SN writes back, and the Czar thought his arguments were worth printing in total:

Thanks for your post responding to my email. We’ll just have to disagree on some items but I wanted to make sure that I pointed out that in no way do I intend to disparage Kirk’s military service. But I do think that some of his supporters oversell it (your blog is not the first I’ve seen referring to him as a pilot – somehow that meme got out there), and I also think that in all his radio ads he devotes far more time to his service than to his 10 year legislative record (which by now is the more important indicator for voters).

But I just had to write again before the polls close to bring up my other objection to your posts that I failed to mention in my first email. That is, you presented a false choice between Kirk and Martin when the real choice is between Kirk and Hughes. I expect Hughes to get at least 20% of the vote and it is Martin that will be down in the low single digits. If IL hadn’t moved its primary up so early, I think Hughes might have had a chance to make a stronger case and force out the rest of the anybody-but-Kirk crowd. Hughes needed more time to raise money and become a better candidate. I saw Arrington speak once last summer and I don’t think he’ll ever be good enough at campaigning so Hughes was the best shot. I think the early primary (ostensibly done so that the state will remain relevant in choosing presidential candidates) is one of the most dastardly pro-incumbent moves the political class has ever come up with. And in this case, without an actual incumbent, the most connected has the incumbent advantage.

Anyway, thanks for the response and the fun blog.

You are welcome! The Czar regrets jumping the gun on Hughes: he has risen quite a bit in the polls (and the Czar welcome Martin vanishing for good), and many of the exit poll interviews on local radio are revealing a lot of people going for Hughes!

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.