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--> --> Question for Daley: `Can you press the flesh?' By Roger Simon WASHINGTON - When they showed Bill Daley his polls numbers recently, there were big smiles around the table. Daley, who is trying to decide whether to run for governor of Illinois, had done well in categories like "strong leader" and "knows how to get things done." And as the youngest child of Chicago's most famous mayor and the brother of its current one, name-recognition was not going to be a problem. There was in fact only one question to be resolved: Could Daley actually bring himself to participate in the mind-numbing banality of modern-day campaigning? Could he give the same speech six times a day? Could he memorize loose-leaf notebooks full of "talking points" and then regurgitate them for several months? Could he step out from behind the curtain where he had run campaigns for Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, and actually walk the walk himself? " Can you plunge into a crowd?" one member of his inner-circle asked him bluntly. "Can you press the flesh?" Daley smiled. "You mean I can't just fly over the state and drop leaflets?" he asked. There was a moment of silence, and then everyone burst out laughing. William M. Daley, 53, has been many things: a lawyer, a banker, a campaign manager and a secretary of commerce. But he has never run for anything. Seven years old when his father, Richard J. Daley, became "Da Mare" of Chicago, young Bill became fascinated by politics and attended wakes, parades and political dinners with his dad. But while his eldest brother, Richie, ran for state senator, then county prosecutor and then mayor, Bill was content to stay in the shadows raising the money and putting together the political strategies. But perhaps no more. Following his chairmanship of Al Gore's presidential campaign, Daley thought he had amassed a lifetime of limelight during the brutal 36-day recount fight and decided to retire to the relative obscurity and quick enrichment of being a New York investment banker. Reality, however, may be setting in. "After having been secretary of commerce for Bill Clinton and having run the Gore campaign," says former Illinois Sen. Paul Simon, "being an investment banker in New York has got to be really dull." Besides which, reading political tea leaves is what Bill Daley does best -- and certain signs emanating from Illinois indicate to him that 2002 could be a very good year for Democrats. "It will be 30 years since a Democratic governor was elected," Daley told me, "and the Republican field is in flux. Among the Democrats, nobody has caught on or made great strides. It would be a tough race for governor, and I expect there will be personal stuff about me and my family. But losing doesn't bother me. This looks like an opportunity, and it could be the time to take it." Daley will probably announce his intentions in the next week or two. And he is under no illusions as to his biggest hurdle: Convincing voters outside of Chicago that he will not be a mere stooge for his brother. "I'm gonna call on Rich to quit!" he joked and then said seriously: "I will have to demonstrate to the voters of the state that I can have differences of opinion with the mayor of Chicago. And I may have to bend over backwards to do it." Daley not only has a certain star power of his own, but he can call on some outside talent. Daley told me that he has discussed his candidacy with both Clinton and Gore, that both were encouraging, and he expected both to campaign with him if he ran. Still, Daley has not yet decided. He is currently separated from his wife and some speculate that he does not want to put his children though what could be a bitter, low-road campaign. On the other hand, Daley says: "I have always believed in public service; I have always liked people. I am giving this serious thought." The primary is in March 2002, the general election is in November, and three months after that, Rich Daley will be up for a fifth term as mayor. And some think another brother, John Daley, is well-positioned to become president of the Cook County board, where he is currently the finance committee chairman. If that happens, they may have to change the saying on Illinois license plates from "Land of Lincoln" to "Domain of the Daleys." Roger Simon is a syndicated columnist for the Baltimore Sun. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing