Governor Blagojevich needs to step down; he needs to resign.In 2006 I was a first-time voter. It was the Illinois Democratic Primary and my choices for governor were incumbent Democrat Rod Blagojevich versus ill-funded Chicago alderman Edwin Eisendrath. At the time, Blagojevich was mired in a corruption investigation that plagued his campaign and administration. Primary challenger Eisendrath campaigned on the message of ending the politics as usual in Springfield and encouraged Illinois Democrats to cast an informed vote. Eisendrath was destroyed; the Chicago Democratic Machine was uncomfertable with the idea of defeating an incumbant Democrat mid-stream. Though insightfully I voted for Eisendrath- against my Democratic governor.
My second vote in the General Election haunts me today. I had just arrived at the University of Delaware the fall of my freshmen year and requested to vote absentee. As I stared at my ballot the choices included Blagojevich (D), Baar-Topinka (R) and Whitney (Green). Silently, like many Illinoisans, I held my nose and voted for Blago believing that he had to be better than the Republican State Treasurer Baar-Topinka. I just couldn't wrap my mind around voting for a Republican coming out of the George Ryan Administration and I believed that the Green Party candidate didn't have a shot. I wasn't about to throw away my first General election Gubernatorial vote.
I would later find out that Whitney of the Green Party received 10% of the vote, and as much as Illinois is a liberal Midwestern state I'm absolutely certain that the majority of Whitney supporters were disaffected Democrats who just couldn't justify voting for Blago.
In hindsight... I wish I had voted Green; I wish I had voted against Blago and I wish I had voted against 'pay to play' politics. But I didn't.
Delaware, I admire your state's politics. I admire the genuine people here and the desire for honest and ethical government.
What Illinois needs is someone trustworthy and new-a change agent- to step up and shake things up in Springfield. Remember, it is Illinois that has produced this nation's best leaders (Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, Adlai Stevenson and Barack Obama among others) and evidently it is also home to some of our worst. Two corrupt governors in secession- one no better than the rest- of both parties. Disgusting.
It's time for change in Springfield.
3 comments:
Its OK to vote split ticket, man.
And everyone feels regrets in their voting past. I regret voting for Beau Biden in 2006, when i was a first time voter. There's nothing that I can do to change the vote but in the future I guess I can vote smarter.
I think it should be a wake up call to IL voters that this will be the fourth governor to go to prison in the last 36 years, but then again the Chicago political machine gets to do what it wants, so we will see.
Its going to be very interesting to see how this affects the Senate appointment.
"Delaware, I admire your state's politics. I admire the genuine people here and the desire for honest and ethical government."
Spend a couple more years here man, you might change your opinion :D.
"Delaware, I admire your state's politics. I admire the genuine people here and the desire for honest and ethical government."
Come to Sussex County, where good old boy politics reigns supreme, and we'll give Chicago a run for its money...
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