The person who held “Obama’s senate seat” before Obama was Peter Fitzgerald. The “only RINOs can win in Illinois!” crowd whitewashes that from history because it doesn’t fit their agenda. Get some perspective.
Fitzgerald only won because he ran against Carol Mostly Fraud. He had little establishment support to run for a second term and dropped out.
He was a conservative libertarian with a squeaky voice and few political skills. I voted for him and would vote for him again. However, I think you lack the perspective.