Question of the day
Monday, Jul 12, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The setup…
Illinois is changing the way political parties select their candidates for lieutenant governor.
Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation on Saturday that requires candidates of the same party to be nominated jointly instead of letting voters pick each nominee separately.
Under the new law, a gubernatorial candidate would select a running mate for the primary election. Voters would either support the pair or reject them over a different team.
* The Question: If both major party gubernatorial candidates could start all over and choose their own running mates from the get-go, whom should they have picked? Explain.
- Cincinnatus - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 11:43 am:
Brady-Dillard would have had a nice balance.
- Levois - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 11:55 am:
Hey shouldn’t this be a constitutional amendment instead of a mere law?
- VanillaMan - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 11:58 am:
whom should they have picked?
Brady/Gidwitz
Quinn/Poshard
- Thoughts... - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:03 pm:
Brady should’ve gone with a suburban moderate, probably a woman, let’s say…Radogno or Pankau. The issue is simple - balance.
Quinn - Linda Chapa LaVia. She’s energetic, from the suburbs, can tap into the Latino vote, and Quinn will have a rough go downstate no matter what, even with Sheila.
Side note: I’m not sure who’s going to be willing to sign up like this in certain situations. For instance, I think Bill Brady would’ve had a difficult time securing a desirable running mate given that no one really gave his candidacy much credence until primary night. I think teaming pre-primary will give more strength to the frontrunners while handicapping the dark horses.
I still think it’s a better way than current practice, but I’d personally like to see us go to a system where the parties’ central committees (or the gubernatorial candidates themselves) choose their running mate after the primary. They still have incentive to pick someone the people like because if they don’t, they’ll face backlash in the general election(and it keeps open the option of second-place finishers in the primary getting the nod).
- Samwise - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:06 pm:
Levois — No, this does not require a Constitutional Amendment. This law changes the election code, which is what lays out the guidelines how nominees are chosen.
- Squideshi - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:08 pm:
By “major” political party, I assume you mean “leading” political party–not “established” political party.
- shore - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:13 pm:
quinn had his pick so that’s asked and answered. I don’t know statehouse politics that well, but a suburban woman seems right for brady. Beth Coulson perhaps.
Dillard would have been an awful choice as the last thing the party needs is another establishment moderate in springfield.
- muon - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:23 pm:
Article V.4 of the IL constitution specifically gives the legislature the power to require the two to run together as a team. It amazes me that this wasn’t put into effect after the 1986 debacle with the Fairchild LG candidacy.
- Pat collins - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:24 pm:
Of course, both Brady and Dillard wee running for the top spot.
Brady’s best bet with have been Steve Rauschenburger. He’s well know, respected for his budget knowledge, and brings suburban balance.
- Thomas Westgard - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:27 pm:
In other words, Scott Lee Cohen actually had a measurable effect on political energy fields, even if not the way he intended.
- JaySepshey - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:32 pm:
Sen. Mike Jacobs would have brought a lot of votes to Quinn. Sen. Matt Murphy would have balanced brain-brain Brady!
- dave - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:33 pm:
I don’t know statehouse politics that well, but a suburban woman seems right for brady. Beth Coulson perhaps.
Ha! You think that Coulson would have run with Brady? Thats funny.
- Ron Day Voo - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:34 pm:
Brady/Roeser
Quinn/Monk
- Todd - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:36 pm:
It’s humorous to me to see Chicago area people frightened of downstate Republicans!
- WRMNpolitics - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:37 pm:
If both parties had it to do over again, they should eliminate the relatively meaningless “job” of Lt Gov.
- Levois - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:45 pm:
I disagree, they should give it some meaning like it used to have before the 1970 constitution was enacted.
- Segatari - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:46 pm:
Quinn already has started over, he’s picked his new running mate in Simon - thus the QOTD is moot on the Democratic ticket. It would be just Brady and Whitney picking running mates.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:46 pm:
Stick to the question, please.
- Deep South - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:51 pm:
Well, Quinn may have picked his “running mate” but they still run separately. He could win, but she could lose. So who would be pick if he had to with someone as a pair?
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 12:53 pm:
===but they still run separately. He could win, but she could lose===
You are a confused person.
- Vote Quimby! - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 1:02 pm:
==He could win, but she could lose==
Sheila’s father was the last one to do that–they changed the law after that election.
- GOP Pairings - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 1:15 pm:
Kirk Dillard/Jim Edgar
Bill Brady/Sarah Palin
Andy McKenna/Richie Rich
Jim Ryan/Joe Birkett
Adam Andrzejewski/Lek Walesa
Dan Proft/Betty Lauren Maltese
- Deep South - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 1:20 pm:
Thanks Rich, you explained it nicely.
- Bongo Furry - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 1:21 pm:
1.Brady/Mr. Burns
2.Quinn/Doctor Who
- Wumpus - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 1:24 pm:
Brady-Proft. Proft is a smug, arrogant guy, but I like him. He knows what he beleives and will proudly admit those beliefs.
Quinn-flavor of the day
Isn’t Rauschenberger part of the reason we ar ein this mess?
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 1:42 pm:
BradY: Judy Koehler, for moderation and depth
Quinn: Roland Burris, because he’s never had that job and thinks he might be able to raise $1,500 for the campaign.
- jaded voter - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 2:18 pm:
So much for independent minded candidates slipping into the Lt. Gov position.
Pat Quinn would never have got the Lt Gov position if it was slotted by the parties or the major candidates.
Quinn slipped in b/c of the lack of attention to the office. All the talking heads were chuckling all night when he joined Blago at the winners stage. Same for SLCohen. Not necessarily a bad thing to have someone from outside the establishment circles. At least they can add some color.
- just sayin' - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 3:40 pm:
Brady - someone ethical who wouldn’t have to hide his tax returns after promising in the primary he was the ONE who would set a new standard for ethics and accountability. And maybe someone old enough to drive.
Quinn - probably did the best he could do, which is is say mediocre.
- Reformer - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 4:20 pm:
Brady/Proft: Nothing like a little balance — rightwing and far rightwing.
Quinn/Franks If Jack were on the ticket, perhaps he’s be a tad less critical.
- fedup dem - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 7:50 pm:
Quinn - Sheila Simon (about the only sensible thing Quinn has done of late, having spent too much time getting thisclose to Mayor Daley.
Brady - Spanky the Clown (at least Spanky has had some real experience running for office).
- T.J. - Monday, Jul 12, 10 @ 8:54 pm:
Paul Vallas (D) and Jason Plummer (R).