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* Uh-Oh…
With an eye on drawing more attendees closer to the 2012 election, Right Nation, a conservative conference that drew roughly 6,000 to Hoffman Estates last year, is postponing a second conference originally scheduled for Nov. 3-5.
Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod said he learned of the news a few days ago, but had “no idea why” the conference organizers backed out of those dates.
The United Republican Fund, which was organizing the event, declined to comment Wednesday.
But Joe Morris, a board member with the American Conservatives Union, which had been working with the organizers of the Right Nation conference, said he was “informed of the decision rather than participating in the making of it.”
That Morris quote seems kinda ominous.
* If you go to the Right Nation 2011 website, there’s no indication yet that the conference has been postponed…
* The Illinois Review is listed as a “participating organization,” but the self-described “crossroads of the conservative community” doesn’t have anything on its website about the “postponement” either. The United Republican Fund, which runs the show, has nothing on its Facebook page. And Right Nation’s news page hasn’t been updated since June 15th.
* The URF spent thousands of dollars on consulting contracts for Right Nation 2010, including to Illinois Review’s top person, Fran Eaton. The group was over $40,000 in debt at the end of June and had just $428.87 in the bank. It has filed no disclosure reports for large contributions in the third quarter, which ends this week.
Considering those meager resources, I’m not sure how they’re gonna pay the cancellation fee…
Sears Centre General Manager Ben Gibbs noted that the arena will still generate revenue because of a cancellation provision in Right Nation’s contract.
…Adding… I’m told that the URF has formed a 501c4 organization and has money built up in that account, which isn’t public. They also claim that the event will happen eventually.
* One of the problems with the Right Nation conference may have been this weekend’s TeaCon event in Schaumburg, featuring Glenn Beck, Andrew Breitbart, Dana Loesch and Herman Cain…
Fresh off his convincing win in last week’s Florida straw poll and his resulting dramatic rise in a major national poll, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain will be appearing at TeaCon 2011 in Schaumburg on Saturday.
According to Chicago Tea Party Coordinator Steve Stevlic, Cain will appear as part of a presidential candidate forum on Saturday afternoon from 1:00 - 4:00 that will also feature a recorded video message from Governor Rick Perry. The group is currently working on setting up a live address via Skype from Rep. Michele Bachmann as well.
The Tea Party will conduct its own straw poll following the forum, learning from the experience of the Iowa straw poll. In Iowa, voters were allowed to cast ballots before the candidates had even addressed the attendees. After hearing the speeches, many voters asked for their ballots back so they could change their votes to vote for Cain according to Stevlic, who said, “We’re not going to make that same mistake.”
Right Nation’s list of “participants” was decidedly less glittery.
* In related news, Carol Marin’s most recent column is about Jack Roeser, who was tea party almost before the original tea party…
Roeser, who operates his aerospace engineering company and nonprofit Family Taxpayers Foundation out of offices in Carpentersville, has never gotten along with the moderate members of the GOP. Or they with him.
“I’ve been called some of the most interesting names,” he said. “Like a cockroach in the caviar . . . or a member of the lunatic fringe.”
Roeser views the ascendance of the Tea Party as vindication.
Then again, Roeser has long fired away at fellow Republicans with invective: U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (“The Tea Party hates him.”); former Gov. James Thompson (“He’s the progenitor of the whole mess.”); or former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (“Elements like Hastert are slugs.”).
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 3:13 pm
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Well, other than Fran and the consultants, it isn’t like anyone will miss Right Nation if it gets cancelled, which appears likely. But it was a nice pay day while it lasted.
And that lineup, where was Alan Keyes? He’s available (for a price), and seems like he’d fit in real well with that crowd.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 3:35 pm
Thank goodness they have a straw poll in Schaumburg. Then we can all watch the national pundits analyze Cain’s remarkable momentum in Illinois, (snark).
