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Illinois GOP looks to center after Keyes’ loss
St Louis Today ^ | 11-6-04 | Kevin McDermott

Posted on 11/07/2004 1:24:33 PM PST by SJackson

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - In a 2001 speech announcing the end of his political career, then-Gov. George Ryan left his fellow Illinois Republicans with a warning: The state GOP, he said, was being taken over by "conservative, right-wing elements" that ultimately would topple the party.

On Tuesday, the sound of a party toppling could be heard from Chicago to Cairo.

Even as the national GOP enjoyed a political rebirth in Tuesday's elections, the Illinois Republican Party looked deader than ever. Most notably, the state's second U.S. Senate seat switched to the Democratic column after Republican Alan Keyes' fire-and-brimstone campaign captured less than one-fourth of the vote, apparently a record low in the history of the state.

In addition, the GOP lost its majority in the state's congressional delegation, while the voters handed Illinois' electoral votes to Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. Meanwhile, the Legislature returns to Springfield Monday for its fall veto session with the GOP still locked in the minority.

(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: ilgop; keyes
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
"The Republicans could have nominated Karl Marx and the result would have been the same. "

Karl Marx would have received more of the "moderate" Illinois Republicans' votes, and his loss would have been blamed on "not getting our message out".

What a place.

21 posted on 11/07/2004 2:02:50 PM PST by mrsmith ("Oyez, oyez! All rise for the Honorable Chief Justice.. NOT Hillary Rodham Clinton ")
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To: SJackson

The biggest screwup of all was when they got into a snit and dumped Fitzgerald. They had a safe seat and they threw it away--over what?

Do they think Obama is going to deliver pork to them?


22 posted on 11/07/2004 2:02:56 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Cicero
The biggest screwup of all was when they got into a snit and dumped Fitzgerald. They had a safe seat and they threw it away--over what?

You're right, though I'm not sure it it was a "safe" seat, nor is it clear that Fitzgerald would have wanted to run.

23 posted on 11/07/2004 2:04:27 PM PST by SJackson ( Bush is as free as a bird, He is only accountable to history and God, Ra'anan Gissin)
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To: Graybeard58
He's a good conservative but not a good politician.

Bingo. He's just not politically savvy.
24 posted on 11/07/2004 2:05:05 PM PST by Freepdonia (Victory is Ours! (I told you so :-))
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To: mrsmith
What a place.

Simple solution, don't visit.

25 posted on 11/07/2004 2:05:15 PM PST by SJackson ( Bush is as free as a bird, He is only accountable to history and God, Ra'anan Gissin)
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To: SJackson

I grew up in IL and it's so sad to see what's happened to the state lately. I blame the phenomenally corrupt state GOP for the sorry state of affairs. George Ryan and his gang did enormous damage. They didn't support our outgoing senator Peter Fitzgerald, so he didn't run for re-election. A pity because he was a great senator and probably could've won re-election. As for Alan Keyes, the voters didn't so much reject conservatism with him as carpetbagging and insanity. I used to like Keyes but after this campaign I realized he's a freakin' nut.

Fitzgerald, Lahood, Hastert, and many others show that true conservatives can win in Illinois. But it's going to be a long time before the state GOP cleans itself up and gets back to the point where it can run a viable campaign against governor Daley and his band of crooks.


26 posted on 11/07/2004 2:09:22 PM PST by sassbox
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To: sassbox
As for Alan Keyes, the voters didn't so much reject conservatism with him as carpetbagging and insanity. I used to like Keyes but after this campaign I realized he's a freakin' nut.

You're right. The loss should be viewed in the context of a poorly run campaign, not the values Keyes ran on.

27 posted on 11/07/2004 2:12:31 PM PST by SJackson ( Bush is as free as a bird, He is only accountable to history and God, Ra'anan Gissin)
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To: AM2000
Aah I see losers like to stick together

Unlike some others (Maybe you) I vote for the right person, not who I think will win.

Keyes lost. Gloat all you want - He's still a damn sight better than the socialist baby killer Obama.

28 posted on 11/07/2004 2:13:03 PM PST by Graybeard58 (Democrats strongly support voting rights for Necro-Americans)
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To: SJackson

Let's talk dem machine vote fraud in Illinois; after that investigation, I may discuss the state of the Republican party. But, first things first. This needs to be gotten into ASAP.


