That's simply not true. Obama is starting to do really well downstate. Sure, it wouldn't be happening if we had, you know, A GOP CANDIDATE, but it would probably still be happening. I hate most of his positions, but I do understand why people are so taken with the personality. And from a purely political standpoint, he's done a masterful job of dealing with the GOP implosion. He's said nice things about his potential opponents, hasn't gloated, and has kept running as if there was competition. He's smart, he's attractive, and he was 20 points ahead even before Jack Ryan embarrassed himself and the party.
But the real danger isn't Obama taking the Fitzgerald seat (which, let's face it, Fitzgerald has just been keeping warm for the Dems for the past six years). The real danger is that if there's no credible GOP senate candidate, and no chance for Bush to pick up Illinois, we may lose some of our house seats here (and maybe not just Crane's).