* This is old news for subscribers, but since nobody else picked up on it I decided to make it my statewide syndicated column…
In yet another blow to the Illinois Republican Party, state Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine) has withdrawn his name from contention as state party chairman.
And, no, it didn’t have anything to do with Murphy being injured during the annual House vs. Senate softball game last week.
Murphy was approached a month or so ago about taking the top party job when the current chairman, Pat Brady, eventually resigns.
Brady, chairman since August 2009, has been under fire for the Illinois GOP’s lack of electoral success, criticism that intensified from the party’s right wing when he public supported the gay marriage bill. The party platform specifically opposes gay marriage, so Brady was accused of being in flagrant conflict with the party’s beliefs.
Brady has said that he merely supported gay marriage as a private citizen, but the social conservatives in the GOP didn’t buy that.
Murphy initially was open to the chairmanship and seemed to be leaning toward taking it. He wanted assurances, though, that Brady would be allowed to resign on his timetable.
Republicans appeared to be going along with Murphy’s program. Votes to oust Brady and to initiate a rules change to make it easier to get rid of a party chairman never took place at the state central committee meeting last month in Tinley Park.
So it began looking like the path was being cleared for Murphy. No such luck.
Murphy’s withdrawal is a big setback to the state GOP’s efforts to quell the controversy within its ranks and move forward.
He’s a media-friendly social conservative who talks like a moderate. He has friends in both the conservative and moderate camps.
Murphy wouldn’t comment other than to confirm that he had withdrawn his name from consideration. Others said he decided that the job just wasn’t worth the hassle.
He’s probably right. The GOP chairman’s job is a thankless one, likely doomed to fail in this state. It has only a tiny fraction of the power of the Democratic chairman, mainly because that chairman, Michael Madigan, is the longest serving House speaker in Illinois history.
Even so, the Republican Party’s right wing has had a fixation for years on who fills the post, blaming Brady for the party’s failures while coveting the job for themselves.
The party’s moderates have frantically fought a rear-guard action to prevent the right wing from obtaining the position and have, therefore, kept control of the finances. The state party serves as a cash pass-through for the national party, and the moderates don’t trust the conservatives with that dough.
And because Republicans haven’t had a governor in more than a decade, the position also is a somewhat high-profile job requiring media skills. Access to the media is a big reason behind the fight over this position.
The old guard doesn’t want to give the right wing a public platform, especially when it’s trying to drag the state party to the center.
They see that as necessary in the wake of last year’s devastating electoral defeats and what appears to be Americans’ rapidly changing views on issues such as gay rights and medical marijuana, not to mention a big surge in Hispanic voting.
During last week’s annual House vs. Senate softball game, Murphy walked to the plate with a determined look on his face. His team was trailing by several runs. The Senate has had a lousy record against the House in recent years, blowing their last game badly.
Murphy fouled off a pitch and gritted his teeth hard, shook his bat and growled. He hit the very next pitch, charged down the first base line and then collapsed to the ground in a cloud of dust.
He had dislocated his kneecap, which ended up a few inches above his knee joint. Murphy didn’t appear to be in any pain, but he couldn’t move and had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
I have a feeling that Murphy would’ve suffered the same ugly ending if he had taken the party chairmanship. It’s best to just stay away from it.
* Murphy had surgery on his knee and is now recuperating. Ironically enough, he talked about the possibility of injury in an intervew before the annual softball game. Check the 5:43 mark…
- wordslinger - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 10:07 am:
Big Jim and Edgar have put themselves out there a bit lately. Any chance one of the Old Bulls with nothing to lose would take the job to crack some heads and explain to the far right (patiently, like you would to a child) that the formula for success is addition, not subtraction?
- walkinfool - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 10:19 am:
Murphy would have done the party a lot of good in this role. He’s a solid conservative who can speak to any audience and sound open and reasonable.
He’s also politically saavy.
Murphy as chairman would have risked any positive momemtum to eventually run for statewide office. Some of his support might even have come from those who wanted to take him out of a future race.
- Deep South - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 10:20 am:
I’ve said this here before…the Republican Party needs to jettison their “base.” Its been said the GOP can’t win without it’s “base.” Well, it seems more and more that the “base” is preventing the GOP from winning. Tell the wingers to take a hike and start recruiting fence-sitters, disaffected Dems and others who might buy-in to their fiscal policies and they might actually start to become relevant again.
- OneMan - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 10:48 am:
In all seriousness why in the hell would you want to do this unless you had some sort of strong personal dogma you want to promote?
