There’s a new way to test campaign themes and charges.

It’s the comment section in the Northwest Herald.

The NW Herald published a story about a McHenry County attorney named Daniel Regna. The article, by Brandon Courtre, says that Regna is a former assistant state’s attorney.

I confess to having never heard of him.

He is the fourth name that defense attorneys in McHenry County have put forth as a potential opponent to Republican McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi.

First there was Jim McAuliff. Then, there wasn’t.

Sheriff Keith Nygren apparently declined to introduce State’s Attorney Bianchi when Bianchi announced his re-election. McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler, normally a Nygren ally, did the honors instead. McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman Bill LeFew also did not attend and made no bones about not wanting Bianchi re-elected.

Then, those who want Bianchi apparently sweet-talked Appellate Court Justice Susan Hutchison into thinking about running. If she ran, McAuliff would step aside.

She Hutchison decided not to listen to that siren song, back came former State’s Attorney Gary Pack from his Florida job to test the waters.

They must have been chilly because the day it was hinted that Pack might announce, up popped Daniel Regna’s name.

Go figure.

In any event, under that article appear vibrant attacks on and defenses of Lou Bianchi.

The attacks come from people not bold enough to use their names..unless BillLeMany is a real name. (It’s not in the phone book.). The defense comes mainly from equally anonymous “Augustine” and “defender.”

But Augustine and defender seems to be pretty good at knocking down the opposition’s themes and specific charges.

What might have taken weeks in years past now takes a couple of days.

Bianchi knows what will be used against him in the February 5th primary election.

And, those intent on ousting Bianchi know how he will reply to those charges.