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I’m not sure if I agree with everything, but the Tribune has a very long story today about the Illinois GOP’s decline, tracing it all the way back to Richard Ogilvie. No Cook County patronage (after Ogilvie left his job as board president), a party too heavily dominated by a governor, the rise of the right wing, and much more.
The party of Lincoln isn’t what it used to be. Long before the Alan Keyes election debacle, long before George Ryan’s troubles, the seeds for the party’s downfall were planted.
posted by Rich Miller
Sunday, Jan 16, 05 @ 4:35 pm
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There is no doubt the Illinois Republican Party has problems but it seems to be a stretch to go back to the days of Richard Ogilvie.
Remember this: Republican Presidential candidates WON Illinois in 1980-1984-1988 (Reagan-Reagan-Bush). Illinois had a Republican governor until 2002. It was only 10 years ago (the 1994 election) when Republicans won both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly and all six constitutional offices.
The Republican Party doesn’t need patronage in Cook County to win; it needs leadership and adherence to fundamental Republican values — conservative, but not extreme values.
The election of 2004 is clear proof that Illinois voters WILL elect the best candidate — Republican or Democrat — if they can make the distinction between candidates. The election of Lloyd Karmeier to the Illinois Supreme Court in Southern Illinois is solid evidence of that.
Comment by Ed Murnane Monday, Jan 17, 05 @ 10:43 am