Now,
it seems I’ll have to go back and mock the Sun-Times for taking lame-brained
editorial stances. Because the newspaper put a notice on their website Friday
night telling us there will be an official endorsement in the Sunday newspaper –
the one whose early editions are for sale Saturday morning – governor.
CONSIDERING
THAT THE newspaper published an editorial earlier this week that said Rauner is
the preferred candidate for Illinois governor because of the financial problems
the state faces – and that no other concerns are relevant – it would be
extremely difficult to think there’s a way the paper would officially back Gov.
Pat Quinn’s bid for re-election.
Unless
they’re really willing to open themselves up to ridicule!
Now
I don’t have first-hand knowledge about the goings on of the Sun-Times
editorial board. I know what I read in the paper.
Although
a part of me wonders if the current Sun-Times ownership saw all the fun being
had by all the other newspapers who in recent weeks have written editorials
saying people should vote for Rauner.
THEY
WANT TO “play” too. What’s the point of owning a major metro news-oriented
publication and any Internet-based venues that go along with it if one can’t
throw their muscle around and pretend that the political people are actually
swayed by such thoughts?
I’ll
give the newspaper the benefit of the doubt when it says it’s not being
influenced to back Rauner because of the owners’ ties to the man – he was once
a minority partner in the company that currently runs the newspaper, although he
sold it off when he started thinking of running for government office.
Which
makes me wonder if Rauner is a guy who once had dreams of being a media mogul,
but decided instead to be a governor instead? What next; will he want to be a
fire chief?
Or
maybe he’ll start wearing a cape and go running around Chicago pretending he’s
some sort of superhero – saving the souls of Chicago from evil super villains
who would wreck havoc upon the Second City.
JUST
AS A side thought – what kind of evil villain character could be created out of
Pat Quinn’s persona?
But
back to the Sun-Times editorial policy – which seems like it will be limited to
governor come the Nov. 4 election cycle. Although the newspaper wrote Friday
that they would make endorsements for the February and April election cycle for
municipal office.
Will
the Sun-Times throw its support to a mayoral challenger? Or will they convince
us that the Dynamic Duo of Emanuel and Rauner is the key to running city and
state governments in a way that will bring about the most in reform?
That
is a thought that I’m sure would offend many Chicagoans these days. If the
Sun-Times’ intent is merely to back people of means whose world view would be
oriented to certain upper-crust individuals, they may wind up doing themselves
harm in terms of alienating their readership.
THE
IDEA OF a Sun-Times editorial endorsement that says Quinn needs to go because
none of the business objections brought up by the governor are relevant just
seems too similar to the endorsement the Chicago Tribune already gave to
Rauner.
But
I wonder if some people are going to speculate more about the “Dynamic Duo”
concept I threw out there earlier – if Rauner is “Robin,” how ridiculous would
he look in those green shorts and yellow cape that actor Burt Ward made ever so
popular a half-century ago?
-30-
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