* I didn’t think it was possible, but J3’s ambition has reached a new high…
U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-2nd) is favored among a crowded field of possible replacements for President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat, a new poll suggests.
The Zogby International poll conducted after Election Day says 21 percent of likely Illinois voters want Gov. Rod Blagojevich to appoint Jackson to Obama’s seat, which expires in January 2011. His nearest competitor is Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Vet erans Affairs, who was supported by 14 percent of those responding to the poll.
It goes without saying that 21 percent ain’t exactly a mandate.
Here’s the list of tested Democrats, which, by the way, was sent to reporters from an official congressional e-mail address. Click for a larger image…
* “bored now” has this analysis at the newly revamped and freshly energized Illinoize…
The biggest problem with the survey is that none of the names are well known across the state. While Zogby tried to obfuscate this by combining the “Not Familiar” and “No Response” categories in his public release of the poll. The client (Jesse Jackson) undoubtedly got a better breakdown here.
The only thing we can really determine is that the Congressman really wants the job — enough to commission a poll and release the findings.
Yep.
* More from the poll…
In two prospective Senate races, Jackson would defeat Republican Congressman Ray LaHood by a 50% to 31% margin, the survey shows. Among the 15% who were not certain about whom they would support, nearly two said they were leaning toward Jackson for every one that was leaning toward supporting LaHood. […]
In a prospective match-up against Republican Congressman Mark Kirk, Jackson wins 48% support, compared to 32% for Kirk. Among the 15% who are leaning toward one candidate or the other, Kirk has a 10% to 7% edge, the survey shows.
* Bill Dennis wonders about the inclusion of LaHood…
Really? I’ve heard LaHood mentioned as a candidate for governor. This is the first mention I’ve heard that he might run for Senate.
* Laura Washington probably said it best this week…
U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has been furiously pitching for weeks. His fingerprints are all over the incessant speculation about his candidacy. Triple J is probably speaking Senatese in his sleep. Time to cool it, congressman.
* And, for whatever reason, The Hill turned to former director of the NAACP’s Washington bureau, Hilary Shelton, for comment…
Shelton also urged that an African-American be selected to take Obama’s Senate seat.
“We strongly believe the Senate should be much more integrated,” said Shelton. Obama is the only African-American member of the Senate, and only the third since Reconstruction.
“Gov. [Rod] Blagojevich [D] should choose someone who is consistent with the will of the people who elected Obama, someone who represents the values and priorities that Obama ran on when he was elected to the U.S. Senate,” Shelton said.
* Roger Simon of the Politico muses…
Gov. Blagojevich is not a fan of Jackson’s either, and, personalities and feuds aside, the argument used against Jackson is that he would “lack appeal downstate” when he had to run for election to the Senate seat in 2010. Lacking appeal downstate is code for, “White people won’t vote for him.”
A Chicago political insider whom I trust says that Jackson is on a list of possible replacements for Obama but that Jackson has only an outside chance.
And continues…
One intriguing name on the shortlist is that of Emil Jones, 73, currently president of the Illinois Senate. He was one of Obama’s political patrons, is close to the governor and is an African-American, yet I got snorts of derision when I ran his name past some other Illinois sources of mine. That’s because Jones is from the old school — he started out as a sewer inspector, which is not bad training for a life in politics — and is not a modern, ready-for-TV candidate, possessing an orator’s tongue. He is a Chicago pol — the ring tone on his cell phone is the theme from “The Godfather” — but he would be a “place holder” only and would not run in 2010. He would fill the seat with an African-American and give the other contenders plenty of time to start their campaigns.
There are many, many reasons not to appoint Jones and Jackson, but all the pundits are getting way ahead of themselves here.
* Related…
* Why 2010 Won’t Be Like 1994
* Durbin has a favored Obama replacement — but he’s not talking
* Durbin talks about daughter’s death before election
* Durbin round up
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:00 am:
Who is in the running for Rahm Emanuel’s position? Anyone WORTH the job?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:01 am:
Anonymous, first try clicking through some of the stories or searching this site.
The Google is also a very useful tool.
- Just Observing - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:08 am:
Rich: Who paid for the Zogby poll?
- Wumpus - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:08 am:
I am still counting on Emil.
Ricardo, was that a not so subtle endorsement of Duckworth by Obama yesterday?
