I agree that we’d have a better chance of winning in a 2009 special than a 2010 regular. But my concern is that a victory over Burris in a low-turnout 2009 special would be pyrric, given that it would get Burris out of the picture and allow the Democrats to nominate a stronger candidate in 2010 and greatly reduce our chances of holding the seat from 2011-2017. Frankly, I think I’d rather let the Dems keep the Senate seat for the 18 months prior to January 2011 if it improves our chances of winning the 6-year term in November 2010.
Of course, some may argue that winning a special election this coming summer would help the GOP to win the 6-year term in 2010, since we would have an incumbent running for reelection. However, I think that whomever would be our candidate in 2010 would be better off running as a non-incumbent against the incumbent Burris than running as an incumbent against a non-incumbent Shakowsky or Madigan.
At the end of the day, though, the decision on whether to hold a special election will be made solely by the Democrats, so we can have this philosophical discussion without risk that we’ll make a bad decision, since there is no decision for us to make.
Who should the republican nominee be, in 2010? The only Illinois Republican who was elected to the U.S. Senate, within the past 20 years, was Peter Fitzgerald, who was a state senator, when he was elected. I think our nominee should be St. Sen. J. Bradley Burzynski, of the 35th District, which includes De Kalb Co. and part of the Rockford area. These are some of his latest interest group ratings: NRA, A+; Chamber of Commerce, 100%; URF, 90%; AFL-CIO, 10%; and Planned Parenthood, 0%. He was elected to a four-year term, in 2008, so he could run for a statewide office, in 2010, without giving up his state senate seat. He’s been a state senator since 1993. If he becomes a U.S. senator, he would have 18 years of experience, as a state senator. That’s more than twice as long as Obama was a state senator.
I agree, we don't want Burris eliminated for 2010. We need a to sign a 6 year lease on this seat.
At the end of the day, though, the decision on whether to hold a special election will be made solely by the Democrats,
Yes. I wonder if Quinn will push for it. Though a liberal he will be a better Governor than the last 2.
I’m sure that Peter Fitzgerald would have defeated Mosely-Braun in 1998 even had he followed up his state senate service with two terms in Congress.
I wish he had beat Crane, we'd still have that seat.
Phil do you really think Durbin will retire in 2014? He'll only be 70, that's a puppy for a democrat Senator.
As to Roskam versus Burzynski. It'd think Roskam would start out of the gate with better name recognition as a higher ranked official. Burzynski is experienced and conservative he'd make a fine choice for a statewide office. We do have 7 to compete for in 2010, we need to have a viable candidate for all them even if it doesn't look promising (ie beating Comptroller Dan Hynes) or popular senile old man Jesse White who I hope retires.