Who Is Rod Blagojevich: The Imperfect Everyman

After the people of Illinois had just seen yet another state governor sent to prison, they sought a “breath of fresh air,” (Warren) leading them to turn to Rod R. Blagojevich, the “imperfect everyman”. Blagojevich was raised by an average middle class family in West Chicago where he worked many odd jobs in order to help support his household (“Rod Blagojevich”). He was the son of a Serbian immigrant who grew up knowing no silver spoon. This gave him the drive to work hard to put himself through college and become a Cook County attorney. This drive did not end in college. With his charismatic charm and quick humor, Blagojevich eventually propelled himself to become a state congressman. Throughout his campaigns, he continuously emphasized that
his success had not been without falls and failures along the way, which showed the people that he was just a human being. After governor George Ryan announced he was not running for reelection in light of his recent scandals, Blagojevich ran and was elected under the democratic ticket. The people thought that a man as relatable and inspiring as he would be a positive change for the state, but it was evident that that was not the case in 2009 when the Illinois House of Representatives voted to impeach Blagojevich due to the discovery of numerous scandals. Blagojevich may have seemed like an incorruptible man of the people to some; however, he proved himself to be no better than the last governor.