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* I scheduled mine for next week…
Spoke with outgoing Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin this afternoon. He sounded like a man … unburdened.
“Illinois voters rejected us.”
“People look at Republicans as extremists.”
“Donald Trump, I believe, is greatly responsible for the shrinking of the party.”
— Brian Mackey (@BrianMackey) November 10, 2022
* From Brian’s interview…
We were overwhelmed on Tuesday, and I believe greatly because people look at Republicans as extremist, and also they associate Republicans with Donald Trump, and also the US Supreme Court. I mean, there was a lot of factors that were in play. But at the end of the day, Illinois voters rejected us. And it was a, it was a tough night. And we, I hope we learned something from this, that you have to be able to expand and not just, you know, disqualify somebody because he may have a different position than most, than conservative Republicans on the Second Amendment, reproductive rights, or even same sex marriage and gay and lesbian rights. I mean, we’re losing a lot of people, a lot of people who otherwise thoroughly believe in the Republican positions on public safety, spending our budget, spending in our budget, but we’ve completely turned our back on them because we disagree with them on social issues. And you know what? It’s addition, it’s not subtraction. And if we continue on with this approach, and just nominate people in the most important races that appeal to the far right. We’re going to be in the same, we’ll be, we’ll be having the same elections over and over again.
Discuss.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 3:51 pm
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He’s right. Should have said it sooner.
Comment by Mocking Jay Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 3:57 pm
An honest sober take. Why is it that we continue to hear this from Republicans as they’re on their way out? I watched as Durkin stood buy while Bailey made a mockery of the ILGOP at a time when Durkin could have spoken up. I wish I would have heard then what he freely admits today.
Comment by Pundent Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 3:57 pm
strong words for someone on the way out of the leadership position
Comment by SalukinCU Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 3:59 pm
Wow. If they could be that candid while running, we’d all be better off.
He’s entirely right, and the problem is that within his party, those views seem to not be allowed in public. Both sides have a lot to learn from these elections, good and bad, but I don’t think we’ll be hearing anyone in Durkin’s caucus who’s not on the way out admit these things publicly.
Comment by TheUpperRoom Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:01 pm
Moral Majority, Tea Party, and now MAGAs. I simply can’t feel sorry for the Republican Party. If someone continually sows divisiveness and sit on the sidelines whenever you can because you can… it eventually catches you when you have to actually lead and compromise… or you reach irrelevancy. MAGAism may be on that road to nowhere… I hope.
Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:01 pm
Unfortunately, us RATs won. And it will be worse in 2024 if things don’t change drastically.
Comment by Lurker Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:04 pm
His comments are spot on. And for those who wish he had spoke up earlier I give you Adam Kinzinger being jettisoned from the party as an example.
Comment by Stones Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:06 pm
-Why is it that we continue to hear this from Republicans as they’re on their way out?-
Because if a critical mass of them don’t say it while in, they will quickly be on the way out involuntarily.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:06 pm
===Republicans as extremists===
Here’s the truth…
===Republicans on the Second Amendment, reproductive rights, or even same sex marriage and gay and lesbian rights. I mean, we’re losing a lot of people, a lot of people who otherwise thoroughly believe in the Republican positions on public safety, spending our budget, spending in our budget, but we’ve completely turned our back on them because we disagree with them on social issues.===
All good stuff, but Durkin buried the lede…
===Republicans as extremists===
… because Republicans embrace racist thinkers, conspiracy theorists, and insurrection apologists…
… and being extremists there… ain’t gonna make voters forgive on social issuers…as your core embraces the worst elements in democracy.
Too little. Too late. Will it change?
I don’t identify with the GOP base. Durkin was one I could. Now it’s all over.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:06 pm
None of that should be a surprise to Durkin. They knew who was being nominated. They also know who could be better candidates, but who wanted nothing to do with the current Repub format. But if the moderate Repub voices do not speak up how are they going to handle the loud hard right voices?
Comment by Zatoichi Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:08 pm
In my neck of the woods, everything is Republican. Heck, the Republicans, after Tuesday, now hold every county office. Our county clerk has been in office for at least 20 years I think, and lost because they’re a Democrat. Marion county IL doesn’t have a single Democrat on their county board.
Comment by Fivegreenleaves Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:09 pm
Republicans like Durkin knew they were shrinking their base, leaning too far to the right, encouraging extremism, yet they stayed silent.
How could they not know the inevitable result?
They’re enablers, not the victims they pretend to be.
Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:13 pm
“because people look at Republicans as extremist, and also they associate Republicans with Donald Trump, and also the US Supreme Court”
Between the anti-union Raunerites and MAGA base, and those who have phantom phobias of CRT and LGBT+ in schools, yes. The ILGOP needs more like Gov. Edgar. Bet the Chicago suburbs/collars would be less blue if someone like him was a candidate.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:15 pm
===the Second Amendment, reproductive rights, or even same sex marriage and gay and lesbian rights. I mean, we’re losing a lot of people===
Every one of these… Republicans are upside down in polling…
… while all of these must be part of the extreme litmus test to win GOP primaries
It’s not a bug that the GOP can’t get more voters being underwater on these… it’s the feature of a cult thinking.
“racist thinkers, conspiracy theorists, and insurrection apologists”…
… those are the Trumpkins, if I needed to clarify, and that cult isn’t helping in Durkin’s view to make things work.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:18 pm
People associate Republicans with the current policies and positions that Republicans and conservatives judges are advancing. It’s not a misunderstanding
Comment by High Socks Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:22 pm
-It’s not a bug that the GOP can’t get more voters -
Illinois isn’t a purple state anymore. Fortunately, for the GOP, they are doing very well in high growth areas like Texas and Florida. Nationally , it’s a 50-50 country. That’s why Congress will look the way it does after this election.
https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/11/09/a-tale-of-two-americas/
Comment by Steve Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:26 pm
“And if we continue on with this approach, and just nominate people in the most important races that appeal to the far right. We’re going to be in the same, we’ll be, we’ll be having the same elections over and over again.”
