March 27, 2002
RYAN, BLAGOJEVICH BOTH UNDERPERFORM IN PRIMARY 
Here’s  Blagojevich’s advantages:
Blagojevich, a Chicago congressman, finished third, with 135,682 votes (28.6 percent), to Roland Burris’s 199,404 (42 percent), and Paul Vallas’ 140,236 (29.5 percent).  Edgar got about 12 percent of the black vote in 1990, and George Ryan got ten percent in 1998. Ryan garnered 409,349 votes.  To counter Blagojevich’s six advantages, Ryan has a paltry three: First, there is an enormous professional and personal stature gap between Ryan and Blagojevich. Again, Ryan must go on TV early to define Blagojevich as inexperienced, and as too liberal for Illinois.  Third, Ryan must run like gangbusters Downstate. Wood called Ryan an “extremist,” and O’Malley blasted Ryan’s “inaction” on the Secretary of State scandal. full full article...