It would’ve been cool if he had gone up to the memorial with McCain, but I am not faulting him for not doing it.
- Pat collins - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:08 am:
On the other hand, 43% FAV and only 22% unfav with a name like Jesse Jackson (even if he’s not his Dad) is pretty good, actually.
Even with allowing for a “home made” poll effect, I can see why JJJ would feel quite warm and fuzzy with those numbers.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:09 am:
Triple J (I like that) smacked his old man pretty hard a couple of times during the campaign (for the cut off his —, Israel remarks), so I guess he figures he paid some hard dues.
By the way, the current New Yorker credits Jesse Jr. with providing Obama with a “Sister Souljah” moment with his “hot mike” remarks on Fox.
I’m curious, though, that his poll excludes Luis or any other Hispanic.
- Pat collins - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:11 am:
But we need to look at this from the Gov’s PoV.
Who can help ME the most? A Sen. Jones could likely be a good fund raiser, given how close many perceive him to be to Obama.
I mean, if Tony R can parlay HIS contacts into big bucks, SURELY someone with Sen. Jones’s perceived clout could.
Who else is as trustworthy a friend of the Gov, and could help him as much?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:12 am:
===But we need to look at this from the Gov’s PoV.===
That assumes a completely rational mind.
- Fan of the Game - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:16 am:
“Lack appeal downstate” is code for he is related to his father. Despite the smackdown J3 gave his father, many people downstate will assume the sins of the father are visited upon the son.
That, of course, begs the questions as to whether the downstate vote really matters that much in a statewide election. My gut feeling is, sadly, no.
Of those listed, Duckworth likely has the best chance to appeal to downstate–disabled war veterans carry clout down here. I hear good things about Raoul, but he has no name recognition.
- The Doc - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:16 am:
Love the Google - heard some good things.
JJJ’s rampant campaigning is becoming irritating. State your desire, put out a statement, do a couple of talk shows perhaps, and then stop it.
- 2ConfusedCrew - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:26 am:
The poll is interesting, but seems to lack a few names tossed about by the media.
The President would be a great choice.
I thought LaHood tried to run for governor in ‘06 and never got his effort out of reverse. Nice guy, but not a prime timer — especially with powerhouses like Bill Brady on the move.
Looks like Lawrence must still be waiting for his last check from Glenn :)
- ZC - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:29 am:
The problem for Rod is all his new power and influence ends as soon as he makes a decision. Expect him to dally.
Once he makes it, he makes one person very, very happy and he aggravates like 10-15 others. Not a great deal.
Obama on the other hand should just play nice to everyone, then whomever Blago picks from that weird mind of his, Obama will start off on good terms with him / her.
- observation - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:31 am:
First Jackson requests Obama not to endorse his longtime aide and the best candidate in the field for state rep–and then Rod asks him to deliver a few house dem votes on his capital plan in exchange for hundreds of millions in south suburban projects. Somebody needs to tell the Congressman that politics is a two way street!
- Deep South - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 10:39 am:
Fan of the game:
I suppose it all depends on what people consider “downstate” to be. Is it everything outside the collar counties, everything south of I-80, south of Springfield, south of I-64? Seems most of the names mentioned in this discussion are all Chicago based, or close to it. Hardly anyone in the Deep South is very familiar with these folks. You are right: Tammy Duckworth may be the only name with statewide appeal. But then again, you say “Downstate” may not be a factor and you may be right about that.
- Carl Nyberg - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 11:05 am:
“Triple J” (btw, Aaron Freeman used this term on WBEZ in 1995, so he may have coined it) was born in 1965.
Jackson is on the Appropriations Committee and has considerable seniority.
The Appropriations Committee is the most powerful committee in the House of Reps. They are the final gatekeepers of spending.
All but two of the appropriators more senior to Jackson are more than 15 years older. Chet Edwards was born in 1951; Patrick Kennedy was born in 1967.
Without discussing his personal problems in detail, Kennedy might get passed over for chair of the committee for reasons similar to Phil Crane getting passed over. Or Kennedy might lose an election, run for higher office or just not be in the House.
If Jackson stays in the House of Reps there’s a good chance he’ll be chair (or ranking member) of the House Appropriations Committee for a decade or more.
