Don’t ‘waste’ your vote on Topinka or Blagojevich
I don’t disagree with the vast majority of today’s endorsement of Judy Baar Topinka by the Journal Star. That’s because the bulk of the piece wasn’t praise for Topinka. It was condemnation of incumbent Rod Blagojevich. Even the parts of the editorial that were about Topinka were sparse in its praise.
One would think that when the top two candidates present a choice between two evils, that is an opportunity to argue in favor of a third choice. After all, the Journal Star endorsed Ed Clark, the Libertarian candidate for president back in 1980.
Not this time:
There is one other candidate in this race. Rich Whitney, a 51-year-old civil rights attorney from Carbondale, is running under the Green Party banner. He would re-regulate utilities, encourage economic development through investments in sustainable energy practices, pour money into education while seeking property tax relief. His embrace of greater government influence in the private marketplace and people’s lives gives us pause. While this may be the beginning of a legitimate third-party movement in Illinois, one thing is certain: Whitney will not be the next governor.
Well, I have news for the nameless gnome who penned this editorial: Topinka isn’t going to be the next governor, either. She’s run what may be the most unenthusiastic campaign I’ve seen in years. For months, she’s let Blago define her as a tool of George Ryan and she hasn’t really fought back. The conservative wing of her own party hasn’t helped, as they seems to be sitting this one out because one of their own didn’t get the nomination.
Why waste a vote on Whitney? Hell, why waste a vote on Topinka OR Blagojevich? At least a vote for Whitney says something, if nothing else than “none of the above.” And I still haven’t forgiven Topinka for using state employees working on taxpayers’ time to keep the Libertarian Party off the ballots back in 2002. That’s an act of political corruption that’s every bit as bad as anything Blago has done (although it doesn’t compare with homicidal level of corruption the Ryan administration gave us).
Blagojevich has run one of the most corrupt administrations in Illinois history even as his predecessor was either under indictment, on trial or awaiting sentencing. Democrats who balked at Blago’s tactics early on have fallen into line behind him (holding their noses I assume, waiting for the inevitable indictment). I’m not convinced that Topinka will be any more honest a governor. The evidence is that the Big Two parties — really just different wings of the same ruling class — has no intention to clean up their act because they aren’t in politics to be public servants. It makes absolutely no sense to vote for either Blago or Judy Baar Topinka.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Political Website = Don’t waste a vote.
If you believe that votes are wasted by voting one way or another. Thats not very intelligent.
Kermit: I thought it would be obvious that this headline mocks the JS editorial which says that a vote for a third party candidate is a wasted vote.
Cops talk to a lot of people. Especially when they complain about politics. We know who supports us and giving us more power to take trash off the streets is always helpful. The Police and Fire Unions are the King and Queen makers in Peoria. Stepping up to help us deal with the problems everyone complains about will get you our kuddos and those we talk to. If any Green Party candidate is serious, they might want to consider supporting a Police or Fire Union. Shock did and still does. He has heavy support from both fire and police. Spears is a nice guy, but too much a politician and did not support the police union in a lot of issues that would have helped us.
Anonymous Cop: As a member of the Peoria City Council, Bill Spears is not supposed to be on the side of the Police or Fire unions. Spears is management. He’s supposed to represent the residents of the city of Peoria. Often, tne needs of residents and the wants of the police and fire unions will be the same. But not always. I’m sure Bill Spears, as the brother of 2 police officers, would like to see police get as much money and benefits as they can. But Spears is also one of 11 guys who sit around a table for months every single year trying to decide how to allocate limited funds, knowing that not everyone is going to get everything they want. As a member of the State legislature, it’s very easy for Aaron Schock to vote for goodies for city employees and then tell cities to suck it up and find the money on their own.
And, I also know for a fact that police and fire are essential services and that’s how Spears tends to vote.
I agree with Billy on this. Spears has always voted on the side of basic services which includes support for both police and fire. If you want lip service, then Schock is your guy but to say Spears doesn’t support the police or fire is incorrect.
Bill: There are actually five (5) candidates for Governor. What about including all five in a piece? Please remember …. other choices to Rod, Judy and Rich are ….
