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Times change and so do political parties

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* Greg Hinz…

Their Facebook page is one long paean to Donald Trump, complete with an invite to take the bus to Washington, D.C., and participate in a “March to Save America” at the Capitol. Not to mention the “Trump’s back” speech at the March CPAC conference.

Their No. 2 official has tweeted in recent days about the “stupid diapers” “Tony Fraudci & Co.” want you wear on your face, how “over one third of Americans” are “rejecting” Coca-Cola because the company “interfered in Georgia politics and voter integrity,” and how people can contribute to the Florida congressman who is under investigation for allegedly paying a 17-year-old for sex trips. Not to mention the pic a few weeks back of her schmoozing with a National Rifle Association board hopeful.

Then there’s the double-endorsed candidate who threw a fundraiser with the group’s help without disclosing that a good chunk of the proceeds were going to her consulting company.

Conservative, far-southern Illinois? Or maybe the southwest suburbs? Nope, this group is from an unexpected locale. Its name: the New Trier Township Republican Organization.

Yes, New Trier. As in the tony North Shore, between Evanston and Highland Park, long the unofficial headquarters of business wing of the Illinois GOP, the place where such leaders as onetime White House Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Sens. Chuck Percy and Mark Kirk, U.S. Reps. Bob Dold and John Porter, and even Gov. Bruce Rauner grew up or were based.

Go read the rest.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 12:58 pm

Comments

Remember, whenever moderate Dems and centrists praise the value of compromise, the New Trier GOP are the sort of folks they want to cut deals with.

Comment by Quibbler Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:08 pm
The problem is that there are not enough whack jobs to elect them to anything…maybe thet get discounted MaroLago tour tickets though

Comment by Annonin' Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:13 pm
Illinois Democrats have a warped view of what and who Republicans are, mostly because democrats of today have drifted so far away from the values of even just 10 years ago. To bemoan the stance of the Republican party, is really just to acknowledge the wild leftist turn of the Democratic party.

Comment by Hyrum Powell Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:23 pm
Do these views exist in some of the toniest areas of the suburbs? Of course. The question is in what numbers? As we see more of the western and northwestern suburbs flip from reliably red to blue the answer would seem to be not enough. The ILGOP definitely appears to be shrinking in Northern Illinois.

You can always find people who agree with you. the question is can you find enough to win?

Comment by Pundent Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:24 pm
===The problem is that there are not enough whack jobs to elect them to anything…===

I don’t see that as a problem. Lol.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:28 pm
“Illinois Democrats have a warped view of what and who Republicans are.”

Strange take when the content of the article details Republican support for an accused child sex trafficker.

I don’t think it’s our “view” of who republicans are is what’s warped.

Comment by AlfondoGonz Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:30 pm
You can always count on Greg Hinz, who works for a business publication, to give the Democrats spin on Illinois Republicans.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:34 pm
“I don’t think it’s our “view” of who republicans are is what’s warped.”

Bingo! The New Trier GOP used to win elections. They don’t anymore. They used to be run by Bill Cadigan who was a true mainstream Republican. They aren’t anymore. They’ve definitely gone all in with the Uhleins of the world and have the record to prove it.

Extreme Democrats? Yea, we’re not the ones who stormed the Capitol and tried to stop the results of a fair election from being certified.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:36 pm
“Illinois Democrats have a warped view of what and who Republicans are.”

Take it from a former Illinois Republican, your challenge isn’t what Democrats view of you is, it what Republican’s think of this. As a former member as it were, it isn’t this stuff that is going to bring me back. Then again I may be too far gone to ever return.

While it might be cool to be screaming with the rest of the fan club, the fan club is getting smaller.

Comment by OneMan Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:43 pm
=== the wild leftist turn of the Democratic party ===

Hey, we didn’t attack congress on January 6th…just sayin.

Comment by PublicServant Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:45 pm
To the post,

In 1995…

Speaker Daniels, President Phillip…

Governor Edgar, LG Kustra, Attorney General Ryan, Secretary of State… Ryan, Comptroller Didrikson, Treasurer Topinka.

That was a Crew… and each, less Kustra, had crews

Diverse, and building crews, look at the two Ryans for starters. How about Pate, Lolita and jbt. Edgar and Pate, well, Pate and everyone.

