87 Comments - RonOglesby - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 8:52 am: Is it me or is the “we need to pick a woman” or “we need to pick a latino”, or “we need to pick [insert identity politics label here]” part of the problem? Shouldn’t the be focused on picking the best person regardless of the label? - Ravenswood Right Winger - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 8:54 am: Pat should’ve done the honorable thing and resigned immediately after Election Day last November. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 8:59 am: RRW, he offered to resign on election night. He was talked out of it by party bigwigs. - Ravenswood Right Winger - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 9:08 am: Wow I didn’t know that. In that case he gets some “respect” from me, Ali G style. - WilliamO - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 9:09 am: A big opportunity for the party. If Lisa decides not to run, Repubs will have a fighting chance at taking back the governorship. Based on recent history, I fear they’ll blow it. How about a Generation X female. Youth and the opportunity to take advantage of Hillary’s almost certain run for Prez, which will probably unleash a wave of female candidates vying for top positions in both parties across the country. Through the political glass ceiling. - MrJM - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 9:17 am: Shouldn’t they be focused on picking the best person regardless of the label? “Ron, I have a mister… Jason Plumber on line one…” – MrJM - Ray del Camino - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 9:18 am: That “we need a woman” thinking got us Sarah Palin in ‘08. - votecounter - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 9:20 am: Hey Pat we had a women remember? Judy Barr how did that go? What we need is someone who knows the parties voters and can get them to turn out. After all of the smoke cleared and the numbers were looked at it was the Republican base staying home that cost the GOP the election in 2012 and 10. The GOP needs to get its base reenergized and build it’s GOTV machine or build one. No matter what they do without their core voters the GOP will never win; they should build bridges but that means both ways! Not Jim Edgar on Chicago TV the week before an election bad mouthing the candidate because he is too conservative. Give and take. BTW Rich Williamson was Chairman when George Ryan was Governor I don’t see that as very appealing. I remember because he had a group of conservatives in his office in early 99 who were complaining that George was breaking every promise he made to us, Rich W said “who are you going to vote for Burns?” We told him George wouldn’t get out of a Primary: as it turns out he didn’t and couldn’t; Rich W can’t be there again. Look at Rich’s column The moderates have been fighting tooth and nail for 19 years pretending conservative were not in the party, and look where the GOP is? Wake up, you can’t blame conservatives for where the GOP is, it has been the old guard in charge of the money and party. If they spent as much time and energy beating the Democrats as they do undermining the conservatives in the party and maybe work with them the GOP would be better off. - Statesman - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 9:28 am: The ever present power struggle in the ILGOP led to this. For The ice cream man and his cronies to wage war on a social issue that further painted the party into a corner with swing voters all in a failed coup d etat. You need a lion tamer to be the next chair with a prowess at keeping the out of control ideologues in check. This state needs it. - Loop Lady - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 9:40 am: How unfortunate, but not unexpected. “We don’t want no stinkin’ diversity of opinion in the IL GOP”, or something like that. This will go a long way to revive the Republican Party in IL, and fianlly build a viable opposition party (NOT!) Godspeed Mr. Brady… - 3rd Generation Chicago Native - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 9:45 am: And to think the very successful politician Oberweis led this battle. Oberweis, not helping the GOP in Illinois, or does he think this will help him bring a lot of the hard core GOP back to his side by bringing down Brady who deviated from the core GOP? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 9:56 am: - votecounter -, You can’t tell me tacting even farther “Right” and making sure the Conservatives are ALWAYS happy is the way to relelvence. That is just not true. We in the ILGOP are losing because the Moderates and “Indies” that have left My Party see the GOP as unwelcoming, Those “indie” voters see members of the ILGOP treat My Party as a religion, and not a political operation, and we can not have everyone in My Party be “Right” and think the Reagan Rule of 80% is just not a factor in building. You are missing the whole point of where the ILGOP is, what is the perception of the Illinois Republican Party, and how to build majorities when your idea is to enegize the “Base”, because there just aren’t enough Slytherin House Republicans to make the ILGOP a Majority in the House or the Senate in Illinois. Finally - votecounter -, look at the Caucuses. Would you say the SGOP and the HGOP is a fair relfection of all the voters in Illinois? When you hear the word “diversity” do you think of Commander Galloway and her 18? Do you think “Two-Putt” and his 46 reflect a vast amjority of the Illinois public? You can not build on a foundation that limits the idea of inclusion. I