Southern Strategy

March is the most important month of the year for your LakeCountyEye. Besides the customary St Patrick's Day and Eyeds-of-March celebrations, mid-March is that time on the calendar when the march hares run mad. In other words March Madness has arrived once again. Every year at this time LakeCountyEye bracketologists are to be found handicapping the field for the most important non-professional sporting competition of the year: when the Democratic Party certifies their annual Lieutenant Governor candidate.

Unlike years past, 2010 is shaping up to be excitement packed into a jello-shot, as no one knows who the lucky candidate will be. The Daily Herald captured the Lieutenant Governor electricity thusly ...

More than 200 people have applied for the job. The pool of hopefuls is mostly a list of unknowns, but the list is sprinkled with suburbanites, including state Sen. Terry Link of Waukegan, who originally sought the nod in the February primary, and former deputy treasurer Raja Krishnamoorthi from Hoffman Estates, who lost a bid for state comptroller.
Madigan: The party, not Quinn, will make lt. gov. decision

Those named are only two of our local favorite sons & daughters in the running. The Herald failed to mention, for instance, Princess Nudelman -- who your LakeCountyEye judges to be the current local front-runner for the coveted office. (Full disclosure, Ms Nudelman has contracted for your LakeCountyEye's 24/7 influence-pedaling services. Contact a LakeCountyEye sales rep for a rate card. Mention this post for a 10% discount.)

Now, your LakeCountyEye recognizes no peer when it comes to standing up for our Lake County favorite sons & daughters. However your LakeCountyEye has also seen the numbers. When there is a choice to be made between championing the local talent and between taking home a nice piece of the point-spread action, well, you do the math. Sadly your LakeCountyEye can report not seeing any Links or Krishnamoorthis or Nudelmans pencilled in any of the final brackets. The reason why is spelled out on the LakeCountyEye 2010 Election SpreadSheet ...

Illinois 2010 Election :: Democratic Executive Office Slate
Office	Candidate	Regional Base
Governor	Pat Quinn	Chicago Area
Secretary of State	Jesse White	Chicago Area
Attorney General	Lisa Madigan	Chicago Area
Treasurer	Robin Kelly	Chicago Area
Comptroller	David Miller	Chicago Area
Lieutenant Governor	TBD	TBD

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Your LakeCountyEye doesn't 100% exactly know what will be written in those TBD boxes. But your LakeCountyEye does know it will not be: Chicago Area

With the Republican ticket top-heavy in downstate candidates, smart money says the Democrats are going to bus up their Lieutenant Governor candidate from somewhere south of I-80. The Dems are pretty close to achieving gender-parity on the ticket. So your LakeCountyEye speculates they will focus on someone young and energetic. With a college education. They will look for someone who can appeal to the ethnic voters. And most importantly someone with state-wide name-recognition. Your LakeCountyEye is not in a position as of yet to reveal the name of the mystery nominee. Your LakeCountyEye has taken a blood-oath to maintain extreme-blogger-secrecy. So while your LakeCountyEye marks down on a few remaining wagers, LakeCountyEye Ops are asked to keep an eye peeled for further developments.