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* The Chicago GOP wants to recruit candidates in every Chicago-based legislative district…
Declaring that frustrated voters are looking for an alternative to entrenched Democrats, GOP officials announced a $250,000 drive to recruit, vet and train GOP candidates in every one of the 37 Illinois House districts located in the city, and to provide the candidates top legal talent to defend against the inevitable challenges to their nominating petitions.
Obviously, none of those candidates can win. The motive here is increasing turnout…
Declaring that frustrated voters are looking for an alternative to entrenched Democrats, GOP officials announced a $250,000 drive to recruit, vet and train GOP candidates in every one of the 37 Illinois House districts located in the city, and to provide the candidates top legal talent to defend against the inevitable challenges to their nominating petitions.
I suppose that’s possible. But the other side of the coin is that the Democratic incumbents will work harder and outspend the Republicans - who have committed an average of just $6600 for each of their candidates (including training and legal fees) - and drive up Democratic turnout. A similar city GOP effort was abandoned a while back for just that reason, and the fact that one of their candidates was a nursing home resident. The whole thing was an embarrassing laugh-o-rama.
Even so, it may help identify more possible Republican votes in the city. That will be good for the long term. But I seriously doubt it’ll have much effect in 2014, either locally or statewide.
Your thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 11:53 am
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Comment by soccermom Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 11:56 am
I’m available. Call me, maybe?
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 11:58 am
Have fun with that guys.The only thing worse for Illinois than the Democratic Party is the ILGOP?
Comment by Chavez-respecting Obamist Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 11:59 am
There should be a . not a ? at the end of that. Stupid Kindle.
Comment by Chavez-respecting Obamist Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:00 pm
You have to enter a contest in order to win it…not having candidates on the ballot kills the GOP with moderate youngsters looking to affiliate with a political Party.
Comment by Jimmy Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:02 pm
Crains …
“…The new campaign “couldn’t come at a better time, given what happened last week,” said House GOP Leader TOM CROSS, speaking at a press conference at City Hall today and referring to the failure of the Democratic-majority House and Senate to pass comprehensive state pension reform.”
“What did you get on that hole, Tom?”
“Got a 4″
“Should we check on Bill Brady?”
“We have 4 more holes, than lunch…”
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
“Two-Putt” Tom Cross is worried. I just wanted THIS to stand alone before I move on from the Post, but some things just take your breath away, and “Two-Putt” Tom Cross, the “Poster Child” of Election Day Ineptitude and then becoming the Irrelevent Leader, is going to “lead” on this? Lead where, to the gates of Medinah Country Club?
Yikes!
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:03 pm
- soccermon -,
I have free golf shirts…
I would rather work with you then against you.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:04 pm
Good idea to build some interest. Maybe it will produce more volunteers, and candidates for local office.
Won’t produce real GA candidates unless followed by serious vetting, training, fund raising and expert support.
Comment by walkinfool Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:04 pm
I’ve read a lot of comments on Facebook and elsewhere mocking the efforts, but I have to give them credit for at least trying to do something.
That being said, the GOP’s best hope for new votes still seems to run north from the river along the lake and the only way to get those votes is to change the perception that the GOP hates women and gays. That alone would do more for candidate recruitment and turnout than just about anything else.
Comment by HenryVK Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:05 pm
Gotta start somewhere. I’d ask any “vetted” candidate to bring along a few pals who are willing to knock on doors.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:08 pm
Bring it, it’s all good. The training is the best part: learn the script, stay on the script.
Comment by DanL60 Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:17 pm
PS- I hope the script makes sense.
Comment by DanL60 Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:18 pm
Silly. Why would anyone need the permission or vetting of the likes of Tom Cross who lives 2 counties over?
And putting aside the fact American Idol is way on the downtrend, we already have a selection process, it’s called a primary.
If you want to run in the primary, run in the primary. You don’t need the permission of any party hack who has been doing a bad job for decades. Oh that’s right, Rodney Davis’ people say you do.