want to thank the SCC for allowing the resignation on its own and not by the pitchforks and torches and ice cream scoops of meeting after meeting. I want to thank Steven Daglas for a very thoughtful release, and I hope more on the SCC are looking at things as you are, and when those members refused to be bullied by Oberweis, that spoke volumes and made me, personally, feel that My Party is starting to understand, and although its a Baby Step, its a crititcal step if the ILGOP wants to be relevent. I wanted to address - votecounter -, and thank Steven Daglas before I get into anything on Patrick Brady. We need to remember the Reagan Rule of 80% is going to bring us back, not shrinking to the “Base” of “Politcal Ice Cream” in hopes that numbers, in this case, make no difference in winning elections. - WestSider - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:02 am: Daglas sounds like a bright, thoughtful young man- ILGOP will push him out by Tuesday next. - wordslinger - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:03 am: –Is it me or is the “we need to pick a woman” or “we need to pick a latino”, or “we need to pick [insert identity politics label here]” part of the problem?– How you define “the problem” and how you define the job will lead you to pick “the best person available.” Since last November, there has been plenty of examination among Republicans as to why they’re getting their hands beaten in among single women, people of color and younger voters. Part of the problem is that they’re perceived as intolerant old white men. In Illinois, another part of the problem is that plenty of Republicans are content to lose, complain, be unaccountable and be irrelevant to the process. As long as they get a few seats in the GA, their per diem checks and pensions, they’re happy. They can whine about welfare and seceeding from Cook County all day long. I think Brady is suggesting to those Republicans who would like a shot at governing that it might be a good idea to try and build a majority. To do that, it would be a good idea to at least appear to be welcoming to everyone in society. You ever watch TV news? It’s a visual medium. Do you see how they painstakingly put together their crews to appear welcoming to everyone? For crying out loud, how hard would it be for the Republican Party in the Land of Lincoln to identify and promote one black candidate? They had a chance for Tim Johnson’s old seat and they blew it. - UISer - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:04 am: @votecounter “Please continue to think the problem with the Illinois GOP is that candidate’s are not conservative enough,” said every democratic campaign worker ever. - Joe from Joliet - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:06 am: …You can’t blame conservativesfor where the GOP is… IL has three Repubs holding statewide offices. None of three are hard conservatives. I don’t believe a hard conservative will win statewide anytime soon. - Shore - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:08 am: Ron is correct. Sorry but chairman don’t make decisions like this. He whiffed on walsh in 2010 and never really made any improvements in things. I lean more to the moderate side of the party but I’m sick of the party trashing conservatives/conservatism who actually do the work and show up in an attempt to win over the chicago media which frankly isn’t the party’s main concern. Best move for the party might just be to give conservatives what they want, let Oberweis or proft or adam a flame out in their first few months on the job as party chair and then watch moderate conservatives turn against them once and for all and marginalize their voices within the party. I don’t know who these “party bigwigs” are that are so wildly successful they’ve put the party in the wilderness and have the place to encourage mr. brady to stay on. I saw jim durkin listed in one of the articles as a power and he was last seen on berkowitz talking about how during his senate campaign in 2002 no one backed him. Some “power”. - Lil Enchilada - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:19 am: Sue Carpentier quit as the GOP chair up here in Rock Island County. She might be available. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:26 am: The proper role of conservatives in the Illinois Republican Party has always been to volunteer to collect petitions, post yard signs, deliver campaign literature, donate money, man the polling places and to hold their noses and vote for the anointed moderate and liberal candidates posing as Republicans while not questioning the establishment politicians leading the party while ignoring the conservative base. Pat Brady could have spared us more unnecessary controversy by tendering his resignation weeks ago. Given his lackluster performance, he will not be missed. Of course, the real concern is whether or not the GOP can find someone as ineffectual as his successor. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:28 am: ===The proper role of conservatives in the Illinois Republican Party has always been to…=== You’re making the exact same argument that the lefties made about the Democratic Party in the 1980s. They lost, too. