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Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

steve schnorf — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:18:07 -0000

You know, I really don't remember the Ds using KJ against us: we used it against ourselves quite effectively, though.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

one who knows — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 09:40:08 -0000

Birkett needs to remember he does NOT have a clean slate to run on... He can run as fast and as far as he'd like, but he's not going to get far.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

the wonderboy — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:35:00 -0000

Mad Conservative--"promoting TRUE conservative prinicipals, not half-hearted, spineless people who are Republican in name only but really are in the wrong party"...well that should help grow the party. Well done.

As for the claim of being a Ronald Reagan Conservative: shich part of Reagan? The part that grew up admiring FDR and being a Democrat? The part that essentially avoided abortion discussion? People use that term in so many ways, and it has little definition. Many saw Reagan as a moderate, and yet others claim he was a neocon...please elaborate.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Nostradamus — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:10:28 -0000

The Gop's problems started under Big Jim T., when
he fought C. Rutan and lost. That put an end to
the county chairmen having political clout. It was
hard for the older chairmen to accept. Then it was
hard to find someone interested in being a committeman without some type of a reward. The
next problem is the Political Powers that have
run the party for the last 30 yrs., ie; BK, BC,
DA,IS. They were at the "trough" all those years
and didn't want to share. If they hadn't been so
greedy and opened up the "tent" to the younger
people interested in politics, we'd be better off.
They should have lived by this quote,"PIGS GET FAT, HOGS GET SLAUGHTERED".
Another big factor was Geo. Ryan.
The dems. had been out so long, they promised the
"World" to people and accepted all newcomers. Jobs
was a big thing to their county chairmen. Even
though it is illegal to use politics when hiring,
the Gov and crew threw those rules and laws out
the window. I think that the Republicans can make
a come back, once PF gets done with Big "little
man" Rod. These people will put their party in the
same boat the Reps. were in.
Finally, the Rep.party needs to stop all the fighting amongst themselves. We're like the Dems
used to be. Get younger people involved.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

respectful — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:05:29 -0000

Mad Conservative is aptly named. Going back to the '80s with Reagan-style conservatism will not inspire the 20-somethings flocking to Obama.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Mad Conservative Crimefighter — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 23:10:30 -0000

Rich Miller...YES I LIVE IN ILLINOIS. I thought it was a two term limit for governor. That's it.

For those saying, I'm talking to YOU Larry Mulholland, that I'm some Alan Keyes type of conservative...that's BULL...I am a RONALD REAGAN CONSERVATIVE. THAT is what is gonna bring the GOP back, promoting TRUE conservative prinicipals, not half-hearted, spineless people who are Republican in name only but really are in the wrong party.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Team Sleep — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:24:09 -0000

Mr. Decatur, Frank will be able to raise enough dough to keep his seat. What that will mean to the rest of the field, however, remains to be seen. The question is whether or not Emil would be willing to put a huge challenge to Frank. Emil did very well in 2006 but he blew it big-time with the Lewandowski-Syverson race.

Mr. Schnorf, even though your sarcasm is funny ha-ha, K-J is a problem. As long as we have national figure in the party who has questionable ethics and ties to Karl Rove, the Dems can use that info against us in tight races. What if the State Central group doesn't man up and vote him out next spring? He will be in issue in the 2008 Senate race and all of the 2010 constitutional races. Karl Rove is just as unpopular as Bush, and his friendship with K-J is damning at best.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

decaturboy — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:34:48 -0000

Looks like a number of Macon Ccounty Democrats may be lining up to take on Sen. Frank Watson.
Tim Dudley,a RRC trustee,an young black attorney named Small, and the front runner Macon COunty Auditor Amy Stockwell are said to be ready to take on Frank in what appears to a big Democratic year.
Stockwell got her name out during a short bid to replace Lane Evans. Stockwell saved Macon County from financial dooms day. She is the best candidate to defeat Watson.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Scott Lukas — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:16:13 -0000

Anon 4:44-

Bring it on. Joe "self made man" Birkett will have an opportunity to be known as "o for three Joe"

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Truthful James — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:12:36 -0000

steve schnorf

thanks for the giggle.

