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At the State Fair last summer, US Sen. Barack Obama was tepid, to say the least, about Governor Rod Blagojevich’s job performance to date.
What do you think the odds are that Obama will be involved with Governor Blagojevich’s campaign? How do you think Obama will approach the guv’s re-election efforts? Will he stay away? Will he cut a TV ad for Blagojevich?
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 3:32 am
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Did Rod campaign for him? I can’t recall. I did a quick web search and couldn’t find an article where they campaigned together. That dosent say much but I would suspose that Obama would maybe have a favor chip called in by the Blago team if they did campaign together. As far as a commercial…I don’t see it. Obama has political capital to burn but not that much. I’m sure Obama and his people would regret having a commercial linking him to Blago if federal prosecutors decide to indict. Targeted direct mail to key voting blocks would be the sensible way to approach it for Obama.
Comment by triplemstrategies Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 4:40 am
I could be wrong, but I don’t see Obama doing anything for Blagojevich this campaign season. He has nothing to lose and nothing to gain. His best bet is to stay out of it and stay far, far away. His image is pretty clean and to get involved with the Gov, at this point, could tarnish his image, and he wouldn’t want to do that.
But that is just my opinion. Feel free to tell me how wrong I am.
Comment by Tessa Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 6:08 am
He will stay away until maybe October, if the Democratic nominee needs the help.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 6:12 am
Smart money says no.If the feds come in Obama’s name is clean.
Comment by DOWNSTATE Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 6:23 am
The Guv did very little to help out Obama…Obama didn’t need it, and it’s not as if Rod goes around and does campaign ads out of the goodness of his heart. Many of the same folks worked both campaigns, so the Governor’s ego may think that he ‘helped” in that way.
Besides, during the Primary, it was GRod’s fundraiser Blair Hull who was running against BO.
If Barack does help out the Governor, it’s quiet…no ads, no public appearances. There’s no upside for the Senator and a mile of downside.
Comment by WP Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 6:34 am
Of course Blago isn’t an Obama fan. Obama, an obscure state Senator, rocketed past him onto the national scene, where Blago desperately wants to be.
I say, Obama (unlike Jim Thompson, a Blago fan, who has nothing but praise for him) damns Blago with faint praise. With Obama’s presidential ambitions, and with the Abramoff scandal as a dramatic cautionary tale happening right now, Obama probably doesn’t want to get to close to ethically challenged politicians like Blago and Daley. And he doesn’t really owe them anything…liberal Illinois will vote for him no matter what they say about him…but he probably
doesn’t want to alienate them unnecessarily.
Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 7:19 am
I say he’ll stay far away from Hairdo. He is riding high at home and in D.C. and to align himself with a known liar, fiscal travesty and maybe future defendant would do him no good.
Comment by Ex-Newfie Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 7:45 am
I disagree with the others. Obama is a decent guy but he will fall into the same old rut that Madigan & Emil Jones have by endorsing Blagojevich. These guys are cut out of the old cloth whereby you do what your Party tells you to do. My Party whether right or wrong. And, the Party always issues the edict that “Our Party must win regardless of the quality of our candidate.”
Obama knows that he still will have need of the Illinois Democrat Party for his support base for future political endeavors. He is going to do what he is told, even if he finds it distasteful to do so. You simply can’t go into politics in Illinois without being willing to sell at least a small portion of your soul to the devil. Obama knows this and will attempt to keep the size of the devil’s portion as small as he can.
Comment by Beowulf Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 8:14 am
Are there any regular Democrats who are Obama fans? It’s a fluke he got elected. He’s everyone’s hero now. Even for lots of Republicans.
He can’t stay everything for everyone if he goes deep for Rod.
Comment by Bill Baar Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 8:16 am
Dead wrong, Beowulf. Obama got 70% of the vote in his election. He doesn’t need to do what the IL party wants, he’s been building much heavier chits nationwide. Two very quick and extremely relevant examples:
Corzine, and the DSCC
Kaine, Warner in VA
Besides that, he’s in with President and Senator Clinton…the Gulf Coast relief trips with the former Presidents upped his likability, visibility, and viability nationwide.
So to say that he’ll step to the beat that the IL Dem party plays…he only has to do that if he wants to.
I’d highly doubt he wants to. Does anyone think he does?
Comment by WP Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 8:47 am
Obama will stay away from Blago. This will lose him very few if any democrats. If he supports him he could lose some dems and a lot of R’s.
Besides Obama has 5 yeas before he has to run again. It is speculative at best Madigan and Jones will even be in the picture by then.
Comment by the Patriot Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 8:52 am
Who cares? What has Obama done since he became a Senator? Glitz and glow and nothing to show for his year in office. The only place blago needs help is downstate and obama is not going to help there. Obama actually lost some counties downstate.
Comment by ron Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 9:26 am
I’m a regular Democrat and I like Obama, Bill. Me and the kids ain’t lighting candles to him every night, but he seems to be a good man. Now, how he will allow other politicians make use of his current popularity will bear watching.
