The Democratic candidate in the 18th Congressional District race, Colleen Callahan, has revealed her platform. See if this sounds familiar (transcribed from a WCBU report, which you can hear on Billy’s blog):

“It’s time to work together to create change. It’s time to refocus on middle-class values.” […]

Callahan says her top issues are ending the war in Iraq, improving the economy, increasing access to higher education, and repairing health care.

Who does that sound like? I’ll give you a hint, she’s a presidential candidate. Her talking points sound strikingly similar to Hillary Clinton’s. “Strengthening the middle class,” “providing affordable and accessible health care,” “ending the war in Iraq” — the rhetoric is practically identical.

And that’s why Callahan will lose in November. She’s running in a Republican district. In fact, the district is specifically gerrymandered to pick up as many Republican votes as possible (just like the 17th district cherry-picks Democrat voters). If she wants to win, she’s going to need crossover votes. She needs Republicans to vote for her.

Her platform is not going to get any crossover votes (except, apparently, for Carol Miller — the one self-described “moderate Republican” WCBU managed to unearth who said she’d cross over for Callahan). Why? Because it’s a liberal Democrat platform. It’s Hillary’s platform.

Schock has already proven how popular he is with Republican voters (he won the primary with over 70% of the vote in a three-way race). Callahan is going to have to hope that they all stay home and that all the Democrats come out to vote. And we know that’s not going to happen.

Schock can order his Congressional stationery now.