Frankly it is not in Illinois’ interests to jeopardize Jackson’s future as a Dan Rostenkowski rainmaker for Chicago and Illinois.
Jackson may not like that he’s too valuable in the House to get promoted to the Senate. Too bad. He got on the Appropriations Committee at a young age. The die was cast.
He can give up his House seat and run for something else, but this is not a good outcome for Chicago or Illinois. People should discourage him from doing this.
- Fan of the Game - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 11:05 am:
Deep South:
When I say “downstate,” I typically mean south of I-80. When I say “southern Illinois,” I mean anything south of US Hwy 50. You, know–God’s country. :)
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 11:05 am:
Rich, looked on google for Emanuel and nothing new-you would know who REALLY wants the position and who they are backing-or looking at at least-just trying to follow ALL of this and keep up on it-it’s REALLY exciting and ALOT of CHANGE for Illinois!
- ZC - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 11:25 am:
I imagine right now all the serious contestants for the Emanuel seat are benchmark polling like mad, seeing who has a shot and who does not, and working to see if they’ve got the fundraising base for what will be a short, very expensive sprint. Also there’s a question of coordination - if six men jump in and one woman, etc. No point in being premature.
- Subscribe - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 11:26 am:
“- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 11:05 am:
Rich, looked on google for Emanuel and nothing new-you would know who REALLY wants the position and who they are backing-or looking at at least-just trying to follow ALL of this and keep up on it-it’s REALLY exciting and ALOT of CHANGE for Illinois!”
I think that kind of info is what you are suppose to pay the big bucks for when you SUBSCRIBE.
- archpundit - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 11:38 am:
=====But we need to look at this from the Gov’s PoV.===
==That assumes a completely rational mind.
Actually it assumes one has the ability to enter madness and can come back from it.
Funny, the poll didn’t mention any Latino candidates.
- Anon from BB - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 11:43 am:
Could Triple J be eyeing the Senate seat because he believes it would give him more clout to make his third airport dream come to fruition?
- Pat collins - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 11:49 am:
give him more clout to make his third airport dream come to fruition
And being top guy on appropriations would not? I think House Apprs is THE place to be if you want a 3rd airport.
- Anon - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 12:08 pm:
==Gov. [Rod] Blagojevich [D] should choose . . . someone who represents the values and priorities that Obama ran on when he was elected to the U.S. Senate,” Shelton said. ==
Does he mean someone who’s principal purpose is to use the office as a stepping stone to the presidency? Wouldn’t that be G-Rod himself?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 12:10 pm:
Rich, Just hope we get someone QUALIFIED for his position! We are in the direction for CHANGE and hope that is for Illinois-look at the Gov we are stuck with!
- True Observer - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 12:18 pm:
O.K., with everything going on, I’ve got to think outside the box.
If I pick from one of the Dems, all the others are going to be out gunning for me.
Let’s suppose I pick LaHood, they probably wont be as hot as if I pick one of them.
If I do pick a Dem, what can he/she do for me? Not much.
But if I pick LaHood, I get City Hall (remember LaHood is part of the Combine) and I get good will from the GOP in the 2010 General.
Now that I think of it, LaHood was the guy I most worried about in ’04. City Hall would have sold me out in a minute.
Obama is talking ecumenical. Bi-Partisan and all that.
And, I will get press and It’ll all be good. Well, maybe not the Chicago Reader. Wish LaHood would zip it on the Gay thing.
Another thing. If I pick a Dem, there probably won’t be much of a primary for the Senate and it’ll all in the Gov race. But, if I name LaHood, the Dem primary is going to be foot long for both the Gov and Senate.
Just what I need to sneak through.
If I do it, they’ll have to chalk me down for more than just a son-in-law.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 12:25 pm:
Do you trust Rod to “choose” someone with the values and priorities of Obama when he doesn’t have them himself? I DON’T!!!!!!!!!!!1
- Bill - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 12:32 pm:
President Emil Jones should get the appointment. No one has been more loyal and helpful to the Governor than Sen. Jones. He is an experienced legislator who knows how to get things done. JJJ should get in line and wait his turn.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 12:41 pm:
==The problem for Rod is all his new power and influence ends as soon as he makes a decision. Expect him to dally.==
You are correct!
