Posted on 10/30/2004 1:19:10 PM PDT by JohnBDay
Fitzgerald: Ryan should have stayed in race
Pantagraph staff
BLOOMINGTON -- Outgoing Sen. Peter Fitzgerald believes it would have been difficult for Republican Jack Ryan to win next week's election for Fitzgerald's seat against Democrat Barack Obama -- but wishes Ryan would have stayed in the race.
Ryan dropped out in June after records of his divorce from actress Jeri Ryan were made public. In those, the actress claimed her husband took her to sex clubs and asked her to engage in sexual activity in front of others.
"I don't think Jack had to step aside," said Fitzgerald, during a visit with The Pantagraph's editorial board. "A lifetime of good works should not be destroyed by a lapse of judgment."
Ryan tried to stay in the race, but quickly changed his mind.
Fitzgerald said Ryan told him he couldn't fight on two fronts -- against Obama and those in the Republican Party who wanted him out.
The party eventually drafted Maryland's Alan Keyes to challenge Obama in Tuesday's election.
Fitzgerald said comments from custody cases are sensational and unreliable, adding polls showed Ryan had support to stay in the race and his ex-wife also supported his candidacy.
Plus, he said, the GOP didn't have a candidate ready to go.
(Excerpt) Read more at pantagraph.com ...
I have to agree with Fitzgerald on this. I'm not anti-Keyes but everyone has to admit that Ryan would at least be polling in the thirties.
Nice of him to say this. Maybe some could have said the same thing to HIM. An incumbent Senator has a MUCH stronger chance at winning than a Republican Challenger here in the People's Republic of Illinois!
Ryan was damaged goods the moment the story broke. The only way he could have gotten away with such conduct is if he'd been gay.
Why is it the R's always have to resign, and we can
impeach and can't even run out of office, a pervert like clinton?
He's right. Sorry, Keyes is nutty. No one even thinks about the Ryan stuff anymore, he could have said "That's my ex-wife's and my business, it was all consentual, if my opponents want to talk sex let's see him swear under oath to HIS private sex life" and then refused to talk abotu it anymore.
Republicans do tend to panic during times of trouble. That comes from having a media firmly in the 'Rat camp.
"The only way he could have gotten away with such conduct is if he'd been gay."
ROFL--excellent point!
Yes, and I don't think Obama would have made anything of it, but of course his permanent allies in the press might have. They should have been able to find SOMEBODY in the entire State of Illinois that they could have run. I like Keyes, but his candidacy made no sense, and then he started to say crazy things, he was like a poor, male version of Ter-ray-zaa for a bit there.
You heard it here first! ;-)
I know Fitzgerald's numbers were weak but why did he give up so easily? You never know what might happen. He surely would have had a better shot than Keyes.
Jim Edgar probably would have beat Obama.
The original mistake was when the Republican jerks who run the state party pushed out Fitzgerald because they were in a snit.
Fitzgerald would have been the strongest candidate.
I like and admire Keyes, but he just doesn't have political savvy.
I think sometimes we don't learn from history. If Bill Clinton were faced with that he would have just laughed it off, admitted it with a wink or been repentant and moved on to something else.
Ryan might not have won but he might have made Obama extend some kind of effort. Obama gave away money to other Senate candidates because Keyes was not presenting any challenge.
I personally like Keyes but he is not in to trying to get elected. He just lets it fly whether it offends people or not.
Fitzgerald: "Ryan Should Have Stayed in Race"
Why, all you would've ended up with is a kinky hetero of the McGreevy kind. Blahhhhhhhh....
The reason Fitzgerald stepped down was because the state republicans wanted him out, the same with ryan if they helped ryan more he probably would have felt more comfortable with the divorce issues and could have announced his stance on the thing before it was foud out, just like obama did with the fact that he smoked pot.
Even Keyes thinks Ryan should have stayed in. He said the people of Illinois weren't ready to punish someone for "a mistake".
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