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Suddenly, everybody wants to be Number Two
Wednesday, Aug 19, 2009 * It’s just amazing to me that so many people are lining up to run for lieutenant governor. I can’t ever remember this much interest in an office that means almost nothing. Steve Rhodes has a partial candidate list today, including Sen. Rickey Hendon, Sen. Terry Link, Ald. Sandi Jackson, Rep. Kevin Joyce, Justin Oberman, Scott Lee Cohen, Thomas Castillo and Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole. Others include Democratic Reps. Art Turner and Mike Boland, Republican Rep. Dave Winters, Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar, Goran Davidovac, Randy White and most likely some others that I can’t remember at the moment. You can find links to many of these candidates’ websites at Thomas Castillo’s home page. Rhodes thinks we can blame this intense interest in a nothing job on Pat Quinn…
There’s more to it than that, of course. I mean, can they really be thinking that this office is now a springboard because a governor was impeached and removed for the first time in Illinois history? Really? I’d love to get all these people into a room and ask them what the heck is going through their minds.
- Posted by Rich Miller
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- MrJM - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:03 am:
Q: “What the heck is going through their minds?”
A:
Baby, if you’re feeling good
And baby if you’re feeling nice
You know your man is workin’ hard
He’s worth a deuce
– MrJM
- Will County Woman - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:06 am:
Rich I think the point is that Quinn made something out of the office whereas previous LTG’s didn’t really.
I think they see it as fertile ground in which to be creative and launch initiatives and programs outside of its constituionally mandated role.
I don’t think well of Quinn as a governor, but as Lt. Governor, i have to admit that he did do a lot with that office considering the fact that it that had little/no role, in terms of creating a niche for himself and the office. I didn’t always agree with everything gimmicky he did as Lt. Gov, though either.
- One of the 35 - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:06 am:
I did not see Mayor Claar listed in the Rhodes article. Where did that come from?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:16 am:
===Where did that come from? ===
As I clearly indicated above, Rhodes had a partial list. I filled in some others.
- Speaking at Will - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:17 am:
The Lt. Gov office may have been seen as a “booby” prize in the past, however it is the ultimate “cushy” job. You attend funerals, get all the perks of a state wide office holder, perhaps get to advocate for a few issues that you have an interest in and the pay is plumb as well.
Who wouldnt want to be Lt. Gov? You dont have to take any tough votes, and if by some stroke of chance someone does get impeached, dies, or whatever, then you get to serve a few years as governor and get your painting on the wall in the capitol building.
Sounds great to me, maybe I will fire up a “Will Stephens for Lt. Gov” website just for the heck of it.
- Oneman - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:20 am:
My guess some of these folks want to get out of the leg before redisticting and the budget stuff hitting harder
- FDR - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:29 am:
My feeling is most of those candidates see the LG gig as a launching pad to Sec of State, assuming this is Jesse’s last term.
If just half of the mentioned candidates hop in, it will be fun race to watch.
What a nightmare for MJM, who I presume would like to set up a statewide ticket that is geographically, racially, and gender balanced.
Not sure how he does that with so many pretenders and contenders out there.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:34 am:
Some insightful reasons listed here, to which I’ll add staff. I think it’s about 25, right? It’s good to be the boss.
In addition, for those who think that far ahead, you can travel, yammer and position statewide for a possible crack in 2014 at AG, SOS or gov.
Not a lot of heavy lifting, either.
- Levois - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:34 am:
If being a Lt. Gov. is a boring position then why would Ald. Jackson leave her city council seat for a boring position? :/
- Capitol View - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:36 am:
In this age of mass communications, it is a good stepping stone office to almost anywhere. Recent Lt. Governors have included Paul Simon who later ran for Congress and the US Senate successfully, George Ryan before running for Secretary of State, Neil Hartigan before he ran for Governor, and Sam Shapiro who succeeded Otto Kerner when Kerner resigned towards the end of his term to accept a federal judiciary nomination.
It isn’t the office that interests politicians, it is what it might lead to. (Plus being in the state legislature if you aren’t Mike Madigan has to be extremely frustrating.)
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:42 am:
CV, your cup’s half empty, too. Dave O’Neal, Kustra and Wood didn’t think too much about the job.
Whatever happened to Dave O’Neal, anyway? He was the speaker at my high school graduation — and the life of the party at the post-ceremony kegger, attended by students, teachers and school board members. I remember feeling very sorry for O’Neal’s two troopers, the only ones who weren’t tipping a cold one.
Different times.
- siriusly - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:46 am:
IMHO Art Turner and possibly Winters (I don’t know him that well) are probably the best candidates of that bunch. I don’t think the rest of them would stand a chance of ever running statewide for any of the other offices. I think all of these folks want Lite Gov because it is probably their best and only chance ever of winning something statewide.
