Joe Walsh on the party’s future and his own
Thursday, Nov 8, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Soon to be ex-Congressman Joe Walsh was asked by the Daily Herald where the Illinois GOP needs to go…
My answer is simple. This state has fallen off a cliff. It’s a one-party state. We need a GOP that clearly and forcefully and cheerfully articulates a different vision. The state party hasn’t stood for anything for years. It’s enabled House Speaker Mike Madigan to have so much power. […]
It’s by having a clear stance. You have to go to independents and say to guys and girls, “The state has the worst foreclosure crisis in the country.” Republicans need to go to Latinos and Hispanics and blacks and say, “the education you’re getting at city public schools is terrible.” I believe in school choice. Republicans have to stand for real ideas. If all we have to do to get more voters is sound like Democrats, we’re never going to win. We can’t out-Democrat the Democrats.
Calling them “girls” probably won’t work, Joe. That’s actually part of the problem with the GOP.
Also, as long as you’re extreme on national issues, most Latinos won’t listen to you, either.
And as far as African-Americans, the GOP will have to actively kick the “white identity” types out of its party the way the Democrats did decades ago before black people will view the Republicans as an alternative.
* But here’s the best part of the Daily Herald story…
Q. What about a bid for governor for you? A possibility?
A. You know that I believe fervently in that vision. I don’t know of many other candidates who articulate that vision. Am I going to do something? Oh gosh, I don’t know. People approach me every day and ask, “Walsh, are you going to run for the governor? Are you going to run for Senate?” I want to do my part to lead a movement to present a vision to this. I’d rather go down fighting. Democrats have ruined this state but they’ve been able to do it because the Republicans have allowed them to.
Yeah, I’m sure lots of people want him to run for governor. Put Pat Quinn at the top of that well-wisher list.
- Joe Bidenopoulous - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:10 am:
Please please please please please run for Governor Joe! The entertainment factor would be priceless
- Knome Sane - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:13 am:
I, too, hope Joe Walsh runs for “the governor”. Bill Maher, on his HBO show, criticizes the Republican Party of living in a “bubble” that keeps out reality. I also think Joe Walsh lives in a bubble. But his bubble happens to be on the moon.
- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:18 am:
How well did the last rodeo clown work as governor?
- sal-says - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:18 am:
Scary to think of him as gov. As I suggested elsewhere tho, Walsh running could be the ONLY way I’d vote for Quinn in ‘14.
- The Captain - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:20 am:
You know about a year or so ago I had a very benign comment deleted from this blog and had no idea why. It was later explained to me that the reason was because I flippantly referred to a sitting congressman as “crazy”, even though I thought that was common knowledge and not much of a big deal. At no time during each subsequent outlandish WALSH!!! moment did I take a “I told you so” victory lap, so I guess I’m going to play that card now since he was electorally repudiated.
- mongo - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:21 am:
Boys and girls? Would we have a shouting gubernatorial candidate? Heck yeah let’s see him run…
- Chris - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:23 am:
Enough is enough Rich. Democrats now have a supermajority in this state and run just about everything at most levels. Why do you keep having to pile it on the Republicans? Give then a break already. Just let it go. It’s like a Republican can do no right with you unless they become Democrats. Maybe its mentalities like yours that are the problems facing this state. Republicans just had a stunning loss in a state that has become a crazy blue state like Mississippi is one of those crazy red ones. Illinois now is completely run by one party and is running itself off a fiscal cliff, and you jeer the ultra-minority party. Have some class.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:24 am:
Joe Walsh for governor? I can imagine the smile on Madigan’s face at the thought.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:25 am:
===Give then a break already. Just let it go===
No.
- LilLebowskiAchiever - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:25 am:
Countdown to “bite me” 3…2…1…
- Skeeter - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:26 am:
What is interesting about the Walsh quote is that if was identified as a quote from Dold or even Biggert people would be responding very differently, even with the “girls” line.
Without the identifier, I would have guessed Biggert. It just shows that there is nearly nothing that Walsh can say that will make people believe he’s anything like a reasonable man. That will happen when you spend four years yelling at people.
