Lesser-known Akin rival hits the small screen
Though U.S. Rep. Todd Akin’s job security appears to be firmly intact, that’s not dampening the race to run against him in November.
Five Democrats are competing in next week’s primary for the right to face Akin, a Republican whose district includes staunch GOP territory in St. Louis, St. Charles and Lincoln counties.
One of them — Byron DeLear – even has a commercial out.
(Who? Yes, I had to look him up, too.)
DeLear’s ad, airing on cable this week, opens in an unidentified running path — Queeny Park? — which is, you guessed it, a metaphor.
“Ever since my upbringing here in Missouri, I’ve come out and run this trail, pushing myself to the limit,” DeLear says. “It’s time to push our expectations of Washington to the limit.”
It’s an interesting comparison for DeLear, who only recently returned to St. Louis after running for Congress as a Green Party candidate in California.
As a Democrat, he’ll face some sturdy opposition in Tuesday’s primary. Opponents include David L. Pentland, who was a St. Louis alderman, and former city School Board member Bill Haas, whose serial attempts for higher office have gained him, if nothing else, name recognition.
DeLear, though, does have some money, and least one prominent supporter — as noted earlier by our blog cousin DC Download, literary giant and social critic Gore Vidal has announced his support of DeLear.
Actually, most of the name recognition comes from my 8 good years trying to lead the St.Louis School Board, and contributing well, not to mention my heroic and seemingly quixotic efforts to stop the shutdown of Highway 40, which had all the people besides MODOT behind me, and I almost succeeded, too. I think my runs for mayor and state rep didnt do much for name recognition; because I was usually the underdog, didnt get much publicity, no matter how hard I tried in constructive ways.
My prediction on the election? A close 3 way race where 40% will take it for sure, 35% probably, and 30% maybe. My first schoolboard victory (my second schoolboard election I think I was 2nd out of 9, including beating my friend and 16 year incumbent, John Mahoney, that’s how competitive that race was. I think John was 4th or 5th) I won with 40% in a 5 person race. Wouldnt mind duplicating that here. We’ll see.
Oh, and for the blogger who said, let’s not forget the best candidate in the race, Mike Garman, he/they did forget Mike Garman (broke my heart, too; I wanted to cry), but he didnt forget the best candidate in the race, and the one with the best chance to beat Akin, if you know what I mean and I think you do. And the most important thing, regardless of who wins, all we Dems should work together to get the winner elected. It’s going to take a team effort to beat Akin, too.
This guy is a phoney. No college degree, never owned a piece of property here. Ater loaning himself money and borrowing from family he shows he has very little support from here. Many of his donations are from Ca. PR firms. The few from here that are supporting him have such a liberal agenda they would allow Akin 2 more years just to stand on their far left platform with their Green boy. He doesn’t know the district or why would he think Vidal would be an asset? And why doesn’t he know, because he is a California kook with a flair for drama.
Let’s remember that Byron DeLear hasn’t lived in Missouri for years. He moved to California, ran for office there and did not win, so he moved back here. Do you really want him deciding what is best for the 2nd District. I don’t! Go back to California Byron!
Byron DeLear is a world-class candidate that would make the second district proud for the first time in years. He’s a product of this district who has made something of himself and come home, where his family has lived and died, to share his talents and experience. He has been interviewed on numerous media venues coast-to-coast, and they’ve nominated him for U.S. Senate and for Vice-President. He’s sincere, strong, powerful and sophisticated, and this district is fortunate to have him. It’s clear that these sniping, sneering comments are sour grapes from competitors who haven’t even approached the success of the DeLear campaign. By every criteria: endorsements, financial support, outreach to voters, national attention, etc., Byron DeLear is the clear front-runner in this race.
I wouldn’t care if DeLear were secretly in cahoots with Osama Bin Laden, he (and most of the other candidates–certainly including Garman) stand head and shoulders above Todd Akin. People in the 2nd district are indeed mostly conservative and a few may fall into the extreme category. However, most of the people that I meet are reasonable people who deserve better than Akin–that is somebody who has more going for them than a mission to serve the interests the right wing religious “values-voters.” If it doesn’t involve trying to destroy the separation between church and state, Akin just goes along wit Bush no matter what.
I noted with interest in today’s Post-Dispatch that one of the two earmarks secured by Akin was for an religious agency pushing abstinence only sex-education among other anti-choice activities. Great use for my tax dollars; it is not as if we have any other important uses for the money afterall! Who cares about hard times, crumbling infrastructure, etc. C ertainly not Akin.
His main accomplishment seems to have been his effort to strip the courts so that they cannot deal with church-state separation issues. I remember falling over laughing when I wrote to him to protest the misguided efforts of the congress to insert themselves into the Terry Schiavo case and he responded, quoting some doctor who practically had a place of honor in the listings of questionable medical people on Quackwatch, a web site which bills itself as a guide to quackery, health fraud (http://www.quackwatch.org/).
So bring on DeLear, Garman, Pentland (and even Hogan or Haas).
I live in the St Charles County part of District 2, and we’ve not seen hide nor hair of Byron DeLear out here (except for a huge, very expensive, billboard on I-70)! Guess he doesn’t think there are any Democrats here? Or maybe he doesn’t think we’re worth visiting? Granted, we’re the “step-children” of the 2nd District, but we DO have voters who are as fed-up with Akin as the rest of the District!
Pentland has been here pounding on doors, conducting a door-to-door canvass and talking with people. He would have my vote just simply because he didn’t ignore us “northern extremists.” He will have my vote because he expresses a true interest and love for the District and its people.
Jake–you are a political reporter and you don’t know the candidates in the St. Louis region? Ummmmm, what do you guys really do at the Post while claiming a pay check?
Re: PACABA’s comments about the presence of the various candidates in St. Chrles–I understand Mike Garman has been working hard in St. Charles as well.
I too am a little flummoxed by the dismissive tone of this Post-Dispatch blogger about political goings ons he should be aware of if he is doing his job. Maybe one reason characters like Akin manage to slink into office and retain it is because the local news media can’t be bothered to shed light on who they are and what they do (or don’t do) when they get into office.
I live in Wentzville and just last weekend a DeLear volunteer knocked on my door. I don’t think he is ignoring anyone. As a matter of fact I even received a phone call and a piece of mail from him. I haven’t seen anything at my door or in the mail from anyone else’s campaign.