My biggest fear is that the crowded field gives Sen. Hendon an advantage. He’s my least favorite of that bunch.
Rep. Joyce and Ald. Jackson probably made the calculation that they have some organizational strengths to start with. Joyce is probably trying to ride Hynes’ campaign coat-tails. Sandi Jackson is thinking that her and David Miller will probably share resources too.
Someone needs to tell Justin Oberman to get to the back of the line and start by running for something else first. Oh wait, he did that already.
- Inish - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:48 am:
I would imagine it is all about positioning.
In a time of ugly gut wrenching votes- gain name recognition with no political risk. There is sure to be alot of movement in 2014
- Hank - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:48 am:
Levois, word from Sandi’s ward is that she spends a good deal of her time in DC with hubby and that the kids go to DC schools which makes her interest even more curious
- Will - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:49 am:
Will County Woman gets it. It’s a good office for someone who can be creative as a self-starting advocate even when they don’t have constitutional authority. Pat Quinn was the right kind of person for that role.
- Will County Woman - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:49 am:
thanks word, when i wrote my previous post i was thinking of wood and kustra too. neither of them did much with the office–no surprise then that they were bored with it and boring in it.
- KeepSmiling - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:50 am:
This is a speculative stretch, but if Chicago gets the 2016 elections, the Lt. Gov position would be a great post to have for shmoozy photo-ops, speaking tours and invitations to insider meetings, with little responsibility for any State/city decisions that may go awry. They may not even maintain the post for 2016, but they’d get incredible mileage out of it during the lead up.
- George - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:56 am:
I would say it is an easy way to make some more $$$.
Lt. Gov makes, what, $160k? Leg makes less than half that.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 11:02 am:
We live in a state filled with career politicians. They are always looking for a leg up. The Lieutenant Governor’s office looks more attractive next year because it will empower a career politician without actually empowering them during our fiscal crisis.
The next governor is going to have a difficult time. The Illinois economy stopped growing a while ago. We have a perpetual structural deficit. Since 1976, more people move out of Illinois, than move in. We have vast areas of brownfields where Illinoians used to produce things other Americans bought. Our largest employers didn’t include governments, except in Springfield or Joliet. Chicago was the second largest US city - and growing in population, wealth, industry and international trade. During the last economic boom, when the US economy was the largest in history, Illinois wasn’t booming with it.
Nothing has been done for a generation to stop the economic bleeding. Most economist I have spoken to, don’t even give us much hope to regain what we have lost.
Governor? Who wants to be governor now? Who wants to tell citizens that there are bills coming to them for the free lunches they were given earlier? Who wants to tell the lobbyists that the insider deals cannot be held inside? How much longer will the Illinois economy falter?
Our most famous politician today - LEFT. There is a reason Barack Obama’s presidential dream didn’t include being a statewide leader. If you look at the career politicians with big dreams, few of these people are willing to gamble them on the reality of everyday governing. Our career politicians don’t want responsibilities, or we would be seeing good government in Illinois today.
So, the Lieutenant Governor’s office looks mighty tempting in this turbulent state environment. It offers name recognition, without responsibilities.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 11:18 am:
VMan, you should do some reading, rather than “talking to economists.”
You would find that Illinois’ diverse economy is a virtual mirror of the U.S. and tracks its ups and downs very closely.
You confuse local political dysfunction with economic reality. State government, for the most part, means bupkis to the economy.
As always, I ask: Where are these booming Utopias you’re always comparing the state?
- Shelbyville - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 11:24 am:
George Ryan told me that it was the best job that he ever had. He had free rent in Springfield, a vehicle, security, planes, salary, benefits - and little of the headaches.
- The Doc - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 11:43 am:
As touched on here before, it’s all the perks, few of the constraints, and insulation from ever having to make a “tough” decision.
I’m a bit surprised there’s not MORE legislators dipping their toes in the water, considering their collective aversion to accountability.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 11:48 am:
VMan, you should do some reading, rather than “talking to economists.”
I do both, naturally.
And “mirroring” isn’t leading. Illinois used to be a leader in economic growth. Illinois continues to lose any economic leadership it once had. This has been the case for a long time.
“Willis” Tower is just the biggest tombstone marking Illinois’ economic passing. The only bigger insult would have been if Wal-Mart actually bought and renamed it.
- PalosParkBob - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 12:07 pm:
Rich, Who’s the 19th Ward organization slated to take Joyce’s 35th Rep seat?
I haven’t heard of anyone circulating petitions in the 35th yet, except Joyce.
- Red Ranger - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 12:27 pm:
I agree with a lot of the reasons above for wanting to be Lt Guv, and here is another possible reason. Lets say Obama is reelected in 2012, an IL Gov (either R or D) is a legit contender for a Cabinet or other high level DC post. If that happens the Lt Guv gets bumped up to the big time without lifting a finger.