I am not sure what purpose can be served by these polls and these speculations. Blagojevich will choose however he wishes, so these carryings-on are a waste of time. Who is best due to this or that support is truly bothersome when we consider who will make the choice. It is like watching a bunch of weight lifters one-up the other on how strong they are, while waiting for their wives in the fitting rooms at the local Dress Barn.
- Cheswick - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 12:52 pm:
Speaking of downstate, I wonder if David Phelps sits around wondering when his name will come up as Obama’s replacement.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 12:54 pm:
–JJJ should get in line and wait his turn.–
Now Bill, that’s what a lot of people said to Pres.-elect Obama.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 12:56 pm:
When I say “downstate,” I typically mean south of I-80. When I say “southern Illinois,” I mean anything south of US Hwy 50. You, know–God’s country. :)
Even though Galena, Polo, DeKalb and Rock Falls are north of I-80, I still consider them disconnected from Chicago politics and therefore “downstate. West of IL 47 and south of I-80 (except for Will County) seems to be a good boundary for Chicagoland v. downstate.
- Sam - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 12:56 pm:
It strikes me that perhaps JJJ does’nt believe he is on Blago’s short list and that is why he is doing what he is doing in hopes that outside pressure can be brought to bear in Blago. One supposes that JJ Sr may be overheard threatening to cut certain parts off Blago’s anatomy if JJJ does’nt get the nod.
- Bill - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 1:14 pm:
Word,
That’s different. Obama was running for office. J- cubed is more than welcome to try to get elected Senator. Junior is asking the Governor for an appointment. He hasn’t been a very loyal friend and neither has his posse. He can forget it.
- Amy - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 1:37 pm:
i’m still hoping that Blago takes the opportunity to appoint a caretaker, a smart, honorable person in the mold of Paul Simon, to take the seat while the cats and dogs fight it out for the future. the truth is, Blago cannot be helped by some angle pick, and he must know that. he has the chance to do something right and good and he should take the chance and reclaim some measure of respect for himself. Dawn Clark Netsch, Abner Mikva, Newton Minow….. if he picks someone who wants to run they will be tainted by his brush. if he picks a caretaker who is good, at least we will get a smart person acting for the good of Illinois until an election is held. come on Rod, do the state some good!
- Collar Oberver - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 1:37 pm:
President Emil Jones should get the appointment. ==No one has been more loyal and helpful to the Governor than Sen. Jones. He is an experienced legislator who knows how to get things done. ==
Bill - Jones was suppose to be the champ of education funding reform? Please tell us what he has done??
- chicago insider - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 1:47 pm:
i’ve heard that blagojevich doesn’t want to go the normal route of picking a party loyalist but wants to make a real statement and leave his mark on our great nation. the name i hear being passed around is none other than EDWIN EISENDRATH. you know what they say, the cream always rises to the top!
- Amy - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 1:59 pm:
cream is heavy. edwin is a lightweight.
- Alison - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 2:00 pm:
Downstate is only an illusion created by people in Chicago to make them feel like nothing exists beyond the city-state.
Fan of the Game: FYI — So. IL starts with I-64 & not Hwy 50.
J-Cubed is a much better choice than Duckworth. He would carry Madison and St. Clair Co. — both required to win.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 2:07 pm:
Downstate is only an illusion
But the term has been used so long that the illision has become reality. Even our POTUS-elect uses the term.
http://obama.senate.gov/press/080320-obama_statement_127/
- nice kid - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 2:10 pm:
Put JJJ in a one on one race instead of a 6 or 8-way race–he would get creamed.
- ILHoya - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 2:19 pm:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34491693169&ref=nf
That’s for a big laugh, if anyone needs one.
- Redbright - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 2:20 pm:
Let me remind everyone that there is only a 30% chance of an appointee to the US Senate being elected to the position. (And that’s without the stink of Blago on the appointee.) Check the Senate website if you don’t believe me.
If the Gov is devious enough to want to play games with this –and I certainly think he is—he will pick someone in a job that he also gets to fill. But I also think he cares what the world outside of IL thinks of him – Howard Dean, the other governors, etc.
I have always thought Jesse White was the leading contender and someone that would be considered a respectable caretaker by the national party. He has been elected to statewide office three times. His Tumblers program is a great success. And it took me all of 5 minutes to get a new drivers license this year.
