EDITORIAL: Jackson is the only proper choice among toxic opposition in gubernatorial race
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For months since the March 20 gubernatorial primary, we’ve seen nothing more than political ads full of mudslinging, lies and deception from Republican incumbent Bruce Rauner and Democratic opponent JB Pritzker. Like many registered voters in Illinois, I’m fed up with the lies and deception from both major party nominees.
I’m beyond fed up after seeing this most recent attack ad from the Rauner and Pritzker camps:
How fed up am I? I’m fed up to the point of having written a parody to the latter ad:
When you’re a failure, you lie.
When you’re desperate, you lie more.
Bruce Rauner and JB Pritzker are now completely making things up.
Both parties and their nominees have nothing good to offer.
The objective of Rauner and Pritzker is to screw over as many residents as possible.
Rauner and Pritzker are wasting millions on a race that doesn’t even pay half a million,
But that doesn’t prevent the fact how idiotic they are in their mudslinging campaigns and attack ads.
[Paid for by Illinois Voters with Common Sense appears at the bottom, with pictures of Rauner and Pritzker.]
Two party politics: 200 years of failure and lying is enough.
Since 1986, there have been three Republican governors (James Thompson, Jim Edgar and George H. Ryan) and two Democratic governors (Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn). What’s equally as bad, if not worse, is the career politicians on both sides of the aisle in the General Assembly, especially that of House Speaker Michael Madigan. Some politicians have gone into retirement or had to step down due to the governor’s patronage hires to departmental directorships.
Both parties in 32 years are responsible for the downward spiral Illinois has been undergoing. Both are equally responsible for the blatant obviousness of fiscal irresponsibility and disregard of their constituents they claim to represent.
With the disregard that both political parties — even now with Rauner and Pritzker — have toward 12 million Illinoisans by airing attack ads without presenting any solutions to the state’s serious issues.
And voters wonder why the incumbent is down 17 points to Pritzker. Rauner stabbed conservatives in the back by signing taxpayer-funded abortions into law, as well as allowing the City of Chicago to become a sanctuary city. Rauner has revealed himself as being a Democrat with a RINO-esque name.
The Conservative Party nominee, state Sen. Sam McCann, hasn’t presented any valid solutions to our state’s issues either. He’s too busy with his internal drama with Rauner, which has been going on since Rauner was sworn in. And as revealed by many voters, McCann’s running under the banner of “conservative” is oxymoronic because he’s nowhere close to being a true conservative.
So, amidst the three shades of Democrat that is Rauner, Pritzker and McCann, there is Libertarian Kash Jackson, the only candidate who has actively attempted to present solutions to our state’s everyday problems.
While neither Rauner nor Pritzker have any real solutions to resolve the state’s current financial quagmire, Jackson has a multi-factor plan to resolve this problem and save taxpayers money.
From his platform:
I support a multi-pronged approach to fiscal solvency for the state of Illinois. We need to balance the budget and cut wasteful spending……support reducing excessive regulations, taxes and fees that make starting and running a business difficult……switch from a pension plan to a defined-contribution 401(k) for new state employees……devise a plan for the pensions for those retiring or retiring many years later will ensure full funding while saving taxpayers money……a plan to cap spending to a fixed percentage of the state’s GDP……encouraging economic opportunity and competition within Illinois, which will be done from day one.
While both parties debate the issue of abortion, a highly controversial issue in the state, Jackson offers a pragmatic approach to the issue, targeting the underlying causes leading to the practice:
I am determined to find solutions that accommodate the greatest freedom for the greatest number of people……I believe the best approach is to work together to identify and eliminate the underlying causes, such as financial issues, the lack of a stable family structure or other issues that encourage women and families to choose abortion.
Both parties push different views on the issue of criminal justice reform, but nothing plausible enough to change the system for the better. Jackson presents an excellent stance:
I am a firm believer that the state exists to protect its citizens from threats of violence from within, or overreach from the Federal government……rehabilitation over retribution, which calls for the release of those imprisoned for victimless offenses like marijuana possession and with vocational training.
Illinois has dealt with enough failure under the Democratic and Republican parties — or as I would rather refer them as, the Republicrats — and it’s time for voters to face the music and realize both of their major options are not viable, not when half of the state’s registered voters didn’t show up in 2014.
It’s overdue for some change, the death blow to two-party politics, which allows for the establishment of a third major party for the first time since 2006, when the Illinois Green Party earned their major party status, holding it for eight years before losing their status as a result of the 2014 gubernatorial election.
In addition, Jackson has received far more press coverage than 2010 nominee and former Libertarian Party of Illinois chairman Lex Green or 2014 nominee Chad Grimm — an accomplishment that rivals all other campaigns.
Jackson has also attained history for the party: the first-ever inclusion in a gubernatorial debate, with the first one taking place this Thursday evening on NBC Chicago and participating NBC affiliates.
It is without hesitation that not only the Heartland Newsfeed Editorial Board, but myself as well, issue a strong message of support and endorsement for Jackson.
Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