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:37 am: Anonymous - do you really think it’s all that different on the Democratic side? True believers - union members, liberal activitists, etc. - do most of the legwork, a lot of the funding, but usually only got a slice of what they want, even when the party controls all branches of government. The difference is, they don’t pick up their marbles and go home to whine, because they mostly realize that a slice, big or small, is better than the alternative. - Responsa - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:37 am: Republicans in New Jersey (a state which shares much of the same economic, geographic and demographic complexity as Illinois) finally figured it out and the Garden State is the better for it. It would be nice if Rs in Illinois could figure it out, too. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:47 am: ===…posing as Republicans while not questioning the establishment politicians leading the party while ignoring the conservative base.=== “posing”? And you wonder why Litmus Testers and Blood Oathers never get the Reagan Rule of 80%. “Posing”? How do you…”pose”? If I agree with 80% of the Republican Party platform, am I …”posing”? Sounding elitist and unwelcoming does NOT a political party make. The Republican Party is a Political Operation. I am not “baptised” a Republican, I never made my “Confirmation” to vote Republican, and I don’t go to “services” that require Blood Oaths or Tests to “continue” to be a Republican. “Posing”. Slytherin House Republicans - Everyone else is just “posing”. - Out Here In The Middle - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:48 am: I have to commend Mr. Daglas. First time in years that anyone in the ILGOP has said anything that made me think that maybe, someday, I might be able to come back to the GOP. Of course much of the discussion quickly dispelled that myth . . . . . - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:52 am: @Rich Miller: @10:28: I cannot speak for the entire State Democratic Party Organization of thirty years ago, but since the election of Mayor Harold Washington in 1983, the lefties have had considerable influence in the Cook County Democratic Organization, including the Richard M. Daley years (Valerie Jarrett and Michelle Obama both worked for Daley). As for the Republicans, when was the last time that conservatives held positions of influence? Was it when Governor William Stratton held office or earlier? - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:53 am: =Is it me or is the “we need to pick a woman” or “we need to pick a latino”, or “we need to pick [insert identity politics label here]” part of the problem?= It’s not you (and that’s a woman’s opinion). - Vanilla Ice - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:55 am: I can’t help but think, if Oberweis had based his business selling one flavor of ice cream, how many stores would he have today? How can he think retail politics is any different? It just makes no sense that anyone can look at this situation, care about winning and - hence - relevancy sometime in the next decade, and think that we need less diversity. Someone needs to challenge him to only sell Vanilla at his stores. Practice what he preaches in his actual business. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:55 am: =I lean more to the moderate side of the party but I’m sick of the party trashing conservatives/conservatism who actually do the work and show up in an attempt to win over the chicago media which frankly isn’t the party’s main concern.= Another Moderate, like me, who actually gets it. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:56 am: (BTW, shore, I guess I’ve underestimated you. I never would have expected that statement regarding Conservatives from you.) - Chavez-respecting Obamist - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:56 am: Wordslinger, may I respectfully point out it’s less a perception than a reality that the ILGOP is the party of angry old white men. And Anon, neither Valerie Jarrett not Michelle Obama are lefties. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:57 am: This should be fun. At least two Anons posting at the same time. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:59 am: ===At least two Anons posting at the same time. === Pick a screen name!!! - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:01 am: =I don’t know who these “party bigwigs” are that are so wildly successful they’ve put the party in the wilderness and have the place to encourage mr. brady to stay on.= My guess is that it’s Mr. Kirk and his lot. They are, after all, the “de facto” leaders of ILGOP. (And when Mr. Brady starts promoting a woman and if it’s not Ms. Demonte, be afraid. Be very afraid.) - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:04 am: I have one. Someone intentionally hi-jacked it during Kirk’s campaign (I was a strong supporter back then), and now I’m taking it back. I wasn’t complaining that someone else was using it temporarily. I was just noting it. - Reo Symes, M.D. - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:11 am: The IL GOP solidifies its reputation as the party of angry old white guys. - Esquire - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:12 am: It is being reported elsewhere that Pat Brady’s wife is being treated for cancer, so his departure is not solely due to political concerns. One must wish him well as he and his family face this medical challenge. - Jake - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:12 am: I am not as politically savvy as the lot of you, but am I ignorant in thinking this is a backwards step instead of forward? A republican who embraces diversity is out, which is opposite of the way people think the national republicans need to move? Can someone smarter than me explain it? is it a parochial Illinois thing? - Responsa - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:18 am: People don’t intentionally “hi-Jack” the handle Anonymous. It is a crutch. Here are some handle ideas for all the people who think it’s way cool to post as “anonymous” or that they somehow “own” that name to the exclusion of anyone else: Not Very Imaginative Me Boring? Yes Indistinguishable Lost in the Ether Not able to Make Up My Mind Pay No Attention to My Comment Mr. Cellophane Trying to Confuse Y’all - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:23 am: =A republican who embraces diversity is out, which is opposite of the way people think the national republicans need to move?