Comment by walkinfool Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 3:38 pm
–Then again, Roeser has long fired away at fellow Republicans with invective: U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (“The Tea Party hates him.”); former Gov. James Thompson (“He’s the progenitor of the whole mess.”); or former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (“Elements like Hastert are slugs.”).–
Real party builder, old Jack is. Caucus in a phone booth, if you can find one.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 3:41 pm
The Tea Party and its minions are dying a slow death. No one, or at least not too many people, want to be identified with that bunch anymore.
This article is pretty telling. At least interesting:
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytoo
d/Tea-Party-is-the-dog-that-didnt-bark.html
Comment by Deep South Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 3:51 pm
Roeser might do better for himself if he severed ties with his Hispanic Outreach person (former Miguel del Valle campaign operative, Green pary candidate turned repub) Deb Leticia Gordils.
But then again, given his position on many things perhaps not.
Comment by Statesman Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 3:51 pm
Organizations should get cancellation insurance when things like this happen. However, that is for real organizations that know how to plan ahead and cover all contingencies. Doubt if these folks come under that category.
Comment by Nearly Normal Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 4:17 pm
As usual, that crowd is more worried about who wears the crown and who gets to stuff their pockets rather than accomplishing anything meaningful.
Meanwhile, Terry Cosgrove at Personal PAC engineers another Republican loss for Governor in 2010, an historic GOP year.
And then they wonder why.
Comment by EIEIO Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 4:21 pm
Roeser is also very conservative on social issues, whereas the Tea Party is more about the government’s taxing and regulation activities, so I don’t think Roeser can really be vindicated.
Comment by Just Me Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 4:23 pm
Rich - what are those people holding in the Right Nation picture? Rabbits?
http://www.unitedtorestorefreedom.com/rightnation2011/participants.php
Comment by paddyrollingstone Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 4:25 pm
Looks like Roeser’s TeaCon deal undercut the Right Nation deal. Does seem kinda petty and copycat.
In 2 years the tea partiers in Illinois have surpassed the infighting and nastiness that it took Republicans in Illinois 150 yrs to get to.
Comment by too obvious Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 4:25 pm
I have always wondered whatever happened between Doug Ibendahl and Jack Roeser? I knew that they “parted ways” but I never really understood what happened to cause it or “why” the parting took place? Ibendahl had been with Roeser and his group for quite a few years. I always appreciated Roeser’s views and also those of Ibendahl even when I didn’t necessarily agree with them. Incidentally, I thought that Jack Roeser actually supported Mark Kirk in Kirk’s political campaign at the end? It was as if Jack Roeser had suddenly “mellowed” out when it came to accepting those Republicans that had a more moderate stance on the various social issues.
Comment by Wilson Pickett Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 4:31 pm
Nothing like having a “split” party … in which one wing cna’t get consensus on how far left we should go to get to the middle, while the other can’t do enough to drag the party so far right, it circles itself.
Meantime, neither wing can get enough credibility to be scared of the other wing.
Since I “lost” the Caption Contest pertaining to Chairman Brady, I will not feign fear of “Chairman” Brady … who… in reality is Chairman of those two wings, with no body to see the ILGOP “Soar” … The ILGOP is just “Sore” about being so bad, and has no way to make it a viable choice for Illinois voters.
Pathetic.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 4:44 pm
“The group was over $40,000 in debt at the end of June and had just $428.87 in the bank.”
Wow. That is a fine example of “fiscal responsibility”….
Comment by Chevy owner/Ford County Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 5:02 pm
Well, that’s nice and all, but I think this sort of thing spans the political spectrum. Fer instance, Dinner with Barack was going for 5 bucks a chance, now they’ve lower it to 3 bucks a chance(via an email from Michelle Obama). Times are tough and all political groups are feeling the pinch.
Deep South…keep whistling past the grave yard, hun. 2012 is going to be 2010 writ large. Don’t you get out and talk to folks much?
Comment by Mary Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 5:14 pm
Things are so tough I’m hearing the ILGOP might move to Indiana.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 7:55 pm
featuring Glenn Beck, Andrew Breitbart, Dana Loesch and Herman Cain…
no room at the cook county insane asylum perhaps?
Comment by old school Dem Thursday, Sep 29, 11 @ 8:23 pm