Senator You

Tens of thousands of people from all over packed Grant Park Tuesday to be part of history. Millions more watched on television. The improbable rise of an Illinois State Senator to United States Senator to the Presidency of the United States thrilled the world and filled all of us with pride in our state and in our democracy.

That was then. Now, the sweetest of all political plums hangs from Governor Blagojevich's tree. He gets to make the decision on who our next United States Senator will be. He can nominate anyone as long as they pass the minimum of Constitutional requirements.

On a well-regarded Illinois political blog recently, anonymous bloggers were asked to give their choices for the appointment should Obama win. They were also asked to give a rationale for the appointment. What followed was a fascinating exercise in how insiders think. The candidates suggested were a rather exclusive group, the rationales pointed, ruthless, Machiavellian, funny, surprising, depressing, and deeply, deeply cynical.

In one sense they were universal: no one suggested competence as a rationale. I don't think that those hopeful faces in Grant Park were hoping that the deciding factor in the choice of what man or woman fills President Obama's Senate seat for the next two years be who can best help our embattled Governor.

Perhaps there is a better way to make the selection, a way to make participatory democracy exactly that. In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, one of the iconic movies of our political culture, a Governor appoints Boy Ranger Leader, Jimmy Stewart, to fill a Senate vacancy on a whim. The story of a common citizen being thrown into the lion's den of a cynical corrupt Senate chamber, and how he triumphs in that chamber, has thrilled audiences for seventy years.

There are also whispers that the Governor's choice may be eased by political donations that may or may not be exchanged.

So a simple plan. One that will raise a billion dollars for the state's schools in the next few months and will send our own Mr. or Ms. Smith to Washington.

Using the same technology as the recently concluded Illinois Lottery Halloween Raffle, a ten million ticket lottery game, tickets $100 a piece, no prizes other than that the randomly selected winner (who must pass Constitutional muster) will be appointed by Governor Blagojevich to fill out President Obama's Senate term.

A Senate seat available to every voter in the state. Who you know, how much money you have raised for politicians, wealthy or poor, downstate or upstate, farm or city, all immaterial. And, with this process: one billion new, non-tax dollars for education.

All of those faces in Grant Park, all of those watchers in their homes, all of those who believe in the promise that an African American son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas can be President of the United States, who believed that things have changed in America, made part of the decision making process.

The Governor styles himself a populist: here's a chance to make history and prove it.

Comments

[jrsposter]

Surely you jest. Especially at a time when we see before us the example of Sarah Palin, a person who was selected by John McCain without regard to her knowledge, skills or intelligence.
The people who voted for Barack Obama were not voting for just any black person. They were voting for a highly capable, thoughtful, skilled, knowledgeable and inspiring leader who just happened to be black.
The people of Illinois deserve someone of similarly admirable capabilities and qualities to represent them in the Senate, and there are many sons and daughters of Illinois who have already been chosen by the people for their leadership skills. The choice should be among those who are proven leaders, not one accomplished by a silly gimmick.

[demfriend]

Obama's, Rahm's Joe Biden's and who else might be yet tapped that are Senators could be a money pit or a bonanza.....

[ledwith]

What a great idea. The election of Barack Obama shouldn't be sullied by the politics of a soon to be indicted Governor. Like George Ryan he might attempt to taint the jury pool. It would be great if people pooled their money to buy a ticket to take a chance on a friend they thought deserving of such an honor. I would bet the game would sell out in a week. Maybe twenty million tickets and $2 billion!

[highway20]

Brilliant! Where can I buy a ticket?!