Comment by too obvious Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:22 pm
The ILGOP has such a divided view of what the party should be that it resembles the old depiction of two blind men describing opposite ends of an elephant. Unless the ILGOP moderates its views, recruiting for the GOP, particularly younger voters, is almost embarrassing.
Comment by Samurai Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:35 pm
After seeing the way many in the IL GOP are treating Erika Harold who has a real shot at becoming the first African American Republican congressman in American history, I don’t know why any decent person would even consider trusting or getting involved with this trash.
Comment by too obvious Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:41 pm
===first African American Republican congressman in American history===
Wow. You sure don’t know much about American history.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:42 pm
make that the first African American Republican FEMALE congressman
Comment by too obvious Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:43 pm
To the Post,
I harp on 4 votes a precinct in Cook and we have Gov. Brady. Sounds good, sounds easy, I mean 4 votes, right?
This, if done right, from the “scratch-start” to implimentation is going to be very heavy lifting.
Organizatiional: Petitions, and Circulators. You need to ensure your circulators know EXACTLY how to get signatures, the signatures are good, and those good signatures qualify for nominating a Republican. If all this effort to get ALL these candidates ends with half being removed, then what are we talking about then? Understand the goals and the manpower needed to succeed before biting off more than can be chewed.
Strategy: The “W” strategy of handling precincts is a great “primer”, use it. It was used to energize people “locally”, and to take “ownership” of your street, block, neighborhood, precinct. Do not re-invent the wheel. Study the plan, know it, learn how to impliment it, and then begin to look for “Precinct Leaders”.
Target Voters: Before My Party starts trying to “convert” voter after voter, My Party needs to have very significant and specific outreach to those not needing converting, but needing reminding. We, as a Party can not reach out to 2.5 Million Chicagoans…today… we need to build for what is dormant. All these calls made, they were to voters, so break it down! Break those pluses down by Wards, then Precincts. You may find a “Precinct Leader”… its all in the “W” strategy, read it.
Candidates: Do not recruit candidates, giving them a flase impression. The goal is to improve ALL areas, including overall turnout. If the GOP candidate against a Dem gets 15% as opposed to 0%, which in RAW votes could be 300 votes, in a 70 precinct House seat works to be … about 4 votes a precinct. Promising these vetted “good” candidates the moon, but only wanting moon dust will make this a “one and done”.
Further,
If there are 3 seats in ALL of Chicago, (less McAulliffe) that can be tilted into play, then start there. One more seat is 100% more than what My Party has now. Be realistic, build for 2020, 2022…start with 3 “good” seats and make them the priority to WIN, focus on turnout and building in the other seats. Just … don’t lie to these candidates, and make quite sure you tell all the “non-3″ focal candidates that by improving the turnout in that race, it is part of a bigger picture. If we lead all of them on, “one and done” will set My Party back far more than now, if that is even possible.
Finally - Election Day: Multiple polling place locations must be manned, there needs to be a presence, and in the 3 races, the running of “pluses” from working the precincts during the campaign MUST be done. Either do it, or don’t. Don’t make all the hard work fall flat on election day.
These are thumbnail thouhgts. I am not going to go on as I fear the hook coming towards my neck from the wings of the stage.
Do it. The leaders made a point to say we are going to do it, we need to do it.
Don’t bite off more than we can, do not make this fail by over-ambitious ideas of what can be accomplished, since starting from “scratch” and building correctly will allow us to build, as opposed to trying, failing miserably, going down in such a flaming mess we turn off those looking for us.
Sounds good … Let’s get dirty and begin.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:45 pm
–After seeing the way many in the IL GOP are treating Erika Harold who has a real shot at becoming the first African American Republican congressman in American history….
That has to be a gag. Unless you missed all American history from Reconstruction to Oscar DePriest to Allen West….
