By Lloyd Graff
Meg Whitman, former eBay CEO, won the Republican primary for governor in resounding fashion on Tuesday. The same day, Rod Blagojevich, former governor of Illinois, watched while his lawyers grilled jurors in his corruption trial.
Blogo’s father ran a numbers game in Chicago. Young Rod grew up in a world of payoffs and married the daughter of a rough local Democratic politician on his way up the political ladder.
Whitman used $71 million of her own dot-com fortune to pave her campaign, while Rod Blagojevich shook down the paving contractors to get his political seed money.
Is Whitman more pure than the driven snow because she was recruited by venture capitalists to run the fledgling eBay after the founder realized he didn’t want to run the business?
Do we prefer the Rockefellers, Heinzes and Whitmans, and maybe celebrities like Arnold and Ronald Reagan, to run our country because the earthy the Rod Blagojeviches are too untrustworthy? Do we only want the elite who go to Harvard and Yale Law on the Supreme Court, which we now will have?
Maybe we want a House of Lords because the raunchy Rods and the slick Willies get too dirtied up climbing to the top.
Question: Do you prefer to be governed by the rich?
23 Comments
I’d rather be governed by the rich than the incompetent which is what we have now. Lloyd your pink slip is showing.
I prefer to be lead by the competent!!! If some one grows any enterprise to an extent where they are hiring large numbers of smart people & they are rewarded by wealth why would we bar their expertise in helping run this great country?? Not sure where you are coming from on this one!
This is an affront to you intelligent readership … c’mon Lloyd! Pitching anybody – ANYBODY! – against Rod B. is a no brainer. Let’s have a realistic comparison … and not mindless FOX propaganda. You are (or should be!) better than this.
… what a crummy article…….. is starting a class war a reasonable practice? Shouldn’t we be more concerned with taking the best and brightest and putting them in the key positions to make our businesses (and country) succeed instead of pointlessly wondering whether a rich or poor person is better? The people of America cannot survive when media (yes, you Llyod) and politicians continue to focusing their efforts on absurd and nugatory to further confuse and decieve American’s from what is important….. hard work, co-operation, long term prosperity, and that everyone (yes, everyone) has a role, job, and responsibility to build our republic of the future.
I do have to hand it to Blago on one thing, he tried to make the mo$t of the $ituation. But really… to compare a proven producer against a thug? I’d rather have the person leading us who grew a company making the tough business decisions daily than someone who plotted how to get his hair care products covered in his Governor’s expense account.
I prefer being governed, particularly in the executive branch, by someone who has had to make a payroll at least once in their lives. Also, someone who has had to make hard choices to be profitable and been accountable to stockholders and investors, if possible. If that means being governed by the rich, I can live with it.
Rod is a mooron ! Meg has a brain ! Maybe it’s the water in Illinois , because Obama might be a bigger jackass than Rod ! Lloyd where are you from ?
A little more fuel to the fire. Rod may well be a venal vulgar creep who weighed everything by what it was worth to him, but when a career politician calculates the value of a vote in Congress he or she will likely consider whether it will cost him campaign contributions, If a Loiuisiana pol votes against the interests of the oil and gas companies he may be killing an opportunity to gather money for TV ads for instance.
So is it so crazy that an up from the alleys pol like Blagojevich should consider the value of Senate incumbency that launched Barack Obama into a Presidential bid as having significant financial benefit to his own political aspirations. If Jesse Jackson Jr. inquired about the supposed 500 grand price tag on the Senatorship he was probably wondering if it might be the deal of the decade. If you figure Meg Whitman may spend $200 million to win the California Governorship was Blago nuts to regard his political appointment powers as having significant
personal value. I am not justifying Blagojevich just questioning relative economic and political market values.
Congratulations to everyone who became exercised by Lloyd’s comments. You have helped to accomplish his purpose: stimulate dialogue (and, not coincidentally, readership) through controversy. Ask a loaded question, stir people up, get them to read on, keep them on your website where they might be attracted by an advertisement.
Given that, it doesn’t matter what Lloyd’s personal opinion is, where he’s from, or what kind of water he’s been drinking. A good writer like our mischeivous friend Lloyd can aggravate people on every side of any question. Right, Lloyd?
