[Pubbie]

"There is split opinion on this senate race, and the nature of the Illinois electorate generally."

What is your opinion of the Illinois electorate? - I know that there are a lot of Socially Conservative White Union members that can be persuaded to vote Republican with the right candidate.

[Kuksool]

***I know that there are a lot of Socially Conservative White Union members that can be persuaded to vote Republican with the right candidate.***

These voters hail from Downstate. In order to convince them to vote GOP, we need a candidate who grew up in region. Downstate IL voted heavily for fellow Downstate residents like 4-term GOP Governor Jim Thompson and 2-term GOP Governor Jim Edgar. This was enough to overcome the Chicago Machine.

[Kuksool]

The key to statewide victory in IL for a Republican would be to carry both the Collar Counties (Chicago suburbs) and Downstate by big margins (at least 60%).

[JohnnyZ]

What is your opinion of the Illinois electorate?

I think it's a very swinging state. The swing vote is fuzzy white folks who go both ways. I think they'll be very receptive to the Bush/Ryan federal issues: taxes, terrorism, and optimism. Republicans have been bad news for Illinois in state govt recently, but we have a good federal lineup going out there.

I'm not sold on Dan Hynes as a federal candidate. What has he ever done on his own? Blair Hull, okay, I can see that. Obama would, I think, be dismissed by too many swingers by being named Obama and as a black Chicago Democrat.

[Clintonfatigued]

The Illinois electorate can be divided into three groups: Chicago, The Suburbs, and Downstate. Chicago has become a 'Rat stronghold on the whole, heavily minority and liberal. However, the south-west side of Chicago has a number of white observant Catholics (I call them Mother Angelica Democrats), who can sometimes be persuaded to cross party lines. The suburbs range from middle class to wealthy. They are skeptical of tax increases and 'Rat spending programs, but moderate-to-liberal on the so-called social issues. This the heartland of the soccer Moms much talked of in 1996. It also has many Jewish voters, and is the base of the RINO wing of the Illinois G.O.P. Downstate is the reverse;, mostly conservatie socially, but economically stagnant, with a large blue-collar population upset about overseas job contracting, corporate excesses, and declining wages & health benefits. Ever since 1996, this unsettled combination added up to 'Rat victories of varying sizes. But I believe that Jack Ryan's unorthodox appeal can appeal to many of these people that other Repubicans have been losing.