Posted on 12/28/2004 7:10:21 PM PST by Petruchio
CANDIDATE SERIES: John Cox, candidate for IL GOP state party chairman
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
- Fran Eaton, special to IllinoisLeader.com
John Cox says the IL GOP should reach out, but should make sure the party's base is fed and comfortable.
He is submitting his name to replace state chairman Judy Baar-Topinka whose resignation is effective January 31.
Cox offered to replace party nominee Jack Ryan last summer. The State Central Committee chose Alan Keyes to fill the vacancy. CANDIDATE SERIES -- In a scenario eerily similar to the one Democrats are experiencing at the national level, Republicans in Illinois are plotting out a strategy that will hopefully move them away from losing and toward winning elections.
Both the national Dems and the state GOP'ers are calibrating their parties’ message to appeal to the American public while searching for just the right person to carry that message forward.
IllinoisLeader.com continues a series of interviews, the third of which is with another candidate for IL GOP chairman, former U.S. Senate candidate John Cox.
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CANDIDATE SERIES -- Dubbed as “the guy who will run for anything” by conservative talk show host Tom Roeser, John Cox shrugs off such political digs and simply pushes forward.
A self-made millionaire with humble beginnings in south suburban Alsip, the 48-year-old lawyer and certified public accountant admits he is an eternal optimist.
Cox says he is focused on the future of the IL GOP, and has a workable plan to effectively bring change. He is willing to head the party after current State Party Chairman Judy Baar-Topinka steps down on January 31.
“Somebody’s got to step forward and get this party on its feet and make some changes,” Cox told IllinoisLeader.com last week. “We have a Democratic machine that’s run amok with corruption. Frankly, both parties are corrupt. People are involved in politics to further their own personal end and not because they want to further the cause.”
The answer to the dilemma is to focus on integrity and ethics, says Cox.
“Good government and policy should drive people to politics,” said Cox, who first ran for office in the 2000 multi-candidate U.S. Congressional 10th District primary which was eventually filled by now-Congressman Mark Kirk who walked away the winner.
In the 2002 election cycle, Cox came in third behind Republican nominee for U.S. Senate Jim Durkin and dairyman Jim Oberweis. In 2003, he entered the U.S. Senate race only to drop out soon after State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin) entered the race.
Cox then added his name to the 2004 Cook County Republican slate as candidate for Recorder of Deeds when then-Republican county chairman Maureen Murphy asked him to jump onboard. Cox says that many of his ideas for turning around the state party came from what he learned while searching for votes in heavily Democratic Cook County.
“The ideas I have about growing the grassroots, building a Republican army is the way to achieve success for the party,” he said. “The future has to be built around people who are willing to go door to door and sell our candidates. They should get to know their neighbors, listen to their concerns, and pull people out of their houses. Direct mail, phone calls and television ads are good for name recognition, but nothing replaces door to door campaigning.”
Cox said while campaigning for the county recorder, he went door-to-door, asking the “Hard Rs” to help, but admitted such a strategy is “hard work.”
But Cox is optimistic that such a drastic change in vote-getting strategy would take place if he became head of the party.
“Once the ball gets rolling and the IL GOP makes its message of integrity, ethics, public service, smaller government and fiscal discipline out there, this will becomes a snowball rolling down a hill,” he said.
Cox said that 30,000 GOP volunteers statewide could be enlisted if a dramatic change at the top of the party took place.
Part of that change would be to focus on issues that unite the IL GOP’s divided factions.
But Cox insists that the party’s base should be fed and made comfortable. Topinka’s repeated participation in the Chicago Gay Pride Parade showed her insensitivity to the GOP moral base, he said. If the base was strengthened, spawned grassroots activity could help the party regain the voting majority, as demonstrated nationally this past November.
“You don’t see a Democrat party chairman out in front of a prolife parade,” he said. “They’re not going to stick their finger in the eye of a major constituency of the Democrat party. I don’t find fault in promoting tolerance, but you don’t go out to offend the party base.”
The message of the party should be clear and focused on things that unite the GOP, such as raising high ethical standards, ridding the system of waste, and focusing on choices based on what is right for the party, not on protecting one’s self interests.
That’s a major selling point for Cox as the next state party chairman, he says. He doesn't look for government deals.
“I have no connection to government agencies, I have no government contracts,” he said. Whoever takes on the job of state party chairman should be free of such ties, perceived or real, and that’s one reason why Cox is leery of Andy McKenna, Jr. being appointed state party chairman by the state central committee members on January 15.
“I respect Andy McKenna’s ability to raise money, it’s great,” but Cox says McKenna’s family owns a chunk of the Chicago Bears and that could make it difficult for McKenna to publicly challenge Mayor Richard Daley in the role of Republican state party chairman.
“Now I have a tough time seeing Andy out there really engaging in a lot of aggressive partisan attacks on a corrupt city and county government when the McKennas have that tie in to Soldier Field, their lease there and the police protection needed,” Cox said.
On the other hand, Cox says another possibility, Downstate party co-chairman Steve McGlynn shouldn’t face stiff opposition from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. McGlynn, a St. Clair County area trial attorney, put his name on the line on behalf of Downstate State Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier during the campaign which focused on tort reform. For McGlynn, Cox said, the problem will be that he hails from downstate Belleville, where access to the state’s media will prove to be a challenge.
As for Cook County Chairman Gary Skoien, Cox says he would encourage Skoien to stick with his work at the county level.