- Ned Racnad - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 12:28 pm:
It’s not just the current money, it’s the pension boost. Retiring on a $160,000 salary is better than a $90,000 salary and it doesn’t look as dirty as some of the short-term executive branch appointments where you might actually have to do something.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 12:36 pm:
–”Willis” Tower is just the biggest tombstone marking Illinois’ economic passing. The only bigger insult would have been if Wal-Mart actually bought and renamed it.–
That’s one way of looking at it, I guess. Of course, as a capitalist and a believer in the dynamism and innovation of a free people, I’m more of an optimist and not afraid of change.
Put it this way, in the 1700s, Illinois “economy” was basically the American Fur Company of John Jacob Astor. In the 1800s, the first big thing was the I&M Canal, for a few years, until it was the railroads.
That, and the blessings of nature and geography, made Chicago the world’s largest exporter of timber, grain, dressed meat, etc. But that era ended, too.
When the boys in Michigan started fiddling with internal combustion engines, we shipped the ore from the Mesabi Range to the steelyards of Chicago and Gary and made stuff all over the Midwest. Now that’s changing. I guess as a country we could have tried to keep our boots on the neck of the rest of the world and kept them from advancing, but the better angels of our nature got the best of us.
Change, opportunity and riches came with the interstates, the jet engine, etc.
You pine for a moment in time preserved in amber. Yet some way, some how, people here today of the most modest means can lead lives of riches and comfort that their grandparents couldn’t imagine.
The blessings of nature, geography and geology are still present here, and will ensure a bountiful future for this state. You want rapid economic growth all the time — careful what you wish for. That comes with a price.
The only thing clear since the Cubs last stumbled to a World Series victory is that humanity now lives in a time of rapid and dramatic change. What’s next? I don’t know, but I like our chances better than most.
- SpfldPolitico - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 12:39 pm:
well with the way the last two governors have been, the LT Gov spot is the best way to the goernors office without spending alot of campaign cash! LOL VIVA LT GOV!!!!!
- the Other Anonymous - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 1:43 pm:
The commenters who point out that LG is an easy statewide office to win have it right, imo. In effect, the candidates only have to fight it out in the primary; in the general, the candidate only needs to campaign on behalf of the party’s nominee.
A lot of this can be traced back to 1994, when Phelan’s LG candidate, Penny Severns, won her primary and Phelan lost his. Since then, at least on the Democratic side, candidates for governor have not run as a slate with an LG candidate in the primary. Quinn’s winning the nomination for LG in 2002 completed the trend: a completely independent candidate won the nomination and revived his political career.
Of course, winning the primary for Quinn was no big deal since he a weak opponent. With a crowd this size, I don’t think it will be an easy office to win — it’s more like a crapshoot. I wonder if this isn’t the year for gubernatorial candidates to re-consider running as a slate with the LG candidate.
- Been There - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 1:46 pm:
===I wonder if this isn’t the year for gubernatorial candidates to re-consider running as a slate with the LG candidate. ====
Well that would be real interesting for Hynes. Would he team up with Kevin Joyce?
- Levi voted for Judy - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 2:24 pm:
All I have to say is Dave O’neal quit and Bob Kustra tried to quit twice.
- Steve Rhodes - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 3:05 pm:
The set-up was a bit of a tease. I also say later in the article:
“While it’s unlikely even a single candidate is imagining they would be just one more impeachment away from the governor’s mansion, the job may look more attractive as a potential political stepping stone this time around because the statewide jobs traditionally seen as launching pads for gubernatorial campaigns - attorney general and secretary of state - are locked down.”
But who knows. I’m not claiming to have the answer, just speculating.
And no, it wasn’t an exhaustive list, nor meant to be. Thanks to Rich for filling in some of the other names.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 5:26 pm:
–A lot of this can be traced back to 1994, when Phelan’s LG candidate, Penny Severns, won her primary and Phelan lost his. Since then, at least on the Democratic side, candidates for governor have not run as a slate with an LG candidate in the primary.–
Look back further, my friend.
As far as general elections go, you forget the election of Lt. Gov. Paul Simon and Gov. Richard Ogilvie. Different parties, but a pretty good one-two punch. That precipitated a change where, post-primary, the parties’candidates ran as a team.
In the next election, after the Dem primary, we had the unhappy marriage of Machine candidate Neil Hartigan (”Im shouting and I don’t know why”} and Dan Walker (”Illinois Ranger”).
For farce, of course, the most infamous episode was the Dem Dream Team of Adlai III (”the sap’s rising”) and LaRouchie Mark Fairchild (”I’m not as creepy as the other ones”).
In a ridiculously and mind-numbing chain of events, that led to Big Jim crushing Adlai in the Big Fight II, and the creation of the Illinois Solidarity Party, a playground of mischief and intrigue for years thereafter.