Democrats In Illinois Just Unseated A Whole Bunch Of Republicans

[iluvtennis]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/democrats-grassroots-trump-elections_us_58efd21de4b0bb9638e270c1?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004

4/13/2017 11:14 pm ET

WASHINGTON ― In a spate of local elections last week in Illinois, Democrats picked up seats in places they’ve never won before.

The city of Kankakee elected its first African-American, Democratic mayor. West Deerfield Township will be led entirely by Democrats for the first time. Elgin Township voted for “a complete changeover,” flipping to an all-Democratic board. Normal Township elected Democratic supervisors and trustees to run its board ― the first time in more than 100 years that a single Democrat has held a seat.

“We had a pretty good day,” said Dan Kovats, executive director of the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association. “We won in areas we normally would win, but we also won in areas Republicans never expected us to be competitive in. They were caught flat-footed.”

These may seem like relatively small victories ― we’re talking about municipal races in towns with tens of thousands of people ― but they fit with a broader pattern that should have Republicans on edge ahead of the 2018 elections: Progressive grassroots activism, exploding with energy since President Donald Trump’s win in November, is fueling Democratic gains in GOP strongholds.

...continued at link

----
Yay, yay, yay!

[annabanana]

1. What's that?

I hear the sound of distant drums!

[femmocrat]

2. That's great news.

Isn't that how the tea party started to take over? I remember their starting with school boards.

[NewJeffCT]

6. The tea party and the fundie right wingers

Started with local elections and built it up over time

[GWC58]

12. I do believe

you're right. I think a Blue Wave is on the horizon! The mid-terms can't get here soon enough, nor can Jan 2019!

[calimary]

19. This dude Ralph Reed was advocating exactly that, back in the late 80s and 90s.

He was a cherub-faced, harmless-looking, shrewd, conniving, and VERY ambitious tactician who set up a national power base in this fundamentalist outfit called the Christian Coalition. He never shut up about going local. He insisted that's how you take over. You start small and build. And he specifically singled out running for the local school board. That's where you could build a power base that might grow you into bigger and bigger election successes as you climbed the power ladder. Get in at the school board level - where it's easy, it's cheap, and nobody's paying much attention except for the candidates and their extended families. And then start moving up. Next stop City Council. After a few years there, try for Congress. Or mayor, Or the state legislature. And from there... well, you get the idea. But he specified "the school board."

We had a living breathing example of that. A small, shrill, in-yer-face woman named Bobbi Fiedler. She started by winning a school board seat. That positioned her for a City Council race which she also won. All the way, she was a professional pain in the ass. Out there in front of every set of microphones and cameras she could find, blabbing away, accusing, grandstanding, opinionating, ANYTHING for attention. I remember thinking - "aw, man, not her again..." over and over.

She used the City Council race as a springboard into Congress. Fortunately, when she tried to push farther, from the House to the Senate, she finally failed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbi_Fiedler

GOD she was annoying. Big anti-busing person, although she was pro-choice. Always making pronouncements about something or other! ENOUGH!!! But her political career was a TEXTBOOK example of how-to, in Ralph Reed's CONservative takeover strategy.

[Victor_c3]

3. I hope the enthusiasm will not be short lived

This bodes well for progress in our country. I hope the enthusiasm can be held for the next 4 years.

[iluvtennis]

10. I think enthusiasm will continue...ppl learned a hard lesson when they chose to not vote in 2016

[Wounded Bear]

4. It starts small...

I remember back in the 80's how the Repubs were targeting things like school boards and city councils. To play the long game, we need patience.

Progressives are too prone to get something done and then forget about it because it is "solved." Much like Civil Rights, it's never really over. Hell, Repubs have been counterattacking Social Security since the day it was passed. Same with Roe v Wade. Their goal has always been to overturn that, thus the bullshit they did to Judge Garland. They're counting on another seat or two under Trump. On that score, Pence would probably be worse.

The fact is that progressives and liberals have been lulled to sleep over the last 30 yrs or so, to the extent that we have relinquished control of our government to a fanatical minority of RW extremists, many of whom are perfectly satisfied to submit to one party rule and authoritarianism as long as it fits their simplistic ideas.

Trump is a long overdue wake up call to progressives to get back in the game. I can only hope it isn't too late.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

18. Yeah...about Progressives prone to sprints...

I wonder why...well we know pukes a authoritarians who beat the same drum, whatever drum the Authority gives them...

So, I'm speculating here: I think so many of them being christofascists, they have weekly political instruction and rallying --for jeeezus, of course. Not to mention fellowship lifestyle, hanging together, carpooling to the polls if that's what their pastor tells them.

We don't have large demographics inspiring and supporting activism like that. Independent thinking has its downside.

[3catwoman3]

5. I am glad to see this.

Unfortunately, my county, McHenry, remains quite red, and my own town, Algonquin, was recently featured on NPR as "a Republican stronghold" in Illinois. Ain't that just ducky.

http://www.npr.org/2017/02/01/512906698/trump-supporters-cheer-quick-starts-on-campaign-promises-in-his-first-weeks

[dhill926]

7. yep...I grew up in Carpentersville...

very red area. My parents were among the handful of Dems in the neighborhood....

[gratuitous]

15. Maybe McHenry County is ready for a change . . .

There's a way to find out.

[askyagerz]

17. I grew up in s.e. Illinois

It's so red it might as well be Kentucky

[Chasstev365]

8. A good sign!

These are very Republican areas!

[DinahMoeHum]

9. THIS is how you do it, folks.

Our GOTV activism starts TODAY. In 2017. For the local races.

County executives, county legislators, county clerks, judges, city/town/village councils. library boards, school boards, district attorneys, etc.

It's called building the bench. Some of these folks will go on to become state legislators and governors, and Congressional reps, and US Senators in the coming years.

And one good way to do this: Join your local Democratic Party committee, go to their meetings, maybe even become a district leader. You will learn where the wires are pulled, who the players are, first chance to volunteer on someone's campaign, etc. In short, you will get an education not otherwise gotten in a classroom or online. And you'll get to meet some real interesting people.

[iluvtennis]

11. LIKE!!!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

20. Also Like!

I wish I could go right now, while I've got the day off and I'm inspired by your post. But I'm sick with some crappy bug. I feel rotten. 🤒🤢🤕

[HelenWheels]

25. Tea baggers making a bid for school board in Central WI

HIstorically school board elections in our area were always low key. Now the tea baggers (TB) want to get on the board because of religion and transgender issues. This election they used robo calls and many political signs. One was elected this election because one of the incumbents died but still had her name on the ballot. I believe if she were living she would have been reelected and shut out the TB.

[dalton99a]

13. Great job.

[niyad]

14. wow, some good news in this depressing week. THANK YOU

[bora13]

16. i

hate Illinois republicans! (blues bros. pseudo-reference, not intended for actual consumption))

[Honeycombe8]

21. Wow. That's encouraging! "The Trump Effect." :) nt

[DownriverDem]

22. That's excellent!

As the Dems locally improve their control, more will run in state and national races too. This is great for our side. We continue to build our presence by expanding our bench. The more presence the more our ideas get out there.

[murielm99]

23. This was posted April 5 and 7 in the Illinois forum.

[AgadorSparticus]

24. That is just fantastic!

[surrealAmerican]

26. This should mean that, if we nominate a decent candidate ...

... we could have a Democratic governor next year.


I can hardly wait!