“If he’s pursuing the state party spot to build Cook County, I don’t know why he’s doing that. Cook County is a big as some states. It needs a lot of work and Gary has made a good start.”
Cox admits he has not been able to harness any commitments from the 19 members of the State Central Committee who will vote on the next chairman during their January 15, 2005 meeting at Springfield’s Renaissance Hotel.
But that doesn’t bother him.
Cox says that while most of the SCC committee members haven’t committed, he has heard several are leaning towards McKenna because the party’s finance committee has endorsed McKenna. Cox is a member of the committee.
“I can understand them leaning towards McKenna, but many of the members of that finance committee supported my race for Cook County Recorder of Deeds,” Cox said. “The finance committee should be comfortable with me. As a finance committee member, I think there’s ample opportunity for me to garner some votes.”
Cox says he is open to more participation in the party by grassroots groups and encouraged an open process in selecting state central committeeman. He’d encourage an open convention if the purpose were to look forward, not to rehash old offenses.
“I want to move forward,” Cox said. “If anyone has been mistreated by the state party, it’s me, and I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s move forward for a better day in the Illinois Republican Party. I don’t harbor bad feelings, life’s too short.”
Cox and his second wife Sarah live in Chicago and are expecting their first child in March. He also has three teenage daughters from a previous marriage.
Those reportedly submitting their names by December 31 are Gary Skoien, Jim Nalepa, Jim Oberweis, Andy McKenna, Jr and Steve McGlynn. A panel of three SCC members - Mary Alice Erickson, State Rep. Skip Saviano and Ron Smith - will vet the candidates before the mid-January meeting.
Cox made a promise to Illinois voters if he is chosen to be the next state party chairman. Even Tom Roeser might be interested in Cox's plans.
“If I am made the state party chairman, I will not run for office. I will work to take back the State House and Senate as well as elect constitutional officers,” Cox said. “I’ll purchase a residence in Springfield to make the point of a Democratic governor who refuses to live in Springfield.”
© 2004 IllinoisLeader.com -- all rights reserved
What is the IL GOP's main problem? Lack of leadership? Lack of quality candidates? Lack of a base? Lack of money? I think when you answer that question, you'll be able to find the right person to be State Chairman. Sometimes it's not the greatest spokesperson or fundraiser, but the person who can fill the main void the state party has.
What is the IL GOP's main problem?
Lack of Integrity.
From 1980-1990, 250,000 whites left Cook County, mostly people who became retirees. I assume most of these persons rode out their jobs until retirement and left Illinois. I was one.
Middle aged men ride out their jobs until retirement. The financial implications are just too great to do otherwise.
There are exoduses, as reflected in the most recent census. The Southern and western states grew, the rust belt got rustier.
Illinois is in bad shape, their industrial and business base shrinking with every year. It pretty much completely socialist, and will be for a long time. The GOP is in shambles.
When you have a RINO like Judy Barr Topinka in charge, you're is sad shape.
In my case, I am stuck here. I take care of my Mother, and she wants to stay near Dad's grave.
As soon as Mother joins Dad . . . I am Outtahere!
One-size-fits-all nationwide taxes and regulations eliminate the ability to vote with our money, and with our feet, and in effect destroy democratic freedom to choose . The GOP majority in congress needs to see this and make structural changes in federal programs that enhance our freedom to choose. Example
Declare victory in building the National Defense Highway System. Maintenance is what is now needed. Sunset all federal transportation taxes and "Trust" funds and agencies in 5 years. Include in the law that until the feds get out, all federal transportation taxes be paid directly to the state in which they are collected.
The Red States need to take the lead in this because the Red States get more than they take in.
The Blue states pay in more than they get, as with most federal programs. Yet ironically, the blue states are the biggest supporters of the federal programs for which they get shortchanged. Even more ironically, the "conservative" politicians in the Blue states never run on that fact, which is why the conservatives seldom win and do not change the Blue states to Red.
http://illinoisleader.com/columnists/columnistsview.asp?c=21714
PROFT: IL GOP: The Mogadishu of American Politics
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
By Daniel K. Proft, President, Illinois Leader (dan@illinoisleader.com)
Speaking of false hope, 2005 will bring the Illinois Republican Party a new state chairman and a host of candidates vying to take on Rod Blagojevich for Governor.
If this prospect engenders a shoulder shrug leaving you mildly amused as you return to watching the EV1.net Houston Bowl, then you are appropriately underwhelmed.
The Illinois GOP is the Mogadishu of American politics---there are not leaders here, there are warlords running around with small bands of acolytes feigning control over the chaos that is readily apparent to all others around them.
The warlords fall into two categories: (1) petulant Don Quixotes who don’t know which windmills to tilt at so they tilt at all of them; and (2) bungling wanna-be Machiavellians who would be unable to offer a competitive game of Battleship much less strategy worthy of an organized political party. see more at the link above.
Also at that link, see the excellent discussion thread: State Party Restructure Inevitable
Did you notice that the January ICRC meeting has been scheduled for Springfield, on the same day and at the same venue where the SCC will meet to choose Topinka's replacement.
This could get interesting.
John Cox sucks and has the intergity of a sewer rat.
Finally someone who knows the REAL John Cox. I worked for the man 10 years ago. I wouldn't vote for him for dog catcher.
And Happy New year to you guys. Hope all is well!
Another satisfied customer!
Ping!
Gotta make a stand sometime, somewhere. IL is it for now.
Another article in illinoisleader.com has a good description of the IL GOP.
OH!?! I thought it was Dan Proft's autobiography!!
OOPPS!
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