Good question!
Still, from the outside, a strong GOP contender might LOOK like something is going on if you are just looking and not trying to actually learn about what is really going on.
Take this example. What if the seat Lincoln Chaffee now holds is a Democratic seat and Linc. was running and looking fairly strong? Well, from the outside it might look like a possible GOP pickup. But, for ANYONE who really KNOWS Linc. Chaffee, they would realize he is NO Republican but a liberal through and through and that few Republicans support him. So, a Linc. Chaffee seat is an insular, self contained GOP seat because he has NO further contact or influence in the Party, nor does he HELP the Party in ANY way!
this is a really poorly written piece...what do NY and CA have to do with a GOP revival in IL?