1. Rauschenberger. Probably the only guy that doesn’t have anyone who hates him (despite concerns over the vetting process). Hastert is friendly, only Kjellander has a problem and Steve didn’t even try that hard to take him down. But with his demand to have a minimum amount of party money, the party may end up begging him to run instead of him asking to run. I believe at this point he is the only guy who can save the down ballot disaster completely.
2. Bob Schillerstrom. Smart, probably liked by Chamber types because of his switch on O’Hare and has decent name recognition as DuPage County Board Chair. Will be a decent draw in the burbs and will not be too much of a handicap in the downballot. Probably will demand some party money too. If he can get it, good platform to start the Governor’s race.
3. Tom McCracken. RTA Chair (Former or current–have to check) Fluent on transportation issues and widely known amongst insiders. Berkowitz says conservatives like him generally. Probably not stupid enough to run without party money either.
4. Uberveis. Guy only has a shot because he finished second in the primary and wants the suicide mission. President doesn’t like him and the Party understands how toxic he could be. Drug reimportation doesn’t help.
5. Jack Ryan. As I said, can it really get any weirder?
6. Jonathan Wright. Actually made a decent name for himself in the primary and might be willing to take on a suicide mission to raise name recognition and issues. A building for the future pick.
7. General Borling. Decent guy and certainly a heoric past. But that isn’t going to work with his former campaign manager being at the center of the Ryan scandal. Being pro-choice was knock one–this is knock two. Too bad in the sense that I think he’d have run a good campaign.
8. Dr. Andrea Grubb Barthwell. If nothing else, throw a hail mary. Still not sure how they are going to talk to her, but those things tend to work out.
9. Norm Hill. NORM!
10. Ditka. No seriously, why not at this point? Rauschenberger applied to be Bears Coach and Ditka to the Senate. How about it Jerry? A trade? (Credit to OneMan to reminding me of the Rauschenberger application to the Bears)
11. Duerson. Ah, hell, so he is a Democrat. And do we really need to guess who sent in his resume?
12. Lauzen. Don’t think he’ll do it, but imagine how stale my CPA jokes will be.
13. Jerry Krause. Jordan wil really donate to Obama then.
14. Jerry Reinsdorf. New meaning to stadium seating in the Senate gallery
15. Jordan. Just to keep Krause out, but Democrats buy shoes too.
16. Kathuria. Resume promises not to finish dead last again.
17. Peter Fitzgerald. Over Hastert’s dead body. Rumors of extra cholesterol being shipped to Hastert by some Party members
in a brief bit of hearsay, I hear the Committeefolks aren’t being lobbied hard, but the press is ever present. My guess is that this benefits Rauschenberger assuming he wants it since he has three natural votes already.
wasn’t us, I swear!
Mooo.
The Illinois Leader (shudder) is reporting that Rauschenberger has withdrawn his name from consideration.
Ahhh, there’s nothing like fresh Schadenfreude.
What about Corky?
Where’s she on the Cattle Call?
Sun Times confirms to no from Steve
http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/rausch08.html
Bring back GEORGE Ryan!!!
Rauschie has problems with potential Judicial appointees anyways.
looks like rauschenberger is out.
Seriously. Does anyone know if Corrine turned in her sheet to the SSC?
So lets ask the question – can it be anyone other than Jack! ? I mean, who wants to be the third choice?
Glenns obvious observation of the day – lets hope steve rauschenberger really likes springfield because he’s gonna be there for quite a while.
Yep, Rauschenberger’s out. He’s got his sights set on a gubernatorial bid in 2006 and he doesn’t want to tarnish his name by running in this lost cause. Hastert now has egg on his face. Nice.
Now that Rauschenberger’s out, this race really is all but over. He was the last guy they had who could make it competitive and now they’re really scraping the bottom of the barrell. They may have to draft Oberweis, a guy the national party is terrified of thanks to his anti-Hispanic bashing. It’s going to be a long november in Il for the state GOP, that’s for sure.
An added note: Rauschenberger was likely spooked off by Obama’s huge war chest as well, since he can’t self finance like Ryan or Oberwies could. Obama’s huge financial lead will likely dissuade many other GOPers from daring to face him.
Ditka is a wild card. I think he’d probably wind up being seen as a buffoon and get slaughtered. I seem to remember him making some extremeist political remarks a few years ago. And I bet all sorts of stuff would come out about him. But you never know with celebrities. Who would have ever thought that Ventura and Schwarzenegger could win. Of course the situation is much different. Ventura was an independent, so he only needed a third of the vote. And Scwarzenegger was running against a governor who’s popularity ratings had fallen somewhere between Hitler’s and Osama Bin Laden’s. Does Ditka concern you, Archpundit?
The only one who makes sense is for Fitzgerald to take one for the party in exchange for getting the next job he wants, or power, or Cubs tickets, or whatever.
He comes out noble and smelling like a rose, we stil get Obama, and the rebugs don’t have to make hard choices about who to humiliate and sacrifice. Then they just have to spend no money at all on him and give it all to their endangered local pols, making them happy (and we tv viewers happy). Simple. Make me party chief.