DISQUS

Bill · 3 years ago

Has Proft ever won anything outside Cicero and Berwyn? How can this loser still make a living in politics?

Ramon · 3 years ago

So basically, what he's saying is...it's not their fault they lost. Classic.

Context? · 3 years ago

How does the context justify their behavior? When is it ever OK to storm the election authority like a bunch of brown shirts?

bettina · 3 years ago

My favorite was when Channel 5 interviewed Peraica that night and he vigorously denied that any of his supporters were tampering with the delivery of the ballots. Cut to shot of Peraica supporters hurling themselves on top of the ballot boxes as the unwitting election workers struggled to push them through the door and onto the elevator to be counted. High comedy.

RBD · 3 years ago

I was an election judge in an area that would have gone strongly for Peraica if his voters had been properly registered. If every polling place north of the Eisenhower turned away as many people as we did (because when they last moved they never registered to vote at their new address), that could have been the difference in the outcome.

The Picolo Player is a... · 3 years ago

Proft sounds like an idiot. I mean, a reasonably thoughtful, certainly articulate idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. The worst of it is that he is attempting to defend the indefensible.

Hey Danny...the word is: meltdown.

Mike Williams · 3 years ago

he doesn't sound like an idiot at all. He sounds very reasonable. They simply wanted to make sure the results came in and not needlessly delayed as the machine rigged the results.

fedup dem · 3 years ago

Given the well-earned reputation of Chicago Machine Democrats, Peraica's people had a legitimate concern about fraud (how could they realize that County Clerk David Orr is THAT INCOMPETENT?).

As for the cause of Peraica's defeat, Proft is correct there as well. Peraica ran far ahead of the rest of the Republican ticket. He lost the election to Toddler by just 95,450 votes. Compare that to the 507,752-vote deficit of Judy Baar Topinka against Governor "Sleazy" Blagojevich or the 937,503-vote deficit the Republican's hapless candidate for Attorney General took out of Cook County. Peraica should be commended for coming as close as he did under those political condidtions, and that should be clear to anyone, Republican, Democrat or independent.

If you need to blame anyone for Peraica's loss, blame the pathetic excuses for journalists that comprise the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board for going with Toddler, or the African-American voters who will be the continued victims of the waste, mismanagement and corruption in the county health care system (and will have no one to blame for their continued plight but themselves, as they gave Toddler the votes he needed to win).

Honest Abe · 3 years ago

While I do not condone the street theater that occurred outside of the County Clerk's Election Department offices, I have to say that David Orr looks a dunce for the complete mismanagement of the election results in the March Primary and the November General Election. For all of the money wasted on the new high tech equipment to insure that every vote counts, the taxpayers would be better served with the low tech punch card system. No voting system can eliminate human error from the process, but the much maligned punch cards were about 97% effective at a fraction of the cost.

Truthful James · 3 years ago

Don't blame the press, blame the Illinois GOP for fielding the most bland field possible, telling the entire cvonservative wing that they did not expect or need their votes, and not raising enough money to support the campaign.

And cedit the Democrats for running attractive statewide candidates below the top of the ticket.

But yes, the voting machines were part of the problem. Millions were spent by the manufacturers to influence their adoption. Over the next two years we will see a more studied recapitulation of what can and could have happened. Unexplainable undervoting in Sarasota lost one Dem HOR race

Bench Coach · 3 years ago

Dan Proft street theatre is only one of the many things that Dan needs to explain. Granted, government is a business for public services, and needs to be run in a fiscally responsible and ethical manner, but it is a business where positions on political issues matter. And Dan constantly tried to divert attention from the positions his candidate took. Dan needs to fess up to the extreme right wing agenda that he works for and which Cook County would have been introduced to had Peraica won.
Voters got it... Peraica = Bush on the issues. That's why all Dan was left with was the street
theatre.

Reddbyrd · 3 years ago

What was he thinking?
Clearly this group of misfits will show up on some GOP payroll and we know that means more Dem wins.
Let's get that Brady purge rolling

Tom · 3 years ago

The angry mob scene did not play well, but Peraica had a right to be upset. David Orr once again demonstrated he cannot competently oversee an election.

