Illinois Senate race hinders federalists, democracy

[question everything]

The Triangle - Ed-Op

Issue: 8/20/04

By Tom Holzerman

Let's pretend for a second that you're a high-ranking member of the Republican Party. You're watching the Democratic National Convention on television because, let's face it, you know that you keep your friends close, but you keep your enemies closer. At this convention, there are several speakers, but one speaker in particular catches your ear... No, the speaker you find yourself enraptured by is a little-known Illinois State Senator, Barack Obama. This Obama character is orating like he had just been consumed by the Holy Spirit of politics, speaking in tongues that everyone, regardless of their position on the political spectrum, is nodding their heads in agreement with. You think to yourself, "Man, this guy is amazing, inspiring even. He's got a great message."

Then you remember you're watching the Democrats and realize that Obama is also running for the U.S. Senate, and that he must be stopped from winning that vacant seat at all costs. The problem is, Illinois doesn't have very many credible Republican candidates... On top of that, Obama is black, so right there, in your mind, you need someone to counteract the race factor, especially since the city of Chicago could very well decide the entire election. So what do you do? Simple! You import a Maryland resident to run for the office.

Now, does that seem fishy to you? It sure does to me; however, it's the plan of action that the GOP is planning on taking to prevent the Democratic Party's newest and brightest national star from getting into the Senate. Alan Keyes, who is most notable for hosting a talk show on MSNBC, where he changed shoes and sweaters between commercials, has been pegged to challenge Obama for the senate seat. Keyes may live in Maryland, and he might not even have a residence in Illinois yet, but that won't prohibit him from running. Lax residency laws allow anyone to run for office in a state where they have minimal time spent living.

Shouldn't you have to have lived in the state you're trying to represent in order to get a feel for the issues at hand? I doubt Keyes was brushing up on the pertinent topics to the state such as expansion at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, especially while he was on his television program, blasting homosexuals and promoting the ideals of the religious right. It has shown right away, since instead of attacking Obama on issues pertinent to the state, Keyes has started his campaign with stock arguments like Obama's stance on abortion. This isn't an attempt by the GOP to put a candidate in office that's good for the people of the state of Illinois. It's a blatant attempt at party politics and positioning to make sure that the Democrats don't get another precious seat in the Senate.

More..

http://www.thetriangle.org/news/2004/08/20/EdOp/Illinois.Senate.Race.Hinders.Federalists.Democracy-703312.shtml


Tom Holzerman is a junior majoring in materials engineering. Tom is considering running for the Hawaii Senate seat; he hears the weather is nice.

[King of New Orleans]

1. No offense but

I don't get his reasoning. They brought Keyes in to "make sure" the Dems don't pick up another seat?

They brought Keyes in because 1) they're stupid and utterly out of ideas and candidates and 2) They just didn't want a white guy to lose to Obama.

[Cha]

3. I guess he thought that was their wild reasoning...

I blinked at that, too!

[Cha]

2. That was a very good read by Tom Holzerman..

I loved the way he described Obama's keynote speech at the Dem Convention! Spot on!

[King of New Orleans]

4. Yes that part was very good

and you may be right about the "reasoning" part too. Just too subtle for my Saturday night comprehension.

[xray s]

5. Illinois population is 12,600,000, but...

"....The problem is, Illinois doesn't have very many credible Republican candidates..."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!