- Anonymous - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 10:57 am:
=I’ve said this here before…the Republican Party needs to jettison their “base.” =
I’m sure it’s no surprise to many that a Democrat would say that. Also–and I’d hate to say it, but this conversation has become tedious.
Up next: Oswego Willy ranting about purity and litmus tests and more Democrats telling the GOP to throw its base out.
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 11:03 am:
===this conversation has become tedious.===
Good. That means it’s working.
The Democrats had the very same problem in the 1970s. Learn or perish.
- Small Town Liberal - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 11:04 am:
- more Democrats telling the GOP to throw its base out. -
As a Democrat, I sincerely, truly, fervently hope that the Illinois GOP will not throw their base out. Please, please, please keep doing things just the way you’re doing them.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 11:04 am:
=Good. That means it’s working.=
Oh? Is there some master scheme that’s been devised that only the “insiders” know about? Not fishing, but good luck.
- Deep South - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 11:25 am:
OK…keep your base…and make sure the wingers play a very prominent role. It would seem Bobby Jindal knew what he was talking about.
- LincolnLounger - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 11:31 am:
You mean the “insiders” who look at polling and demographics and understand that rigidity and intolerance do not win elections in Illinois?
These same “insiders” understand that Illinois doesn’t elect hard-line conservatives to statewide office (except an anomaly when Carol Moseley-Braun was on the ballot.)
Yes, those “insiders” have caucused and come to a conclusion that GOP primary voters are their own worst enemies.
- Ggal - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 11:32 am:
Maybe it simply boils down to pie or ice cream and in light of recent events pie is best.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 11:33 am:
Here we go. STL restating “dump your base” as a positive and Deep South tossing out the big names.
This is what happens when you don’t have two sides participating in a conversation. And if you can’t understand the meaning behind that, then I can’t help you.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 11:34 am:
Sorry. AND Lincoln Lounger explaining who the “insiders” are.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 11:41 am:
And, Ggal, I’d give you an honorable mention, too. If I only understood what that meant…or cared enough to understand.
- just sayin' - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 11:43 am:
If the chair post is “no big deal” then why do Pat Brady and his handlers so viciously cling to it?
Not fair to only talk about the right wing’s “fixation” while portraying Brady’s faction as principled defenders of the castle. This is about power, not moderate v. conservative. And anyone who really knows Pat Brady knows he’s far from some level headed guy. Just because he came out in support of gay marriage doesn’t make him some “moderate” - especially since just a few months before he backed the anti-gay marriage Mitt Romney without reservation or quibble.
And if you want to see wacky, petty behavior, it’s mostly from Brady’s faction. I mean who keeps rank and file party members waiting over 3 hours like they did at the last state party meeting while Brady and his committee met in closed executive session? That’s just one example.
Pat Brady is a bad manager, end of story.
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 11:46 am:
===I mean who keeps rank and file party members waiting over 3 hours like they did at the last state party meeting while Brady and his committee met in closed executive session?===
You’re kidding, right? lol
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 12:03 pm:
There are a few things to keep in mind;
Making every single Republican the same on every issue and requiring “only”, “must”, “never”, and “always” does NOT a political party make. It makes a Minority party, full of Minority ideas.
The Chairman of the ILGOP ir responsible for Letterhead, a caterer for meetings of the SCC, and fundraising so others can decide where the money goes. That is snark, but really, what is this Chairman doing besides any or all of those things.
Look at the Caucuses, look at the Slytherin House Republicans and their requirements, unless Jim Oberweis SAYS you are a Good Republican, you better fall in line. Really???
I give the SCC a huge amount of credit for sticking with Pat Brady, and not letting pitchforks, torches … and ice cream scoops rule the day. That was a major step in moving the ILGOP towards winning and not looking intolerant, and also reminding the “base”, the more you feel the need to “root out” non Slytherin Republicans, the more of a backlash you are going to feel from now on and we as a party are better for that.
My Party can not win being so closed minded to people wanting to be “party” to the Republican Party, but are not acceptable to the “only”, “must”, “never”, and “always” members who require absolutes.
I belong to the Republican Party, not the Republican Religion.
- just sayin' - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 12:15 pm:
“You’re kidding, right? lol”
Well seriously Rich, who does that? Professionalism and fair dealing are out the window with Pat Brady and his crew.
That’s not “moderate” behavior, it’s instead a way to depress your own best volunteers and lose more elections.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 12:25 pm:
What is a shame is that “a” Matt Murphy could have been a great choice. I would like to see someone with Murphy’s background and style, and willing to look at what the ILGOP needs to do as a Field Organization, as a Recruiter for talent at the levels needed to run a solid organization, and someone who can make the case to donors that the ILGOP is not about gimmicks anymore (Fire Madigan, for example), but about the hard work in the precincts to find the “lost” GOP voter from the times of Moderate GOP members leading the charge, and not being forced out because they are not “Republican Enough” for a Platform or a false image of Ronald Reagan or Abe Lincoln.