- Cheryl44 - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:26 am:
Well this ‘girl’ would love to see him run.
- View from the Cheap Seats - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:27 am:
We need to compile a list of people to go away and not run for office?
- Chris - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:28 am:
A little class would help Rich. I would probably subscribe to your blog if you weren’t so biased, as would many others I’m sure, because the blog itself is an interesting idea. But when is enough is enough for you Rich? This is not a blog for independents clearly. The Republicans have absolutely no power in this state so they almost are not even worth mentioning, yet you continue to jeer them as if they matter. What’s gotten into you?
- OneMan - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:33 am:
Sorry, Chris this discussion needs to take place someplace, we need to figure out in less than 20 years we went from Jim Edgar to Joe Walsh thinking he needs to run for governor.
Seriously.
We need to face what happened and figure out what needs to be done. Why, to be blunt, one party rule does this state no favors. That 80% of an agenda is better than none at all.
The days of at least some of us saying to ourselves ‘They are part of the team, need to be a team player’ are over. We need to be reminded it is going to be time to step up.
I don’t think you are piling on, but if you are, keep it up. We need to think long and hard and figure out what is next.
Pure and simple.
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:34 am:
===yet you continue to jeer them as if they matter.
They should matter. That’s the point. The Republican Party in Illinois has made itself irrelevant largely for the very reasons Rich laid out. If they want a two party Democracy in Illinois, they need to get their act together to shoot for the median voter in Illinois–not the median between Joe Walsh and Roskam.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:35 am:
@Chris:
Go away if you don’t like it. Rich is not biased. He points out things from all across the spectrum. I get tired of people like you claiming “bias” at the drop of a hat. It seems that “bias” means that they are “rah-rahing” for your particular bent. You obviously don’t read this blog much if you think Rich has any skin in the game with anybody.
- Backwards - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:39 am:
I think the prioritization with stuff like calling females “girls” rather than improving education and our pension system is exactly what gets us into the awful condition our state is in.
I agree, people vote based on such silliness, but it is pretty hard to pay attention to the major issues in the State when we have such priorities.
- Macbeth - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:40 am:
—
The Republicans have absolutely no power in this state so they almost are not even worth mentioning, yet you continue to jeer them as if they matter. What’s gotten into you?
—
Chris, if it’s any consolation, it’s not just Rich jeering at the republicans. It’s nearly all the folks who refused to vote for them 48 hours ago.
BTW — what, exactly, is a blog for “independents” anyway?
- foster brooks - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:43 am:
Joe Walsh has a better chance of winning the powerball 10 times in a row than being governor of illinois
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:44 am:
===This is not a blog for independents clearly. The Republicans have absolutely no power in this state so they almost are not even worth mentioning, yet you continue to jeer them as if they matter.===
The ILGOP should matter and be relevent, and if someone is not there to remind them that they need to be, then they will just sit and be irrelevent for a long time.
If you can NOT see that “hurting” is helping, - Chris -, then go back the the grade school soccer fields and give every kid their particiaption trophy and leave the heavy lifting to those wanting to get the ILGOP focused and relevent again.
With kindest personal regards, I remain.
Sincerely yours,
Oswego Willy.
BTW, If you are an independent, you would think Rich calling on the ILGOP to get “better” would be somethng to applaud.
Just a thought.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:48 am:
==We need a GOP that clearly and forcefully and cheerfully articulates a different vision.==
Here is a case where a Republican candidate (Walsh) clearly and forcefully articulated his different vision, and the voters rejected it. Walsh seems to be saying that if he only would have screamed louder, he would have won. Does he really believe that?
- Anon-amiss - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:52 am:
Chris,
You honestly don’t get it do you? Your myopic view of partisan politics is part of the problem for the Republican party.
Republicans didnt get pummeled because Illinois is full of extreme liberals. It just ain’t. Park Ridge? Kankakee? Decatur? Moline? Grayslake? These are NOT bastions of liberalism. These are places where Democrats ran and put forth a conservative message and won over Republican voters. Republicans don’t have any power in this State because they do not know how to connect with voters. If the people in your party, like yourself, are not willing to take a look in the mirror and reevaluate things, then your party will continue to be irrelevant.. and thats NOT THE DEMOCRATS FAULT!