= I can explain. If someone were to look at this honestly, you’d see that we are diverse. However, the context is “Republicans”–not Democrats. Many are actually happy with having a Conservative and a Moderate faction and don’t see a need for a “Liberal” faction, too, because we already have a Democratic Party. And for those who claim they’d join Republicans if they’d only “change” because the fiscal aspect of the Republican Party is something you can believe in: Why don’t you form a “fiscally-conservative” faction within the Dem Party? Or is that too diverse for Democrats? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:24 am: The Saga of Pat Brady can best be summed up with “Call Me, maybe?” With the millions of calls made to voters, there was never a way to get those voters that My Party contacted to the polls in an effective way to make a difference on Election Day. “Never confuse activity with achievement.” That… is the ILGOP. We confuse “activity” for “achievement” all the time. Look at the letter Pat Brady wrote. Brady lists all this activity, but in the last cycle, very specifically, no achievement. Every time people were contacted via phone, and we got some information out of that activity, we achieved nothing with it. We are the 7th graders writing a research paper with all the note cards, and no paper completed. We in the ILGOP have regressed. We need to start over. This is the time, now, we need to look at the Reagan Rule and look at competitive districts as opportunities to win, not examples of “RINOs running”. Purity is going to destroy My Party far quicker than losing election after election. Pretty soon, those “Pure” candidates will be less and less as well. A political party shrivels up and dies when it refuses to understand that building should take a back seat to purity. Pat Brady stuck it out, after the dramatic and historical loses last November, even though Brady offered his resignation. This is the second part of the Brady Legacy that My Party better understand and remember. Jim Oberweis had all of November, all of December… days, weeks,… but Oberweis made it about “Purity”, made it about “Blood Oaths”. “Jim Oberweis” is what is going to destory My Party because Slytherin House Republicans LOVE to be “Right”, need to tell others how to “be Republican” at the cost of My Party. You can NOT tell people that you are taking out the Party Chairman on a “Litmus Test” issue and look inclusive. You can NOT put My Party in jeopardy to look non-inclusive and think its “ok” because a Party Platform tells you its “ok”. We as Republicans must learn the lesson of the “pitchforks, torches, and ice cream scoops” if we plan on getting “indies” to come back. We can NOT ask voters to be 100% pure, or get a “pass” from Jim Oberweis, saying anyone is a “Good Republican”. What does that mean? Litmus Testers and Blood Oathers now are the end-all, be-all of WHO can be a Republican, how GOOD of a Republican you are, and what you need to do to BE that “Good Republican”? That… is the lesson of the removal of Pat Brady. We need to stop this “Who is the most Republican of them all” business. In realtiy, voters in the General Election are looking for candidates that are most like them, candidates they can relate to, and want to feel that these candidates understand the plight of the people of Illinois. Voters do not want to hear - “must”, “always”, “never” or “only”. Voters want contact with campaigns, they want to be educated on issues, and voters do NOT want to preached to about how to live their lives! Finally, Pat Brady answered a question and thiks a woman should be the Chair, or whatever. With respect, let others at this point worry about that. Pat Brady, you had the opportunity to lead, and specifically as Chairman, you failed. Let My Party pick its Chair, thanks. Otherwise, we might as well go with whoever Jim Oberweis thiks is a “Good Republican” and be done with our search. Limiting the choice, even if its to be a woman, is not being very inclusive. Heck Commander Galloway to save her Caucus played the Gender card, (not really, but DID…) and the SGOP is no better with Commander Galloway reminding us all she is a woman, than when we thought she was just useless. The more we limit, and “shape” and “pose” to be either “Pure” or “inclusive”, we appear to be none of those … as Our Party still shrinks. Good luck Pat Brady. I wish you the best, and I wish you Fresh Strawberries… - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:24 am: Take that personally, did you, Responsa. Not a surprise. - wordslinger - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:30 am: The word “conservative” is the most abused in the English language. Today, anyone winning the race to the bottom of know-nothingness and do-nothingness claims the prize of most “conservative.” Look at Congress. Alleged “conservatives” control the House outright and the Senate by virtue of the stupid 60-vote rule, and all they do all day, every day, is vote to repeal Obamacare and go on cable TV gas-fests and complain about dem no-count, shiftless American peoples who wants the free stuff. And dem bad ol’ “RINOs,” too. They might as well be Kardashians for the substance and energy they bring to the table. Conservative used to mean Buckley, Goldwater and Reagan. Now it’s Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck. It’s a crying shame. - Responsa - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:33 am: ==Take that personally, did you, Responsa. Not a surprise.