\Jay Footlik certainly has a challenge ahead of him, running against Dan Seals in the Democratic primary for the Illinois' 10th District seat ( in the U.S. House of Representatives ) —with the winner facing Republican incumbent Mark Kirk. However, Footlik is counting on his extensive foreign policy experience to help him in this competitive race. He talked about his background, his feelings about same-sex marriage and his reasons for getting so personal on his Web site, www.JayFootlik.com .
Windy City Times: Why do you feel that you're a better Democratic candidate than Dan Seals?
Jay Footlik: I think it's a matter of experience. I think that any candidate can talk about getting out of Iraq or fixing a healthcare system that's clearly broken; the answers are not necessarily prone to a seven-second sound bite or a coffee meet-and-greet. It takes experience to deliver those things, to know how to create change and to understand how Washington, D.C., works and doesn't work. While my primary opponent is a good guy—good enough to have me help him last time and I took a pass on running—and share similar [ perceptions ] , the distinction is having the ability to deliver and knowing how to calibrate expectations and not in promising magic bullets.
WCT: On your Web site, you talk a bit about foreign policy. Do you think that it is this country's biggest concern right now?
JF: I don't know if it's the biggest concern, but I think it's one of the biggest concerns. For anyone who's concerned about our national security, they have to be concerned about how we're viewed [ through ] the eyes of the world. It takes someone who has lived in that part of the world, working in the capacity that I worked there and cultivating relationships. A lot of what I talk about on the campaign ... is the product of not thinking about it purely in a campaign, but in a policy way of talking with these people and [ understanding ] what they're feeling.
There are other important issues. Healthcare is in a crisis mode in this country. I think global warming is a huge issue. With the economy, I think people are feeling uncertain and unsettled.
WCT: What do you think are the biggest issues the gay community faces?
JF: I think, first of all, that discrimination is an ongoing issue. I think increased funding and education for HIV/AIDS are big issues.
WCT: Where do you stand on the same-sex marriage/civil-union issue?
JF: I'm completely in favor of same-sex marriage. I understand that political expediency gets in the way of a lot of the things we'd like to do; having worked in Washington and seeing how too many good things get blocked in the pursuit of perfection, my preference would be for same-sex marriage. However, if it's a distinction between getting to the ultimate goal or trying to improve the situation and we'd rather improve the situation, I'd be alright with civil unions. I just don't understand the underpinnings or justification for discriminating on the basis of gender or sexual orientation— [ so ] why can't LGBT Americans have the same rights extended and guaranteed to them that every other American has?
WCT: Switching gears, I noticed that you get very personal regarding your own life. For example, you talk about your father walking out on your family when you were very young. Why do you include such information?
JF: I think it's important to get personal; I think everyone has a story to tell and people want to be able to touch a personal side of the people who wish to represent them. I think that's why meet-and-greets are important; they're very interactive opportunities and I encourage tough questions.
I also think it's important to share that because it's had a dramatic impact on my politics. My mother, who is a personal hero to me, had two children and she was all alone. I share responsibilities with my wife, and we're both exhausted at the end of the day—and we have one child ( with another one on the way ) . My mother isn't a political person, by nature; she wasn't a rabble-rouser. However, she [ instilled ] that we had to help out those who were worse off than we were—and I saw a lot of the injustices that she had to deal with, like breaking down and crying because she couldn't afford to take my brother to the doctor or driving outside the neighborhood to use food stamps at the store because she was too embarrassed to use them in [ our area ] .
I thought she should've felt proud that she did all she [ could ] , but what about a system that lets deadbeat dads basically get off scot-free? I believe in this country, but what are we doing to provide healthcare to the millions of kids who don't have that coverage.
There are personal reasons that prompted me to get involved, even as a young volunteer for giants of Illinois politics, like Paul Simon, but even more so, to put law school on hold and work for Bill Clinton in 1992. I do believe that we have an obligation to try and improve the world we live in.
WCT: What do you think is your biggest disadvantage in this race?
JF: It's very clear to me, and it's name identification. Dan [ Seals ] ran a very good campaign last time; he still came up seven points short in the best year for Democrats in four decades in a blue state with 2 million dollars behind him and everyone supporting him statewide, [ but ] he built up a lot of name ID. With that said, I think we've done a good job of chipping away at [ Seals's advantage ] . I get a lot of people who say that they're switching, saying, 'Dan's a nice guy, but I find that Jay's also more likeable and more qualified.'
I've been part of winning campaigns, like in 1992, when I was in the war room with [ Clinton advisor ] James Carville and learned how to wage an effective, tenacious campaign to win against a really tough adversary. I also worked on John Kerry's campaign, where I was recruited to serve as his senior Middle East advisor; I spent almost every day in near-frustration at how the campaign was being waged. Having all that experience makes you a sharper, tougher candidate—and that's what we need come November. It should be much more than loyalty and name ID; it should be about who can deliver.
WCT: Which presidential candidate are you behind and why?
JF: For the time in probably four or five presidential cycles, I'm not coming out behind any candidate—and there are a couple reasons for that. I think that, for the first time in several cycles, we actually have a terrific slate of candidates; we're not picking the lesser of several evils. Also, I have to focus on this race, and Mark Kirk's a hard guy to beat under the best of circumstances—and he's raised a lot of money and moderated his voting record, which was overwhelmingly with President Bush. I'm happy that three of the campaigns have reached out to me about Middle East issues ( Clinton, Obama and [ then-candidate ] Joe Biden ) , but I have to focus on this.
See www.JayFootlik.com .
