'The Devil Went Down to Springfield'

The comments in Rich Miller's Capitol Fax Blog are uniquely worth reading, because his readership/market niche is uniquely well versed in Illinois statehouse politics. Witness this exchange on a nominating petition challenge by Gov. Pat Quinn ... Miller initiated it as his "Question of the Day," like this:

... I don’t see anything inherently wrong with challenging petitions. The law is the law, and too many candidates don’t bother following it. But this latest flip-flop shows that Gov. Pat Quinn has either “matured” as a politician or has sold his soul.

Actually, that might make a good question.

* The Question: Has Gov. Quinn matured as a politician or has he sold his soul to get himself elected? Explain.

…Adding… I should’ve been more clear that this is a snarky question. Snarky responses are heavily encouraged.

- posted by Rich Miller

And the comments came rolling in, 66 of them. Here are a few, with all but the first reference to the Charlie Daniels song omitted.

- 47th Ward - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:34 am:

I’m not sure I understand the question. I always felt you couldn’t become a mature politician until you sold your soul…

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- babs - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:49 am:

The Devil went down to Springfield. Although many say he’s been living there for a long time now.

- Robert - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:53 am:

You have to sell your soul to be a successful politician. Those who don’t are sitting on their couches at home as private citizens.

- Will County Woman - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:54 am:

darn, i can’t answer the question because i don’t do snark well.

- Just My Opinion - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:54 am:

Rule #1 for politicians: You must agree that should you win the office you are running for, you will report to the inauguration office and turn in your soul. It may be retrieved when you resign from office.

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- Obamarama - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 10:59 am:

===It may be retrieved when you resign from office.===

Then you must relinquish it again when you file your first lobbyist registration with SoS (along with the new $1,000 fee–ouch).

PQ has matured as a politician but only slightly; he’s still not very good at it. I agree with the comment above, it would be malpractice on the part of a professional political operative not to challenge the petitions.

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- Leave a Light on George - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 11:06 am:

Hasn’t sold it just mortgaged it along with the rest of the state.

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- publius - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 11:17 am:

i would like to run for governor, so i think i will file a petition with one hundred signatures—should some dirty politician challenge my petition and destroy my dream fantasy? damn straight—they do us a favor by eliminating those who can’t even follow the simplist first rule of politics which says that to get on the ballot you must file the correct number of valid signatures—besides any thing that thins the herd is good

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- Just wondering - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 11:37 am:

I agree with publius…what does it say about a candidate, lower on the ticket who doesn’t submit any petitons on their own behalf? It says they paid slugs to falsify documents to earn a couple bucks. It’s almost comical to really look at some of these petitons. If this basic rule is not followed and shady candidates like this are elected, we will have bigger problems than we already have. Petition challenges are valid……BUT Quinn has flip flopped once again. He’s older but not matured as a politician.

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- Anon - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 12:08 pm:

==Has Gov. Quinn matured as a politician or has he sold his soul to get himself elected? ==

po-TAY-to, po-TAH-to

Or, to steal from an old lawyer joke, when the devil told him that the price of the deal was his immortal soul, he replied, “So, what’s the catch?”

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Montrose - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 12:27 pm:

I applaud Quinn’s innovative tactics for trying to close the budget gap, but selling his soul is just another one-time revenue source.

Now, if used his soul as collateral for issuing bonds that would go towards the creation of green jobs that manufacture enviromentally-friendly temporary souls for use at religious ceremonies and emergency blues-singing sessions, I would be all for it.

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- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:33 pm:
It’s hard to tell. However, I was down at the Crossroads last night and Pat was slinging a mean guitar.

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- the Other Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 12, 09 @ 1:45 pm:

C’mon, it’s Pat Quinn we’re talking about. He’d do something more populist than selling his soul, like trading down to a used ‘78 soul with 250,000 miles on it!