== I assure you that I did not “take that personally” because I have no idea on earth which of the myriad Anonymouses who post here as “Anonymous” you are. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:34 am: ===If someone were to look at this honestly, you’d see that we are diverse.=== lol, you tell me the SGOP and HGOP Caucuses are diverse! Diverse in what, NOT being diverse! - Cincinnatus - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:36 am: Better now than 6 months from now. Best wishes to Pat on his future endeavors and challenges. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:47 am: ==If someone were to look at this honestly, you’d see that we are diverse.== What are you smoking? You may think you are diverse and maybe you are but you sure are doing a poor job of projecting that diversity. As long as some of you keep thinking like that you will remain in the minority. Wake up. - Demoralized - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:48 am: Sorry. That was me above. - John A Logan - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:50 am: I have always considered myself a republican. However this latest episode has left me seriously considering changing my registration. I can’t go along with national democrats, so I guess I am left with independent or green. Any other suggestions would be appreciated…… - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:52 am: =And for those who claim they’d join Republicans if they’d only “change” because the fiscal aspect of the Republican Party is something you can believe in: Why don’t you form a “fiscally-conservative” faction within the Dem Party? Or is that too diverse for Democrats?= And just to clarify, it’s not that “converts” wouldn’t be welcome. It’s just a heads-up regarding our diversity. In case you missed it, with have BOTH Moderates and Conservatives within the Party–and as far as I can tell, no one’s booting either out. So if you’re planning to join, THOSE are the dynamics. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:54 am: Sorry. That obviously should have been “WE have BOTH Moderates and Conservatives within the Party–and as far as I can tell, no one’s booting either out.” - HenryVK - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:55 am: I’m still trying to figure out when “Let consenting adults marry whomever they want since it is really none of government’s business to be in people’s bedrooms” became a liberal, rather than conservative, idea. I remember when conservatives wanted to get government off our backs. That was a long time ago. - Demoralized - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 11:59 am: @Henry: When it comes to social issues conservatives ignore that principle. I’ve often wondered the same thing. The inconsistency in their thinking is glaring. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:00 pm: ===…it’s not that “converts” wouldn’t be welcome.=== Who decides if they are “welcome”, do they have to go in fromt of a Tribunal or something? This is utter nonsense. We are a politcal party that would rather be “Right” 100% of the time, than WIN with 80% agreement on the politics that unite us. But, then again …===If someone were to look at this honestly, you’d see that we are diverse.== Now that is starting to be just comically sad! - HenryVK - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:02 pm: One more name to toss out for the new party chair — Lori Yokoyama, who ran against Anita Alvarez. Her race was all you need to know about why the current GOP is in the condition that it is in. She ran, but she got zero party support. With a good party operation, she could have won. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:04 pm: Demoralized, there’s “inconsistency” because people (Democrats, I’d guess) seem to think Republicans should all be “the same” (or that’s the recent strategy that’s being executed to try to make Rs “look bad”). The diversity is best expressed in our Candidates and hence, our Primaries. I don’t think you can say you see a similar range of diversity in the Dem Party, do you? - HenryVK - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:05 pm: “I don’t think you can say you see a similar range of diversity in the Dem Party, do you?” That was snark, right? You had us there for a while! Good one! - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:07 pm: Sorry. When was the last time you saw a Hughes running against a Kirk on the Dem side? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:10 pm: ===Demoralized, there’s “inconsistency” because people (Democrats, I’d guess) seem to think Republicans should all be “the same” (or that’s the recent strategy that’s being executed to try to make Rs “look bad”).=== Jim Oberweis made it quite clear, you can NOT deviate from the Party Platform as Chairman, all the while NOT addressing the point of the Reagan Rule of 80%, so what does one TAKE from that? Jim Oberweis requires us to follow the Party Platform which would make us … all seem to be the same. lol, its not the Democrats saying that, we say that with our Blood Oaths and Litmus Tests! ===I don’t think you can say you see a similar range of diversity in the Dem Party, do you?