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* My Sun-Times column today is about Andy McKenna’s fledgling gubernatorial race…
Years ago, I attended a union function in Springfield, and Adlai Stevenson walked in.
Nobody noticed.
Adlai was running for governor and the union was holding a reception. It wasn’t until I pointed him out that a couple of the leaders went over and talked to the guy.
Adlai Stevenson was not gregarious like his father, the former Illinois governor, two-time presidential candidate and U.N. ambassador. He was soft-spoken and uncomfortably shy. But he was still a major candidate and I was amazed that nobody saw him hanging out by the food bar.
A similar thing happened to me a couple of years ago with Andy McKenna, the former Illinois Republican Party chairman and the newest candidate for governor.
Some political types and I were having lunch in what I thought was a large, empty room at one of those ultra-exclusive private Chicago clubs. None of us were members, but one guy, a celebrated university professor, was using a friend’s membership to get us in. Otherwise, we would’ve all been tossed out on our ears.
When I got up to leave, I noticed that McKenna had been sitting just a few feet from us. My earlier experience with Adlai Stevenson came back to me in a flash.
Here we were, just a few feet away, and nobody noticed he was there. McKenna doesn’t exactly light up a room, which may help explain his fourth-place finish in the 2004 U.S. Senate primary.
Yet, this is the guy who is supposed to save the Republican Party next year?
McKenna has lined up some of the biggest Republican money-bags behind his campaign. They are less than impressed with the rest of the Republican field, so they’ve decided to back McKenna for governor.
The idea is to stop state Sen. Bill Brady from winning the nomination. Brady came in third in the 2006 GOP gubernatorial primary, but with his residual name recognition and hard work since then, he reportedly has the highest poll numbers of all the contenders. He still doesn’t have enough support to win, but he’s far enough ahead that the top dogs don’t think anyone else can stop him.
The “problem” with Sen. Brady is his voting record in the state Senate. It’s so conservative that he will have a very tough time winning the general election, to say the least.
McKenna, on the other hand, has a lot of his own money, knows a lot of wealthy people and has raised a lot of cash from them over the years. Most important, he has never been elected to anything, so he has no pesky legislative voting record that the Democrats can use to frighten suburban voters.
The logic is clear as day.
What I don’t understand is the actual choice.
The only thing impressive about McKenna’s failed U.S. Senate bid was his fund-raising. His actual campaign was a total, complete dud. On the positive side, he has hired a bright staff for this current run, but I’ve seen a whole lot of bad candidates with great staffs fall on their faces.
“Boring” may be the watchword for Illinois politics next year, considering how badly we’ve fared with flashy back-slappers such as Rod Blagojevich and George Ryan. But you can take boring only so far. The most boring governor of my lifetime was Jim Edgar, but you still knew when he was in a room.
Stevenson, by the way, didn’t get that union’s endorsement. He was stomped a few months later by the gregarious Jim Thompson. That was a very long time ago, but the lesson has never been lost on me.
The Republicans have oodles of issues to use against the Democrats next year. But you can’t beat somebody with a nobody.
* Related…
* Andy McKenna enters crowded race for Illinois governor: “Coming in October: An announcement of Epic Proportions,” Andy McKenna’s website proclaims.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 5:51 am
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He may have a great staff but they don’t appear to be working very hard.
I’m a suburban independent who voted for and gave money to JBT in the last gubernatorial. I’m one of the demographics who could still vote Republican. Not a peep from the Republicans-no mail, no e-mails, nothing.
My husband, Mr. Democratic Liberal, gets all kinds of mail from the Dems, though.
Comment by cassandra Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 8:33 am
I totally agree with the thrust of this column. But for the record:
. He was stomped a few months later by the gregarious Jim Thompson
The Larouchie thing did not help him, though. Might have been a tougher race without that.
Comment by Pat collins Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 8:36 am
===but they don’t appear to be working very hard.===
Um, they just started this week.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 8:36 am
In an already crowded primary, what’s the end game here? You’ve got a slew of candidates that run the gamut from hard core ideologues to more moderate pols. Where does McKenna fit in? Is his absence of a legislative record reason enough to support his candidacy?
