On the one hand, I don't trust the state party one bit as its filled with combiners and RINOs -- plus "online voting" makes it easy for them to stack the deck in their favor (I have no doubt the Romney loving GOP establishment will be voting in this "poll"), and they force you to donate $5 to the state GOP, which they will probably spend on RINOs. Plus I'm worry if I give these guy a cent they will bombard me with phone calls and emails to "thank" me for my "past support of the Illinois Republican Party" and beg me for more money (even if I don't give out my email or phone number during voting, they always get their hands on it) That scumbag Mark Kirk is promoting this event. Also, as Phil Collins noted, they don't even list all the candidates running and won't let you vote on minor candidates like Buddy Roemer.
On the other hand, if we wait around until the actual, binding primary date (it's going back to late March now that the Dems no longer need Illinois to be part of Super Tuesday to help Obama), it's almost certain our vote won't count for anything because the GOP nominee will already have been decided by then. Many of our favs will probably drop out before Illinois even gets to vote (even last time around with our Feb. 2, we were down to Huckabee, McCain, Romney, and I guess you could count Ron Paul) as our choices. This might be our only chance to vote for our favorite major candidates. The more conservative that vote, the less the IL GOP can claim that Illinois Republicans like "moderates". Some conservatives have said if you don't vote in the straw poll, don't whine the next time they shove a RINO down our throats. I can spare $5, even though I'm employed part-time this makes the Illinois straw poll much cheaper than straw polls held in early primary states like the Iowa GOP charging $30 to participating in the Ames straw poll (even though the results are non-binding like the IL GOP straw poll)
What's the word, Illinois freepers?
If we believe the organization is corrupt, and to that degree illegitimate, I see no good giving them $5 worth of credibility.
Let Romney get 99.44% of the vote, that will show how believable such a poll is. I like Cain, but that straw poll he won with 82% doesn’t count for much.
I'll vote for Cain when it's primary day.
I don’t agree that the nominee will be chosen before the Illinois primary, since there are so many candidates who live in different states. Here is a list of some of the first primaries and caucuses:
Tuesday, 3 January 2012, Iowa Caucus; Tuesday, 10 January 2012, New Hampshire Primary; Saturday 21 January 2012, Nevada Non-binding Precinct Viability Caucuses (tentative date); Tuesday, 24 January 2012, Louisiana District Caucuses (tentative date) & West Virginia County Republican Conventions (tentative date); Saturday, 28 January 2012, South Carolina Party Primary (tentative date); Tuesday, 31 January 2012, Florida Primary; Saturday, 4 February - Saturday 11 February 2012, Maine Municipal Caucuses / non-binding straw poll; Saturday, 4 February 2012, Nevada Precinct Caucuses (tentative date)
Since Iowa borders Minnesota, Rep. Bachammn will win IA. Since New Hamphire borders Mass., Gov. Romney will win NH. Since Utah borders Nevada, Gov. Huntsman will win NV. Since Gov. Roemer is from Louisiana, he’ll win that state. Since Penn. borders West Virginia, Sen. Santorum will win WV. Since Georgia borders Florida and Alabama, Rep. Gingrich and/or Mr. Cain will win FL & AL. When IL votes, the majority of the current candidates will have strong campaigns.
The Illinois GOP is a lost cause and won't get $5 from me. I don't think the Republican Renaissance PAC, Champion News, et al have the horse power to demolish the old GOP guard and get Conservatives in positions that matter.
Welcome to Madiganistan. I'm keeping my $5 to help pay for my 67% income tax increase, thank you.
I say what's the effin' point of voting in this state anyway? The candidates I want never win, and there's ten liberal dumb-asses in Chicago that counter my one single vote every damn' election.
Screw voting, I want to know when we pick up our rifles and pitchforks and clean out Springfield. Call me when the party starts.