After reading the previous post and the details of Friday's meeting between Andy McKenna and the 'Five-headed Underdogs' I couldn't help but think of the constrast between the latest Republican political adventure and the one the Illinois GOP made us endure last year when they had to make an East Coast swing to find a candidate (and that's using the word 'candidate' loosely).
Let me explain.
Last year when Jack Ryan finally withdrew from the U.S. Senate race the Republican Party asked everybody but me to run against Barack Obama and after being refused umpteen times finally went out of state to bring us the Alan Keyes debacle. It retrospect it was perhaps the worst political move in the history of political moves.
Now this year the Republicans are trying to find a way to thin the herd in the gubernatorial primary and can't run some of these candidates off with a mop and a bucket of ... well ... you know what's in the bucket. This cluster and what it could lead to by March has the potential to top the Keyes' mess, which a year ago I thought would be impossible.
If Illinois Republicans wonder why they're in the minority and likely to stay there, they need look no further than these two instances and then at the overall party organization (or lack of organization.)
In short, it's the same old circus ... with a new set of clowns.
Wait a minute, I stand corrected.
There are a couple of holdover 'Bozos' that played a signicant role in the 90-day run of the 'Keyes Experience' who are now starring in the sequel, appropriately titled, 'Desperate Republicans.'
Pass the Tylenol please, this makes my head hurt.
8 comments:
Not everyone was offered the Senate position. Senator Rauschy was and turned it down so did Edgar even Ditka turned it down. The one person that did not get the offer was Oberweis.
Why? They have no control over him. Instead they brought in Keyes who had zero chance of winning. The Combine has no interest in allowing someone who cannot be controled to win, they would rather lose. Look how they went after Senator Fitzgerald! It was the same crowd who now want everyone to play nice so JBT can walk into the nomination. LaHood, Edgar, JBT, Hastert, Cross all went after the Senator one way or another and ANDY McKenna was their choice for the replacement. The combine will not win this one.
Jim,
A couple of questions...
1. In your opinion, why did the party turn down Oberweis for the Senate run? He was interested, and he was willing to spend his own money. He wouldn't have defeated the Obama juggernaut, but he would have provided the opportunity to build the party from an organitional prespective.
Though hindsight is 20/20, regular everyday foresight in mid-2004 was capable of predicting the meltdown that occured with Keyes.
2. What is your advice to the party? I get that you don't like what is in the bucket. From the standpoint of a political insider, what is the best choice the party could make right now.
___
I'm asking your professional opinion.
Their selfish desire for power is going to be their demise. JBT should have listened to her gut instinct and stayed where she was at, the four horsemen should have been left to fend for themselves, and the attention should have been focused on house and senate seats, with an eye on 2010.
If this gamble doesn’t pay off, the Illinois GOP will be all but gone.
What’s ironic is that Rod’s low approval ratings might be the thing that helps him the most. Each GOP candidate feels that the winner of the primary will undoubtedly be Illinois’ next Governor, that’s what is keeping him or her in the race. Approval polls can be misleading. I’m a life long Democrat and I don’t necessarily approve of everything the Governor is doing. However, the bottom line is, I’m a Democrat first.
Rumor has it that Jim Oberweis looked very favorable at the Republican Governor's Association Conference. Massacushett Govenor Mitt Romney, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and outgoing RGA Chairman Kenny Guinn to name a few were very favorable to Jim.
I guess it helps being apart of his email list! I think it's time for Rauschenberger and Brady to step out and let Jim Oberweis run against this corrupt administration (JBT included). I'm a republican... I am Pro-Life, Pro-2nd Amendment Rights, Pro-Family, and Pro-Fiscal Responsibility... I vote for Republican Candidates and Judy Barr Topinka is by far NOT a Republican candidate and the Rep. Party should be ashamed of its self for endorsing her (I know, not officially, but they might as well).
The IL Rep. Party has sold us out and has sold out on their morals and everything they stand for! Shame!!!
I am voting for a TRUE Republican, I am voting for Jim Oberweis!!
Andy Mckenna has a choice. He can either be a tool of the combine or he can be a party leader.
He can do nothing and be seen as a creature of Jim Thompson.
To do the latter job, he has to declare his independence.
He needs to get a Party platform written now and approved by the members of the State committee. It is going to take until the new year to sort that out.
And it will not please everybody.
But if Andy has raised any significant money, he needs to be able to say that he has the cash register for the nominee, but the nominee has to follow the platform.
Then, to show his independence, he needs to dump Bob Kjellander as National committeeman. That will unite more of the right in the Party than an anti-abortion plank.
The Shill Lander is the national treasurer. He can be given a conflict of interest cover.
McKenna then needs to extract a pledge from Mr. Edgar that he will support and campaign for the nominee.
The under ticket needs attention as well.
That is, if the Republicans want to win
Politically you may be right, but from my own personal and moral perspective, I think it is great, that even if ego driven that so many really successful private sector non political (before) people who achieved so much individually and in the economy want to run for office and forward ideas not just based on support.
People talk about all the light weights for Senate and for Governor but Oberweiss (who I do not agree nor like) has a great product and successful dairy and financial company. Jack Ryan, kinky sex nothwithstanding, was more educationally successful than Barack Obama if that was possible and a partner in an Investment Bank. Rauschenberger, agree or disagree, has a good record and is articulate and intelligent on policy issues and the only full time politician. There are of course some problems, is Kathuria telling the truth. Is what Jack Ryan did significant? And now, strategically, who should drop out
BUT to say these guys are lightweights or should not run is a professinal politicians approach.
All of the Governor Repub candidates are far more accomplished than Rod Blagojevich.
Blagojevich is a creature of his father in laws hard work and his own imagination. These Republicans are people who created something real in the private sector and did not just marry well.
That is true, all of these Republicans are far more accomplished than Rod Blagojevich and more people of integrity
and most of them very talented and successful people especially in the private sector
I am tired of blow dry professional politicians of either party
Chief Bozo was Dan Proft. He could screw up anything, as long as you paid.
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