Pat Hickey · 3 years ago

I think that Dan Proft is a sharp guy; Tony Peraica, as sharp as a spoon. Giving the Loyal Order of Forresters something more to whine about is not a bad thing.

Randy Alesia · 3 years ago

WAY TO GO DAN,WITH GUYS LIKE YOU AND FRANK COCONATE ON HIS SIDE I CAN SEE HOW PERAICA LOST.GREAT JOB DUMMY KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.NEXT TIME SELL TICKETS FOR YOUR CIRCUS ACT.CRYBABY!!!!!

Levois · 3 years ago

I'll agree with Truthful James. I suppose tho that in some way I don't have a big problem with the street theater. On the other hand I would hope that things just didn't get out of hand.

Peachy · 3 years ago

Peraica got a free ride in the press all the way up to election day.

If people had gotten a look sooner at the Cicero goons around his campaign - before they showed up on tv in the Cook Co. basement tampering with election materials, Peraica would have lost by a million votes.

Cook County residents should consider themselves lucky. They could have gotten someone a LOT worse than Stroger.

Guess the voters aren't so clueless afterall.

Captain America · 3 years ago

Storming the Cook County Clerk's building was absurd -Peraica effectively torpedoed any future political aspirations that he might have. He appeared to be unstable under pressure and definitely exercised bad judgment.

It reminded me a little of that incident in Dade County where Republican operatives shut down the recount in the 2000 election.

Anyone with an ounce of coomon sense knew that it was a technology problem, not a genuine integrity problem.

Nonetheless, David Orr should be held accountable for ensuring that the technology problem is resolved once and for all. If there are major problems in another election, he needs to retire.

Snidely Whiplash · 3 years ago

What would one expect from Dan Proft, a man who agreed to manage Alan Keyes' campaign knowing what he had taken on (a nutcase) but wanting his money, then bad-mouthing Keyes afterward? From a man who acted as spokesman for Larry Dominic's Cicero campaign charging that the regime there was engaging in political hiring, then got a high-paying job as "town spokesman", which obviously isn't even full time as he managed both Peraica's and Rauschy's campaigns simulatanously?

Lastly, from a guy who obviously knows how he should dress when representing campaigns, yet appears on television sans-tie, unshaven and with long, greasy, unwashed hair?

C'mon, Proft-Keyes, Proft-Peraica ... birds of a feather?

Wumpus · 3 years ago

Snidley, Proft didn't take Keyes' money. Jack Ryan was honorable (for once) enough and paid his staff the rest of the campaign season.

Fred · 3 years ago

I can only hope this means Charlie Johnson will have something posted here or on Illinoize explaining why his candidate(s) lost again. These GOP "consultants" are part of the problem with the GOP in this state...but hey, if someone's paying them, that just means more wins for us Democrats.

Outsider · 3 years ago

I gotta give Proft a lot of credit. He seldom wins, but he sure gets paid every election

Thomas More · 3 years ago

I am not a Proft fan. But he is right on this one.

I saw video of election night and had a good friend who was there for a good portion of the night doing a Cable Television show (Antonio Pabon).

A couple of things to keep in mind:

1. NOBODY got arrested from the Peraica camp.
The ex boxing champ was working for 18th ward aldermanic candidate Maze Jackson. It was a peaceful protest. The idea it was some big march like in Munich or to burn Frankenstein is absurd.

2. The Stroger people with Mike Noonan, union leaders and so called Reverends came FIRST. BEFORE PERAICA by at least an hour and DEMANDED to see David Orr and started to boss election workers.

3. The Peraica poll watchers at the individual polling places were not at the Board of Elections. Even though they said the vote had already been counted, nobody knew what it was and many many machines did not work.

4. HALF of the Suburban vote was out still out by 2AM. HALF of the Suburban vote HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VOTES, so it is interesting that certain people knew who had won and where the votes were from. To get the vote counted right with observers is a good thing.

