WOULD YA BE GOIN’ TO PADDY AND DANNY’S?

2/8/10

So Scott Lee Cohen has dropped out of the Lieutenant Governor’s race, as most people expected, in a news conference as fittingly bizarre as the rest of the man’s life. Before we say good riddance, we ought to thank the guy both for the few days of entertainment he has provided us and for shining the spotlight on the consequences of an ill-informed, indifferent, prime time TV addled electorate that votes on the basis of campaign commercials. No wonder these guys spend so much money on campaign ads—they work when the electorate is essentially clueless. But I digress.

Now comes the time for the Illinois Democratic Central Committee, and its chairman, Mike Madigan, to pick a successor. The obvious choice is Art Turner, a state rep from the west side who came in second to Mr. Cohen in the primary for lieutenant governor, four percentage points behind in a crowded field. But now there is talk of asking Comptroller Dan Hynes, who unsuccessfully challenged Governor Quinn for the gubernatorial nomination but put quite a scare into the Governor, to run for lieutenant governor. I don’t make political predictions (See my 2/1/10 post ("YOU KNOW HOW THE PREMIER LIKES SURPRISES..."), so won’t say if Hynes will be made this offer or if he would accept such an offer if one is made. However, he is said to be receptive, but won’t pursue the nomination, which probably means he really wants the job but doesn’t want to, by actively pursuing the nod, eliminate any vestige of shame which remains in his makeup. I will say that running Hynes for lieutenant governor would be a very bad idea for a number of reasons.

First, how do you deny Art Turner the chance to run? He did come in second so he would seem to be the obvious choice. Further, while Toni Preckwinkle’s not just beating, but trouncing, Terry O’Brien for Cook County Board President may have shown, once and for all, that Cook County politics are, to use the current popular buzzword, “post-racial,” I doubt if we are sufficiently post-racial to render acceptable denying the nomination to a Black man who clearly deserves it in order to put another Irish guy into state constitutional office. Further, I think that Mike Madigan knows this and, given his position in the state party, doesn’t need to do anything that has the possibility of fomenting racial animosity or even controversy, especially over something as inconsequential as the LG’s office.

Second, Hynes has spent the last several months telling us that Quinn is an incompetent showboater and Quinn has spent the last several months telling us that Hynes is a self-serving lazy lout who just might be a racist. Now these two guys are supposed to run as a team? Yes, I know that’s politics, that former enemies in the primaries can be all kissy-face huggy-bear in the general, but that’s also the kind of shameless politics of which people are tired to the point of abject disgust.

Third, can any of these guys get a real job? If Hynes somehow does get offered the LG nomination and takes it, we would have to conclude that the guy is willing to take any position at the public trough in order to avoid the ignominy of actually having to go out and work in the real world of employment that does not involve running for office. This is especially appalling because, for a guy like Hynes, a “private sector” job would involve very little real work; he’d just have to sell his influence, contacts, and his small measure of star power, easy, richly remunerative work, just perfect for building up the old bank account while waiting until the next elective position opens. If Hynes is smart, he will take this very attractive opportunity his loss has presented him. If he is utterly shameless and incapable of facing the real world, he will take the LG slot on the ticket if it is offered him. I’m hoping he chooses the former, largely because I kind of like the guy and would like to see him in public office in the future, but with a measure of respect and integrity. I’m really hoping, and guessing (but not predicting, no sir), however, that the slot will not be offered to him.