You really have no idea how many of the conservative republicans told Andy McKenna to shove it. Kjellander was their pin up boy for throwing darts, since Big Jim Thompson was white shoeing money off Blago and Mr Edgar was in his Charleston hidey hole sticking his head out to announce that the party didn't need any conservative voters ...and the RNC took the position that Bobby K knows best as they sucked Republican money out of the state to give to other races. I hear that the IllGOP hotfingered only $9 Mil to support the state ticket.

Stevie, Kjellancer was a symbol, and symbols can excite or repel. Coupled with Judy B's picture marching with gay pride, a lot of the conservatives were motivated to stay out of sight.

Whatever the party will be by 2008 is anybody's guess. there might be an effort to rebuild from the precincts (which I suggested on this thread earlier) or they may stand shivering in the cold hoping for superfluous unripe nuts to be rolled down to them by the squirrels in charge in Springfield.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

steve schnorf — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:46:16 -0000

I'm really quite taken aback by all this. I thought with Kjellander out as national treasurer, the main issue around which so many rallied for the last 2 or 3 years, we would be entering the land of milk and honey. Surely with that enormous problem solved we'll go red in the next presidential, and retake the statehouse 2 years later. Madigan and Jones should tremble also; with Kjellander gone their majorities won't last much longer.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Anon — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:44:40 -0000

Scott Lukas:

Would Lisa have won the AG race against Birkett if Mike Madigan wasn't her father? She would have been a laughable candidate because of her lack of prosecutorial experience. Daddy got her elected for her first term and running against Stu Umholtz last years was a no brainer.

Birkett is a self made man. No one pulled strings or pressured (use your imagination here) people to vote for him or else.

Lisa has a record now. Hope she runs on it in 2010 and not on her last name and her dad's influence if the field gets crowded.

And remember, Madigan's win over Birkett was by the slimest of margins, all things considered, so I wouldn't call it a TKO.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Anon — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:44:39 -0000

Scott Lukas:

Birkett is a self made man. No one pulled strings or pressured (use your imagination here) people to vote for him or else.

Lisa has a record now. Hope she runs on it in 2010 and not on her last name and her dad's influence if the field gets crowded.

And remember, Madigan's win over Birkett was by the slimest of margins, all things considered, so I wouldn't call it a TKO.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

JBC — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:07:18 -0000

I second Tweed's concern over the VM post. Chicagoland seems to be growing/adapting quite well to the 21st century economy and has a seemingly unbeatable pro-biz mayor who made the corporate environment quite comfortable. What specifics do Red States (i.e. Indiana) offer that will prove the diference in 10-15 years.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

'Lainer — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:24:44 -0000

Team Sleep -- I think you're right in saying the GOP would be much better off today had Poshard won in '98 and cleaned out the Ryan crowd. I also think the Democratic party would have been much better off today had that happened. For one thing, it might have convinced them to widen THEIR "tent" to include social and fiscal conservatives, instead of just writing them all off. People who care about what's right and wrong, are willing to stand on principle and are willing to make sacrifices for the future good are not "extremists"; they are exactly the kind of people ANY political party needs. Especially with the fiscal train wreck looming in the state's future.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Bubs — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:20:13 -0000

Arrogance broght the GOP low,
But "Conservative!" will bring only woe.
The problem inherent
Is a view incoherent
On where Illinois ought to go.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

T.J. — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:16:36 -0000

Sen. Radogno is also a moderate, but that didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t help her in the treasurerÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s race.

Birkett was the only Conservative on the statewide ticket, and the only one for whom one could not cast a vote directly.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Anon — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:08:23 -0000

Rich...keep up the good work; don't see where there was any partisanship, etc. in this posting.

