You’ve reached your tipping point. You need to move out of Chicago.

Steve

I will not run and refuse to take office if elected as a write-in. For crying out loud stop harping about corned beef on rye and drive up to to Chicago and meet me at Manny’s for a sandwich and bread pudding and maybe a little chicken soup. Maybe Richie and Rod can break away for a few minutes and join us. Meg will be too busy buying TV ads.

Is Chicago run “honestly” by Richie? Was his father free of corruption? Is Richie “rich”? Was his father, “The Great Dumpling” as Royko so aptly described him, “rich” and free of corruption?

We have witnessed during my lifetime beginning in 1939 well educated knaves in office and competent common folk in office. Think of Nixon, Carter, in some ways FDR and it looks like Obama as the former. Think of Truman as the later.

It is neither material wealth nor education that makes a person competent and honest with a deep respect for our Constitution and our Representative Democracy with all its flaws. It is the character of the person. As a nation we have struggled to discern the character of those whom we elect to public office until we actually see them at work in that office. And most often by then it is too late to correct an error until the next election.

Finally, our selection criteria should cause us to only elect to public office those who do not support either the Cubs or Da Bears (perennial losers that they are) but only those who know where to find a really good corned beef sandwich on rye at an affordable price.

S. W. Baranyk
Carmel, Indiana

I actually met Meg Whitman at an eBay convention in Orlando when she and eBay were at the top of their game. I liked her energy and I loved what the company was doing then. We probably can learn something about how she would handle major political office by her administration at eBay.

eBBay grew exponentially with her leadership, however the company never could come to grips with the needs of its auction clientele. The company is now an effective advertising medium and a rich middle man with its Paypal subsidiary. She had a terrible time dealing with the cyber pirates who infiltrated the auction business.

If I were a Californian I very likely would vote for her versus the left leaning Jerry Brown.
My point in writing the blog was to make us think about the expense of running for major office today aqnd look at the kind of folks who go into politics. I am happy a Whitman or a Fiorino wants to be in government. I hate government dominated by corrupt egotist like Blagojevich, but there is something about the raw, crass ambition and ballsy charisma of a Clinton and Blago that fascinates me too.

Obama and his crew don’t make the cut. Their ignorance of economics and business is mind boggling. But, Noah, they are a diverse group; Socialists, Communists, Narcissists, etc. That should make you happy. Go fiddle while our great country burns.