Well, it's official: Pat Quinn is a Regular Democrat.
After years of railing against the Organization's practice of slating and endorsing candidates instead of supporting primaries where voters actually have choices, Quinn went before the Cook County Democratic Central Committee and won the endorsement for governor over challenger Dan Hynes.
Imagine that: Hynes -- a name synonymous with party regular -- is now the independent outsider.
It wasn't long ago -- just a few months, actually -- that Quinn tried to make it illegal for the state Democratic party to endorse anyone in the race.
Now he's collecting endorsements -- the powerful Service Employees International Union also just signed up -- from all of the usual suspects.
And to think Quinn was never taken seriously before by any of the state's hubs of power. They must be really impressed with the job he's doing in Springfield so far. They probably don't even expect anything in return!
Hynes, meanwhile, also ably played both sides of the field by appearing before the county slatemakers but telling them he would refuse an endorsement. Please don't pick me!
Politics
Hynes reportedly still sought out the committeemen who make up the party apparatus for their individual support. Just don't make it a group thing. Looks bad.
But not as bad as Quinn.
"I'll tell you what the flip flop is. My friend the comptroller has been coming before the Cook County Democratic Party and other Democratic parties since he started running for office. He always asked for their support," Quinn said, according to the Tribune.
And now Quinn is following Hynes' lead.
Steve Rhodes is the proprietor of The Beachwood Reporter, a Chicago-centric news and culture review.