As diverse and different on the spectrum this crew was individually, they pulled on the rope, together, and you think Bailey, the Eastern Bloc, Wehrli, Skillicorn, those of this new “GOP”… you think they are of that tradition or belief?

Big tent? Nope. Upstate-downstate together, try again. This new GOP is about anger, it’s about catering to white thinking, and decidedly rural.

This new GOP sees Edgar as “wrong” yet Edgar was consistently the most popular GOP leader even beyond his gubernatorial days.

It’s not the same party. It’s not.

Don’t compare today to the once building GOP of that 1995 era.

If you think “today’s GOP” is better for the country and this state than the 1995 GOP, you’re 1,000% wrong and arguably part of the problem of today’s politics too.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:49 pm
=== Illinois Democrats ===

If you’re precise is victimhood, you too are truly part of the problem that welcomes racists, insurrectionists, and conspiracy theorists.

But please, it’s about Democrats and the Democratic Party.

Pathetic

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:50 pm
Makes me wonder what - Louis G Atsaves - thinks…

No, it makes me giggle thinking about - Louis G Atsaves - in these contexts.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:53 pm
- Lucky Pierre -

As a Trump supporter your take going after Hinz but you embracing Trump all the same is comedy gold.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:55 pm
I’m not surprised. This is what all of the people cited as being moderate Republicans from New Trier are like with their masks off.

Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:55 pm
“Illinois Democrats have a warped view of what and who Republicans are, mostly because democrats of today have drifted so far away from the values of even just 10 years ago”

Nice gaslighting attempt. History books are going to note which party’s members attempted a literal coup on 1/6/21. I know that’s hard for a lot of people to come to grips with.

Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 1:57 pm
“ I’m not surprised. This is what all of the people cited as being moderate Republicans from New Trier are like with their masks off.”

In fairness, Bill Cadigan is nothing like the new chair. I really think the party itself has changed up there which was the point of Greg’s story.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 2:01 pm
I used to think it was a credit to Illinois that our Republicans were generally quite sane and even good at governing. Today not so much.

Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 2:09 pm
Have to wonder if in 10 years there will be much left of what was once the GOP? As noted by others, the party of Edgar, Daniels, Pate, JBT and other no longer exist.

At one time the GOP had a group of female legislators in Springfield who could craft policy and win elections. Not sure Eileen Lyons, Pat Linder, Rosemary Mulligan or even Patti Bellock could win a GOP primary today.

The GOP is simply a group of aging, rural, white, education scorning, gun obsessed anti everything people.

Comment by Give Me A Break Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 2:11 pm
“and decidedly rural.”

As someone who has spent 75% of his life living in a town of less than 2000, I wonder why that is so. Because I certainly don’t understand the allure of modern republican thinking.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 2:34 pm
Does anyone really ‘join’ a political party anymore? That seems so 1968ish.

Comment by Blue Dog Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 2:44 pm
So long as the GOP remains a party that wholeheartedly denies climate change they will continue to down the path of extremism.

Any person regardless of any other philosophical, spiritual, moral, or any other policy view that is serious about the future of our State, our Nation, our Planet, and our Species cannot do so while denying that climate change is a thing.

There’s no room for someone who is serious about addressing the existentialist threat our species faces in the Republican Party and because of that there is no reason for someone who is serious to be involved with the Republican Party. They have done this to themselves and there is no one left to fix it.

People under the age of 30 do not have the luxury to ignore climate change. They will not have the luxury of dying before our daily lives become solely focused on surviving the cataclysms brought on by our own waste.

Comment by Candy Dogood Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 2:45 pm
=== Does anyone really ‘join’ a political party anymore?===

People join cults, with cult of personality types usurping the good a brand once had by embracing racism, ignoring science, and believing in alternative facts.

That’s how we got to today.

Anything else?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 2:47 pm
Getting to spend lots of time up in Madison and Monroe counties of late. This seems to be the new GOP voting block. Definitely not rural. Highly educated, wealthy and motivated.

Comment by Blue Dog Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 2:50 pm
yep and there’s other townships up northwest that are in the Trump/Proft pile and have been for awhile.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:00 pm
If this is the future of the ILGOP, Democrats’ prospects look quite bright.

