 |
| CLINTON: Will she, for president? |
And
now, out of the District of Columbia, the speculation is spurring as to whether
Michelle Obama will seek to become a member of the U.S. Senate, representing
the good people of Illinois.
NOW
TO LISTEN to either woman, they seem to indicate the answer to these scenarios
becoming truth is “no.” But we’re still going to hear them, because quite
frankly, the idea of not having those two women as candidates means we’re in
for some dreadfully-dull election cycles in coming years.
Somebody
has to stir up some dirt!
As
for Preckwinkle, she’ll be on the Nov. 4 ballot seeking re-election. Her
chances of winning are outstanding – Republicans couldn’t even get a token
challenger on the ballot.
But
way too many people want to believe that Preckwinkle will give up that post
next spring to take on Rahm Emanuel. Heck, I recently joked with one of
Preckwinkle’s aides at an event where he asked me if I had any specific
questions for her.
MY
SARCASM CAUSED me to respond that I could be the millionth reporter to ask if
she was running for mayor. To which he laughed.
Part
of the reason for asking is that, by pure chance, she might say something
differently this time.
But
it also comes down to the fact that if she doesn’t get into the mayoral race,
there won’t be a credible opposition to Emanuel. Nobody thinks of Robert Shaw
in that way. And the other African-American people who say they’re running for
mayor?
 |
| PRECKWINKLE: Still saying 'no' |
They
probably won’t get anybody who doesn’t live on their specific block to actually
vote for them!
THERE
WILL BE a lot of people who wind up voting for Emanuel because there’s nobody
else – even though they desperately want that somebody else!
It’s
a similar sentiment that has people offering up the current first lady for U.S.
Senate. She will, after all, be leaving that post in January 2017. She has to
do something, even though she has made it clear throughout her life that she
personally never had interest in running for office.
And
privately probably wonders how she could ever fall in love with someone who was
politically motivated.
 |
| OBAMA: Returning to So. Shore roots? |
I
don’t know that I believe she would ever seek the Senate post currently held by
Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., when he has to go for re-election in 2016. Although I’m
sure some like the idea of a storyline of a first lady-turned-senator.
WHICH
IS JUST the same as what happened to Hillary R. Clinton when her husband’s
presidential term ended. Although she became an honorary New Yorker, rather
than returning to her suburban Park Ridge roots for that aspiration.
The
idea of Michelle as Hillary, the Sequel? That’s just a stretch.
Although
it brings up the other person who’s the focus of political speculation these
days – Hillary for president.
She’s
going to wait for the absolute last-minute before she makes any announcement.
What does she gain from rushing her decision?
ONE
POSSIBLE SCENARIO for our local political scene in coming years. Suppose it all
were to come true?
 |
| MADIGAN: Higher aspirations? |
We’d
have President Hillary R. Clinton, Mayor Toni Preckwinkle, Sen. Michelle Obama
and (come the 2018 election cycle) Gov. Lisa Madigan – whose own political
future is a constant source of speculation and fantasy.
A
major plus for female political empowerment, for sure. That would be quite a
lineup that would show just how far we as a society have advanced.
Which
is probably the ultimate evidence that all the political speculation is a
little too fantasy-based to be taken seriously.
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