Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Our M & M race for Senate




     Illinois became a state in 1818, and its first two senators were elected to staggered terms: Jesse B. Thomas, for six years, and Ninian Edwards for two, before running for, and winning, his second, six-year term.
     This kept the senate elections staggered, generally, and formed two tracks, like M & Ms racing at a Bulls game, and it's easy to view them as in competition.
     Spoiler alert: Track No.1 is winning.
     Track 1's Thomas proposed the Missouri Compromise that limited slavery, and Track 1, as we shall call it, has seen a pantheon of greatness—Stephen Douglas. Paul Douglas—and skill, such as Charles H. Percy, Paul Simon and his protege, Dick Durbin who, since 1997, carved out a niche for himself as, if not a name that will echo through history, then a no-drama workhorse twirling a dozen policy plates at once, bringing home the bacon to Illinois, year-in, year-out.
     But on Track 2....

     It's first occupant, Edwards, who as governor sent the Illinois militia to ambush Indian tribes, was forced to resign midway into his second term, after being exposed penning anonymous, unfounded attacks on a political rival.     

To continue reading, click here. 

14 comments:

  1. I also read your ST column on Zopp. Another reason she lost is that she is a wretched excuse for a human being.
    Years ago, she threw a rape victim into County Jail because she refused to testify against her rapist. That woman spent a weekend in that hellhole. And yes, I know that rapist was Mel Reynolds, but no matter who the rapist is, you don't revictimize that person just for another scalp as a prosecutor.
    That was my #1 reason to vote for Duckworth & I'm a man!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Perhaps we might discover Kirk's ability or lack thereof sooner rather than later if there's a Kirk/Duckworth debate. I welcome his tentative steps towards rationality, but being a Republican these days seems to limit one's opportunities in that direction.

    john

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just glad to see that turncoat Dunkin got trounced.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IMO, calling Dunkin a turncoat is giving him too much credit for coherence. To me he seemed like an attention whore who sided with Rauner just to get his name in the papers. Well, he got attention, all right.

      Delete
    2. Looks like even with the President compromising on a moderate candidate as judicial nominee, that still isn't good enough for the McConnell type beasts.

      Delete
  4. Last month when I was at a Bulls game, the M&M race was instead a Dunkin' Donuts race which "Cuppy Coffee" won. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't quite get the disparagement of Duckworth. She may not be a great orator, but I met her in a session with small group and found her far from uninteresting. I know something of qualifications for flying a helicopter in combat and being "sleepy," as you termed her in the piece about Zopp,isn't one of them. Her experience with the VA wasn't an opportunity to shine -- how many Assistant Secretaries of any Federal department have you ever heard of? -- but it's one of the better bureaucratic perches for learning how Washington works. She does know more than almost anybody about veterans affairs and would be one of the few combat veterans in the Senate, indeed, one of the few military veterans of any stripe.

    For no other reason I would be inclined to vote for her because she rid the body politic of Joe Walsh.

    Tom Evans

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Duckworth will certainly get my vote in November, as she did on the primary ballot as well.

      Delete
    2. Didn't care for how Zopp made some dig about Tammy taking time off when she had her child. That didn't resonate well with working moms.

      Delete
  6. Seems the price of poker has gone seriously up for the 24 obstructionists up for re-election in the Senate.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I won't question Kirk's physical abilities, but I believe they'll be used as an excuse for his decline in future job performance should he win. I just don't think he effectively represents this state, pre-stroke or post.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated, and posted at the discretion of the proprietor.