Tom Geoghegan
Tom Geoghegan is the author of two great books I’ve read, Which Side Are You On? and The Law in Shambles. And now he’s running for congress in the storied Rostenkowski/Blagojevich/Rahmbo House seat in Chicago.
This blog doesn’t endorse candidates for office, but Josh Marshall remarks:
Don’t know what his chances are — he seems more like the type of guy you’d like to see in the House than the type who actually gets there. But let’s see. It’s important to aim high.
I would have said something similar about Al Franken, and now he’s a US Senator. And I think of Glenn Nye who’s being sworn in today as a member of the US House of Representatives — you haven’t traditionally seen guys leap from the foreign service into congress. But why not? And couldn’t the House use a labor lawyer slash major intellectual? Part of what happens in times of political change is that new people get pulled into the process. People who don’t usually vote, go vote. People who wouldn’t normally run for office run for office.
25 Responses to “Tom Geoghegan”
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January 6th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Geoghegan? Is that really how it’s spelled? Can we get 2 independent confirmations of this.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
He needs better hair and better shirts. That button-down he is wearing looks 10-years-old
January 6th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
He needs better hair and better shirts.
He’s running for Congress. He really doesn’t.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Yes… and it is pronounced Gay-gan.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
If Tom Perriello can beat Virgil Goode, anything is possible. Thank the Lord.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Obama’s election proves it’s not experience alone but what kind of experience that is attractive to the electorate these days.
January 6th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I just hope there are no You-Tube videos of Geoghagen in tights imitating Mick Jagger. If he gets elected, I look forward to watching MY butcher the spelling of his name. How did he get it right today?
January 6th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Geoghegan? Is that really how it’s spelled? Can we get 2 independent confirmations of this.
Second confirmation. It’s a gaelic spelling.
January 6th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Unfortunately, he’s running in Chicago. So, that’s a big strike against him. Not because we’re not a blue town – the seat will be taken by a Democrat – but because (as far as I know) he’s an outsider and he’ll be running against the machine.
If the machine is unified and slates a candidate, this will be a real David vs. Goliath (actually, a David vs David vs David vs David vs Goliath, given the number of people who are filing to run). A few of those Davids won’t make it to the ballot, though (they won’t get enough signatures, they won’t have enough signatures to survive the petition challenges, etc), and I think that Geoghegan has enough friends to get past that hurdle.
If the machine doesn’t slate a candidate, there could be a dozen (who knows, maybe more?) machine regulars running, and the County Party will be officially neutral (though whoever is favored by Daley and the other bosses on an individual basis will get help), allowing those guys to slug it out.
Then Geoghegan may be able to slip through and get the special election nomination. Beating the Republican will be a cake walk (The only republican candidate I’ve heard about so far is the Ultra-racist head of the Illinois Minuteman Project – she won’t stand a chance).
That’s kind of how the State’s attorney race played out this past fall. The County Party did not endorse, several Party heavyweights slugged it out, and the career prosecutor with no political experience and few connections won the primary and then thrashed Tony Periaca.
Heck, Geoghegan’s probably in a better place than Alvarez was given his history as a Labor lawyer. Some union folk might buck the machine to back one of their own.
No matter what happens, its going to be a fun primary. I’ve got a front row seat, and I’ve just got to pick a side now. I want to see some evidence that Geoghegan can run a strong race, and then I’ll be there to volunteer. Otherwise, I’ll probably go with John Fritchey, since he exorcised the last vestiges of the old Rostenkowski machine from my old neighborhood (he ran Rostenkowski’s successor (I forget his name) out of the Ward Committeeman seat).
January 6th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Jerry101: When are the primary and general elections?
January 6th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
April 7 primary I believe I saw in Roll Call today.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
The primary is March 3, the general is April 7
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