Isn’t that the definition of insanity?
Comment by AnonymousFool Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:29 pm
“People look at Republicans as extremists.”
Well,when you embrace election deniers and QAnon and conspiracy theorists…..or at least overlook or downplay it….that’s what happens.
Made their beds now they can lay in them.
Comment by btowntruth from forgottonia Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:34 pm
I agree with what others have said above, he’s spot on but it’s too little too late. The leaders of the gop have failed to lead. And as a result, their party is overrun with unserious and/or dangerous folks.
Which raises the question, can the gop de-maga-tize? I don’t know how, short of a 3rd party.
Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:36 pm
=but we’ve completely turned our back on them because we disagree with them on social issues.=
The gop wanted the culture wars, and that is what they got. For the big population centers in Illinois was was a complete loser.
It was a feature not a bug.
=In my neck of the woods, everything is Republican.=
And it will likely remain that way even as rural Illinois and America continue to vote against their best interests on many issues outside of the culture wars.
As services and infrastructure erode in rural America, these folks get angrier and blame the democrats when it is actually the gop. Illinois is a prime example. Pritzker did more for rural Illinois than any governor I can remember and they despise him.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:38 pm
Fivegreenleaves:
I am similar here in Forgottonia.
All surrounding counties are very heavily Republican now.
My county flipped Republican in 2016 and has some Democrats still on the County Board in large part because they ran unopposed in 2 districts.
Comment by btowntruth from forgottonia Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:38 pm
===Fortunately, for the GOP, they are doing very well in high growth areas like Texas and Florida.===
They have embraced the Trump agenda, if anything, what has happened to Florida and Texas is that MAGA extremists have won, where Texas women worry about lost rights… and Florida is using planes to send people like chattel, dehumanizing them for the ugly in humanity. Nope. It’s bad.
===Nationally , it’s a 50-50 country===
… and yet when there are national elections like POTUS… the Republicans don’t get to 50%… and Republicans winning the popular vote only 2004 since the 1980s
So.. I dunno what you think is going on.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:45 pm
===people look at Republicans as extremist, and also they associate Republicans with Donald Trump, and also the US Supreme Court.===
There was a very easy way to fix this. The campaigns Durkin ran in the general election could have told voters that they are pro-choice and don’t support Donald Trump. There were several Republican House candidates who told editorial boards that they’re pro-choice, but didn’t include that information in any paid communication with voters. There were Republican candidates who were mortified by January 6th and don’t support Trump’s leadership of the Republican Party. But none of them explicitly campaigned on that, so voters never found out.
Comment by vern Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:46 pm
I look at Republicans as extremists because most Republicans I know ARE extremists. There was a time when you could have a civil conversation about politics with a Republican but that time is over.
Durkin could have told everybody in the ILGOP to tone it down, but apparently he didn’t even try.
Comment by Curious citizen Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:48 pm
===Illinois isn’t a purple state anymore===
Yeah, you didn’t even read what Durkin is saying…
Republicans aren’t competitive because Illinois Republicans are extremes to things that poll where the GOP is on the wrong side of the poll.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:53 pm
Let’s be real.
There is not a lot any state Republican legislative leader can do to fix the Illinois Republican Party so long as its connected to a personality cult managed by D.C. Republicans with a Southern rural mindset catering to a base seeking out whatever conspiracy theories, faux outrages and culture war grievances make Rupert Murdoch and Dan Proft money that day.
Even if Trump goes away, is the Illinois GOP that much better off if they replace the Trump personality cult with a DeSantis one like Fox News seems ready to build?
Not sure on that.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:54 pm
The Illinois republican that will win is the republican that denounces Trump and MAGA *before* the election.
The Illinois republican that will get my vote is the republican that speaks truth to power and says, “Trump is a drag on the party — and I don’t want to be a part of that.”
That Illinois republican will get my Chicago vote. Until then — in the words of Jodie Foster — “So long suckers!”
Comment by Mr K Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:55 pm
BTW — the people I hang with in Quincy — even in Sprout’s — Rauner’s favorite restaurant where the little old lady came up to him and implored him to hang tough — the people I hang out with in Quincy (downstate) despise, despise, despise Trump.
Why does the Illinois GOP even give him the time of day?
Comment by Mr K Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 4:58 pm
-what has happened to Florida and Texas is that MAGA extremists have won-
Yet, people keep moving there and they keep picking up electoral votes while New York and Illinois and now California are in decline electorally. Taxes really do matter. It’s hard to compete with zero percent state income taxes and right work laws.
Comment by Steve Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 5:00 pm
Unfortunately for Republicans, after Rauner you can’t believe them on fiscal issues either. They turned to extreme cultural issues because they completely lost credibility on governance. The history of Republican fiscal policies is that you need a Democratic administration to come after to clean stuff up.
Comment by Banish Misfortune Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 5:01 pm
Durkin is spot on. Until both the national and IL GOP dump the crazies, one party will continue to win by default.
Comment by Rogo Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 5:02 pm
===Yet, people keep moving there and they keep picking up electoral votes while New York and Illinois and now California are in decline electorally===
That’s been going on since the creation of AC
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 5:03 pm
In the 1990s, there were 14 pro-choice House Republicans and 7 pro-choice Republican Senators in the Illinois General Assmebly who knew how to win elections. There are zero today.
Comment by Cosgrove Thursday, Nov 10, 22 @ 5:50 pm