=== This is one of the most ignorant (Webster Dictonary) statements I have seen here in quate a long time. You are making a case that Dem Primaries lack diversity? I have coffee all ove my screen from that one. Yikes!! - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:11 pm: “Micro” and “macro” are such difficult concepts, aren’t they–until they’re adopted as a strategy? - HenryVK - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:11 pm: Two white males going head to head? I seem to remember a lot of contests like that among Dems. Ironically, the primary for Kirk’s old seat featured white males. By the way, come up with a name or don’t expect a response. I just don’t have time to respond to people who lack the creativity to come up with a name. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:12 pm: =This is one of the most ignorant (Webster Dictonary) statements I have seen here in quate a long time.= You and Responsa are just crushing my heart with all of your thoughtful observations and arguments. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:16 pm: I won’t expect a response then, HenryVK. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:17 pm: Well, you should feel proud, stating that Dem Primaries ane not as diverse is pretty ignorant. You base that observation on, what, wishful thinking or Pixie Dust? To be even more specific, Democrats, after Primaries, rally around nominees, they don’t go around, saying, “RINO” and hoping for a loss of a Republican to prove a point. That is also ignorant when claiming to be part of a …”diverse”…party. - Demoralized - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:20 pm: @Oswego Willy: You hit the nail on the head. The purity police wing of the Republican Party are happy with destroying candidates they don’t like just to preserve their 100% ideological agreement test. They think it’s better to protect 100% of their “principles” than to actually win elections and put themselves in a position to make policies they might agree with. Forward thinkers they are not. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:22 pm: - HenryVK - Sometimes just reading the thoughts is fun enough, getting - Annonymous - to respond to direct questions, that is another matter. … To the post, So after all these issues with Pat Brady, is the SCC going to require the new Chairman to follow the platform 100%, and if so, will this new Chariman address the “growth” issue, since bringing back “indies” with all these requirements is going to be a challenge, how do you reconcile those you may agree with 80% of the time, all the while being 100% in front of the Party Platform? - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:24 pm: BTW, word. It doesn’t bother me when Conservatives call me a RINO because I know that in that particular instance, we do in fact have more in common than we don’t. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:48 pm: ===It doesn’t bother me when Conservatives call me a RINO because I know that in that particular instance, we do in fact have more in common than we don’t.=== and … ===Another Moderate, like me, who actually gets it.=== How can - Anonymous - be a moderate and agree with Oberweis’ calling on Brady to resign on the SSM issue? If you are a Moderate, and you are not in favor of SSM, isn’t - Anonymous - a Reagan Rule 80%? - LisleMike - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 12:58 pm: It is absolutely amazing to me that people so stuck in their positions of “This is It, no give, none taken” could not understand simple math. 80% of winning is better than 100% of losing. Unless you are a martyr who wants to lose in order to be held up as some kind of idol to purity. Yetch! Agree to disagree on some issues, and win what you can! If you want to change the game you have to be IN the game, not spectating. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting results is actually the definition of….everyone knows that answer, except those who don’t want to know the answer…..~ - Darienite - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 1:03 pm: @Oswego Willy & @Demoralized Christian Republicans would rather be right and lose than compromise and win. they believe their reward for being right not here on earth, but eternity in heaven. It has always struck me as odd that right-wingers support limited government on business and taxes, but favor control on social matters - it is what it is. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 1:09 pm: - Darienite -, That is the “rub”. We are a Politcal Party, not a Religion. In religion, you can’t compromise. In politics, if done right, is all about compromise. You can have a foundation in a political party, but if you can’t allow for the ebb and flow of the politics of the day, man’s evolution in the political realm, and social changes in the fiscal and non-fiscal issues, then what kind of party are you? You are a party that will disappear quicker than it becoming a majority in its future in politics. - LisleMike - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 1:12 pm: The Shakers were a religion. A basic tennant was celebacy. Where are they today? Plenty of examples, by the way, of God supporting government/leaders in the Bible. David, Solomon, etc. they are not exclusive of each other. - Norseman - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 1:15 pm: GOP caucus definition of diversity = smart - not so smart; goofy - not so goofy; active - not so much; needs extra staff help - not so much. Willy, keep up the good fight. - wordslinger - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 1:25 pm: –Christian Republicans would rather be right and lose than compromise and win. they believe their reward for being right not here on earth, but eternity in heaven.