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| QUINN: He wants the state slating! |
You’d
think the fact that officials see how low they turn up in political polls
ranking their approval, and they’d realize that we’d think just as little of
the people offering up the endorsements as we do of the officials who
supposedly are being supported.
IT
IS WHY I’m going to find it amusing if the Democratic Party of Illinois sticks
to its plans to meet Sunday in Springfield for a formal slating session.
Of
course, the only statewide election of any significance on March 18 where there
is a likelihood of a contested Democratic Party primary is the fight for
governor.
That
is what will be at stake – will the official mechanism of the Democratic Party
at the statewide level make a formal statement that it prefers to have Pat
Quinn seek another term as governor?
Or
will there be enough dissent that the party won’t take a stance – which would
leave the state committee chairmen (two from each congressional district; one
male and one female) to say whatever it is they really feel next year when the
gubernatorial campaigning reaches its peak.
IF
THERE IS an official candidate slated for office, it means the party officials have
to publicly back that choice. They may secretly want the other candidate, and
may do things in private to undermine the slated candidate. But publicly, they
will not oppose the preferred candidate.
The
Chicago Tribune reported last week that the reason the party is bothering is
because Quinn, himself, asked for a slating session. In theory, it means that
he’s confident enough that HE will be the official pick.
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| DALEY: Does he win by losing slating? |
In
reality, it will be embarrassing for his campaign if the party can’t get a
sizable majority of support for Quinn. They don’t have to back the Bill Daley
opposition campaign for Quinn to come out a loser.
Will
there be enough Democratic Party love for Quinn (or distaste for Daley) that
the party officials (particularly those from the rural areas who think the
incumbent governor is too Chicago-oriented) put aside the fact that many of
them think of the Mighty Quinn as the political equivalent of a cocktail
weenie?
AND
IF, BY chance, the Democratic Party of Illinois (whose chairman, by the way, is
none other than Michael J. Madigan himself) takes a solid stance, will anybody
take that endorsement seriously?
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| FRERICHS: He wants backers |
Will
anybody in today’s day and age care about what the party officials think?
Heck,
I don’t think it means much that the Cook County Democratic Party decided
already to officially slate Quinn for governor come 2014!
In
fact, to the Chicago city voters who will be the basis of whatever support
Quinn does get in next year’s primary will probably think it more important
that the Cook County party organization took a stance than that the Illinois
party people did.
THIS
COMING WEEKEND, if it actually takes place, could wind up being a complete act
of futility. Except for the fact that political people seem to want to believe
that political organizations can still deliver significant numbers of voters to
their campaigns WITHOUT having to go out and deal with those voters on a
one-on-one basis. It just sounds so nice to say that an impressive-sounding (to
some) organization offering their support means anything.
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| FIELD: She played a 'first lady,' would she beat a pol? |
Which
is about the only reason I can think of that the campaign of Mike Frerichs for
Illinois treasurer felt compelled to tell us this past weekend that the Illinois
Democratic County Chairmen’s Association (the organization that makes the rural Dems feel like they have a say) endorsed his bid in the Democratic
primary.
Considering
that he’s the only candidate (as of now) in the running for the nomination, the
state senator from Champaign who wants to be a statewide name just seemed a little
too eager to brag that somebody likes him right now. As in really likes him.
Somehow,
I’d vote for Sally Field over Frerichs for just about anything, if I had the opportunity.
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