5. David Orr lied (on numerous occasions) but his caught on tape statement that the HALF the vote was being escorted by police. It was NOT.
It was taken by temporary workers (without computer training, security checks?) mostly African American--which is not a problem--but when the Reverends were saying this is a Civil Rights issue and 90% of the Black vote goes to Stroger than there may be issues of objectivity to not have Republican workers also (Black or White) Young kids who may be political with no computer training dragging bags from personal cars to the basement to the Clerk's office.

6. There are serious issues with:
a) Chain of custody
and
b) Ballot security

7. There are many cases of the votes seemingly not being counted and differences in the paper count of people who came to vote by the poll watchers and the record of the machines. Like the gentleman in Berwyn who was not a Peraica supporter who said the machines did not record voters. Many, many stories like this.

8. What about potential or actual LOST DATA, or computer error, or merging data from Early voting, Touch Screen, Optical scan, absentee, affidavit etc.

Lots of problems. Lots of lies. Peraica was justified.

Rick · 3 years ago

The real problem with Proft was that he convinced Jack Ryan to challenge Peter Fitzgerald before Fitzgerald publicly announced his plans for 2006, and then blamed the IL GOP leadership for not endorsing Fitzgerald for re-election. Now Proft is a darling of the nut-jobs who adore Fitzgerald.

I would have liked to see Peraica win, but Proft's track record continues unabated.

whatever · 3 years ago

boo hoo hoo "T. More." Cry me a river.

If there were problems with ballot security, it looked like Peraica's thugs were the biggest cause.

And by the way, I don't think anyone compared it to "going to burn Frankenstein". People were saying it was the first march LED by Frankenstein.

Maggie C · 3 years ago

The Peraica people may have overreacted and there was one documented incident, but to call people thugs or blame them on the ballot security (of hundreds of suburban precincts being called in) is just not accurate.

Angie · 3 years ago

Re: "Given the well-earned reputation of Chicago Machine Democrats, Peraica’s people had a legitimate concern about fraud..."

That's not the point. The point is that you call in the lawyers; you don't go storming the Bastille.

I'm in suburban Cook, and I definitely heard a LOT of that sentiment in the area. Lots of moderates were willing to give the guy a shot, hoping he'd at least reform some stuff (his personal social issue views aside), and it just ended up an absolute circus.

This state is an embarrassment. Thanks to Peraica's bunch for helping to further perpetuate the image of us all as a bunch of clueless morons who keep voting in crook after crook. Now, it isn't just crooks, though. Now, they need to bring tranquilizer darts to calm everyone down on election night, too!

Ralph Kruegler · 3 years ago

How many votes did it end up in the end?

Are all the votes counted?

Is Todd really breaking promises and screwing up or is this a small thing?

Frank · 3 years ago

Dan Proft is horrible!! How he managed to consult a candidate that only lost by 100,000 votes in Cook County, I'll never know. Maybe he should've consulted Topinka and the others in Cook County. We may have a republican future had he done so.

Guy Smiley · 3 years ago

Can anyone ...anyone...name any IL House race Proft won when he worked for Lee? Can anyone ... anyone ... point to wins outside Cicero? Can anyone...anyone...point to wins, where the candidate had to win a primary and THEN a general election, and succeeded in both? (getting your candidate humiliated by having them hide behind their child as a strategy doesn't count). The point here? Due dilligence on a candidate's part, no matter if they are conservative/moderate, would weed out consultants that, well, love to kick up dirt, but at the end of the day, have rhetoric only to give them, and not winning campaigns.

danproft · 3 years ago

I want to thank all those commentators who have expressed such concern about my (1) W/L record and (2) my financial condition and who have offered thoughtful, well-meaning suggestions about my appearance and wardrobe. Thank you.

With that said, I'd like to offer the following thoughts about the Peraica race:

In the biggest Democrat year in decades a Republican candidate for Cook County Board President, a county that is normal 3-3.5 to 1 Democrat to Republican and this year was 4-4.5 to 1 Democrat to Republican, got nearly 600,000 votes.