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:46 pm
Too — Let me Google that for you…
The first African Americans to serve in the United States Congress were Republicans during the Reconstruction Era following the American Civil War. In 1928, Oscar De Priest won the 1st Congressional District of Illinois (the South Side of Chicago) as a Republican, becoming the first black Congressman of the modern era. DePriest was also the last black Republican in the House for 56 years.
Comment by soccermom Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:46 pm
with my correction, I am correct Rich.
Would you like to go for Double Jeopardy? lol
Comment by too obvious Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:46 pm
Again, Erika Harold would be the first African American FEMALE Republican congressman in American History. It’s a fact.
There was an impressive black female Republican running last year from out west (as a sidenote, was a Mormon), but she lost.
Comment by too obvious Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:50 pm
the problem isn’t lack of republican candidates. The problem is the long odds trying to unseat an incumbent. The only thing the legislature is good at is building and perpetuating their power. What was that phrase Mike Royko saud guided politicians, “Ubi Est Mea”?
Comment by BMAN Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:54 pm
Well at least they are abandoning the Tom Swiss strategy.
Comment by danlinn Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:55 pm
This perpetual beielf in Erika Harold, the lever by which the Tim Johnson former staffer’s meal ticket is going to get real stale, real fast.
Rodney won, Tim Johnson’s staff lost with Jerry Clarke, they lost trying to put Erika in there too. Rodney has done a fine job, working all over the district. He is not from Champaign, get over it.
Says way more about the Tim Johnson crew then it does about Rodney.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 12:58 pm
TO - You heard of Maxine Waters dude?
Comment by Geneva Guy Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 1:01 pm
Mr. Guy,
Rep. Waters was a Democrat.
Dude.
DS
Comment by Deep South Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 1:07 pm
Doesn’t help a bit when the local GOP leaders only focus is maintaining what THEY have and are in cahoots with the local Democratic organizations to ensure that outcome. No grassroots help with signatures or walking and $6,600 per candidate is not enough cash from the state organization to overcome that bulwark.
Comment by Steven Williams Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 1:08 pm
I am in full agreement with others that outreach alone won’t be enough, the Chicago and Cook County GOP need to give voters the option to pick GOP candidates on the ballot.
Comment by Lundstrom Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 1:09 pm
This isn’t about getting more Republicans from Cook County in the legislature, it is about getting people to vote for the Republican candidate for Governor while they happen to be in the voting booth.
Comment by Just Me Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 1:10 pm
Running a candidate in every district
Comment by ZC Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 1:11 pm
… Is a waste of cash, but smart targeting a few more affluent districts with social moderate Republicans makes sense.
Comment by ZC Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 1:12 pm
The GOP should focus on identifying conservative or moderate Black and Hispanic candidates in selected districts and give them more than just token support. None may win but at least it shows a real effort to broader the Party’s base.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 1:45 pm
Geneva Guy, Maxine Waters is not a Republican. (Tried to avoid pointing this out after TO has done a bang up job of ligthing up the board.)
Comment by Denny Savard Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 1:55 pm
Willy, do you think Tim’s guys slept through the remap?
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 2:09 pm
I do know most Clubs have couches in their “Grill Rooms”, so maybe inbetween rounds they got a “cat-nap”.
Target 3 seats. Three. Make a difference. Get a candidate willing to work, and lose, but give the 3 every opportunity to win. Not 37…3.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 2:16 pm
=== There was an impressive black female Republican running last year from out west (as a sidenote, was a Mormon), but she lost. ===
@too obvious seems to imply Mia Love lost, in part, because of her religion.
Yes Mia Love is Mormon. She was also running in Utah.