The valuable appointment would be to Secretary of State. That’s a job that someone can probably keep in 2010.
- The Doc - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 2:26 pm:
===Obama on the other hand should just play nice to everyone===
I think he likely will play nice, but certainly doesn’t need to endear himself to the pick. Methinks it should be the other way around, if anything.
- Bill S. Preston, Esq. - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 2:27 pm:
Alison- I disagree. It’s a term used just as much by people who live “downstate” in order to separate themselves from what they see as a corrupt, over-populated, resource-sucking, black hole of a city. Truth be told, Chicagoans rarely think about what’s going on outside of the city. Therefore, there’s no need to coin a term for that about which they do not think.
- Fan of the Game - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 2:39 pm:
QAlison–According to that southern Illinois bible, Land Between the Rivers: The Southern Illinois Land (Horrell, et al., SIU Press, 1982), southern Illinois is defined as any county through which US Hwy 50 runs and all those south. I grew up two blocks north of Hwy 50 and have always considered myself from Little Egypt. If I-64 is the boundary, Grayville isn’t in southern Illinois, and if you’ve been there, you know it is.
Having said that, I don’t think Jesse Jackson, Jr., has appeal in Cobden or Salem, Olive Branch or Mt. Carmel.
- Three Doors Over - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 2:57 pm:
Funny… I read this thing about Tripple J right after I got done deleting his e-mail to me and anyone else in his Rolodex, as follows:
=================================
You received this message because you have subscribed to Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s e-mail distribution list. If you would like to unsubscribe, please visit: http://www.jessejacksonjr.org/distlist.htm
————————————————————————-
Dear Friend,
I want to share with you two articles published today about a recent poll indicating that I am favored among a crowded field to succeed President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.
Conducted by the leading polling firm Zogby International, the poll shows that 21 percent of likely Illinois voters want Illinois Governor Blagojevich to appoint me to Obama’s seat. In addition, the telephone poll indicates that I would draw strong support among every demographic group, including Republicans and Independents and would defeat potential Republican challengers in a hypothetical
match-up in 2010.
I hope that you will take a moment to read the attached articles and share your thoughts with me.
- Jesse
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1274266,111208jacksonsidebar.article
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/11/11/Poll_Jackson_should_get_Obamas_seat/UPI-21171226459766/
=============================
Enough, Blago, just make a pick and get this over with!!!
- Vote Quimby! - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 3:02 pm:
==southern Illinois is defined as any county through which US Hwy 50 runs and all those south==
I grew up in Crawford County, and we thought we were in southern Illinois (some of us sure talked like it!). I vote for using I-70 as the dividing line for southern IL. I would consider Chicagoland anything east of I-39 and north of I-80, and probably add Kankakee County into the mix.
- Vote Quimby! - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 3:06 pm:
==none other than EDWIN EISENDRATH==
As a Blago appointee to the US Senate? Gov. Ego would appoint someone who had the testicular virility to challenge him in the primary? Are you really a Chicago Insider? Not to dis EE —I went to East St. Louis to meet him three days before the primary and he and his family are good people — but I would bet against that one…
- Deep South - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 4:14 pm:
Well then it would seem that “Downstate” means anything that’s not Chicago. I suppose then that “lack appeal downstate” is code for no one outside Chicago knows who the hell you are. Bad for J-cubed, who is saddled with name recognition connected to his dad, but its good for Jesse White since he’s Secretary of State. I really love the guys who say they’re doing a statewide fly-around or some sort of state tour to guage support but don’t bother to come south of Mt. Vernon…or even Effingham. Believe me, it happens. But then again, are they really after Southern Illinois support, or just Downstate support?
- archpundit - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 4:22 pm:
Hey, what about Mike Jacobs?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 4:39 pm:
no caretaker appointment. Those that support a caretaker appproach so a new election in two years would be open forget one important fact. In January, seven or eight new senators will be swornin. If Blago can name a new sentaor before the Jnauary 20th, then the new Illinois senator jumops in fronyt of those eight in senority. Pretty important.
- Amuzing Myself - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 4:44 pm:
I’m appropriately amused by this discussion, since I think it really matters very little. No matter what, there will be a race for the job in 2010, whether someone gets a head-start or not. In an off-year, it could actually be a real race in both primaries as well as in the general. Giannulias is the only candidate I’ve heard so far that might fend off challengers with his huge wallet.
