You Gotta Fight for Your Right-Wing Party

Gov Pat Quinn this week signed the new Illinois congressional map into law. Lake County, once host to the fightin' 8th and 10th congressional districts, is the beneficiary of a 50% increase in fightin' power, as the county will now be host to the fightin' 6th, 10th and 14th congressional districts. Perhaps inspired by the play-acting battles commemorated in Civil War Reenactments, the Republican congressional delegation has vowed to continue fighting the new map. According to the News-Sun ...

Tenth District Congressmen Robert Dold, R-Kenilwort [sic], and 8th District Congressman Joe Walsh, R-Johnsburg, joined the state's Republican congressional delegation in condeming [sic] the new districts that could reverse GOP gains from 2010.
GOP vows to fight congressional remap

An apparent stalling-for-headlines tactic, there is little downside to delaying the inevitable for one Congressman, Robert Dold. Dold has already announced through the blogs that he will run for re-election in the 10th District, regardless. The same cannot be said for Joe Walsh who has seen his 8th District remapped down into antebellum rural Illinois. Walsh has announced he is running for re-election but he hasn't announced where, and for obvious reasons. He doesn't have many good options. Every good district where a Republican can win is held by an incumbent Republican. The effect of the added uncertainty to where the final district lines will be drawn can only be to delay Walsh's decision.

This comes at an inopportune moment, when the crucial 2012 primary election is some 6 months away, which converted into campaign time is barely a hiccup. And as readers of this blog matter-of-factly expect ...

Primary Schoolin'

the 2012 Primary will draw a heavy Republican turnout. Which is more bad news for Walsh, who relied on a narrow Republican turnout of Teaparty truebelievers in the 2010 Primary to beat his six moderate Republican opponents. Don't expect that trick to work again, where Walsh would be up against some pesky Republican incumbent in every closeby Congressional District, and vying for votes from independents and moderate Republicans.

Given the opportunity, Walsh would no doubt prefer to run to be Congressman of cable-news. Your LakeCountyEye notes that if Sarah Palin runs for President there will be an opening for a contributor at FOXNews. And if that plan fails Walsh can always run for President too:

Walsh for President!

In that case, operatives are advised to expect for the 2012 Primary not just a heavy but a huge Republican turnout. Huge!