How Barack Obama became a frontrunner for President

I'd like to tell a story about how Barack Obama became a leading candidate for president of the United States. This story doesn't start with the Iowa Caucus, or even with the early stages of fundraising, but with the end of the career of a very different politician. I tell this story because it is important—and moreso for Republicans than Democrats, both nationally and here in Pennsylvania.

Our story starts with George Ryan, the former governor of Illinois. For my Pennsylvania colleagues who believe that they have the most corrupt state government, let me point out that your most recent governor isn't sitting in prison, as Ryan is. Ryan was convicted for selling truck drivers licenses, government contracts, and leases in exchange for bribes (much of which occurred while he was Secretary of State). This scandal led to seventy-six convictions in total and, needless to say, hurt the Republic Party in Illinois.

Our second character in this drama is Peter Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was first elected senator from Illinois in 1998, as a party outsider. While his ratings from conservative organizations ATR, NTU, and ACU are all pretty high—typically in the middle or towards the top of the Republican Party—he rankled Illinois Republican party leadership.

Fitzgerald committed at least two unforgivable sins in the party's eyes. First, Fitzgerald pushed for the unrelated Patrick Fitzgerald to be named US Attorney. The appointment of Patrick Fitzgerald angered the GOP establishment, because, to paraphrase Elliot Ness from the Untouchables, "He's not from Chicago." Patrick Fitzgerald, a native New Yorker, came to Illinois without any ties that would stop him from investigating state Republicans. He eventually became responsible for convicting George Ryan and his cronies (he has also been famously investigating Chicago Mayor Daley, current Illinois Governor Blagoevich, and convicted Scooter Libby). Obviously, an attorney who investigates Republicans doesn't sit too well with the Republicans he is investigating.

Senator Fitzgerald further offended the Illinois GOP when he filibustered against a federal grant to the state of Illinois for the Lincoln Presidential Library. He had nothing against Lincoln or the Library per se, but since the grant would not be competitively bid, he argued it would be awarded to the Governor's cronies (note: this is the same governor now sitting in prison for corruption and graft). Fitzgerald filibustered alone, lost the cloture vote 89-8, and only John McCain rose to thank Fitzgerald for his effort following the vote.

Of course this filibuster angered many Illinois Republicans, including soon-to-be-indicted Governor Ryan and House Speaker Denny Hastert—who set about to derail Fitzgerald's reelection. But by this point (2003), the Republican Party was already in trouble, George Ryan was on trial, Rod Blagoevich had become the state's first Democratic governor in 25 years, and the Senate seat was "in play."

Fitzgerald—whose strong stands left him free from the taint of corruption surrounding the rest of the Illinois GOP—might have defeated Obama in the 2004 election, if Obama had even run. But instead of supporting Fitzgerald, the GOP establishment abandoned him, feeling he was "not loyal to the party," and Fitzgerald chose not to run again.

Trying to win the open seat, our next character, Jack Ryan (not related to George Ryan, and not the Tom Clancy character either), enters. Ryan, a former investment banker turned school teacher, won the Republican primary and was set to face off with the then unknown Obama. But that race never happened.

Ryan had been married to actress Jeri Ryan, and their divorce records had been sealed. Needing to know all the secrets of celebrity divorces, the media sued to see those, discovering Jeri accused Jack of asking her to visit sex clubs with him.

Furious that he allegedly wanted to have sex with his smoking hot wife, the Illinois Republic leadership—including Speaker Hastert (who thinks propositioning teenage House pages is more consistent with family values)—demanded Jack Ryan withdraw from the ticket. Forced to pick a new candidate on their own, the IL GOP leadership selected our final character, Alan Keyes.

Keyes, living in Maryland at the time, joined the race three months from election day. Campaigning out of his U-Haul, Keyes received only 27% of the vote. Well on his way to a landslide victory, Barack Obama emerged as a new political icon, and earned an invite to keynote the Democratic National Convention. I think you know the rest of the story.

The lesson for Republicans is that guy who "wasn't loyal to the party" might just be our hero, and lingering resentment by the party establishment against another "maverick" might just bring us President Obama.