I would disagree slightly. The Tea Parties made serious inroads the last election and are more organized now than we were 2008 or 2009. If it's a fight they're wanting, it's a fight they'll get. God knows the Tea Parties have to not only fight the union Democrat machine, but also the Illinois Republican Party. Illinois Republican Chair Pat Brady chimed in within the Politico article regarding 2012:
A strong bench is one thing Mr. Brady, but if your history of working with the Tea Parties keeps current, the Democrats might just take back a seat or two - or more. Besides, a strong bench is only needed when your starters can't get the job done - not exactly a vote of confidence for those that just won in my humble opinion. To think that the IL GOP doesn't have its work cut out for it in 2012 is just ludicrous.
Furthermore, the city of Chicago should not be as blue as it is if the Chicago GOP and those in control of the Chicago GOP would have done their jobs last election and would do their jobs going forward. One of those districts targeted for reconquest is Bobby Schilling in the 17th Congressional.
Phil Hare has even tossed out the idea of a rematch. But the Republicans have Chicago surrounded? Such sophomoric rationale said that Bill Brady was a shoo in for Governor and the Germans would never attack France again because of the Maginot Line. Don't think for a second that the Democrats don't have a
Schlieffen Plan to do an end around this "siege of Chicago". This kind of "leadership" is part of the reason why those that were in power in Illinois on November 2nd were still in power November 3rd - and by the looks of it right now, will be in power post-2012 elections.
This Politico article captures part of the failure of the Illinois Republican Party that
I highlighted shortly after the election. They failed to work with the Tea Parties to promote candidates that we can get behind fully while they failed to fully get behind candidates we supported.
The IL GOP still fails to see the value in getting the precinct committeeman slots filled and have yet to reach out to the Tea Parties for help in defending the 5 new Congressional seats. Plus, the IL GOP seems to be taking a la-ti-da attitude towards the redistricting that Madigan, Cullerton, and Quinn will be conducting. SEIU will have their foot soldiers ready to go and the IL GOP is still talking instead of doing. What of the Tea Parties? We are training how to poll watch, how to be effective precinct committeemen, we are finding new allies, and we are ready to fight for everything we gained this past November. Whether or not the IL GOP wants to help is up to them, but many of us are waiting for IL GOP to wake up and heed the call to really make Illinois a red state.
Comments