Could the implosion of the Illinois GOP be a precursor of national events?

[Walt Starr]

I'm seeing the problems faced by the IL GOP as a microcosm of what could potentially hit the GOP on a national level. Two years ago, a scandal ridden administration became a focal point in Illinois and something happened that had not happened in a quarter century. A Democratic governor was elected.

Now the GOP is losing on all levels in the State.

Putting John Kerry into the White House could very well become a catalyst for this occurring on a national basis. Once the truth of what thie current administration has been up to hits the lkight of day, the same thing will happen to the GOP on a wide level. It could filter down to all of the states.

Thoughts?

Comments?

Care to throw something hard at Walt Starr?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. No. The repugs have an infinite ability to overlook the sins

of their bosses...if it doesn't have anything to do with sex.

[Walt Starr]

2. Not in Illinois

and there is a clear split between the moderate Republicans and the conservative Republicans in this state.

No matter who of the two potentials gets picked, less than half of the party will be satisfied.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Wishful thinking.

As I see it, Ryan's troubles were because of sex. Therebye dooming him. The GOP has written off Illinois this time around and so it's time for the warring factions to have a go at each other without any real loss.

The pugs are most fractious when they haven't a chance but get together when they do. I give you Dumbya as an example. The Yellow-Stain of Texas represents the conservative wing of the party, yet, according to today's Rasmussen Poll he's pulling 88% of all pug votes. And, Ahnuld the groper, alleged moderate, won liberal California in a walk.

The truth is, that there isn't much of a "moderate" wing of the GOP left, but they'll back the bosses when they smell victory. And, the fascist wing will hold their noses and vote for guys like Spector and Schwarzenloopy.

[Walt Starr]

14. Ryan was unaccpetable to the conservatives and it showed in the polls

This thing has been a debacle since day one for the IL GOP.

It's just become more entertaining since Ryan imploded.

Please also remember, we're talking about three different Ryans. The former governor, the former candidate for governor, and the now former candidate for Senate.

I don't think an Illinois Republican with a last name of Ryan could get a nomination for dog catcher these days.

:evilgrin:

[ClassWarrior]

3. Hey Walt, I didn't realize you're a neighbor!

In Naperville, huh? Cool. Good luck to you and Gloria Anderson. We're supporting Gwen Moore for Congress up here in Brewtown.

[Walt Starr]

4. I actually live in Aurora

but I could throw a rock from my back yard and hit Naperville!

[ClassWarrior]

6. Still neighbors.

Howdy! :hi:

[iconoclastic cat]

5. Uh, Walt, I hate to say it,

but our dear state is suffering as much under the squabbling state reps and our all-for-show Gov as it ever did under Republican hegemony. Our school system is imploding, our tax system is ridiculous, and Mayor "I Love Bush" Daley is the biggest DINO ever. The Republicans were bad, but the IL Democrats are proving themselves just as awful. Just because of Obama, the country thinks this must be Democrat paradise, which it most certainly is not.

[Walt Starr]

7. Which is why I'm workign for REAL Democrats to get elected

in my highly Republican precint, district, etc.

:D

[iconoclastic cat]

10. And you rock for that, to be sure,

but I am seeing some real hardship in this state, and the Dems seem to be helpless to do anything with or without their advantage.

[buycitgo]

9. no disagreement here

but, hey, they're poliTICIANS

what do you expect?

did you catch Daley on terra yesterday, backing up the chimp to the hilt?

what a DICK! sts

following in his dad's 68 footsteps, doing all he can to get another pug psycho installed in office

[snippy]

8. I think that if the Illinois GOP problems are just related to the scandals

of the Ryan administration then it probably is a temporary and isolated situation. However, if the problems are related to internal strife within the party, then I think it could be something that can occur elsewhere. I have thought about this situation a little bit, but I do not know enough about Illinois politics in general and the Illinois republican party specifically to have a very strong opinion on it. On the national level, I have always thought that the differences within the republican party between the social moderates and the Reich wing fundamentalists could be exploited by democrats, but I have never seen it happen.

[Walt Starr]

12. It's actually deeper than that. The Ryan scandals just were the catalyst

that brought out deeply held divisions between the moderates and the conservatives.

They've been brutalizing eaach other since.

[Rich Hunt]

15. yeah, exactly

I think Ryan actually got elected because his positions were more 'moderate' than the Democrat's.

Conservatism doesn't play well at the state level in Illinois. They only seem to be able to get people elected to the House. Conservatives constantly complain about their inability to control the Illinois GOP - they even had a whole conference about it once.

I'd say they should just give up, but those guys are good for keeping the wingnuts at bay.

[snippy]

16. Those deeply held divisions are what I would like to see exploited.

The questions I wonder about are:

Why were the scandals a catalyst?

What could serve as catalysts in other states?

How can we contribute to such catalysts leading to divisions in other states?

I think your original post raised an important question because I think that the power and influence of the right wing of the republican party is dangerous, not just distatsteful.

[hippiegranny]

11. as for Arizona

I just got hold of a copy of the complete list of all candidates running for the house and senate, and the Repuke candidates outnumber the Dems 2-1. They're like freakin' cockroaches. We need more good Dems to step up to the plate in this state and I wonder how many other states are seeing the same situation.

[calimary]

17. The other night, Pat Buchanan was on MSNBC speculating that

this may indeed be in the near future of the republi-CON party. He said, win or lose in November, the republi-CONS have some tumultuous self-examination ahead. He said there's a deep divide in the party with the neocon-fundie cabal and what's left of the "moderates," and it's only getting bigger and badder. He painted a picture of a budding schism, in which the knuckle-dragger contingent and the more level-headed ones finally and seriously decide they've had enough of each other. Major league discontent. The radicals insist that the party isn't backwards enough to suit them, and the moderates complain that there's no longer any room (or tolerance) for people who think as they do.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER! If the opposition starts splintering, we should do EVERYTHING we can to stay united and exploit their disunity for all it's worth!

[The Magistrate]

18. We Can Only Hope, Mr. Starr!

While there are some special features of this situation that you and others have pointed out, it is also true that our state of Illinois is a remarkably precise microcosm of the country as a whole....

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"