Constitution Party = Mark Stufflebeam
Libertarian = Mark McCoy
CJ has a post endorsing Mark Stufflebeam.
http://peoriachronicle.com/?p=698
Your vote cast for what you believe in, is never a wasted vote!
And don’t forget the OTHER candidates for Governor:
Birthday Party = Frankie the Angry Clown
Kegger Party = Joe Stapanovich
Communist Party = John Smith
Bachelorette Party = Barbara Mantz Drake
And, why stop there? Hell, write in WHOEVER you want as Governor, cause by gum, Lord Knows that ANYONE is qualified to be Governor of Illinois, right? Shoot… who needs political experience when you have to deal with Chicago, I always say. So, let’s hop aboard the “Angry At Nearly Everyone” Bandwagon, and do our Minnesota impression… the best way to start anew is to tear it down, right? If a few hundred thousand get buried in the debris, no biggie… hell, we’ll make our POINTS, by gum!
prego man –
You can’t just write in any name. They must have filed a notarized form with the election commission (EACH election commission they wish to receive votes in. There are 110 of them (1 per county and a few like Peoria where the city has its’ own). To write-in “Prego Man” or “Bill Dennis” IS, in fact, a wasted vote because it really doesn’t count. It gets thrown out.
You can request a list of qualified write-in candidates at the polling place before you vote.
Constitution Party = Mark Stufflebeam
Libertarian = Mark McCoy
Independant = Angel Rivera ( http://www.vote4angel.com/ )
Unknown = Marvin Koch (found on wikipedia)
Well, putting in “Prego Man” or “Billy Dennis” will count just about as much as putting in Mark Stufflebeam or Mark McCoy or Uncle Joe the Fish Peddler.
In other words… nothing.
Ooops — it is Randy Stufflebeam not Mark Stufflebeam.
And prego man — don’t you just love the American way — we can agree to disagree and still vote our conscience with relatively no ill effects unlike some countries on the other side of the globe. Besides, if anyone wants more of the same, then you know what you get when you vote Dem or Rep
—- do you have some type of seer ability to know that a ‘third’ party wouldn’t get anything done? What do you base your theory on?
If the Dems and Reps won’t get anything done during the next four years — then come re-election time — perhaps they would open the doors for additional third party candidates to make further inroads?
Is that what you are predicting?
“After all, the Journal Star endorsed Ed Clark, the Libertarian candidate for president back in 1980.”
The JS was owned by Henry Slane in 1980. It’s owned by David Copley now.
Sadly, this is true.
I actually went through IL’s gubernatorial history with my boss end of last week (born and raised in Central IL and a former professor, so he knows his history). So we were up to 4 former IL governors who’d been convicted and done time ( or will be shortly, for various crimes) – Ryan, Walker (although he did time for later private sector fraud), Kerner and Stratton (although upon double checking, he was aquitted). So that gives you two Dems and two Repubs. Jim Edgar was indicted but not convicted. Thompson and Ogilve seem to have avoided any questionable activities.
Illinois appears to have the most corrupt gubernatorial history of any state. I’m willing to be corrected, but that’s a challenge, I’d bet.
So indeed, if you want more of the same – vote for either of the two major party candidates. Or you could vote for a real candidate, with both experience and integrity – Rich Whitney.
Prego-Just a warning, if you write Billy Dennis in, HE will punch your lights out.
Do you feel like there are no candidates running for governor that represent your values? If you feel this way you are not alone. It is no secret that many people are dissatisfied with the choices for governor on the ballot. However there is another choice, you can vote for Randy Stufflebeam. He is running as a write in candidate for governor of Illinois. He is different from the three candidates on the ballot because he shares the values of the middle-class. Randy is a twenty-two year retired veteran of the Marines. He is the only candidate running for governor that is pro life and against same sex marriage. He has received endorsements from the Illinois Federation for Right to Life and the National Constitution Party’s Veteran Coalition. He believes that people in public offices should be held accountable for their actions. He supports the state and federal constitution, specifically the right to bare arms and private property. He wants parents to have more say in what their children are taught at school and will make sure that the money for education will actually get there. Randy opposes the state and federal income-tax, illegal immigration, pornography, drug abuse, and judicial tyranny. To find out where Randy stands on the issues and his plans for cleaning up Illinois go to http://www.runrandyrun.com