney’s outing shouldn’t surprise anyone. And anyone claiming to be a Democrat should feel right at home with his socialist agenda. He is more Paul Simon than Blagojevich, isn’t he?

I’d rather have a Whitney, than a Blagojevich.

- shocked - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 4:23 pm:
I am not happy with the Republican choice for governor and wouldn’t vote for Blago because I seem to be one of the few Illinoisians left that thinks breaking the law should be left to the criminals, not politicians (you know like importing drugs illegally). But I will vote for Judy now because I would NEVER vote for a “Marxist”.

- Dan Rather - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 4:39 pm:
Krol is as good as or better than most of those people. If you don’t realize that public radio is a left wing propaganda arm, you don’t understand much about the media.

- Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 4:54 pm:
These comments really show bad form by the Green Party, whining about a reporter instead of addressing the report. You guys are worse than the major parties, and that’s really saying something.

- Jaded - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 5:00 pm:
It is easy being Green,

Thanks for dignifying my posts. Wow, how lucky can I get, a member of a fringe political party paying attention to little ole me. However, if your statement were even romotely believable, then that would mean that (on your best day) less than 300,000 voters will admit to voting for one of the two major party candidates. That is a pretty silly premise.

Thanks for your offer to join the party, but the only things green about me are my eyes.

- Phil Huckelberry - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 5:29 pm:
Rich, come on, you know you’re not being fair here. The reality is that the report has already been addressed. Whitney was forthcoming with the media when he was asked. What more addressing do you want done? He isn’t a Republican or a Democrat now, and he wasn’t one 20 years ago either. Back then he recognized the inherent corruption of both corporate parties and wanted no part of it. Over the years his politics evolved. So it goes. You’re acting like there’s something else that needs to be “addressed”, but I don’t see it. If there’s something left hanging that needs to be addressed, ask a direct question.

The real story here as I see it is not Rich Whitney’s background. The real story here is that the Republicans have sunk to a desperate last-minute tactic - red-baiting, of all things - and some members of the media have not merely gone along for the ride but have actually been in the driver’s seat. How is calling attention to that “worse than the major parties”? We’re not supposed to give these people a free pass because they happen to be journalists, are we?

I’m trying to understand your point of view here, but I can’t see it.

- Truth - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 5:43 pm:
Face it Greens, your numbers have only been decent because Whitney is unknown and fell nicely into the category of “none of the above”.

Now, as his positions become known, he’ll become one of the above. Pray for 5%.

- Pat Hickey - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 6:03 pm:
‘He isnâ€™t a Republican or a Democrat now, and he wasnâ€™t one 20 years ago either. Back then he recognized the inherent corruption of both corporate parties and wanted no part of it. ‘

He is am amateur - long and the shork of it. That is what comes of amateur politics or Artificial Grassroots. What some of these folks are trying to pass off as grassroots is merely outsiders looking in and late comers cutting to the front of the line.

- Angie - Monday, Nov 6, 06 @ 11:16 pm:
VanillaMan wrote, “If you are old enough, or attended a university, you would have been taught that planned socialist governments are our future. So, how can anyone be surprised that Whitney believes that stuff enough to become a registered socialist? In a lot of ‘educated’ circles, socialism is still considered progressive. Even after the fall of Communism, and the economic decline of those ‘progressive’ countries of Western Europe, a lot of Democrats are still rooting for some kind of happyland government experience.”

I have a theory about that. I suspect it has to do with the tenure system. I mean, think about it. That’s socialism right there. No matter how incompetent or crackpot insane (Ward Churchill, for example, the fake Native American who really isn’t one), they are GUARANTEED a job and academic freedom! Nice gig.

So, you know. They live this system and it works for them just fine. I mean really, if I were a more #’s oriented type and could handle advanced stats and crunching #’s all day long, heck, I’d go into academia and do nothing but research and publish, too.

So you can see why they don’t always realize that it doesn’t work out that way in the real world.

By the way, I wonder if they give everyone top grades all across the board? From each according to his or her cognitive ability, to each according to his or her GPA needs? lol

- Another Limerick - Tuesday, Nov 7, 06 @ 12:27 am:
A candidate with a poll share teeny
Passed himself off as a Greenie
Then a reporter named Krol
Made the story unfold
And revealed a Socialist weenie.

- Squideshi - Tuesday, Nov 7, 06 @ 9:57 am:
I think what happened here is that the Republicans got really worried about Whitney’s results being higher than Topinka’s results, because if this happens three times, under state election law, the Green Party becomes the “second leading party” and gets all sorts of advantages, like serving as the other half of the State Board of Elections and appointing Election Judges throughout the state.

- Leland Milton Goldblatt - Tuesday, Nov 7, 06 @ 10:50 am:
The State GOP Party and JBT are partaking in
McCarthyism. It is pretty sad if this is all they had
to go on? A protest vote is a protest vote. I will
vote for Mickey mouse over the candidate of choice, and as the late
Walt Disney said the League of Woman voters were are Marxists Commies. {When they supported unionizing of his Park and studio}

If the paper knew about this some time ago and decided
to run it as an October surprise. They to are Partners with Joe McCarthy. Otherwise, they had a Story to write but have an obligation to us readers and did so. This is news, and big News. I hope the editors knew better then to be used by a candidate.

Does anyone know, did RW filled out the anti-communism affidavit? When he did his petition?

- Angie - Tuesday, Nov 7, 06 @ 12:00 pm:
McCarthyism? Oh, come on. They’re just reporting what was in the guy’s past. Since when is the truth McCarthyism?

Me thinks that some of you are out looking for McCarthyists “under every bed” sometimes.

Besides, better an “October surprise” than an October Revolution.;-)

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