Friday, August 07, 2009

Why not Joe Birkett for governor?

As I posted yesterday, DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett has withdrawn from the race for attorney general. Simply put, Birkett can't compete with state House Speaker Michael Madigan's money; he's also the head of the Illinois Democratic Party, and Madigan will pull out all stops to ensure his daughter Lisa wins a third term as AG.

But that got me thinking...

Just because Birkett is not running for that office, that doesn't necessarily mean he should sit out 2010, he could run for...governor.

Isn't a career prosecutor precisely what Illinois needs as its CEO?

Here's what else Birkett has in his favor--that important DuPage County political base. Sure, so does Robert Schillerstrom, the chairman of the DuPage County board, but Birkett, who has run statewide twice, possesses a precious commodity that none of the other announced Republican candidates enjoy: name recognition. Which is why a March Zogby poll showed Birkett clobbering State Senator Bill Brady in a potential gubernatorial primary.

But Birkett is not just a "DuPage guy." He spent most of his childhood on Chicago's West Side, and his life story is a compelling one--he lost both of his parents at a young age, and he achieved his success as a lawyer and a prosecutor on his own. Birkett has rock solid conservative credentials, and it was he who was the driving force in reinstating parental notification for minors seeking abortions back in place.

Birkett's a straight forward guy, perhaps not the most charming politician out there, but haven't we had enough of charmers in this state? That will help him downstate and with conservative Democrats. For a Republican to win in this state, crossover votes are needed.

Birkett's a doer who won't be afraid to play hardball with the Democrats in the General Assembly.

Yes, Birkett lost in his previous statewide contests. He came close to defeating Lisa Madigan in 2002, and four years later he shared the ballot as the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor--no one could vote in the general election directly for Patrick Quinn or Birkett.

He's a tough, hard working guy who has the work ethic to solve the state's ethical and fiscal woes.

Considering running for governor, Joe.

Related post:

Joe Birkett on Blago: Hold the enablers accountable

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