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This is a national issue, but it directly impacts Illinois. If they don’t do something fast, the Repubican hold on near-in suburbs could be broken. It’s already happened in Cook, happening in Lake and Will, and DuPage could be next.
For months, [Rep. Mark] Kirk and other Republicans in the 50-member Suburban Agenda Caucus have studied the concerns of voters in 22 counties across the country. They are scheduled to disclose their findings Wednesday and announce a series of poll-driven policy ideas, including the promotion of tax-free college accounts, the expansion of background checks on teachers and coaches and the creation of a state-by-state database for sex offenders.“This agenda doesn’t particularly come out of Republican or Democratic thinking,” Kirk said in an interview. “It comes out of suburban thinking. But it needs to happen.” […]
While Bush won the vast majority of outlying “exurban” communities across the nation, Democratic performance has improved considerably in the inner-ring of suburbs, which concerns Kirk. His emphasis on suburban issues is aimed at winning back seats traditionally held by the GOP, particularly Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.), who two years ago knocked off veteran Republican Congressman Phil Crane. […]
“The outlook for Republicans is grim, unless they are able to connect directly to local constituent concerns, quality-of-life issues and solving problems that seem apolitical,” said Lang, who this fall is publishing “Boomburbs: The Rise of American’s Accidental Cities.” “You have a grumpy country looking to point fingers.”
These are probably good polling issues, but I wonder if they’re too micro and local in an age of some serious macro/national/global problems. Your thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 4:30 am
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The Republicans will risk losing these suburban voters unless they turn down the religious stuff. These people don’t want to hear that from their Government. Morals are fine, but not the overt religious overtures the national GOP is doing.
Comment by ChiliMan Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 5:48 am
I’m not sure. It’s my impression (and I don’t live in an exurb) that in many of the far suburbs
around Chicago, for example, the church is the focus of social life for many residents, just as it is in many rural area…it wouldn’t be surprising that politics and religion get mixed together.
Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 9:01 am
all politics are local?
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 9:07 am
Sounds very Obama-like. No more blue or red states–just an agenda for one America.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 9:33 am
The one reference to this problem was Melissa Bean. Exuse me, but Bean didn’t win because she is a democrat and Crane didn’t lose because he was a Republican. Crane lost because he was a total ass. Bean was their to pick up the votes. I don’t see lake county being democratic, not now, not ever.
Comment by Lovie's Leather Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 9:33 am
I live in DuPage and must say that the polling is right on. In an effort to pander to the bible bangers and deep south red-states, the Republican party has totally lost the “thinking” Republicans. The educated, semi-religious Republicans such as myself want nothing to do with this crazy right administration. We deserve better and deserve a much better Republican party.
Comment by DuPage-Moderate Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 10:48 am
Kirk has an interesting mix of McCain and Barack. Soldier, national security, straight talk McCain, combined with “above partisanship” Obama. That’s a powerful combo.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 10:52 am
Lovie’s Leather said, “I don’t see lake county being democratic, not now, not ever.”
This really misses the point here. Lake County may not become a Democratic stronghold, however it will soon be lost by the Republicans.
You are correct when you wrote that Bean didn’t win because she is a democrat and Crane didn’t lose because he was a Republican. The fact of the matter is SPLIT TICKET voting is very high in Lake County. While the Democratic vote has increased dramatically lately, the most important occurrence is the expansion of the Independent voter block. This is occurring while the Republican voter block continues to contract.
Voters pay attention to the QUALITY OF THE CANDIDATE up here. Voters reward candidates that WORK HARD and focus on their districts. That is why Crane lost and why Bean, Seals, and other hardworking Democrats will win up and down the ticket here.
The only Republican in Lake County who really worked hard for those who elected her was Geo-Karis and the party rewarded her for 30+ years of service with a pink slip.
Lake County is not a Red county anymore and the November election results will demonstrate that.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 12:43 pm
Did a post related to this a few months ago. I will have to think about this a bit.I would say, all the Dems have is micro as they can’t agree on the big stuff, except that they are against the war. All their other positions keep recycling from the New Deal, which was new over 60 years ago.
http://backyardconservative.blogspot.com/2006/02/real-reform-in-congress.html
Comment by Backyard Conservative Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 1:27 pm
John Kerry came close to carrying Lake County in 2004. Rep. Ryg is so well ensconced that she doesn’t even have a GOP opponent. The GOP % of the vote has dropped sharply since 1988.
Comment by respectful Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 1:58 pm
Cassandra, I suspect (and this is anecdotal, not backed-up facts), that the exurban parallels to rural IL probably end at the indiginous residents.
I know a little more about the southland exurbs, and a lot of them are a Chicago/Cook diaspora looking for the most house for their buck. They’re sacrificing travel times (and perhaps utilizing technology) for the ability to have a little more house and a little more land.
I think the I-355 expansion will only amplify that effect. There are probably more regular-Joe and Jane Suburban voters than there are rural-type folk, and as such, their vote is probably well up in the air.
Comment by SenorAnon Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 3:37 pm
Party affiliation will not matter so much as appeal to local interests. The dems may well capture the votes of many inner and outer suburban voters, and someday even exurbs, but it will have to be on the issues that appeal to the locals. The current phenomena of Chicago dems controlling the state is an anomaly. Halvorson, Walsh, Franks-style politics will ultimately carry the day, with less marching orders from Chicago being the ultimate trend driven by the changing demographics.
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 8:17 pm