- OneMan - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:52 am:
I think he does. The true believers in that realm can’t not understand why everyone does not agree with them. Not only do they know they are right, they feel that if you disagree with them it is un-American, morally wrong.
- Mike M - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:54 am:
“Calling them “girls” probably won’t work, Joe”
Yup, exactly why I vote straight Democratic. Too much extremism on the Republican side.
- soccermom - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:56 am:
First off, I would like to offer my services to the Walsh for Governor campaign. I can think of nothing better that I could do for my party.
Second — and more seriously — the ILGOP richly deserves criticism. New Jersey is a deep blue state — but they have a GOP governor. NYC is fairly blue, I believe — but Bloomberg won as a nominal Republican. Scott Brown won Ted Kennedy’s seat in true-blue Massachusetts.
Frankly, I’m personally real happy with the performance of the ILGOP. But to say that Rich is being mean for criticizing the GOP is just childish and silly.
Look at the numbers: There were 480,000 votes for Romney WITHIN COOK COUNTY. DuPage gave him 193 thousand, just 4,000 below the President’s total. Almost 90 thousand in Kane (where the President won– wahoo!). 128 thousand in Lake. 50 thousand in St. Clair.
That’s a lot of red, dude. If the ILGOP can’t win here, it’s not Rich’s fault for saying the Emperor needs to take a look at his wardrobe selections.
- shore - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 11:59 am:
It’s off topic but I think the Daily Herald has had the best political coverage in the chicagoland area for the last 3 years. They were really the only paper that covered the tea party locally from start in 2009 to now and it’s really not been close between the depth of their coverage and what the tv stations, crains, sun-times, tribune, and chicago news cooperative thingy have put out there. They also don’t condescendto/ignore Republicans and suburbanites the tribune does in its coverage (which is embarrassing considering most of their subscribers live in places where people own cars and plant republican yard signs) and especially the sun times and crains and it’s been refreshing to read.
I’m much more moderate than walsh is, but for all the heat he gets, there’s nothing we’re getting from establishment moderates and conservatives, and I include my friend Senator Kirk in this, other than we want to be a republican version of rahm or durbin. I would vote and work hard for him, not because I approve of his behavior, but because it’s nice to see a real live Republican.
- BW - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:00 pm:
IL GOP needs to focus on their core issues. Smaller government, fiscal responsibility and family values. Most people can identify with that. Draw differences with Democratic positions there. They tend to lose people when they begin over the top positions on gun control, abortion, and the constant whining about everything.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:03 pm:
===First off, I would like to offer my services to the Walsh for Governor campaign. I can think of nothing better that I could do for my party.===
- soccermom -,
Remind me where to send the “Golf Tom Golf” shirts for your Primary day for Walsh.
Your ‘Precinct Outfitter’
Oswego Willy
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:05 pm:
Chris, you ought to check out conservative blogger Andrew Sullivan if you want some ideas on how to pick up the pieces of your shattered party.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/11/will-the-rights-fever-break-ctd-1.html
Yes, even though he is a strong Obama supporter, he’s a conservative.
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:08 pm:
===I think the prioritization with stuff like calling females “girls” rather than improving education and our pension system is exactly what gets us into the awful condition our state is in.
I know, treating women voters with respect and as adults is so lame.
- Cincinnatus - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:11 pm:
Joe said,
“The state has the worst foreclosure crisis in the country.”
“Republicans need to go to Latinos and Hispanics and blacks and say, “the education you’re getting at city public schools is terrible.”
“Republicans have to stand for real ideas. If all we have to do to get more voters is sound like Democrats, we’re never going to win. We can’t out-Democrat the Democrats.”
Other than the guys and gals comment, you all see a problem with this for what reason?