– I don’t buy it. I think their reward is sanctimoniously judging and sticking their noses in other peoples business in the here and now. And there’s nothing “Christian” about that, if I remember my Sunday schooling correctly. If they were worried about eternity, they’d ignore the speck in their brothers’ eyes and remove the log from theirs. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 1:54 pm: - Norseman - I thank you for ALL who are tring to keep up the good fight. We are ALL in this together. - Chavez-respecting Obamist - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 3:37 pm: ~The Shakers were a religion. A basic tenet was celibacy. Where are they today?~ Maine http://www.shaker.lib.me.us/ - Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 4:11 pm: Oswego Willy for State GOP Chair! - Excessively Rabid - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 4:58 pm: ==Conservative used to mean Buckley, Goldwater and Reagan. Now it’s Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck. It’s a crying shame. == D@mn straight. These people have no actual convictions - just a marketing strategy, and it works. Ick. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 5:36 pm: - Arthur Andersen -, What about the “Rauner” contract? lol We have more to do - AA -, and I will not be takig on any roles until we finish our contract with Rauner. - steve schnorf - had some really good choices for State Chair yesterday, and I gave a few critieria I would like to see in the choice. My hope for My Party is during this time of names being bantered about is that if the SCC really want to impress on all of us that tings are going to get better, that theor choice will reflect that impression and it won’t be a caretaker Chair through this next cycle. I am looking forward to be LED by a great choice, - AA -, that is for sure. - William Kelly - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 8:36 pm: All we need is an Illinois GOP party chairman who isn’t full of himself, doesn’t lie to the Republican rank-and-file, doesn’t attack conservative candidates or tell donors not to contribute to them. The Illinois GOP will be better off - even if that is all it does. Brady was the king of personal attacks behind closed doors. So excuse me if I don’t wipe my eyes. - HenryVK - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 8:42 pm: William, Have you ever won an election? Come remotely close to winning anything? Sure you should be giving anybody advice? The GOP probably would be better off listening to people like Bill Kelly, and then doing the exact opposite. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 9:25 pm: - William Kelly - ===…who isn’t full of himself…=== Some things are so delicious. Pot, meet Kettle … - fake county chairman - Tuesday, May 7, 13 @ 10:06 pm: demetra will be an insider pick not based on her leadership skills but on her ability to bark when told to do so when it favors certain people above her in the political chain not for the whole ill gop - William Kelly - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 8:21 am: I love ad hominem attacks - it just means that the “professional posters” aren’t capable of attacking my position. I hope the job pays well since that is all you seem to be doing all day. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 8:27 am: - William Kelly - You’re welcome! There is enough evidence on both how we feel about Pat Brady … and how you handle your “business”… to be correct on both. Not everything is an “attack”, unless you can’t see how others see you, and the juicy irony of you calling someone “full of themselves”. I can’t help that you can’t see it, but it’s quite delicious. - HenryVK - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 9:01 am: William Kelly, It is not an ad hominem attack to say that you are part of the problem. You are moth to television lights, willing to say and do crazy stuff to get coverage for yourself. You’ve never been part of a winning campaign. Have you finished any higher than fourth? How did your race for 42nd Ward Committeeman end? You can’t win, and your actions makes Republicans look crazy. The GOP needs to be a party of serious reform. Instead, we get people like the milk man getting into battles over gay marriage, and we get people like you getting into bizarre and pointless fights with Rahm. Time for the adults to take over. - William Kelly - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:27 am: Yes, yes, more ad hominem attacks from those who can’t debate the issues. I have no respect for “professional posters” who muck up the internet with their personal hate-based campaigns. That’s not helping the dialogue. That’s poisoning it. BTW - an adult dialogue requires that I actually talk to an adult. I’ll let you know when I find one. - HenryVK - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:38 am: By the way, Bill keeps talking about “professional posters.” I’m not really sure who he is referencing. Do people really get paid to post here? If so, where do I apply? Seems like a nice gig. Even though I’m not a “professional poster” I have played a role in a number of successful campaigns. And that last fact is yet one more way that I’m different from Bill Kelly. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.