29 posted on 11/07/2004 2:16:23 PM PST by Constitution1st (Never, never, never quit - Winston Churchill)
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To: Dogbert41; SJackson
Keyes didn't lose the election, that guy that wanted to watch his wife have sex with others in public lost it.

Absolutely.

30 posted on 11/07/2004 2:23:30 PM PST by Paleo Conservative (Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Dan Rather's got to go!)
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To: AuH2ORepublican
If the Illinois GOP moved to the center, it would be a vast improvement, since it is currently way to the liberal side. That Topinka lady who is the IL GOP Chairman is more liberal than most Democrats in Downstate Illinois.

Spot on analysis . . . and she hopes to be the next GOP candidate for governor.

31 posted on 11/07/2004 2:23:49 PM PST by Charlemagne on the Fox
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To: SJackson

Speaking as an IL GOP we never looked at Keyes. Yes I voted for him but I did so reluctantly. The IL GOP could not be more poorly run if the Dems had seized control of it.

And that may just be the best expliation...... Incompetence doesn't even come close.


32 posted on 11/07/2004 2:47:02 PM PST by festus (All Your Electoral Votes Are Belong To Us !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: Charlemagne on the Fox

Conservatives need to understand something about RINOs. They are never going to help. They will thrust a knife into your back at every single opportunity. Party loyalty works only one way for these leftists.

If conservatives are serious about gaining a powerful voice in a state party as controlled by RINOs as the Illinois Republican Party, they will need to develop a 'party within the party' from the grassroots, for all of the reasons mentioned above. They will need their owm fundraisers, theor own promotional people, etc. all the way down the line.

There are plenty of red counties in downstate Illinois, including some where Democrats hold seats from sheer tradition. These areas are the ripest targets.


33 posted on 11/07/2004 2:59:51 PM PST by Bogolyubski
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To: SJackson

I think this analysis is wrong. It was the corrupt George Ryan who toppled the IL republican party, not the conservative elements. Topinka and her following should join the democrat party instead of trying to silence conservatives. IL has become a safe haven for illegal immigrants thanks to the democrats in chicago. This could just as well be the reason that IL votes democrat.


34 posted on 11/07/2004 3:01:21 PM PST by virgil
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To: virgil
George Ryan was, of course, representative of conservative Illinois Republicans.

It's probably better to get rid of the opportunists from both wings and stop the "conservative" vs "RINO" holier than thou nonsense.

35 posted on 11/07/2004 3:05:32 PM PST by SJackson ( Bush is as free as a bird, He is only accountable to history and God, Ra'anan Gissin)
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To: SJackson
I don't know if you're being facetious, but I don't think George Ryan was very conservative. He and topinka are 2 pigs in a poke. This legal case against Ryan will go on for years or as long as Lisa Madigan can make it, and the press will trot him out everytime there is an election.

Meanwhile, the general assembly is trying to sneak in both an income tax and sales tax increase right now. Having democrats controlling the state is going to cost all of us a lot of money.

36 posted on 11/07/2004 3:36:09 PM PST by virgil
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Comment #37 Removed by Moderator

Comment #38 Removed by Moderator

To: GatorPaul
Yea,they should stick to Republicans who take their actress wives to sex clubs so they watch her have sex with strangers.

And I said Ryan was a great candidate when?

Mr Keyes has nothing to do with the problems of the Republican party in this state,this is what happens to the Republican party when the country club bunch takes over.

I'm all for a true conservative, but not if he keeps shooting himself in the foot. Jesse Helms was as committed a conservative as anyone you could name and stuck to his principles, but he wanted to be senator. Keyes at times seemed as if he didn't.

I used to love listening to Keyes speak, but a Republican talking about reparations and the draft was just plain stupid. Who will want him to run for anything now?
39 posted on 11/07/2004 4:09:36 PM PST by Freepdonia (Victory is Ours! (I told you so :-))
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To: virgil
I don't know if you're being facetious, but I don't think George Ryan was very conservative.

I don't either, but he ran as a conservative. I admit to supporting Poshard based on his pro-life, pro-gun positions, and have been ruthlessly attacked by Keyes supporters over that characterization. He faked it, but voters, including Republicans, bought into it. People forget.

40 posted on 11/07/2004 4:20:24 PM PST by SJackson ( Bush is as free as a bird, He is only accountable to history and God, Ra'anan Gissin)
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