Good points. Maybe Cox SHOULD go for the Senate first - a conservative GOP can win even in Illinois, though it’s difficult. Fitzgerald did it a while back, though his opponent was a nut (but so is Durbin). Maybe after a term or two in the Senate or as Gov, Cox will be ready to run for the POTUS.
Running against the Majority Whip of the Senate is a little easier said than done. Regardless, I think it doesn’t have much to do with the debate. A lot of folks thing Huckabee should run for the Senate against Pryor.
John Cox ran for the U.S. Senate, in 2002; in the primary, he was third, of three candidates, receiving 23% of the vote. He says that, during the past 10 years, Illinois has become too liberal for a conservative to win a statewide race, mainly because of Cook Co. The county has about 5,000,000 people. In 2004, Kerry received about 70% of the vote, in that county. Statewide, Obama received 73% of the vote.