Along those lines, while I might tend to agree with the Atlantic headline about 1994, I find that the article gleefully ignores some important factors:
First, while Bill Clinton didn’t have legislative experience in Washington, he DID have a ton of executive experience from many terms as both AG and Governor in Arkansas. If I remember correctly, he also made a well-known congressman, Leon Panetta, his Chief of Staff (although that could have been later than the very beginning…can’t remember). Further, less than a handful of years in Washington, most of which were spent running for President, hardly qualifies one as “an experienced navigator of Congress.”
Also different is that when Clinton took over, the economy was already on the rebound. He was able to ride a wave of prosperity that ended up lasting fifteen years or so, with a few difficult months following 9/11. Obama has an economy REALLY in the tank, and showing little signs of a rebound anytime soon. If it comes back in his first term, he gets credit, but if it doesn’t, he’s stuck with that, too.
Finally, Obama was able to run up his wins largely on the unpopularity of Bush in the swing states. If you look at all of the swing states, which had Bush’s approval at 35% or lower, McCain won only Missouri. That’s pretty telling. The Dems won’t be able to run against that boogie man in 2010. It’ll all be on them … sink or swim, so to speak, and popular or not, they won’t have The Messiah literally at the top of the ticket drawing voters to the polls this time.
Of course, this is all largely a phenomenon we’ve never experienced before. It’ll be fun to watch - that’s for sure.
- Oberon - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 5:07 pm:
Anon, the new Senate is not keyed to the Presidency; the new Senate will be seated the first week of January in order to “count” the Electoral Votes. So getting seniority requires an appointment before New Years Day.
- Excessively rabid - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 5:10 pm:
In the new spirit of bi-partisanship, Blago should appoint a Republican. How about Dan Rutherford, to make up for closing the prison? Or Oberweis, just to get him out of the state for a couple of years?
- Phil Collins - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 5:13 pm:
The new congress will be sworn in on Jan. 3, and it’s not to count the electoral votes. The date will be the same in 2011.
- Alison - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 7:10 pm:
Bill — I don’t think residents coined the term. I think the print media started it — possibly for the reasons you stated. Does not matter who uses it or how often. The illusion will never become reality.
Fan– Since Hwy 50 pre-dates I-64, I believe you are right. I-64 is the first thought since it is more prominent. It is definitely not I-70 (sorry Quimby).
J-Cubed has to concern himself with Madison and St. Clair Counties since the majority of the Democratic votes are there. I grilled a friend about his Daddy issues. His doing well distancing himself. Should not be a problem.
- RFK fan - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 7:17 pm:
Why did that poll not include names like Lisa Madigan, Alexi Giannoulias, Dan Hynes?
- T.J. - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 8:13 pm:
Of those listed, Duckworth likely has the best chance to appeal to downstate–disabled war veterans carry clout down here.
I’ve yet to meet a veteran who can tolerate Duckworth. Maybe it’s different there.
- Rod's Hair Brush - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 9:02 pm:
Three words: Senator Tim Nieukirk
- One to the Dome - Wednesday, Nov 12, 08 @ 9:09 pm:
lets review politically…Duckworth ran and lost. Then She gets a appointment by the Gov. She then Spoke at the DNC (and mentioned the Gov to a smattering of applause). Now some think she can win a state wide race (and likly a primary)?
Just the facts.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 13, 08 @ 1:48 am:
I guess I’m going to have to get creative and come up with a new name to post under. Too many new Anons posting lately.
- Anon - Thursday, Nov 13, 08 @ 7:42 am:
This almost assumes the Gov knows what he is going to do…. He never makes his minds up until the last moment. While the rest of the Senate freshmen are going through the paces of setting up office etc the citizens Illinois will suffer once again by the inability of this Gov to do the little things.
- Fan of the Game - Thursday, Nov 13, 08 @ 8:39 am:
===I’ve yet to meet a veteran who can tolerate Duckworth. Maybe it’s different there.===
When voters don’t know the candidates, it’s more a matter of finding something they like and/or respect. Of those listed, the only one with name recognition is Jackson, but I don’t think he appeals to a lot of southern voters. Most don’t know Duckworth, but if they learn she is a disabled veteran, they might be more likely to vote for her because of that.