Blago is a typical Chicago politician... wouldn't recognize the truth if it bit him in the a$$. They think that if you repeat a lie often enough people will think it's true. That's the strategy Obama and his people are using. Oops... did I just make this political?

lol
 

come from MA, ask me about Kennedyville

Ed, we don't all know. I didn't think the thread turned political until somewhere on the second page. BTW, I support and applaud the move to make the political forum opt in.

This thread hardly seems political to me. It is just about a corrupt former Illinois governor and the media and the public's reaction to him.

I agree there could be a fine line here, I mean after all this criminal is an elected official. This discussion is not abouts politics It is a question about why Americans like to make heros out of criminals. There are those who would like to label it political. Kinda like playing the "race card" when it isn't called for.

There are those who see politics behind every tree. If you don't think so, check the political forum.

TH, I think you nailed it.

TH. I for one believe you’ve disappointed some of us by using your power as the top guy on this wonderful forum. You started a thread that is blatantly political in the regular forums to push your personal agenda.

I respectually request that you reconsider your position.

IMHO, the confusion, at least to me, came with specifically mentioning Blago. The original post wasn't a generic "question about why Americans like to make heros out of criminals." Mentioning a politician in the first post made it confusing about why this wasn't in political. Blago's criminal charges were based on a political office and involved several charges regarding the corruption of that political office. That's political no matter what tree you nail it to or look around.

There were approx. 24 charges against former Gov. Blagojevich. The most serious charges were "selling" Pres. Obama's U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder -- as governor, Rod Blagojevich had the power to appoint a successor in late 2008 to complete the last 2 years of Pres. Obama's U.S. Senate term which expires this fall. Of the 24 charges, the jury deadlocked on 23 charges and convicted RB on one charge -- of lying to the FBI in 2005. I believe this is the same charge that Martha Stewart went to prison for a few years ago -- I believe she served about 6 months in a federal prison. RB could get as much as 5 years in prison for lying to the FBI, but most media observers don't think his sentence would be that long. According to media reports on Chicago TV tonight, RB will most likely be retried in January, 2011 after the holidays. And he will probably be represented by 2 public defenders as his $2.7 million campaign fund was used to pay the expensive legal team for his first trial, and that money is all gone.

Laura

The Prince of Providence story is one of the criminal becoming the hero. Former Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor Buddy Cianci is a hero in the area despite him being a convicted felon.

In the cases of Buddy and Blago, it is the same fascination and hero elevated status that people place on Anthony John Soprano, Sr.

His being a politician aside for just a moment-- does anybody think this buffoon deserves rock-star status? Why do we seemingly confer it upon him? I do think it's an interesting question/ observation.

:popcorn:

Hopefully, soon, people will tire of this...this, I don't know what to call him. Maybe his 15 minutes of fame are over....sigh, one can only hope!

When you root for him, it makes you feel like you are part of the Borgata. It's the Chicago way. Capisci?

I wonder:

If we were to discuss a church that burned down, would that be a religious discussion?

If we were to discuss a former senator killed in a plane crash, would that be a political discussion?

If we were to discuss a member of the clergy arrested for child molesting, would that be a religious discussion?

If we were to discuss our war on terror (against Muslim extremists) would that be a religious discussion?

If we were to discuss Senator Kennedy dying of a brain tumor, would that be a political discussion? (I know it be turned into one by the political junkies.)

We support and make heros out of people like convicted felon Martha Stewart.

Get a popular network television show by being like "Dog The Bounty Hunter." Not only served time for killing somebody, but recently arrested for circumventing the law in Mexico.

We've made folk heros out of bad people like, The bird man of Alcatraz, Billie The kid, Bonnie and Clyde, baby face Nelson, Al Capone.

National celebrity Jerry Springer provides us with an endless stream of the lowest life forms on the planet. OH, wait a minute, he use to be Mayor of Cincinnati.....that would be a political disusion. Sorry!

Now, remember that I too, once ran for public office and even considered running for Congress. So anytime you respond to me, it could be considered political.

General discussion turns political when somebody takes a general topic and paints it with a political brush.

:throwtomatoes:

Whether law breakers get accolades or disdain from people depend on the people. I don't think it is glamorous to break the law .

My heros are people who have discovered medical cures, golfers who play great and still have a nice family situation, teachers who have made a difference, and last but not least ordinary people who work and save and sacrifice to care for their family.

I think that most people look down on people who betray the public trust. I hope so.