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:15 pm:
I *never* want to see extremists put on the ballot because “they’ll be easy to beat.” You simply never know what’s going to happen.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
=If all we have to do to get more voters is sound like Democrats, we’re never going to win.=
You have to admit that that statement is interesting. On one hand, we had an instance where this worked for Kirk–and because he won “Obama’s” seat, ILGOP assumed that was a winner and proclaimed it a model. Did it work for those who adopted it? I don’t know. The results were not good, but how much did that model contribute to the losses we suffered?
And, when it comes to kicking people out of the party, Rich, Kirk’s team did a great job with that one, too. Volunteers who had worked with previous candidates and had established positive alliances with various communities, including African-Americans, Latinos, and Hispanics were publicly “shunned” by Kirk and his team until they tossed their hands up in the air and said, “OK, it’s your Party now. Good luck.”
I think their suspicions might have been grounded in two facts: 1) they seemed to shun many who helped with Jack Ryan’s campaign–even Moderates, and 2) they couldn’t seem to grasp the concept that some volunteer because they feel it’s their duty and obligation v. posturing for favors to promote their businesses or other weird motives they might have developed in their version of “reality.”
- LincolnLounger - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
I call it “The Rage of the Drowning Man”.
I wish I could recall where I learned that phrase, but it certainly sums up the Joe Walshes and Illinois Review crowd.
They don’t understand that politics is addition, not subtraction. Never a thought about reassessing their appeal or message. Just scream louder, and eventually the masses will hear. Understand that most of them have never had any electoral success in their lives. If you’ve never had to build coalitions to care about winning or achieving legislation, etc., you garner a mentality of “my way or the highway”.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:30 pm:
And I’ll add that Kirk’s “team” had a long-standing reputation for shunning other Republicans, but many–including me refused to believe it at first and did everything they could to help him. I even defended him on this blog when one or two others talked about how rude he was to Voters in public.
Well, I learned the hard way.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:34 pm:
ILGOP today has much greater problems than the “Illinois Review” crowd, LincolnLounger. And it starts at the top.
How do you explain a candidate and his staff who go out of their way to invite volunteers by calling them and sending them emails–and then treating them unforgiveably when they show up to help?
- Newsclown - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:41 pm:
Jon Stewart really had it pegged last night. Fox, and all the hosts and pundits on WLS, were all dog-whistling in somber, funerary tones, about how the country has been taken over by people “not like them” and that they are now a minority in their own country… and most amusing to me, their answer to their horrible defeat is:
Doubling-Down.
That’s right, they say they lost because they and Mitt were Not Extreme Right Conservative “enough”. Walsh they say lost because he wasn’t extreme right enough to overcome an unfair map. And Romney wasn’t far right enough to activate turn-out.
These people live in a bubble of their own reality. Please, PLEASE, run some kookier kooks in two years, GOP, because I want to see what Obama can do with a Senate AND House on his side.
- Cook County Commoner - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:49 pm:
Now that Rep. Jackson, Jr. is talking with the feds, I suspect space will open up at Mayo. I strongly urge Joe Walsh and his kindred spirits in the GOP to sign in immediately for a new Mayo therapy that will:
1. Purge their misogyny;
2. Cure their xenophobia;
3. Treat their Grover Norquist fetish;and
4. Build up their self-confidence to eliminate the need to brandish a 9mm Glock at the Jewel.
If the recent election wasn’t enough to convince them they need mental help, the next election should do it.
- cermak_rd - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:50 pm:
One party state? I thought Rutherford, Topinka and Kirk all held statewide positions?
- WonderfulWorld - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:51 pm:
I am a 59-year-old Suburban Moderate Republican Businesswoman. I walked into the polling place as a true undecided, but I voted for Romney - because I knew the state was going for Obama, and I was hoping to salvage the precinct totals. My Republican party has insulted me. And I am close to leaving it if I had a place to go. The majority of the state is not Democratic. The majority of this wonderful state is Midwest Moderate Reasonable. Part of our heritage. The Republicans have called me RINO and kicked me out of our township organization, and nobody walks a precinct better than I do. I want to start an “Outrageously Moderate” party. I like the oxymoron. Today’s Republican party is closed; when will it open up the tent? In my humble opinion, it won’t. And that is so very sad.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:08 pm:
I think this Onion article says it all: http://www.theonion.com/articles/todd-akin-spends-whole-night-wondering-what-went-w,30297/
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:13 pm:
You’re right, WonderfulWorld. Time for a new party of Midwest Moderate Reasonables who cherish and are proud of our heritage. I’m guessing that should cover a good majority of the U.S., no matter how long you’ve been a Citizen.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:34 pm:
Sorry…that should *even* cover….
