Since Scott Lee Cohen's dramatic departure on Sunday from the lieutenant governor's race, there's been much talk of how the related scandal could damage the Democrats in November.
But Cohen's departure from the public scene also represents an opportunity for Democrats. It gives them more power, more time and more information.
First, there is the issue of power.
Republicans like to say that Democrats survive, and thrive, on the state's inside political game.
If that's true, then the party's process for picking a new lieutenant governor nominee — a brainstorm among top Illinois party leaders, headed by powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan — is right up their alley.
After voters chose the ill-fated, shaken and imperiled Democratic office holders — hoping to keep their influence and government salaries — are eager to correct the mistake.
Secondly, there is time.
Were this a standard election, Democrats would have little opportunity to determine their next steps, for fear that their Republican rival would call it evidence of a confused and dithering party.
But with Republican gubernatorial candidates still awaiting the State Board of Election's official results, there's hardly a rush for the Democrats to pick a new lieutenant governor nominee.
And let's not forget this year's early primary. The Dems have nine months to pump up the party's chosen candidate and make Cohen a distant, hazy memory.
Third, the Democrats will have information that could give them an advantage.
By the time the Democrats meet to decide on a new nominee, in mid-March, the state elections board will have certified the Republican nominee.
They already know that the GOP's lieutenant governor nominee is 27-year-old Jason Plummer, who despite his business experience looks green next to practically any other statewide nominee.
And barring a recount, the Democrats will also know whether the Republican gubernatorial nominee is Bill Brady, a downstate conservative, or Kirk Dillard, a moderate with more support in Chicago.
If Brady wins, the Democrats will be able to pick a lieutenant governor nominee from the bottom of the state who can compete with Brady's grassroots strengths there.
If Dillard is the victor, they may have the luxury of focusing on factors outside of geographic diversity.
Either way, Democrats in power will have more control over the selection process, more time to execute it and more information upon which to base their decisions.
Yes, they will face questions over how a troubled man like Cohen could come to represent their party. Yes, they will regret that he didn't step down before his ex-lovers stepped up.
But having washed their hands of Cohen within a week of his ascent, the Democrats may end up thanking him for a failed — and perhaps fortuitous — campaign.
Windy Citizen 