Otherwise, get a warm body to put at the top of the Letterhead, and let the SCC flail as if they are drowning in 2 inches of mud, looking for a life preserver.
It is/was huge the way the SCC “set the table”, by not having a single vote, or movement against Pat Brady, as Oberweis made it clear he was “all in” and keeping those attending “pacified” with “political ice cream” as Oberweis was losing, again, behind those doors.
Now what? Things are not “better”, but we staved off “worse”.
“A” Matt Murphy is needed, and if Sen. Murphy has decided to pass, as he has indicated, find someone more like Matt Murphy, and someone far less than “Vold-e-Weis”…
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 12:49 pm:
===Well seriously Rich, who does that?===
Stuff happens at meetings, man. Making some agitators wait is not without precedence in politics.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 12:50 pm:
===That’s not “moderate” behavior, it’s instead a way to depress your own best volunteers and lose more elections.===
Let’s be VERY clear why the ILGOP is losing elections, and the Number 1 reason is NOT that “best volunteers” are depressed.
We are losing elections in the precincts because we are gtting outworked all over the state, DuPage and the collars included.
We are losing because voters see less wiggle room in our party, and the Democrats are exceptionally good at painting GOP candidates as extreme …WHEN DEMS USE THE GOP WORDS AGAINST US!
We are losing because candidates are not running to strenghts in moderate/toss up districts but only appealing to “the most Republican of them all” idealogues while running away from center/right voters who were Republicans, but feel, “why take a chance” and vote for an extremists.
Finally, we are losing because the “base” feels the ILGOP owes them EVERYTHNG, and are not willing to look at the Reagan Rule of 80% as a good “chunk” of what they believe too.
Alienating “dozens” in a hallway, then serving them “political ice cream” is not going to be high on Rich’s, or Paul Green’s list of “Why the ILGOP Loses”… any time soon.
If you have a GOP majority, that agrees with the “base” 80% of the time … isn’t that better than 18 GOP GA Senators voting against SSM, and being written off by an entire 1/2 of a 1/3 of state government?
That … is what this is about, not alienating “dozens” and pacifying with “politcal ice cream”.
Not. Even. Close.
- just sayin' - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 1:01 pm:
“Stuff happens at meetings, man. Making some agitators wait is not without precedence in politics.”
I dunno Rich. Tell me I’m wrong but I bet Madigan doesn’t run his meetings that way.
And call them “agitators” if you must, but even if you assume most were there to take Brady to task over his gay marriage position, that doesn’t make them wrong. Can disagree with them, but can’t say they don’t have a right to be heard. It’s their party too, and Brady is the one against that party’s platform.
For crying out loud, the state gop only has 4 meetings a year. You can’t treat people that way on a day representing one of the few opportunities to weigh in.
- Shore - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 1:06 pm:
my hope for senator murphy is that he doesn’t have derrick rose’s doctors and gets well soon!
- LisleMike - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 1:13 pm:
Amen and Amen Willy!!!!
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 1:14 pm:
===Tell me I’m wrong but I bet Madigan doesn’t run his meetings that way.===
LOL.
C’mon, man. Madigan doesn’t even have meetings.
- steve schnorf - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 1:15 pm:
well, if we’re not happy with the status quo why don’t all we Rs who post on here suggest someone? I’ll start-Al Salvi (Al, you have p____d me off or anything, I just think you could do it well, and you’ve had a few years to rest up)
- steve schnorf - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 1:15 pm:
“haven’t p____d me off”
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 1:26 pm:
===C’mon, man. Madigan doesn’t even have meetings.===
… and the IL Democratic Party website … I think it had an update 3 cycles ago. lol
- steve schnorf -,
I like the idea, as for myself, I would like to see “A” Matt Murphy-type … like “A” Jim Durkin-type…or even “A” Al Salvi-type…
- wordslinger - has probably the “best” idea to stave off most, “A” Jim Edgar-type as Chairman, being above it all, but involved to his arm pits. Edgar could raise the monies, be a disciplinarian, and bring some structure and some common sense.
But there is nothing it in for Edgar but “pain” at this point, and who can blame him.
NOTE: I have endorsed not a single person, so no one can point to them… and ridicule them… for having me in their corner, ok?!?! lol
- Oswego Joe - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 1:27 pm:
Why isnt Demetra’s name being thrown in the mix? She certainly has the credentials.