- Endangered Moderate Species - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:38 pm:
Chris,
The tone of your message is the same tone that hurts the GOP. The far right does not allow a discussion of differing views. They expect everyone to agree with them on all of the conservative litmus tests. This is not 4th grade recess. The loudest alpha-male does not rule the playground.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:38 pm:
The national, Roveian GOP strategy of appealing to no one but the right-wing base failed. It succeeded, barely, in 2000 and 2004. It’s been swamped in 1992, 1996, 2008 and 2012.
- Madison - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:59 pm:
You guys need to see the forest here.
the reason you lost DuPage is for the first time since 1818 is because you need to be more conservative, and those dirty RINO’s did you dirty Chris!
in the mean timeI would suggest that to beat the hapless Pat Quinn you need a dream team:
Joe Walsh and Jason Plummer!
- Madison - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:00 pm:
It’s deja vu…all over again!
- WonderfulWorld - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:22 pm:
And the other thing about today’s Republican party - they only stay with their own kind. I want to make it a law that they HAVE TO have a job or a neighborhood or a social club with people who have other views; it would mellow them all a bit. I have listened to them spout forth with their “tablets from God” and, if you dare to give another viewpoint, they will walk away, and you no longer count. My Republican friends, we vote in private. That is what happened on Tuesday. But you still won’t hear us…
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:23 pm:
You know on the webcast of Rich’s party Jim Edgar was on for a while. It reminded me that, despite then being a liberal already , my first vote in 1990 was for him. I still feel pretty good about that vote.
There aren’t many GOP potential candidates who I will ever say that about now–maybe Dillard or Rutherford, but that’s about it.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:56 pm:
This just in: Politico has a story up in which Karl Rove claims that Obama won by suppressing the vote.
Apparently, not even the Fox anchor could stomach that. I doubt if the Big Money boys will buy it, either.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 3:01 pm:
EMS, I’m a Moderate and I can say that I regularly have interesting discussions with the “far right” that include differing views–even on social issues. Therefore, I am living proof that same is possible. However, you can’t have a discussion with anyone when barriers are raised.
Interesting how some of us will go to great extremes to break down language barriers–for whatever reasons, but fail or can’t even bother to trying speaking with others who speak our “primary” language.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 3:04 pm:
“This just in: Politico has a story up in which Karl Rove claims that Obama won by suppressing the vote.”
This just in: ILGOP lost by disenfranchising life-long Republicans.
- Capitol View - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 3:35 pm:
I remember when the Republicans last controlled redistricting. Lee Daniels tried to shape the Democrats into the party of the unions and the African-Americans.
Speaker Madigan obviously had the strategy of defining future state Republicans as Joe Walsh clones. Sid and Skip - be glad that you are no longer with your caucus. It would have caused you more angst and grief.
- 312 - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 4:32 pm:
How could this writer have produced this article with a straight face? I could just imagine the entire newsroom huddled around the computer speakers listening to his blather.
- Shemp - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 5:50 pm:
Yeah, Madison beat me to it, I really want to see the Walsh/Plummer ticket to really cement in that neither party can produce intelligent leadership (yes, both at once) and this State is hopelessly lost.
- amalia - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 6:09 pm:
if a Walsh speaks in Illinois and no one transmits his words maybe we can get him out of our eyes and ears!
- Boone Logan Square - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 7:21 pm:
Does the GOP need a candidate to cheerfully yell at constituents in bars? Because Joe Walsh can do that.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 9:31 pm:
Asking Walsh about the future of the GOP is like asking Blagojevich about the future of the Democrats.