The hub-cap eyed Democrats, who helped lose the last two Presidential elections magnificently, swear that the Senator walks across the Potomac to work every day. That he doesn’t dine at Franconello’s like he should I agree, but I do not see more elected officials getting a tummy- tuck than already have. Obama is a good politician. Let’s see if he can make the leap to political leader, before we have icons struck.
Comment by Pat Hickey Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 9:26 am
Obama is a media star. He was not elected, he ran unopposed. He is an unknown entity with the enviable position to grow in a national spotlight. He has been doing a great job manicuring his image. But reality dictates that he play it safe until he is really tested by a real opponent.
As a result, he is not able to risk being seen too closely with Blagojevich. Obama will make the obligatory appearances later in the campaign if it looks that Blagojevich will be re-elected, but he will not risk getting caught in a TV ad praising a man with so many ethical problems.
Obama will try to stay in the untouchable media stratoshere for as many years as he can before he has to run again.
Blagojevich and Obama are two completely different people with few common bonds outside fatherhood, hometown and political party. One got into political power via marriage, and the other worked his way up. One is a slacker and the other is a doer. Mell rolled out the red carpet for his son-in-law, but there were no doors held open for Obama. These two guys are very different.
I highly doubt that anyone on Obama’s staff is recommending that the Senator reach out to this embattled governor on any level as long as the polls clearly indicate that Blagojevich will not be re-elected.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 9:59 am
Vanilla:
Exactly right. No one gave Obama a shot in the Priamry, and the General was a joke.
-ron:
What are you expecting out of a first term Senator, who’s party is in the minority?
I highly doubt he’s lost many votes down South. And to be honest, if he has lost votes, who really cares right now? He has 5 years to get them back. In that time, the Senate may flip, and then you can rant about the votes he’s losing.
Until then, seriously…talk about something that’s relevant.
Comment by WP Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 10:18 am
I agree with Tessa. Obama has nothing to gain and could possibly get dragged into the mess surounding Blagojevich. Obama has been extremely calculated in his first year as Senator. I’m sure he will weigh the pros and cons and decide against helping Blagojevich.
Comment by IllinoisPundit Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 10:58 am
WP
Senator Salazar(D) from Colorado has been a leader on legislation in his first year. Senator John Cornyn(R) has been a leader on legislation in his first year. They are concerned about getting something substantial done, rather than play it safe and be a so called rock star. If and when Obama starts to actually do something, the bloom will be off the rose and his polls numbers will drop. the majority of the voters in ILLinois don’t know what he stands for, since he has not stood for anything.
Comment by ron Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 11:38 am
ron-
*E85 tax credit to help Illinois farmers
*Legislation to protect drinking water from bio-terrorism
*New legislation to extend Lugar-Nunn nuclear proliferation program
*Forced EPA to finally commit to implementing lead paint rule
*Over $1 billion in funding for Illinois transportation projects
$Millions of federal dollars for FutureGen project
*First Senator to speak out and introduce legislation on Avian Flu
*New federal money to modernize Illinois locks and dams
That’s doesn’t look like nothing to me my friend.
Comment by Chuck Norris Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 11:48 am
They do not like each other personally. Rod (unsurprisingly)was publicly pouting that Obama got to give a keynote at the Dem convention, and Obama has no respect (unsurprisingly) for Rod’s abilities. There are a host of other reasons as well that the Senator will not be out there for Rod.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 12:31 pm
Politics is about addition, not subtraction. Obama has nothing to add supporting RGod but has much to lose. A lot of Obama supports RGod haters are watching to see just what he does. I doubt if the Speaker is yanking Obama’s chain either, rather Obama might be able to be the first in a long time to yank the Speaker’s chain. Really the democrat leadership in Illinois just does not know what to do with Obama and that is amusing to say the least.
Comment by Paul Powell Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 12:35 pm
Chuck Norris-
Thanks for pulling the leg. info down. Much appreciated.
I would think that farmers in IL (both Central and Southern) would be happy about the E-85 initiatives that Barack is leading.
If he’s losing votes by trying to get programs in place that are helpful to farmers, then realistically, who’s going to please the Southern IL crowd?
Comment by WP Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 12:42 pm
chuck norris
thanbks for getting the information on obama’s accomplishment off of his web site. come on. obama got $1 billion in transprotation projects and money for the lock and dams. i guess hastert, durbin and costello had nothing to do with getting the funds. by the way, bush administration brought the avian flu isse to the publics attention. obama just jumped on the band wagon. i have not looked at the obama web site, but i would suggest he copsponsered most of the the legislation you talked about, along with dozen of others. the one issue he took a stand on was the support of rice for sec of state. i am sure that irrated his party. one of the few good votes he made.
Comment by ron Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 1:55 pm
Ron 9:26
Yes, Obama did not take a few counties in the “downstate” areas, a whole 10 in comparison to the 92 otheres in which he kicked butt! So, I would say, no mater how you cut it, he enjoyed very wide range support accross political and geographical lines. I believe politically, he has more than enough political capital to do what he feels without having to worry about D.P.I. and the “powers that be” in his party have to say.
Comment by Xolotl Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 1:58 pm
If the Senator was smart he shouldn’t support Blago.
