Thinking About the General
ArchPundit
From Charlie Cook’s Off to the Races:
Republicans might actually get a bit of a break in Illinois. Jack Ryan,
an attractive and wealthy former investment banker who was teaching in
an inner-city school until recently, is expected to win the GOP primary.
The likely Democratic nominee, state Sen. Barack Obama, is equally, if
not more, impressive, yet does not have the personal fortune Ryan has.
Blair Hull, the fabulously wealthy Democrat, was expected to win the
nomination until revelations about his messy divorce and cocaine use in
the 1980s doomed his chances. National Democrats had counted on this
seat to be the best of all possible worlds, an easy pickup by a
self-funding candidate. Now it is likely to be very close and will have
to be funded through more traditional — read difficult — means.
There are a couple reasons I don’t entirely buy this, but I’ll save that for after the primay. Let me say a lot of smart and connected people disagree with me and agree with Cook.
UPDATE: Charlie Cook is getting around today:
Atrios
Josh Marshall
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