Obama could affect both parties in home state

With both major parties locked in close races where every primary outcome counts, even Illinois-based backers hesitate to focus much yet on Feb. 5, when Illinois residents, like those in 21 other states, will cast their primary votes.

But most expressed optimism that their candidates will still be in the running and do reasonably well here.

Barack Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt vowed that Obama will take nothing for granted in his home state and that he has 25,000 volunteers lined up to help turn out the vote.

J.B. Pritzker, co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's national campaign, noted that Clinton matches Obama with a full slate of delegate candidates statewide. The candidate herself pledged early in the campaign to fight in her native state; Chicago has been her fourth most productive fundraising city.

Speaking on John Edwards' behalf, supporter Glenn Stier, of Vernon Hills, said the fact that Illinois convention delegates are chosen district by district and not in a winner-takes-all fashion could result in some Democrats besides Obama picking up a few delegates here and there.

Many analysts think Mike Huckabee's win in Iowa all but guarantees that the Republican nomination will remain up for grabs by Feb. 5.

Joe Wiegand, a Kirkland delegate candidate for Huckabee, thinks the former Arkansas governor will play well in Illinois and said: "I've told the national campaign confidently that we can send 30 to 36 delegates (out of 57 selected statewide) from Illinois."

Dan Rutherford, a state senator from Pontiac working on Mitt Romney's behalf, said Romney has raised substantial money in Illinois and has drawn large crowds on his occasional campaign stops here.

Joe Cesarone, Illinois coordinator for Ron Paul's campaign, said Paul's appeal to independents in Iowa bodes well for Paul's chances in New Hampshire and in Illinois.

Normally, Illinois should be hospitable to their candidates, both state Sen. Kirk Dillard, of Hinsdale, speaking for John McCain, and state Rep. Ed Sullivan, of Mundelein, speaking for Rudy Giuliani, agree.

But both voiced concern that the state's Republican primary could be decided largely by the party's conservatives because so many independents and moderate Republicans might take a Democratic ballot in order to vote for Obama.

"I would plead for (Republicans) to vote in the Republican primary," Dillard said, "because Obama is going to carry Illinois easily anyway."