Ah, but they did elect Fitzgerald, Hastert, and Hyde--all good men.
I think Keyes will attract a lot of the good, decent Illinois residents who have been disillusioned for the past decade and a half. Remember, in 1992, more Illinoisians voted against Clinton than for him, yet he won their state. Since that time, voting turnout has declined below the national average.
A win in Illinois will be difficult, but not impossible. The state has corruption in many places, to be sure, but I think the heart of Illinois is a decent heart.
ALL politics is SO corrupt in Illinois, that a lot of us will consider it a PLUS that Keyes has no political past in Illinois. Maybe he's the guy to start cleaning this bi-partisan PIG STY.