Illinois Congressional 13th freedom candidate - Mike Firsching

[Gray Seal]

If you live in the sixteen counties making the 13th (Edwardsville Hardin Carlinville Litchfield Taylorville Springfield Decatur Bloomington Champaign) I would appreciate support on the 20th of March on the Republican ballot.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Firsching-for-Congress

I have the convictions and integrity along with Constitution and economic understanding which are needed to end government for advantage and begin government for protecting our freedoms.

Mike Firsching

 

[LibertyIn08]

Best of luck! Even if you're not successful, please stay active and consider running for another position.

I'm in the 18th CD, unfortunately.

 

[Kylie]

Hey guys,

This is my veterinarian, has been for 25 years. He is a part of the reason I am here on this site, and a supporter of RP. If anyone is in his district(unfortunately, I am not) then please stop by his office and say Hi!

He is as determined as you and I to get this country back on track and we need more men like him in Congress.

Glad to see you here Mike!

 

[Gray Seal]

Here is a link to a radio spot on a NPR affiliate. It was good to get a chance to present the freedom point of view to a few thousand listeners. My interview is down the sheet a short ways.

 

[Nathan Hale]

Good luck on the 20th. Please let us know how it goes in this thread!

 

[Nathan Hale]

So, it's the 20th. Please post results as they come in!

 

[Gray Seal]

I will do so.

The race is between the career lawyer politician, gravitating to freedom, pretty good libertarian Tim Johnson versus the rock solid on freedom Mike Firsching. To me it comes down to whether the anti-incumbent vote comes out or not. Johnson is an incumbent but not our incumbent for a big part of the new district. In 12 hours it will be known.

 

[Nathan Hale]

Does anybody know if there is going to be an online ticker tracking Congressional primary results for IL as they come in? I see a bunch doing so for the Presidential race, but not so much down the card. Thanks.

 

[Gray Seal]

Tim Johnson 35,604
Metzger 9,566
Firsching 6,700

 

[Nathan Hale]

Good try man! Keep up the work and get into another race soon!

 

[Kylie]

Tim Johnson 35,604
Metzger 9,566
Firsching 6,700

You'll get there Mike. People just don't like freedom, it seems.

 

[Gray Seal]

Yeah, Kylie, there is not a strong enough desire for freedom.

Tim Johnson won with 5% of the district's voters while 1% voted for me. You would think more than 1% have figured out that there is something terribly wrong with Washington DC. I would guess 20% of the voters have decided so. The next step is figuring out a solution to what is wrong with Washington DC (loss of freedom). That 20% drops a good bit with this question. Then third on this progression is applying the solution by finding and voting for freedom candidates. This step loses more people. That is how a freedom candidate receives but 1% of the vote.

Tim Johnson is a lawyer with a career of over 30 years in offices. He gets money from lobbyists. He was an incumbent but not our incumbent to around 80% of the district (due to new district lines). He avoided a debate. How many warning signs does the public need?

I do think the people will get there. Sooner is always better but it may take a generation or two. I am hopeful but freedom is not a certainty.

Just 6% of the voters could have changed the outcome. That is not a whole lot. Can we get to where 6% of the people figure out freedom is a good thing and they know how to support it?

 

[PauliticsPolitics]

Since Tim Johnson endorsed Ron Paul (spoke at Paul's UofI ralley, etc.), I feel that this was a confusing contest on the liberty contest front.
Tim Johnson isn't horrible.
He is apparently friendly (personally) with Ron Paul and is on page with non-interventionism, strong fiscal responsibility, deregulation, voted against Patriot Act, etc.

He strays big time in regard to big agriculture (subsidies, etc.) as that population is his main constituent.

I'd advise Mike Firsching to consider running in a different district. There are people way worse than Tim Johnson who we need to oppose in the future.

 

[Gray Seal]

Tim Johnson had the best congressional voting record from Illinois in the past two years. He did get some big votes right...no on TARP, raising the debt ceiling, against the Patriot Act...and he spoke out against Obama entering Libya. Yet Tim Johnson does spend money we do not have and he supports unconstitutional spending to buy the vote of special interests. Tim Johnson recently voted for HR 347 to allow the Secret Service to declare no protest zones.

District 13 is where I live. I could run in another, true. This is my district. If we can do better in my district why should we not?

Tim Johnson can be a decent tagalong for freedom. Why settle?