The base GOP vote countywide was anywhere from 7-10 points below historic base numbers. Consider other GOP countywide candidates which were admittedly just names on the ballot lost SUBURBAN Cook by 75-25 margins while Peraica won suburban Cook 62-38.

In part, Peraica did so well because of the Chicago media taking Cook County government off the pay-no-mind list (where it had resided for most of the last half-century) beginning in the primary and carrying through to the end.

Considering that Todd Stroger probably will have ended up spending more in the last 10 days than our campaign spent in 18 months, the earned media Peraica was able to generate and the media scrutiny on Stroger was a major factor in making the race as close as it was.

The point here is that the pundits weighing in and ed boards (particularly the Tribune) weighing in heavily did make a difference even though Peraica (and the reform message) ultimately fell a bit short. Peraica literally received millions of dollars worth of earned media by relentlessly pursuing the reform issue and independently shining the disinfectant that is sunlight wherever he could.

Something for future GOP candidates for high office to consider as this state continues sink into the quagmire of political corruption.

However, the papers also critically hurt Peraica's efforts at key points in the campaign---e.g. it wasn’t the Sun-Times endorsement of Stroger that really hurt, it was their bogus poll 10 weeks out showing Stroger up 52-19 stalled the campaign (particularly on the money end) and made us have to re-convince a lot of people that Peraica winning was actually doable. This was the biggest mountain to climb in the entire race.

Here’s some other facts (actual numbers) to inform some of the hysterical rants that have been posted that, no surprise, have less than a toe-hold on reality.

Facts:

--Peraica doubled the vote total of "moderates" (whatever these words mean anymore) on the swide ticket in Chicago-e.g. JBT got 15%, Peraica got 31%.

--JBT lost suburban Cook by approx. 100,000 votes while Peraica won it by approx. 140,000 votes even while the GOP lost two state senate seats and a 20-year incumbent state rep. in NW Cook County (which helps to actually explain why we fell just short of our suburban Cook vote goal)

--Peraica won liberal iconoclastic suburban townships like Oak Park
Township.

--Peraica got over 70% of the vote in the very independent-minded, squishy bell-weather townships (as far as IL races are concerned) of New Trier and Northfield. Both New Trier and Northfield townships went for Gore in 2000 and Kerry in 2004.

--Peraica won white ethnic Democrat townships like Niles (60-40) and Norwood Park (70-30) going away


Despite what some have posted here, no one is “blaming” anyone for Peraica’s loss, certainly not I. Rather, what I and others have offered is simply the typical post-mortem of how the race was lost, what the actual landscape/vote totals after the fact tell us. Such subtleties are lost on some, I understand.

I prefer to use hard data to back up my suppositions while I know other prefer to comment on my fashion sense to explain their positions. I leave it to the independent-minded out there to determine the relative weight each position merits.

Let me be clear: Todd Stroger won the election, perhaps in spite of himself. But he won the election and we lost the election.

There are a lot of additional reasons on the margins that contributed to it—I let others argue on the margins.

The numbers underscore the reality that those marginal reasons, even taken together, pale in comparison to the impact of the anti-GOP attitude nationally and the weak GOP effort locally—-statewide and in key legislative races.

Regards,

Dan Proft

P.S. Since there are so many interested in my “record”, in the time I was with Lee Daniels which was all of 16 months, I ran two races, I won one (Beth Coulson) and lost one (Flora Ciarlo—1996 “Punch 10” year when the House GOP got swept in south suburban Cook County).

P.P.S. I know I am a fanatical right-wing lunatic bent on destroying western civilization when I’m not hanging out on Lower Wacker Drive torturing small animals, but some will be surprised to learn that one of my best relationships in the House GOP is with perhaps its most socially moderate member, Beth Coulson, whose race I have done successfully three times. Coulson and I don’t agree on social issues and never have. But she is a smart, honest, thoughtful and—-are you ready for this—-independent-minded legislator.

