Posted on 06/09/2003 10:04:35 PM PDT by LdSentinal
He's the most happy fella. Jack Ryan, 43, the North Shore investment banker, is running for the U.S. Senate on a platform of happiness and light.
''I just feel so much love in this room right now,'' Happy Jack declared at his campaign kickoff the other day at Hales Franciscan High School, where he gave up an investment banking career to teach a few courses.
''Every major religion says that happiness comes not from seeking our own fulfillment but from seeking the fulfillment of others,'' he said. ''We've got to start looking out for one another's happiness."
Ryan, who has been floating his name as a potential candidate over the last five years, is slap-happy over his school.
"Hales stands for love for our fellow man. It stands for the idea that happiness comes not by seeking your own happiness," he asserts, "but by seeking the happiness of others."
Ryan has made known that he intends to spend at least $6 million of his personal fortune in an effort to buy the GOP senatorial nomination. He hopes to raise about $15 million for this race.
"This is a serious campaign that is going to require a serious commitment," he is quoted as saying in a press release issued by his office. "I have made this significant personal financial investment because this race and the future of Illinois are important matters to me."
In the press release announcing his candidacy to succeed the retiring Sen. Peter G. Fitzgerald (R-Ill.), Ryan says that he has "long been seen as a rising star in the GOP ranks."
As proof, at the press conference kicking off his campaign, Ryan handed out faded clips about his flirtation with a 2002 run for the Senate against Democratic incumbent Richard J. Durbin, a local magazine's listing of him in a "40 under 40" feature, and his inclusion among Irish American magazine's "Top 50 Irishmen on Wall Street." The fact remains that when the GOP last called Ryan, his line was busy.
Among the reasons that Ryan is taken lightly by GOP professionals is that he could have had his party's nomination for the asking last year. But he was intimidated by early polls that gave Durbin the edge.
His timidity isn't his only problem. Ryan also faces an uphill run because of voter confusion about his last name. Former Gov. George H. Ryan, who is no relation, as Jack Ryan points out in his press releases, is about to be indicted on corruption charges. Republican polling indicated last year that 24 percent of the voters confused gubernatorial nominee Jim Ryan, who was then attorney general, with the beleaguered governor.
"I did two polls to look at this as a problem or not," Jack Ryan said, "and both of them showed that my unfavorables are 3 percent."
If Happy Jack believes that, he's kidding himself. Many voters will be confused if another Ryan seeks statewide office.
Even though he is personally honest and a nice fellow, a fourth of the voters will still have their doubts.
"Once people know my message and know my campaign and see my face," he said, "I think they're going to say this is not Jim or George. This is someone totally different."
Ryan, who has never been tested as a candidate, sought to avoid questions after reading his announcement the other day. When his handlers let him field a few questions, Ryan said that he couldn't "off the top of my head" give an example of a policy on which he differed from the Bush administration.
When reporters tried to pin him down on controversial issues, he got nervous.
Asked about his stance on abortion, Ryan said that he is "pro life."
Ryan was less forthcoming when asked about his position on gun control. "We've got to go," he said with a blank look on his face. "We've got to go."
But the questions persisted.
"I'm sorry," Happy Jack answered, "we've got to go."
Uh, I think we may need to do a urinalysis of this fella. Poor guy, I think he's been in la-la land since his divorce from Jeri...
I think it was mutual.
"Man she is hot. I think I might be more interested in getting her back than getting a Senate seat."
Yeah. Without Jeri, he must have tons of baby-batter on the brain, if you catch my drift.
Ryan handed out faded clips about his flirtation with a 2002 run for the Senate against Democratic incumbent Richard J. Durbin, a local magazine's listing of him in a "40 under 40" feature, and his inclusion among Irish American magazine's "Top 50 Irishmen on Wall Street.
"We've got to go," he said with a blank look on his face. "We've got to go."
Unless this is inaccurate reporting, Mr. Ryan appears to me be sort of a nut and a very weak candidate. Can the Illinois GOP do better?
Steve Neal, Chicago Sun-Times. He's a Rat hack who sets up GOP candidates just to smack 'em back down. Wrote a really nice article about Edgar, how he'd be a shoo-in. Then wrote that George Ryan's shenanigans during Edgar's admin would surely bring him down. He's written some really nice stuff about Jack, too. Now he smacks him down.
Very nice hatchet job. Inaccurate reporting? Ha ha ha . . . .
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