-By Warner Todd Huston
It’s all over the news today here in Chicago, but former Attny. Gen. Jim Ryan has launched an exploratory committee in order to lay the groundwork for a possible Ryan for Governor campaign.
Ryan last tried to run as the GOP nominee for governor against Democrat Rod Blagojevich in 2002. He’s since served as a distinguished fellow at Benedictine University.
He expects to make a final decision very soon,” said Dan Curry, who was Ryan’s spokesman when he was attorney general and said he was authorized by Ryan to speak on his behalf. “He’s making a final decision with his family.”
I have to say that this is not good news. Oh, I am not necessarily against Jim Ryan. He was a perfectly fine candidate back in 2002. But he is old guard and old guard will not excite the voters in 2010. The Illinois GOP is missing an opportunity to bring a fresh, bold face to the voters if they fall back to another Ryan candidacy.
Just that name “Ryan,” regardless of which Ryan it is assigned to, will cause voters to roll their eyes and envision the same old, same old. This is not a recipe for victory in 2010.
If the GOP makes a departure from the good ol’ boy network and presents a new face, this alone will help make the GOP seem enlivened and fresh to a public that is tired of Democrat corruption. But this state is firmly entrenched in Democratic politics and it will take something like that to get them to jump ship. If the GOP seems like it is no different than it was during the corrupt George Ryan administration (that former Governor currently in prison), then on-the-fence voters will see no reason to leave the devil they know for a new way.
Some one should tell Mr. Jim Ryan to stay at his University. Thanks for your past service, but let’s keep it in the past.
(Cross posted at RedCounty.com.)
____________
Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as NewsBusters.org, RightWingNews.com, CanadaFreePress.com, StoptheACLU.com, TheRealityCheck.org, RedState.com, Human Events Magazine, AmericanDailyReview.com, and the New Media Journal, among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events and is currently the co-host of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Conservatism” heard on BlogTalkRadio. Warner is also the editor of the Cook County Page for RedCounty.com.
He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of PubliusForum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston
Fair Use: This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material available in my efforts to advance understanding of political, human rights, economic, democracy, and social justice issues, etc. I believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research, educational, or satirical purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site/blog for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.