Trump cost the GOP the federal government and hurt it in Illinois. Please proceed in supporting him, GOP. Now we see why the GOP wants to suppress Democratic voters. Who would vote for today’s GOP?

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:05 pm
Monroe and Madison are not that highly educated compared to the state as a whole. Statistics for education attainment for bachelor’s degrees is smaller than state as whole.

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/IL#

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/monroecountyillinois/PST045219

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/madisoncountyillinois

Comment by tdavs1 Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:05 pm
===This seems to be the new GOP voting block. Definitely not rural. Highly educated, wealthy and motivated. ===

Just demographically speaking there’s not enough “wealthy” people to make up a meaningful voting block themselves. There’s certainly not enough “wealthy” people in Madison and Monroe county to make a majority party that is comprised of a significant block of “highly educated, wealthy, and motivated” individuals.

You might want to start attending GOP meetings that aren’t held at fancy golf courses, or start following GOP themed facebook groups if you want to get a real gander of the current state of the GOP voters.

As a person whose name implies that they are or were a Blue Dog Democrat, the current state of the GOP in any fashion is very far removed from the most of the major Blue Dog policy positions unless it has to do with race.

Comment by Candy Dogood Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:06 pm
Just wanted to ask if any of the IL GOP Congress or ILGA members have a shot for anything statewide. Kinzinger is anti Trump and that stuff. Rodney Davis passes off as a moderate and won 5 times in a swing district. I know Tim Butler, Jason Barickman, and Tom Demmer have been raised up as strong candidates.

Comment by tdavs1 Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:10 pm
===This seems to be the new GOP voting block. Definitely not rural. Highly educated, wealthy and motivated.===

… and yet in illinois we’re told about “all” the counties” that vote GOP… rural counties… as Cook and now the collars now tread blue.

Good try. No.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:13 pm
New Trier Township Republican Organization (in the day) had a great ally in the Don Totten-led Republican Organization of Schaumburg Township. I can hear Don saying about this “This is not how you win elections” - bonus points to who names the State Rep that Don hung boxing gloves on their office door.

Comment by Snarkie from Schaumburg Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:22 pm
=== People under the age of 30 do not have the luxury to ignore climate change. They will not have the luxury of dying before our daily lives become solely focused on surviving the cataclysms brought on by our own waste. ===

Too late.

Comment by Cluster Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:27 pm
That list of former GOP “leaders” isn’t exactly that far from the current leadership. Is being hell-bent on going to war in Iraq for and lying to the world about why that much better? And Rauner isn’t exactly a paragon of steady leadership either. The only difference is the electorate has finally realized the true caliber of that wing of the GOP

Comment by Incandenza Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:28 pm
Working campaigns ~15 years ago, I was always astounded by the myopic views expressed when people assumed everyone else agreed with them.

The moderates I campaigned for didn’t really have that problem, but they were chased away a long time ago.

Comment by ChrisB Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:29 pm
Arguing about which party has the most whack-a-doos doesn’t accomplish anything. Can we just agree both have extremist factions and look for common ground?

Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:47 pm
=== Arguing about which party has the most whack-a-doos doesn’t accomplish anything. Can we just agree both have extremist factions and look for common ground?===

No.

No we can not.

That’s like dismissing insurrectionists and racists who are destroying the fabric of America because heaven forbid those folks and the party that embraces them have their feelings hurt.

“Can we just agree… “

… ketchup is like my grandpa’s gravy recipe from Italy, it’s the same.

… the love of PETER…

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:53 pm
=Can we just agree both have extremist factions and look for common ground?=

I guess you missed the ILGOP vote and comments on HB347. When opposition like this becomes unanimous it’s mainstream, not an extremist faction.

The Dems certainly do have their own fringe. They just haven’t taken over the party. Big difference. And I make this observation as someone who’s supported a lot of Republican candidates over the years.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 3:53 pm
===I guess you missed the ILGOP vote and comments on HB347.===

I had. I read posts in order from earliest to most recent. COVID is one issue that’s not likely to find common ground. I’d be willing to wager that not every republican thinks this is a bad bill. But what are they supposed to do? There could be repercussions for not toeing the party line.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Apr 23, 21 @ 4:24 pm