Comment by The Doc Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 8:43 am
Some got it and like it, some don’t.
Paul Simon would take half an hour to get a Pepsi at the gas station so he could shake the hands of every customer and chat up the boys in the lube bay.
I saw Thompson campaigning in Iowa for GHW Bush once spend a half hour gabbing with four old ladies who had no idea who he has. Charmed their socks off.
Adlai didn’t like it, Percy didn’t like it. When Bill Bradley made his ill-fated presidential run, he’d practically cringe when approached by supporters.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 8:45 am
Toss you out on your ear? You look too big for that.
Andy Martin
Comment by Andy Martin Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 8:58 am
==You can’t beat a somebody..==
So who is the soembody?
Comment by Bill Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 9:03 am
==You can’t beat a somebody..==
So who is the somebody?
Comment by Bill Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 9:03 am
McKenna is a great guy when you get to know and talk with him but he is too diffident and not comfortable when forced into a “meet and greet” situation. He’s the classic high school chess club member who also was an altar boy. There’s no fire there …
Comment by jaundiced eye Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 9:22 am
Andy McKenna. Yawn. Governor Patt Quinn rides again.
Comment by Speaking at Will Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 9:35 am
Quinn has the job, and right now it seems that everyone is walking on eggs waiting for more disasters and Tea Parties. It is bizarre.
Voters didn’t like Rod Blagojevich, but that didn’t mean they didn’t like his charm and energy! The guy is a rat, but he is rat-tastic! These candidates are a bunch of sour Nellies who seem to believe they can win by looking sour and sober.
That’s dumb.
The person who will win will act like a winner - not a whiner. They will be positive and optimistic. They will be no-nonsense and clear. They will speak clearly and forcefully. They will have proof of ethical behavior.
The next governor will be the one who is as direct and simple as Sarah Palin in speaking and as sainted regarding ethics as Paul Simon. Laugh all you want at Sarah’s tenor or Paul’s ears, but these two point out the direction for the winning style for next year.
Voters still fall for sincerity, even when it is faked.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 9:42 am
Andy McKenna does nothing to stir the fire in the belly….
Comment by OneMan Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 9:53 am
Who are these bright and talented people around him?Under his watch his own congressional district went deep blue.
McKenna’s a guy from the North Shore who’s had EVERYTHING handed to him in his life. It’s not a shock that he’s having trouble going out and doing something for himself.
Dillard seems to be the biggest loser here as he wanted to be the establishment guy.
Comment by shore Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 10:56 am
Andy McKenna may be raising money but I did not see great strides with the ILGOP under his leadership in fact I saw the opposite.
Comment by Wave Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 10:56 am
McKenna’s ILGOP staff, and key one in particular, were causing huge tension within the ILGOP and the GOP State Central Committee, since everyone learned to be very careful on anything coming out of State Party, and to keep an eye out over their shoulder.
Comment by Bubs Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 12:01 pm
As a Brady support, I personally love the idea of Mckenna as the stop Brady candidate. Really a guy with his lack of campaigning skills and that did a poor job as the State party Chair, I have yet to met a Republican that approved of his term as chair, and from the same geographic region as 3 other candidates.
Comment by RMWStanford Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 12:26 pm
There is something important about your story. Andy was just sitting there, allowing himself to go unnoticed. An announced candidate for Gov., (a good one) would have looked at your table, try to identify someone he knew,(you) and struck up a conversation and then have you introduce everyone else at the table he did’nt know. He does’nt have winning instincts. And if he is a spoiler out to beat Brady, who is he spoiling for?
Comment by Cousin Ralph Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 12:47 pm
“Video Killed the Radio Star”
technology requires more presence then presenation.
So far there is a decided lack of presence in many of the canidates.
Comment by Ghost Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 1:37 pm
McKenna had a tough time leading the ILGOP. Can’t imagine his charisma moving the whole state.