Way to go with the whole “tolerance” and “outreach” message.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 2:27 pm
Nothing will change in Chicago until we change the law and go to precinct committeeman. The Cook co GOP is run by the Democrat party. Out of the 80 wards and townships the GOP controls maybe 30! The IL GOP is out of power because Cook co. is the home of over 20% of the GOP’s entire primary vote. The fact that Cook is still under the law passed in 1905 any county with a population of 2 million with a city with over 1 million has to have Ward and Township representation. Why the GOP would allow the county Republican party representing most of it’s voters to be run by their opposition is unbelievable to say the least.
The committeeman is the representative of the party to the voters. It is up to the committeeman to expand the party to recruit candidates and to provide election judges; when your opposition is in control there is in fact no party and no oversight of the other party. This is the case in Cook and Illinois!
Mike Madigan as Chairman of the IL Democrat party, has 56 house and Senate seats in the General Assembly that are unopposed in every election because there is no party to recruit candidates in Cook co. That allows him to draw maps to keep control, and use money that would have to be spent in a very expensive market in Republican areas to flip seats. There are committeeman seats from the city and some southern suburban wards and townships that elect Republican committeeman with less than 50 votes! Any Democrat committeemen can and do run their own candidates so there is no Real Republican on the ballot and no real choice for voters
Comment by votecounter Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 3:25 pm
–Nothing will change in Chicago until we change the law and go to precinct committeeman. The Cook co GOP is run by the Democrat party. Out of the 80 wards and townships the GOP controls maybe 30! –
How do you figure? The Cook County Republican Party website lists committeemen for all townships and wards. Are you saying most of them are ringers?
And if that’s the case, whose fault is that?
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 3:32 pm
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/05/1213919/-National-Republicans-spending-money-to-keep-Texas-Red?showAll=yes
To the experts on the GOP here like OW . Could this be a head fake thing to cover up this news? Are they smart enough to do that? It would be good timing. Texas has the demos to be competitive sooner rather than later but the dems there never had an organization according to people that used to be in progressive activities there If Texas Hispanic and African Americans voted in Illinois numbers Texas would already be a blue state
Comment by RNUG Fan Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 3:41 pm
BINGO!!!! They are voted in! It is the GOP’s fault for not changing the law and going to their strengths, but of course the Democrats who are really in charge din’t want change. The GOP is not good at wards it is now a grassroots party; there are 5,074 precincts in Cook co/ chicago imagine the bench they could have if even half were filled in the first year? How do you run in a primary when there are only 50 GOP votes? The Dem committeeman peels off enough voters to put their person in. I have now been in these wards for three years it is Jim Crow all over with one party rule
Comment by votecounter Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 3:41 pm
- votecounter -,
Find me a “Precinct Committeeman” whjo needs a title, and I will show you someone who can’t carry their precinct! You don’t need a title, or an office to work a precinct. You work a precinct because you do. I gave my 47 cents above, and while you “sound” like you are trying to help, I keep reading it as excuses to why we “can’t” or why we “won’t”
- RNUG Fan -,
Please let’s not give “Two-Putt” too much credit in assisting the RNC by attacking Dems in Obama’s Illinois. I can see where you are coming from, but i doubt the ILGOP is clever enough to assist… yet.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 3:54 pm
Just Wondering OW ! I thought that is what you would say
Comment by RNUG Fan Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 4:14 pm
Wonderful website. A lot of useful information here.
I am sending it to some pals ans additionally sharing in delicious.
And certainly, thanks for your effort!
Comment by Enemy Strike Hack Tool Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 5:17 pm
- RNUG Fan -,
All good. We will see how Tom Cross handles all this, since he wants to “own” it too.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 5, 13 @ 9:12 pm
Willy
Then why have a party?
Comment by votecounter Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 11:52 am
Your expressed doubt about any sort of significant positive effect is well-placed, I think–but for to identify some additional voters willing to cast a vote for a GOPer for the Legislature, which could help to better identify potential “swing” type areas for any not altogether unreasonable chance that the Republicans would have to re-draw Legislative Districts at the end of this Decade….
Comment by Just The Way It Is One Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 4:57 pm