Republicans in Illinois definitely have a problem and slowing losing the collar counties is one of them. However, statewide, Democrats need to be careful not to go too liberal as they could lose their southern Illinois Democrats who oftentimes are more conservative than some Republicans up north. It all gets to how far people want to let Chicago run the rest of the state.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Tweed — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:36:58 -0000

Vanilla Man,

Could you for once give some stats to back up your theory on the doom and gloom of Illinois' economy? All I ever read from you is that Illinois (specifically Chicago) is a dying place. Yet year after year Chicago's population grows or remains the same. The suburban population is booming. Your theories strike me as very 1980's when all of the factories were shutting down and people came up with the term Rust Belt. Well Chicago has survived even grown and the economy has adapted to the new trends of the marketplace.

I'm not saying it's all cheery for Chicago, but instead of giving us 80's talking points and telling us how Chicago is not prepared for the 21st Century, perhaps it is time to readjust your thoughts now that we are almost 1/10th of the way through the 21st century and doing quite fine.

In what speific ways could Chicago & Illinois improve? What states and industries are Chicago & Illinois losing out to? Don't just give me 'red states' and 'new industries'. I want some specifics.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Smitty Irving — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:18:53 -0000

After the 14 years of Big Jim's reign, the Illinois GOP was addicted to patronage, both payroller and pinstripe. It was only through Democratic problems that they were able to stretch that out to 26 years. But when you rule with patronage & pork, not ideas, it eventually all comes crumbling down.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Disgusted — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:45:17 -0000

Starbucks: I didn't know they sold KoolAid at your establishment. The AllKids system is a fiasco and I work closely with it. Their staff can't make a decision to save their souls and physicians want no part of it.

Cassandra: Always remember, treachery and old age will overcome youth and enthusiasm every time.
Just ask Emil and Mike. They've been around forever, much to the detriment of the citizens of this state.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Scott Lukas — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:41:35 -0000

Maybe Birkett will announce at the Addison Twp GOP meeting. After all they lost every state wide race including Sen Pankau. In 2010 Lisa TKOs Joe in 3 rounds----for the second time.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

amy — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:36:25 -0000

I'm amazed that Republicans in Illinois have not
just hit the fiscal route to try and gain some
traction. It's a so called traditionally Republican
value, that is if they can get away from Bush and
deficit governance,
and if this state is socially liberal, they cannot
hope to gain with the scary Christian Right.
perhaps their business world view is polluted with
too many Enrons, but Republicans claim themselves
to be able to deal with numbers. Why can't they do that? usage levels, usage fees, site evaluation,
hard choices for where services are provided
and whether they work. actually, republican
or democrat, I'd appreciate all levels of
government in Illinois to do things this way.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

respectful — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:31:39 -0000

One-party rule is the political reality in Illinois now and in the foreseeable future. To see what quality of government we get with one- party domination, just look at Chicago and the County of Cook.

Re: Two views on the GOP’s future

Beowulf — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:26:20 -0000

Blagojevich being toppled from his perch due to corruption within his administration will NOT make voters run to vote Republican. I like Joe Birkett but it is simply wishful thinking on Joe's part.

Mike Madigan knew that Blagojevich was ultimately heading for a train wreck. Hence, Lisa Madigan has been groomed by Mike to take over as head of the Democrat Party when Rod goes down. Everybody likes Lisa and she has not been touched by the multitude of Democrat scandals that we have been seeing. Lisa's vote totals last election show that she would have been elected Governor last time if she had chosen to run for Governor.

Judy Barr Topinka was an outrageous candidate for the Illinois GOP to have gone with. Somebody in the GOP leadership must have thought that they could pull Judy's strings and she would dance to the GOP Party leadership's tune. Only the previous choice of Alan Keyes back when he replaced Jack Ryan could be considered more of a disastrous decision on the part of the Illinois GOP.

Emil Jones picked the wrong horse when he lined up with Blagojevich rather than Mike Madigan. Lisa is the top heavyweight contender for Illinois Governor come the next gubernatorial election.