Comment by Levois Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 2:05 pm
I would have to think that Hastert may have had a bit part in getting those federal funds for IL. Obama’s accomplishments listed are nice, but they are not hot issues. Very safe issues. Do we know his position on issues that get people’s dander up? No.
Obama got in because of a car wreck prior to the primary, essentially a Carol Mosely-Braun situation. He got a prime time speech (only black senator?) at the Convention and was articulate. Remember, Blago has a silver tongue and look at what we got. Obama is young, not ugly and riding high at the moment. Why would he soil his hands touching the gov. I think he will avoid Rod as if the boy gov has Ebola.
Comment by Papa Legba Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 2:22 pm
Of course Hastert had a hand in securing the transportation funding, but he himself publicly gave Obama most of the credit for his legwork in the EPW committee. And no, Ron, Obama was primary sponsor of an amendment on the Avian Flu in JULY, several months before the Bush Administration went anywhere near it. And yes Obama was also the PRIMARY sponsor on the water security and E85 amendments.
Here’s another one I missed: Obama secured additional staff and funding for the Chicago Veterans Affairs office.
If you knew anything about Congress, you would understand that a freshman senator from the minority party isn’t gonna deliver universal health care in his first year in office.
Comment by Chuck Norris Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 2:49 pm
Okay Obama bashers, name me one legislative accomplishment of Peter Fitzgerald from his SIX years in the Senate
Comment by Robert Redford Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 2:50 pm
robert redford
PATRICK FITZGERALD.
Comment by ron Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 3:27 pm
–ron
Umm, Patrick Fitgerald, while a fine prosecutor, is not a piece of legislation.
How about federal funds flowing to the state? Oh that’s right, he didn’t believe in that kind of minutae.
I’m guessing that you want Ray LaHood to run against him in five years…if he doesn’t run against Durbin in 08?
Comment by WP Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 4:52 pm
Absolutely, he’ll support the Governor 100%.
Comment by B Hicks Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 7:23 pm
Was Obama really “tepid” at the fair? I wasn’t there, but not being effusive in praise of the guy that almost caused Obama to miss the DNC because session went until the day it started in Boston (in late July), hardly seems surprising. It’s also no surprise that they’ve never been close, personally or politically, but Obama isn’t going to stick it to the Governor. Not now anyway.
There’s no need to pile-on now and nothing to be gained from it, as many have already said. A lot has changed since the fair Rich, and though I’d like to respond to those above spreading bs about Obama and his record so far, I’ll simply try to answer the QOD:
Odds: 100%, although how involved is the question. I’d expect “not very.”
How: Obama will approach it the same as he will approach Mayor Daley’s campaign in 2007. He’ll lend his name, not endorse others, appear at group events when necessary and otherwise stay out of the debate.
Obama will not stay away: But he’s likely to find it very difficult to balance the needs of a U.S. Senator with parochial issues back home.
Ads: No way Axelrod lets him do an ad for Rod. Unless he gets the buy…but for the mayor next year? Probably.
My 2 cents.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 8:38 pm
No! His handlers are not that stupid. They wouldn’t allow it even if he felt obligated. DNC sees him as the first black POTUS.
Comment by Anon Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 9:35 pm
Beowulf, if Obama is so pressured to fall into the party line, why was one of his first endorsements an early and enthusiastic endorsement of Giannoulias in the treasurer’s race against the slated lamb?
Comment by corvax Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 10:10 pm
The only thing that the guv and Obama have in common is being democrats. I can’t imagine Obama wanting to taint himself by having any association with the ethically challenged boy wonder. And if he does, I’m guessing his numbers would drop - you’re known by the company you keep!
Comment by cynically anonymous Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 10:45 pm
Rich you really mean do we want him to get involved…no. Stay away. Be above all the wrong things about politics.
Do you have dues? do you have obligations to the Party? do you have to do this because you have an ideological contract? Hmmmm - too bad.
Do you have an obligation to the people of Illinois to be the best you can be for our state - that answer is yes and has nothing to do with the Governor, in fact for those of us on the other team that supported you, hmmm - so sad if you do.
When do we get leadership from people that doesn’t include a payback. Oops - forgot this is the real world.
Comment by InTheMiddle Friday, Jan 6, 06 @ 7:18 am
Why would Governor Obama endorse anyone else for Governor? The road to the White House runs through the 2d floor of the State House.
Comment by Punley Deiter Finn Friday, Jan 6, 06 @ 10:55 am
I am a Republican who voted for Obama. It wasn’t that I was so smitten with Obamma (although he seems to be a decent guy) but rather his GOP opponent Alan Keyes was (how shall I say this in a politically correct manner?)a little too strange for me and apparently many other Illinois Republicans.
Obamma will find that he does not need the backing of his own party to retain his political position. People of both Parties are willing to vote across Party lines anymore if the candidate is a “Quality” individual, one that votes his own conscience rather than simply being an “order taker” for his Party’s leadership.
I hope that I am wrong and that Obamma is astute enough to realize that his senate position is secure as long as he doesn’t do something foolish like endorsing Blago. That would definitely tarnish his image in the minds of many of his GOP supporters.
Comment by Beowulf Friday, Jan 6, 06 @ 4:35 pm