McHenry County Blog

That’s a big enough sample to project that Romney will win McHenry County.

Looking at the delegate counts, which are what really matter, the Romney delegates are leading in the 6th Congressional District (Algonquin Township portion of McHenry County).

In the 14th Congressional District part of McHenry County, Romney’s delegates are also ahead.

Here are the results from all precincts, but without early and absentee votes:

Got pretty much the same negative message about Presidential candidate Rick Santorum this morning that I got yesterday morning.

Same “Santorum is not Pro-Life” message the middle of last week.

Funny how McHenry County Pro-Lifers went to hear Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum.

Besides running for the McHenry County Board in District 3, Mary Alger has taken in both the appearance of Newt Gingrich in Lake in the Hills and, last night, Rick Santorum in Arlington Heights.

Here is her report of the event:

Rick Santorum gave a rousing speech to a packed auditorium.

He embodies the genuine contrast between liberty and tyranny. He spoke passionately from the heart for at least an hour.

Clearly this man is animated by his deep faith and his love for this country.

The Obamacare assault brought him into the race.

He spoke of Margaret Thatcher, who was never able to stem the tide of socialism in Great Britain once they entrenched a public health care system.

The people became dependent on the state. Once freedom is lost it is never regained.

Rick Santorum does not want that to be the story for the United States of America and neither did anyone at that rally!

Rick spoke passionately about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence pointing out that rights come from God.

The Constitution puts those rights in the owner’s manual for our country.

I’m including some pictures.

I got him to sign the back of my campaign postcard!

He was still signing autographs, shaking hands and having his picture taken with audience members long after his speech ended.

I am both invigorated and spent from such an amazing rally.

The SuperPAC supporting Mitt Romney called me today and, in a voice that sounded like a gerbil on speed, told me all sorts of bad things Rick Santorum had done.

“Santorum has a record. Don’t ignore it.”

Less than an hour later Peoria’s Congressman Aaron Schock was on another robo-call urgning me to vote for Mitt Romney.

That call was paid for by the Romney campaign.

While my wife and I were eating outside at Colonial Cafe, my son took a robo-call that turned out to be from the Mitt Romney campaign.

It said that Rick Santorum was not Pro-Life.

Could have fooled me.

All the people I know who passed Santorum petitions were Pro-Life.

My guess is that Romney or whoever the call was from (maybe a SuperPAC that would give him deniability) were referring to some omnibus budget bill in which there was some money that went to Planned Parenthood.

In any event, it struck me as devious.

It was problem designed to push Santorum votes to Newt Gingrich.

My 14-year old also said he had taken a robo-call which requested people to push buttons concerning how they felt about various candidates. Probably the District 2 County Board one.

“I pushed all the wrong buttons. I said all of the candidates were “very unfavorable.”

So, candidates, if you linked my name to my son’s responses, please unlink it.

= = = = =
Anyone else getting any calls?

I know that both Kent Gaffney and Dave McSweeney have phone banks.

Originally scheduled to speak in Niles Friday night at 7, Rick Santorum is now going to be speaking at The location for  at Christian Liberty Academy – which is located at 502 W. Euclid in Arlington Heights.

Look at the online headline about the Chicago Tribune’s presidential preference poll:

The results showed

• 35% for Romney
• 31% for Santorum
• 12% for Gingrich
• 7% for Paul

The margin of error was +/- 4%, so the top two are statistically tied.

In a sentence, that means Santorum could win the beauty contest in Illinois’s GOP primary election next Tuesday.

Here’s what Presidential candidate Rick Santorum Illinois Coordinator Jon Zahm has to say about Chicago-area appearances prior to the Marcy 20th GOP primary election:

“Friday March 16 Northridge Prep, 8320 Ballard Road, Niles Rally 7 to 9pm.

“We will overflow the gym. Capacity 960.

“Sat March 17 downstate swing west to east out of St. Louis.”

Here’s the email about yesterday’s polling from We Ask America:

Romney/Santorum

As America was gearing up to watch the Oscars, We Ask America was in the field in Michigan and Arizona asking likely Republican voters for the final time before Tuesday’s primaries asking voters for their choice for president. This time, we didn’t give participants an option to say they were undecided:

If the Primary Election for President were held today–and you HAD to make a choice–for whom would you vote?

Here’s what Michigan voters said:

Type: Automated – Date: 2/26//2012 – Responses: 984 Likely GOP voters – Margin of Error:± 3.12%

Gingrich	Paul	Romney	Santorum
12.53%	18.08%	36.85%	32.53%

And here’s what Arizona voters had to say:

Type: Automated – Date: 2/26//2012 – Responses: 1,162 Likely GOP voters – Margin of Error:± 2.87%

Gingrich	Paul	Romney	Santorum
20.65%	10.15%	42.66%	26.54%

It appears that Mitt Romney has Arizona tucked away…Michigan may be another story. While Romney has pulled out all the stops in his home state and seems poised for a come-from-behind victory, Rick Santorum has hung in against an onslaught of negative ads and a few gaffes of his own doing. If Santorum loses by a close margin, many will question Romney’s ability to close the ultimate deal after a less-than-stellar showing in the Wolverine State.

Of course, many of those saying that will be Santorum, Gingrich and Paul.

Here’s the press release from We Ask America:

Michigan: Dead Heat

The State of Michigan has displayed its fair share of mojo lately. From Clint Eastwood’s breathy Super Bowl ad proclaiming the U.S. auto industry as the economic beacon of hope, to the Detroit Red Wings 20+ home winning streak, Michigan appears to be collectively looking ahead–not back.

Perhaps it’s the Wolverine State’s new-found moxy that is shaking up its Republican Primary and giving Rick Santorum a boost. Just two weeks ago some considered Michigan as a forgone conclusion for Mitt Romney thanks to his father’s legacy as governor, but many pollsters are showing Santorum with a decent lead. However, some analysts have been cautioning that Romney should not be written off, especially in light of the recent history of new frontrunners quickly melting in the bright, hot lights of media scrutiny.

Those pundits may have been right. Santorum didn’t have a great weekend–getting in a bit of hot water by using the term “phony theology” in reference to President Obama’s agenda. That may be red meat for some, but the statement teed up the ball for the press and Santorum had to tap dance as they shot at his feet. That gaffe allowed Romney’s troops to howl about Santorum being too conservative to win (while, of course, saying that their guy is the TRUE conservative in the race).

So what’s that mean for next week’s election? Last night, we asked 1,025 likely GOP voters in Michigan for their choice in next week’s primary. Beyond the usual range of demographics, we asked them one main question:

“If the Republican Primary were held today, for whom would you vote?”

Here are the results:

Whether or not Santorum can regain his own mojo down the stretch after his weekend of faux pas will be measured when we revisit Michigan next Sunday.