The
political establishment is going to be determined to think that a young, black
woman managed to win a DuPage County-based House seat only as a total fluke –
and that it will be time for the natural order of things to be restored by
dumping her from office.
IT’S
NOT EVEN odd that one of the potential Republican replacements for Underwood
has plans to significantly play up the fact that he has athletic
accomplishments.
For
people who think that politics is dull or boring or confusing or irrelevant to
their lives, it may well be easier to comprehend old football footage than any attempt
to get at the issues confronting our society.
So
the political aspirations of Ted Gradel shouldn’t be dismissed out-of-hand.
Gradel
played big-time college football (Notre Dame, class of 1987), before going into
business and establishing a life for himself out around the Land of DuPage.
Now, the Naperville resident thinks it’s time for him to serve in Congress.
WHICH
MAKES HIM one of three people saying they will run for the Republication
nomination to challenge Underwood in next year’s election cycle – Jim Oberweis
and Allen Skillicorn are the other two, as of now.
But
Gradel, who admits he has no political experience and thinks we ought to view
that as a “positive in my book,” has, according to the Capitol Fax newsletter,
hired a political consultant and has already put together his first campaign at
touting himself.
 |
| UNDERWOOD: Can she win re-election? |
That
ad features one-time Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz touting just how
wonderful a football place kicker Gradel was – and is loaded with footage of
Gradel playing for the Fighting Irish.
In
short, a perfect spot to appeal to people who otherwise wouldn’t want to bother
thinking about politics.
THERE’S
JUST ONE thing that could wind up hurting Gradel – the fact that by so strongly
reminding people he played football for Notre Dame, he’s going to stir up the
resentment and hostility of all those sports fans who like to denigrate Notre
Dame every single chance they get.
 |
| HARRIS: Former gridder now in politics |
The
ones who think that anything that was ever special about Notre Dame football
was long ago in the past, and they seem to get upset any time anyone includes
the Fighting Irish amongst the ranks of the best college football programs in
the country.
Will
Underwood’s re-election bid wind up gaining the support of every single person
who feels compelled to trash-talk Notre Dame every chance they get?
For
that matter, Gradel includes footage of a field goal he kicked against Alabama
all those decades ago. Will all the fans of the Crimson Tide (a school that has
made increasing efforts to recruit for students throughout the Midwest –
including Illinois) become instantly appalled with the Gradel campaign so as to
disregard it from its opening moments?
IT
MAY SOUND irrational, bordering in crazy and downright nuts!
 |
| FLANAGAN: Is he Underwood equivalent? |
But
then again, it wouldn’t be the stupidest thing that ever happened on the
political scene – particularly if someone is being asked to base the casting of
a ballot on the fact that someone once played a sport at a highly-competitive
level.
So
it will be interesting to see if Gradel can manage to beat out a pair of
business executives who, at the very least, have gained a little bit of political
experience serving in the Illinois General Assembly.
Or
more importantly, was Underwood’s 2018 electoral victory over incumbent
Congressman Randy Hultgren just a political fluke – something along the lines
of back in 1994 when Michael P. Flanagan managed to win a Congressional post for
two years as a Republican from Chicago!
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