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* The state GOP is aiming for some national relevance…
The Illinois Republican Party announced Wednesday it will host a straw poll on Aug. 16 at the State Fair in Springfield, an event that may challenge the influence of the Iowa GOP straw poll held five days earlier.
Illinois is one of the new “super Tuesday” Feb. 5 states — having moved the primary from March — and the state party wants to be a player, if for no other reason than to rally the grass roots in a Democratic state.
For presidential contenders, Illinois will also provide a more level playing field than the GOP straw poll in Iowa, the state with the leadoff presidential vote. The GOP presidential campaigns are just getting organized in Illinois, and there is no entrenched front-runner in Illinois.
State GOP party chairman Andy McKenna said with a boost from the straw poll on “Republican Day” at the fair, “Illinois will play a central role in choosing the Republican presidential nominee.”
* But there is some risk involved…
It’s unclear whether the campaign of Arizona Sen. John McCain, who also is skipping Iowa, will take part. “Straw polls are for those who can stuff the most people in a van or bus and get them there a certain time of the day. Not real scientific,” said Republican state Rep. Jim Durkin of Westchester, who is heading up McCain’s Illinois effort.
McKenna is guaranteed at least one campaign with an Illinois organization will be taking part: former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is in. “It will allow the campaigns that are serious the ability to practice their organization,” said Republican state Sen. Dan Rutherford of downstate Chenoa, who is Romney’s Illinois chief.
If only one candidate competes, does it really mean anything? We’ll see how it progresses, but anything that could spark interest in the State Fair’s Republican Day, which has been almost dormant since George Ryan’s tenure (with the possible exception of last year), would probably be welcomed.
“The local leadership of the campaigns are excited about it,” McKenna said of the straw poll. “They have pretty good organizations in place. They indicate they’re going to work hard to be successful. We’re hoping that it gets competitive and entices one or more of the candidates to speak.
Thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 8:37 am
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The idea is sound, and the republicans need to do somthing to revitalize. it says a bit about the canidates that they are turning their nose up at a chance to support their party in a State where it is desperatly needed.
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 8:44 am
McCain’s campaign is DOA - deader than a doornail. I wish he could have been nominated instead of Bush in 2000 - our country would be in a lot better shape.
McCains’s expereince demonstrates why Obama ran this time instead of waitng another four or eight years.Win or lose,you’ve got to make your move when you’re hot. Political popularity can be very fickle.
Romney has been the surprise candidate of this election cyle. I can not understand the apparent prejudice against a Mormon candidate that apparently exixts in the fundamentalist Chirstian circles. It seems like 1960 over again.
it’s hard to figure why Republican candiates other than Romney would not compete in the poll. Guilliani shoul be able to make a decent showing.
Comment by Captain America Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 8:53 am
I wonder if the proposed straw poll will have a choice for GOP realists; “What’s the difference - none of them have a chence to win in November 2008 anyway”?
Comment by fedup dem Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 9:00 am
Fred Thompson will be the Republican nominee and the next President.
Comment by Jechislo Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 9:03 am
I would ask, if fairgoers would be eligible to vote in such a poll.
Comment by Crimefighter Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 9:27 am
A good idea, gives the IL GOP a bit of relevance at the State Fair. I truly hope Andy McKenna and the GOP use the State Fair to hammer the Dems & Blago for the budget debacle.
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 9:39 am
Only a few hundred (at most) selected from the unemployed, state workers, campaign ops, and dying GOP political class will be able to attend on a work day. There they will scribble names on scraps of paper, in an incredibly unscientific, meaninglessly small poll sample.
The State GOP is a joke. Just more evidence it’s actually getting weaker every day.
Comment by Yawn Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 9:48 am
Please let Jim Bi-Polarweis(TM) hold the straws.
Comment by Wumpus Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 9:58 am
John McCain cannot afford to participate in the straw poll; he’s laying off staff everywhere and is desperately cutting costs in an effort to buy time before the inevitable withdrawl. Expanding his camapaign now is something he simply is unable to do.
Comment by Boone Logan Square Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 10:11 am
From the Illinois GOP GOV, this is a good idea since the Iowa straw poll has been left to Romney. I imagine the candidates with resources would ante up a little, the straw poll would get some national press, and badly-needed money would flow into the state GOP’s depleted moneybags.
It’s a much better idea than recruiting Keyes to run for Senate.
Comment by Boone Logan Square Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 10:18 am
GOV? POV. Must have Blago on the brain.
Comment by Boone Logan Square Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 10:18 am
After February 5th, Illinois is irrelevant for the Presidential and any statewide race. Illinoisans once again won’t see the Presidential campaigns, except when they drop in to siphon out money. And it’s all because the IL GOP is a dysfunctional basket case.
Party Chair McKenna is doing nothing to address this reality and he’s not being honest with Republicans. He’s thrown out this meaningless straw poll, hoping the peasants will be distracted for a few more months.
Why McKenna wants to hang around and be responsible for a second huge disaster, I have no idea. Many are starting to wonder if he’s just another Dem like his Daddy.
Comment by Get real Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 10:46 am
While I like the idea, the poor attendance at last year’s GOP Day should be a warning sign to the state party. And if only one candidate bother’s to show, it would be a wash in terms of money, time spent and a lack of press pop.
However, Rudy should attend and make a push that day in both Springfield and Chicago. If Hilary is the nominee and Rudy winds up being the GOP nominee, I think he could do well in the collar counties and in suburban Cook County. He could also impress some folks in Springfield while he’s at the State Fair. He needs some press in downstate Illinois anyway.
And Captain, we agree again. Part of the reason why I’ve never been able to fully support Dubya and his leadership team - even though he’s my party’s two-time nominee - is because of his campaign’s actions against McCain. McCain would have made a good post-Clinton president and would have been a great president to combat the terror cells. Plus, our current deficit would have been either minimal or non-existent. He really should have run in 2004; if he had lost, he would have at least provided a road block for Bush and might have made Bush change some of his ideas and practices. I voted for Nader in 2000 out of protest, so voting for Bush in 2004 was hard to swallow. It may be seven years too late.
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 11:05 am
Until the state GOP can deliver Illinois for a Republican, any poll is meaningless to the success of a Republican for President. It will not change in 2008 unless the state party is willing to change.
Comment by blogman Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 12:09 pm
Andy McKenna Jr. will be lucky if he gets enough people there to help him rearrange the deck chairs on his latest Titanic. McKenna and his people seem to be clueless.
The big question is, does Kirk Dillard go to Repub Day or Dem Day? Decisions, decisions…..
Comment by good luck with it Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 4:18 pm
Is there going to be a Green Day at the State Fair, in addition to the Republican and Democratic Days?
Comment by Squideshi Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 5:59 pm
Um, can they even RUN the state fair in early August if the 1-month budget runs out in July without a renewal?
Comment by Mr. Greenjeans Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 6:04 pm
Let’s see if I have this straight. So Republicans who can get off work, or who don’t work, can travel to Springfield and cast a meaningless vote in a pretend straw poll, even though they can vote for real in that race on February 5th.
But Republicans still DON’T get to vote at all for their own State Party leaders like the Democrats do.
What’s Andy McKenna thinking?
Comment by GOP'er Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 10:56 pm
Record deficit, war for profit
TRY DR. RON PAUL R Texas
Comment by Get Real Thursday, Jul 12, 07 @ 10:58 pm