We voters don’t really get a choice, rich or poor, about who runs in elections. Why bother to express an opinion about an entirely hypothetical question? For that matter, why bother to express an opinion about the opinions expressed by someone else? Ooops!
Interesting thoughts, since Blageovich is one of several recent Illinois governors to have corruptions issues I think think the question and the comparison of the two individuals raises interesting question about the political institution. Another one would be Nixon and Kennedy – who both came to the senate in the same year and had offices across the hall from each other. While Kennedy relied on his father’s wealth and never had to make the backroom deals that Nixon did, who came from a poor family in Orange county, the Kennedy’s still promoted an agenda that included civil rights and pro-labor policies – not an elitist agenda. Nixon, on the other hand, seemed beholden to elites and the gang that got up into power. Nixon relied on Hoover to provide intelligence to him while working for McCarthy and seemed to continue to rely on blackmail and backroom deals even as president. I guess my thought is that just because you come from wealth or an elite institution doesn’t in mind necessarily make you an elitest, while most corrupt politicans smell pretty similar. Perhaps we should be more cognizant of an individuals value and view rather than their educational background or family wealth..
I prefer being governed by someone who is experienced, successful, intelligent, and honest. Yes, I know; good luck with that…
yes Buelldog was right on, but i would add GOD fearing leader..
Brandon, that’s a very astute example you bring up.
Rod is despicable and a total brain stem. I saw him on Celebrity Apprentice and he didn’t know how to use a computer. Whitman is obviously pretty bright (and I’m positive knows how to use a computer). Although some might say she was lucky to be put in the right place at the right time and not screw it up, rather than her being a genius.
The conclusion I have come to is that ideally the government should have people with views coming from different classes, races, and nationalities, so it truly can represent its citizens and serve everyone’s needs. Of course as Ricky said, we don’t really get to choose who’s on the ballot. So we eventually have to go for who seems smart and trustworthy.
As far as the supreme court, it’s a pity if all of the members are from similar educational backgrounds and classes. The great thing about a trial by jury is that we get to be tried by our peers–a diverse group. But diversity comes in many different ways we all know.
Last of all, I applaud everyone who understands that Lloyd is only asking questions in these blogs, with no socialist Obama agenda (maybe I shouldn’t spoil the fun). He knows that the world is complex and just wants to explore different view points. I find it funny when everyone reads into it.
Keep reading my friends!
I think public service should be administered like jury service. A qualification/selection process is used to make sure people are competent for the position needed. They serve their term and then they leave. In this way the incentive is to do a good job for the people. NO CARRER POLITICIANS!!!
The fact that you could even compare these two people just shows how pathetic your liberal bias is. I mean seriously, Rod is a crook and a liar. What has Meg done to warrent you comparing the two? Just because she is a succesful republican? Come on.
My preference is extremely limited Government, of the people, by the people, for the people as provided for by our founding fathers. No career politicians need apply. My only interest is in people running for office who have proven themselves in the business world. If they made a little money while proving themselves, so much the better. It’s a good way to keep score.
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.
Matt,
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.
Don’t kid yourselves readers, Lloyd and Noah do have an agenda. Recently it’s has shown up near the foul line in “left” field. Caution: Wolves in sheeps clothing
I prefer to be governed by the competent, honest and the intelligent who understand and embrace our Constitution and our Representative Democracy with all its flaws.
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
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.
Lloyd,
You’ve reached your tipping point. You need to move out of Chicago.
Steve
IT LOOKS LIKE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN ARE OUT AND REPUBLICAN WOMEN ARE IN. IT’S TIME THE MEN GET BACK TO FATHERING THE KIDS AND LEAD BY EXAMPLE AT HOME, INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THE LIBERAL COLLEGES CONVINCE OUR KIDS THAT WE SHOULD BE GOVERNED BY A (NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZER THAT HAS A WAY WITH WORDS). A REPUBLICAN WOMAN WITH A BRAIN PROBABLY SCARES MOST CHICAGOANS.
I prefer to be governed by the honest, the principled and the moral.
Dishonest immoral people can be found in both camps, rich and poor.