@wordslinger got me thinking, how about Thompson and Edgar together.
- just sayin' - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 1:33 pm:
“C’mon, man. Madigan doesn’t even have meetings.”
LOL!!
A bit of an overstatement perhaps? Also I guess you get some slack from your peeps when you almost always win on election day.
In any case, look, all I’m saying is folks shouldn’t hold Brady up as some kind of hero for championing a more open party when given one of the few opportunities to show it at one of his quarterly mtgs, he’s anything but open. And that mtg a few weeks ago was hardly the only case. Brady’s been playing many for chumps.
- Madison - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 2:02 pm:
The conservative base of the Gop seems wider and than the democratics liberal base; predictably, as they alienate more and more Reagan style members the party will sink into right wing oblivion just as Pickett sank into Gettysburg history. There is time to evolve. Will they choose to?
When they have lost enoungh elections they will.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 2:03 pm:
Here is another reality;
It must be someone with instant political credibility.
It must have an element of compromise, but any and all sides need to have a cautious eye, that way everyone is in the same boat, and feel no one has a leg up.
It must be someone understanding the “money game” and not raising it as much as how very specifically to spend the money in the most effective way. I was told once, “Money in a campaign is good, knowing how to get the most out of every dollar in a campaign is Great.” Always stuck with me.
It must be someone who is 21st century savy, but not 21st century centered. You tell others about “The Twitter” and “The Facebook” and how that, and only that, drives GOTV, we will be spinning our wheels in a different way, but still spinning them all the same.
Finally, it has to be someone ready to buck this idea that 100% of the platform IS what a Republican is, and we need to find and vote more 100% Republicans, because that is how we as a party will win. If this person is all the above and they “miss” on this, then we will be seen, very publically, shrinking our own Party.
- steve schnorf - asked “Who”, I am just giving an idea who I think they may look/be like.
This post and $2.50 will get you a cup of Coffee, but, if I wasn’t going to answer - steve schnorf - directly, at least I gave the parameter of a choice I would like to see…fair?
- steve schnorf - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 2:14 pm:
Someone who understands that the purpose of a major party is to govern, and therefore to win general elections, not primaries. Someone who is not himself/herself ambitious to seek high political office.
I like a Drurkin type, a Peter Roskam type, a Bill Black. Got to have some creds with the hard right, but primarily a fiscal conservative who understands the difference between a church and a government.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 2:23 pm:
- steve schnorf -,
Well said on ‘Governing, and thanks for bring it back to what happens when we do win.
I like your “added list of possibles” to the discussion. If we could add a couple more people to our back and forth, we can interview some “possibles” and get back to the SCC by June with some thoughts…
This week is bad for me, but next week opens up nice. lol
Honestly, and no snark, and much respect, - steve schnorf -, …
Great points and list. I always feel better when I see/read there is some sanity left in My/Our Party, and I am glad you are one of the solid voices of reason I can, and do, turn to often when I need it. Thanks.
- titan - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 3:43 pm:
Square One?
The Illinois GOP would appear to need the Hubble Telescope just to see Square One, and an FTL Drive to get back to it.
- walkinfool - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 3:58 pm:
If we were to use the Dem success as a model: It might take someone who’s already made it to (or near) the political top, and who knows how to win consistently in a competitive environment — Mark Kirk.
God willing he continues to improve in health and energy.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 4:02 pm:
=== The old guard doesn’t want to give the right wing a public platform, especially when it’s trying to drag the state party to the center. ===
There are some in the “new” guard of a similar mindset as well.
- Conservative Veteran - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 5:54 pm:
Sen. Kirk is unusual, since he’s a moderate Republican, who won, statewide. In 2008, Dr. Steve Sauerberg was a moderate U.S. Senate nominee, and he lost. In 2006, then-Treasurer Topinka was a moderate governor nominee, and she lost.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 6:45 pm:
Dr. Sauerberg ran against Durbin, and moderate, conservateve, nobody had the game in that race to take on Durbin, thus a Dr. Sauerberg, out of nowhere, running.
Rod outspent and defined Topinka, spending at a clip that Topinka could not keep up with, nor change the narrative. Whoever was going to run against Rod faced a similiar fate.
Races are interesting because when you break them down, usually whatever you may think at first blush, is not how it can play out.
Those two examples are not telling, just as Fitzgerald beating Mosely-Braun is not telling how a true conservatives wins, specifically to that Race against Mosely-Braun.
Now if Fitzgerald had not “retired” and an open seat became available …
… and the rest is history.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 6, 13 @ 8:27 pm:
I think it’s funny that people are still calling Kirk a “moderate.”