Pawnbroker Cohen's 100,000 signatures a statement on Pat Quinn's unpopularity

Earlier this month unemployed military veteran Alvin Greene was the surprise winner of the South Carolina US Senate primary. Greene, who was arrested last fall for showing a pornographic video to a college student, didn't bother campaigning yet won 59 percent of the vote against someone who did.

Four months ago, pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen was the surprise winner of the Illinois Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. He campaigned, using a series of job fairs to get his name out there, but he barely topped one-fifth of the vote. Cohen has a troubled history, including assaulting his prostitute-girlfriend in 2005--the charges were dropped when she didn't show up in court.

This doesn't seem to happen in Republican primaries. Now there's a Texas loon who is the Democratic nominee for a Texas US House seat.

But Cohen, who quit the Democratic ticket shortly after his win, is now running for governor as an independent. Besides the arrest, he has other baggage including allegations of unpaid child support and steroid abuse. Hey, at least Illinois voters know what they're getting this time around.

On the other hand, Cohen will not be the nation's first pawnbroker-governor. Pat Quinn, Rod Blagojevich's former running mate who is running for a full term as governor, is trailing badly in the polls to Republican Bill Brady. Quinn needs every vote he can get, and Cohen's entry is bad news for his fellow Chicagoan. Illinois Republican Party Chairman, Pat Brady, had this to say this evening:

Call me a naysayer, but Mr. Cohen filing over 100,000 more signatures than required to put his name on the November ballot for Illinois governor says a whole lot more about the popularity of Pat Quinn than it does about Cohen. Keep in mind, Quinn's approval rating is down around 34 percent, and still dropping.

Related posts:

Pawnbroker candidate's ex-girlfriend: Cohen is "not fit to hold any public office"
Sun-Times: Dem pawnbroker candidate Cohen looking for "honorable" way to put campaign on hock--forever
Dem pawnbroker candidate met ex-girlfriend at massage parlor known for prostitution
Pawnbroker candidate update: Steroids, choking, and unpaid child support
Ill. guv race: Quinn asks pawnbroker running mate with abuse arrest to step aside

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