I have also been part of a number of winning local races and, like virtually every other GOP candidate/operative, have been part of several losing statewide GOP campaigns in the last three cycles---for those of you scoring at home, the GOP has only had one statewide win since 2000 so pretty much everyone else in the GOP has the same record as me, even though there are many with big offices and big titles who could have brought far more resources to bear during that time than I but did not.

A final comment, 2004 with Jack Ryan and Alan Keyes was an unmitigated disaster. I personally made several errors in judgment and have said so repeatedly to those who can stop screaming long enough to listen. I know I will forever wear the “Scarlet A” (for Alan) and so be it. But just to restate for the record that, unlike many in the IL GOP, I try not to make a habit out of defending the indefensible.

Pat Hickey · 3 years ago

Dan, well said. I was surprised that you let Kid revolution eel his way out of his cork-screw answers to his cork-screw moral sense - real reform begins and ends with Mike Quigley - the Uriah heep of illinois politics. You had him on the ropes at the start of Tom Roesser's show, but TR is a pretty nice host, I suppose.

Imagine what you could have done handling a candidate whose eyes don't roll counter clockwise - you have been asked to walk some unruly dogs.

I would imagine that the operatives snarling at you from my Party feel the same way. You are a credit to your vocation.

Bubs · 3 years ago

I would only add that Peraica also won several wards in the City, most notably on the North Lakefront, such as 42nd (Gold Coast/River North), 43rd (Lincoln Park), 44th (East Lakeview / Wrigleyville) and 32nd (West Lakeview, Roscoe Village, western Lincoln Park).

Randy Alesia · 3 years ago

DAN PROFT FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!!!!OUCH!

JESUS FREAK · 3 years ago

HEY DAN,I GOT EXTRA SOAP AND SHAMPOO.YOU CAN USE IT

Bill · 3 years ago

The only reason that Nasty Tony got as close as he did(not very) was because John had a stroke. The selection process split the party and would have helped Attilla the Hun(a social moderate compared to D and T) win a few Townships and wards.
This won't happen again and I hope Tony and Dan take another shot at it. It will make the re-election campaign much easier.
I hope Beth has better taste in the future.

Bubs · 3 years ago

Bill, it will happen again (and more) once the Feds start hitting the County Building like a buzzsaw. Keep whistling past the graveyard, pal.

Ringmaster Ned · 3 years ago

Dan:

To help our readers through all your bluster, let me translate: your guy lost. I don't care how maany votes he got in a "democratic" year. Let me paraphrase an old saying: "show me a guy who comes in second and I'll show you a loser."

Bill · 3 years ago

Bubs,
The poor guy isn't even Prsident yet and you already have him convicted by the feds! Give it a rest and let President-elect Stroger do his job.

Chinese Fortune Cookie Says · 3 years ago

Dan - Your rant ... "Exuses are like ..." "everyone has one". For the love of Pete, please Dan, you are doing more damage responding, then just saying, "I (We) lost, get over it". Then no one can say "boo" to you.

Reagan Democrat · 3 years ago

Dan Proft,
Classy and accurate response.
Ignore the haters.
Tony Peraica is a great candidate.
You (Dan) did a great analysis.

Prog D. · 3 years ago

I am a progressive Democrat, but I like Proft. He mixes it up, in real world politics, trying to advance a socially conservative agenda in a blue and bluer state. And he does it with no particular respect for the dinosaurs in both parties. More power to him.

Anon · 3 years ago

Proft the guy who gave Jack Ryan the stellar advice, "Don't worry Jack, keep lying about your divorce, there' no way the Tribune will ever find out." ?

Sort of like Custer's adviser who said, "Don't worry General, there's at the most, what, ten, maybe twenty Indians."

Bubs · 3 years ago

Bill, I don't recall mentioning any names. In fact, I don't recall ever even speculating that Todd was a target of any investigation, nor do I recall anyone else doing so.

A freudian slip there, fella? ;)

While a few of Todd's associates may walk the plank for past sins, Todd himself was and is such an empty suit that I can't imagine him being involved. Bank robbers usually have the sense to use a getaway driver who can reach the pedals.