Comment by Fan of the Game Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 2:08 pm
But you can’t beat somebody with a nobody.
I hate to say it, but even with somebody, nobody who votes as a democrat will vote for a republican. No matter what. Lefties outnumber righties in this state by a significant margin.
Comment by Anon Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 3:02 pm
Here is the McKenna record during his 5 years as Chairman, 2 fewer congressman, 5 fewer state senators and 5 fewer house members on the republican side. He would have gotten credit if the numbers increased, he gets part of the blame for the losses.
Comment by ANON Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 3:04 pm
==The next governor will be the one who is as direct and simple as Sarah Palin in speaking and as sainted regarding ethics as Paul Simon.==
There really is no reason to compare Paul Simon with Sarah Palin. Not a one. Wait, they both wore glasses. Not good enough.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 3:18 pm
Word thats not true….
Paul simon liked to wear goofy bow ties….
Sara Palin holds goofy views about alaskans standing on their proches protecting the US from invasion by Russia.
Paul Simon was honest and honorable.
Sara Palin never lets the truth stand in the way of what she wants to present; and she never feels constrained by honor in her actions.
Comment by Ghost Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 3:34 pm
Sarah Palin and Paul Simon have more in common than the waggers here would admit to. Remember NAFTA? Unions against it - dems against it. Big time against it. Well, Paul Simon, right or not, looked at the legislation and voted for it because he thought it was best for Illinois and the good ole USA. Cost him much support to take a principled position. Palin went after entrenched interests in her own state and in her own party - she took a stand. Just because the MSM doesn’t pay much attention to her doesn’t mean she has faded from the minds of those who see much promise in future politics.
Sure, she was a victim of the gotcha moment but many her, and elsewhere, complain of gotcha moments when they are directed at your sacred cow(s) (ACORN, et al). It’s only unfair when it is directed at your own favorite.
Comment by dupage dan Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 4:17 pm
==The next governor will be the one who is as direct and simple as Sarah Palin in speaking and as sainted regarding ethics as Paul Simon.==
There really is no reason to compare Paul Simon with Sarah Palin. Not a one. Wait, they both wore glasses. Not good enough.
Maybe because it wasn’t a comparison. I listed a few traits that would be attractive to voters next year. Palin’s deceptively simple, yet incredibly effective communication skill needs to be taken seriously. She is good at this and detractors need to stop listening to her with one ear and one eye. Especially since the Obama eloquence will wear as thin as Bush’s Texas Tourettes. Stylewise, Palin is an Anti-Obama, and as he struggles her style will return to voter popularity. This always happens. Listen up!
God love Paul Simon. Nutty as a fruitcake, but sweeter. He was like an Eagle Scout from another planet. Voters will really go for a guy with a Paul Simon faith in people. Jimmy Carter did a pretty good job in 1976 with a Paul Simon like approach, but unfortunately Carter was like Paul if Paul had an evil brother…
Gubernatorial candidates regardless of party should study Palin’s communication skills and Simon’s sincerity - you betcha!
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 4:55 pm
Here they go with the Brady slam. This “we’ve got to stop him” mentality because they simply don’t like him because he’s from the sticks is why the GOP will lose. McKenna as a candidate for governor is absolutley idiotic, he’s no ball of fire, was a terrible state party chairman, has made no significant contribution to the GOP other than lose seats & party credibility and south of the “North Shore” no-one will know him ! October????….the race will be about run by October. Epic proportions ???? Can’t wait to see that one !
Comment by a downstater Friday, Sep 25, 09 @ 10:09 pm
I don’t think McKenna deserves anything further from the GOP. Just because daddy has mega-bucks, doesn’t mean he is worthy.
He did nothing for 5 years as Chairman of ILGOP, so now he has the same do-nothings as his staff.
He’ll only use big money ads at the end. He’ll have to hire staff to do his petitions because no one who knows him will circulate for him.
I really hope Brady comes in ahead of him.
Comment by Bumblejuice Saturday, Sep 26, 09 @ 3:05 am