 

[Nathan Hale]

Tim Johnson isn't perfect, but there is a limited core liberty movement donor pool and in the sea of electoral priorities, taking out some wishy-washy tagalong who is our 70% friend isn't smart strategy. I think having Firshing in the race was a good thing - his voice keeps Johnson honest. But it's foolish for the liberty movement to devote time and money to that cause when there are so many more urgent priorities.

 

[Imperial]

Does anybody know if there is going to be an online ticker tracking Congressional primary results for IL as they come in? I see a bunch doing so for the Presidential race, but not so much down the card. Thanks.

I saw this way late, but at the website I started with guys from every end of the party (Red Racing Horses) we liveblog every congressional election and most presidential contests as results come in.

 

[Gray Seal]

Nathan Hale, I hear what you are saying about the 'limited core liberty movement donor pool'. There is no single congressional race where the national pool can be directed which will make much difference in the big picture. It is logical. I appreciate your interest and support in my congressional race. It is good to have a site such as Liberty Forest to allow awareness of candidates. The group focus at Liberty Forest is for the Presidential race. I wish to stress, each of us must also split our individual efforts towards all four seats which could represent us in Washington DC.

It is not foolish for each of us as individuals to split energy for those who are running in the districts which will represent us. In my Illinois district Tim Johnson won with 5% of the registered vote. I had 1% of the registered vote. I would think that the freedom movement has penetrated deeper than 1%. If the message Ron Paul is spreading has reached 10% of the people, which I think it has, it is important that this group of people come to the realization that a motivated group representing 10% of the people is huge. The freedom movement can win elections. In my congressional district 6% of the voters from any political block could own the primary race.

It is important for every one of you to know the candidates for your congressional seat. Knowing Ron Paul but not your Senate or Congressional candidates is not grasping the big picture. Your own congressional seat is not important to the national focus but collectively each of these races has to be the top priority for bringing freedom forward. My congressional race is an example. If the Ron Paul supporters had voted in the primary or voted differently the cause of freedom would have been enhanced. If it was true for my race than it is true for many other upcoming races across the country. Such opportunities should not be missed.

Get out the vote, not just for Ron Paul but for your local candidates should you be lucky enough to have one (or more). Our collective national efforts for Ron Paul is wonderful but your efforts in your own congressional district are just as (if not more) important.

 

[Nathan Hale]

Nathan Hale, I hear what you are saying about the 'limited core liberty movement donor pool'. There is no single congressional race where the national pool can be directed which will make much difference in the big picture.

My point was actually the opposite - that we can affect change in specific races by targeting donations, as such it doesn't help the movement when the incumbent isn't as horrible as some of the other incumbents in races that field liberty candidates.

The group focus at Liberty Forest is for the Presidential race.

Quite often I wish that this board would stop stressing the presidential race as much and focus on these House and Senate races, as that's where the real liberty breakthrough will occur. Even if Ron Paul wins the Presidency, he needs a legislature stacked with friends or he's going to be about as effective at pushing his agenda as Obama has been.

It is not foolish for each of us as individuals to split energy for those who are running in the districts which will represent us.

I said that because Tim Johnson is not high on the priority list. He's a 70% friend. Sure, if you or another candidate who was better had a lot of traction it might be worth directing the national donors and activists to that race, but otherwise I don't see the strategic utility when you look at the big picture of 435 house races and 33 senate races.

It is important for every one of you to know the candidates for your congressional seat. Knowing Ron Paul but not your Senate or Congressional candidates is not grasping the big picture. Your own congressional seat is not important to the national focus but collectively each of these races has to be the top priority for bringing freedom forward. My congressional race is an example. If the Ron Paul supporters had voted in the primary or voted differently the cause of freedom would have been enhanced. If it was true for my race than it is true for many other upcoming races across the country. Such opportunities should not be missed.

I agree with you on this. Our strategy should be a 435 seat/33 seat strategy. But we need to look at all of those races and prioritize based on vulnerability of the incumbent, electability of our candidate, and need to eliminate the incumbent. Because if we just throw our money around 435/33, it amounts to nothing. But if we funnel our money and activist hours into several dozen winnable races against scandalously horrible incumbents, we change congress for the better.

 

[Gray Seal]

I had not previously seen mention of the 435/33 strategy. I recognize the 435 as the number in the House. What is the 33 and what is the strategy?

 

[Nathan Hale]

I had not previously seen mention of the 435/33 strategy. I recognize the 435 as the number in the House. What is the 33 and what is the strategy?

33 is the number of Senate seats up in 2012. It might be 34 or 35 depending on special elections and such, but typically a third of the senate is up for election every two years.