Reagan Democrat · 3 years ago

Dan Proft may have some blame on Jack Ryan but NONE on Alan Keyes. The Keyes thing is good rhetoric but overblown by the media.

Dan Proft did a good job in Cicero and Chicago Heights. Dan Proft had an interesting and innovative new source (before Capitol Fax was big and Illinoize even existed) in the Illinois Leader (acknowledging some problems).

Dan Proft is intelligent, a good writer, and has some solid wins under his belt. He can come off as arrogant, not as concilitory, and not as unifying as he could or should be. Proft did a good job with Peraica, and Peraica was a hard working and articulate candidate. Proft is not afraid of a fight and brings out issues. Peraica also has a strong sense of honesty and challenges the status qou and is not afraid of a fight nor the powers that be.

I would not brag about working for Lee Daniels.

Alyssa · 3 years ago

There was no storming of the County building. The police did not let most of the Peraica supporters up (after the Stroger supporters were already there)
The Chicago Police hit a girl in the chest and grabbed Tony Peraica's daughter and wouldn't let his wife and daughter up to be with him.
The only person that was arrested was working for an operative of Jesse White running for alderman. There was not a group of drunk people and there was only one bag that was stopped in even a remotely innapropriate way. It was not stormtroopers it was not hooligans. There were no fights, no violence, no damage to property (besides the elevator by the Jackson for Alderman boxing champ). The Stroger people were there without Peraica poll watchers when a large percentage of the suburban votes were called in.

Chris McNeil · 3 years ago

Dan,
Many of us appreciate your willingness to get involved in races like this and put up with the grief you will invariably receive. You should be commended for getting out there in the public realm and working to affect change. Thanks for being/staying involved.

Snidely Whiplash · 3 years ago

Mr. Proft, you failed to address the issues: I still wanna know about that town spokesman gig, like how you can actually do that high paying job while running a county-wide campaign (and for a while Rauschy, as well) at the same time? Do you have regular officd hours in Cicero? Also, how many towns actually have, let alone NEED, a spokesman?

Tom · 3 years ago

Bill, the reason Peraica got so close is that many voters recognized how vapid Todd is. The Atilla the Hun reference is typical of the hysterical cheapshot garbage the "Rod and Todd" team perpetuated. Just keep barfing up whatever Corruptovich tells you to. I'd rather have Rod and Todd Flanders in charge.

Narco L Eptic · 3 years ago

I have never been more bored with this board than with this topic.

Ned Flanders · 3 years ago

Hey Dan,Where is your sidekick Frank(the mooch)Coconate?Are you both still employed now that phony Tony lost?Way to go big shot.

Truthful James · 3 years ago

Alan Keyes was virtually out of control. His imported manager could not control him, Dan Proft could not control him. Keyes was not running to win, not running and did not care about Illinois issues. Keyes was running for a bully pulpit for Alan Keyes. It was a way of life for him.

Jack Ryan on the other hand got screwed. The divorce papers and his custody fight with Jeri Ryan were unsealed by the Tribune.

The allegations made in the custody fight were recorded without further investigation. It is of interest that Jeri, asked many, many, many times, would not repeat or confirm separately the truth of those allegations.

Ryan was a strong candidate -- to strong for the IllGOP of which JudyB was the head. Too strong for the old guard including the Eunuch of Charleston, Jim Edgar. If he had been elected -- and it was a not impossible task at the time --he would have been the senior Republican elected official and the counterpart to Peter Fitz. This scared the drawers out of the old guard.

The supposed scandal was raised by General Borling, one of the defeated candidates.

gregerman · 3 years ago

hours at Cicero? HA. You should file a freedome information act and find out how much this guy is taking out of that town and the schools. Although he is getting nervous cause he found out Larry Dominick is done.

Stroger's race was a black and white issue. That is the only reason Tony did as well as he did.

On the other hand I would like to hear you explain why he didn't do so well against Gomolinski? His performance as an incumbent with all the press you had was shameful. The storming of the ballots did one good thing. Assured the 16th district they will only have to deal with 4 more years of this guy. he finally nailed his coffin