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Question of the day

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Illinois

* The younger brother of a good friend of mine had a very weird request for his 18th birthday last week. He asked me for a Capitol Fax subscription.

Now, I’m not in the business of handing out free subscriptions, but how can I turn down a high school student who is that interested in Illinois politics? I granted Andrew’s request.

Andrew is a really good kid, but he’s something of an odd duck. I mean, how many teenagers do you know who are addicted to this blog? Not many, I’d wager. Here’s a photo…

As you can tell, he’s also a bit of a joker.

* The Question: Caption?

And be kind, people. He’s only 18.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 11:57 am

Comments

There is something wrong with this mirror.

P.S. Good Gift Rich

Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:04 pm
Man, it’s gonna suck to get old. . .

Comment by Todd Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:04 pm
Andrew,
Addictions to leftist blogs is a very serious matter. Please seek help ASAP. I suggest FOX News or the Drudge report as the methadone equivalent for your problem.

Comment by downstate hack Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:14 pm
“Holy cow Abe, I can you believe people pay Rich Miller that much for subscriptions when they can just read the same stories two days later in the MSM.”

Comment by Siriusly Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:15 pm
Correction “I can’t” not “I can you” - sorry. Cool gift Rich.

Comment by Siriusly Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:16 pm
Why is this young man staring at me that way? If only I could move.

Comment by cynical Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:19 pm
“Other than that, Abe, how’d you like the play?”

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:21 pm
Alright Abe, staring competition you and me. Ready… Go!

Comment by Mike Murray Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:28 pm
That is a pretty fly gift to give, Rich. Andrew, maybe next year you could ask for a subscription for the IL House & Senate GOP leadership, perhaps it would help them grasp the basics of the Illinois political process…

Comment by Jimbo Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:30 pm
Hmm..You could have a future in Illinois if you lose the “Honest” part..

Comment by Sad to say Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:30 pm
My nephew in NJ had to pick a senate race to follow for his history class in 2010. He picked Illinois and used capfax blog as part of his research. Kid’s headed to American University in August, interning for his congressman and addicted to politics - pretty sure Rich and the commenters here had something to do with it.

Comment by 10th Indy Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:34 pm
Smart kid; he’ll do well to emulate Lincoln.

Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:40 pm
Rich,

My 16 year old son is also addicted to your blog. He would be addicted to CapFax as well but I honor your policy not to “redistribute this copyrighted material in any way”, and don’t even send it on to my own son.

Comment by A Lincoln2 Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:41 pm
Yep, from what I can tell, Abe was taller than Rich Miller and had a better beard.

Comment by Give Me A Break Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:43 pm
@ Give Me A Break: No one has a better beard

Comment by Mike Murray Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:48 pm
WWAD

Comment by Tommydanger Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:52 pm
It’s smart business for you to offer discounted subscriptions to students and interns, because the crazy thing is they grow up to be professionals and policymakers who buy real subscriptions.

Comment by Shore Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 1:03 pm
On a semi-serious note, I think interest in Illinois politics is a bit more wide spread than some believe. I’m 23 now, but in high school when I had free time, I would spend it listening to the General Assembly. There were a couple people both ahead and behind me who were also were just as interested. I think young people are more engaged or at least want to be, but are often shrugged off. When I was 15 I tried asking a serious policy question to my Senator, and he shrugged it off and instead asked me how my hs football team was doing. If politicians and others would reach out to younger people like you did with this Rich, I think you’d be surprised by the response.

Comment by JSG Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 1:12 pm
Quite a gift and happy birthday Andrew.

Here is another Abe statue Andrew ought to visit if he has not already. Illinois College’s “Preparing for Greatness.” Hope the link works.

http://blogs.sj-r.com/alo/index.php/2009/10/15/ics-abe-with-dog-sculptors-update/

Comment by Anonymoose Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 1:15 pm
Emulating Honest Abe all the way down to checking for the whiskers. Happy Birthday Andrew!

Comment by Stones Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 1:24 pm
“You really moved from Indiana to Illinois to start your own business? How much of a tax break did they give you? And did they get upset when you went out of business?”

