The Third Man?

The perennial public sector pensioners at the McHenryCountyBlog are floating a rumor that perennial candidate Bill Scheurer wants to run as a Republican in the 14th Congressional District:

McHenry County Blog has learned that this year he is exploring a run in the Republican Party primary. In a comment to our story about Joe Walsh's decision to seek re-election in the new IL-14TH District, Scheurer had this to say: "I'm looking for people who could help kickstart a campaign to give GOP primary voters an alternative to the two 'Tea Party' candidates. Not that I have anything against tea or a good party — it's just that I'm more of a diet cola guy for my caffeine jolt." He is exploring whether GOP voters would consider his "Cola Party" campaign as a refreshing alternative.
Bill Scheurer Exploring Republican Run in New 14th District Congressional

The rumor strikes your LakeCountyEye as either disinformation, pure & simple -- or the by-product of senescence, fueled by wishful thinking. Either way, the rumor is so bizarre your LakeCountyEye would pay money just to see it happen.

If true, the obvious beneficiary of a crowded primary would be 14th District Congressman Randy Hultgren. Hultgren is being challenged in his Republican primary by 8th District Congressman Joe Walsh. While Hultgren is the 14th District incumbent, Walsh is the Tea-Party's candidate -- and that in itself gets Walsh spotted at least even odds. In a situation where an incumbent has a strong challenger, it benefits that incumbent to pack the ballot with stealth candidates to water down the opposition vote. In a three-way between Hultgren, Walsh & Scheurer -- Scheurer obviously is the low man on the totem pole, but don't bet on Walsh holding on to the top position.

Scheurer in the past has been the third-party spoiler candidate on a number of ballots, and your LakeCountyEye is not surprised to learn he is being courted by the Cola Party. But if your LakeCountyEye was advising Scheurer, your LakeCountyEye would advise Scheurer to run as a Democrat, and play it to win.

If Walsh beats Hultgren, mano-a-mano, and becomes the Republican nominee, then the 14th Congressional District becomes an immediate pickup opportunity for the Democrats. Walsh may have the Tea-Party to hold him up in the polls but, like Sarah Palin, Walsh's negatives are even higher. A rap sheet that includes dead-beat dad, foreclosures, a suspended drivers license, FEC & financial disclosure irregularities, and who knows what else, is not a road-map to re-election.

With opponents like Walsh who needs enemies? There's a better than even chance that the DCCC will be throwing gobs of money and support in the direction of some lucky 14th District Democratic nominee. No matter who it is.