Comment by Anonymice Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 1:42 pm
18 and already the object of a Cap Fax picture commentary? He will go far… Of course he should keep in mind that Blago and Ryan were also commented upon…

Comment by downstate commissioner Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 1:45 pm
Hey Abe, I knew you were ahead of your time intellectually, but I never realized you hid the code for DNA in the pane of glass behind you!

Comment by Blago's Hare Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 1:45 pm
- Mike Murray - Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 12:48 pm:

@ Give Me A Break: No one has a better beard

Agree, and my grandma had a better beard than Miller.

Comment by Give Me A Break Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 1:51 pm
“Help me Abe … Cubs … Sox … Cardinals …give me a sign …”

“This pose … gotta get this pose down … Channel my ‘inner Lincoln’ …”

“He is … the Most Interesting Statue Mimic in the World …”

“Some people think Kennedy, others say Clinton, or even Reagan … but when I want to look like I am pondering, I go Lincoln, every time.”

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 1:52 pm
Also,

Happy Birthday Andrew … Take the Subscription, leave the Cannoli.

Class move Rich.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 1:57 pm
“Abe, tell me, how did we go from great statesmen like you, to George Ryan, Blago and Madigan? What happened to the great state of Illinois?”

Comment by Ed Observer Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 2:04 pm
The Abebow move - original source of the Tebow.

You would be amazed how many young people pay close attention to state politics. It effects them very directly.

Comment by zatoichi Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 2:12 pm
Seen in a clip from the famous “I Love Lucy” show, Harpo Marx and Lucille Ball replay the famous mirror sketch.

Comment by dupage dan Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 2:14 pm
So if I rub my chin hard enough, I too can grow a beard?

Comment by Blago's Hare Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 2:25 pm
“By thy rivers, gently flowing, Illinois, Illinois …”

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 2:29 pm
Zoolander could learn from Andrew’s new look, Abe Steel.

Comment by dgd Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 2:29 pm
Young man, are you mocking my quote “If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?”

Nice gift Rich!

Comment by Aikaterine Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 3:09 pm
It’s the movie poster for “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter Part II - The Next Generation”

Comment by ChicagoR Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 3:57 pm
“He (Andrew) restores my soul.” Psalms 23 Verse 3.

Comment by Phineas Fogg Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 5:08 pm
Rich with your time vested maybe its time for a Cap Fax Scholarship?

Comment by railrat Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 5:17 pm
“I read history, and I ask myself; how could you and Dick Nixon end up in the same political party?”

Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 5:18 pm
JSG: “When I was 15 I tried asking a serious policy question to my Senator, and he shrugged it off”

Do you have reason to believe that:
1. He knew what you were talking about
2. He had a politics compatible answer ready
3. That answer was something that would have satisfied you in any reasonable way

If not all of the above, of course it got shrugged off, and not because you were 15, but because you were like the 90+% of Illinois not deserving of a straight forward answer to a tough (presuming) policy question.

Comment by Chris Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 6:03 pm
At 18 years old, having a Capitol Fax subscription, he’s already more qualified to run for Congress than Jason Plummer.

Comment by Liquid Plummer Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 6:35 pm
Put me in coach!

Comment by amalia Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 7:27 pm
Always did like Rich but even more now. Awful nice of Rich to give such a great birthday present to the young man. Happy Birthday Andrew.

Comment by DownSouth Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 7:51 pm
Abe: There is hope afterall.
Andrew: Golly, a tough act to follow, but I’m up for trying.

Comment by Sunshine Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 8:23 pm
Now that’s a high school student with a bright future! I hope my son is just as wonky! You do great work Rich.

Comment by David W. Aubrey Wednesday, Jul 11, 12 @ 9:58 pm
OK, one more time, like Saviano and Miller told me, if I look Abe straight in the eye, grab my chin and chant, “Yes, Mr. Speaker”, I can get a bill out of the Rules committee.

Comment by Quizzical Thursday, Jul 12, 12 @ 12:06 am