Posted on 01/20/2002 2:29:04 AM PST by BillyBoy
A Moses for GOP conservatives January 19, 2002
BY THOMAS ROESER
Conservatives who constitute the intellectual fiber of the Illinois Republican Party have been waiting for a champion since William J. Scott lost the 1964 gubernatorial nomination to Charles Percy. That was the last primary where real party blood was spilled. Liberal Percy, a Kenilworth big businss executive, won because he blurred his philosophy. For 38 years conservatives have been wandering in the desert , looking for a Moses.
They thought they found Moses in 1996 in a young legislator named Al Salvi. He challenged the establishmentarian Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra for the U.S. Senate nomination. To examine Salvi, statewide conservatives convened a ''Council of Trent,'' a gathering of movement types. They ranged from pro-lifers to Second Amendment crusaders, tax cutters and people who like to ride their motorcycles without the state forcing them to wear helmets. They all sat around a table at the O'Hare Marriott, listened to Salvi and decided he was the man.
While the mainstream press sedated the regular GOP electorate by saying Kustra was a shoo-in, the activists got out and nominated Salvi. Salvi lost to Dick Durbin due to tactical errors, but he could have remained the Moses but for his post-election recanting on gun owners' rights. For conservatives, the magic was gone.
Now another leader emerges with conservative credentials. He is state Sen. Patrick O'Malley (R-Palos Park), who seeks the governorship. He not only is pro-life but also is a champion of the cause; not just a critic of George Ryan corruption but a passionately eloquent one.
A reconvened Council of Trent examined O'Malley not long ago. Those who were there came away energized by O'Malley's quiet competence and resolve to go the distance without bartering away any of the points of philosophy that are so essential to a united conservative base.
Armed with extensive personal wealth and self-assuredness, O'Malley is taking advantage of several accidents of fate that could get him the Republican nomination for governor--and the governorship itself:
First, the Republicrat ruling junta has been in disarray due to the flagrant broken promises , bluster and corruption of Gov. Ryan.
Second, Attorney General Jim Ryan, who once owned the party's conservative base, has alienated huge chunks of it. Weakening on guns is one thing ; others have done so and survived. Ryan adheres to pro-life, but he signed a letter supporting special rights for sexual orientation.
Third, Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood may draw moderate votes away from Ryan .
Fourth, the disorder of three candidates blasting away at each other may reduce the GOP regular voter participation, which will help the activists who will vote for O'Malley no matter what.
These prospects make O'Malley the new conservative Moses. As O'Malley strolled around the City Club meeting the other day, a forest of upraised hands stretched to greet him. If Ryan doesn't show at the City Club GOP debate Wednesday, it will be a mistake.
Moses never saw the Promised Land. Perhaps no conservative Moses can ever get elected in Democratic-leaning Illinois. But if O'Malley gets the nomination, the ferment of discontent and a probable weak Democratic opponent--say, Rep. Rod Blagojevich-- could work in his favor.
The differences in the three GOP candidatse in the golden state havebeen plastered all over FreeRepublic. Apply the same sitution with Illinois and you can see where this is headed:
1) The annointed "establishment" candidate is some dull guy losing steam by attempting to blur his mushy message to appeal to all "factions"-- he tells conservatives he's conservative, moderates that he's moderate. He wants the nomination because it's "his turn". In California, that man in Secretary of State Bill Jones. In Illinois, it's Attoneny General Jim Ryan.
2) The RINO candidate has so throughly incessented the party's base that they have NO chance of getting the nomination, instead they just suck moderate votes away from the establishment candidate. The RINO candidate is some dope being pushed by country-club out of staters who insist he/she is the "only" Republican who can win the general election, despite the fact he/she is JUST as liberal as the DEMOCRAT candidate, if not more so. In California, this is Mayor Dick Riordan of L.A. In Illinois, it's Lt. Governor Corinne Wood.
3) The conservative candidate is pressing ahead with suprise endorsements and a vigorous core group of supporters. He runs on pure adrenialin with a focus, logical, and charmatic message of reforming the state after four years of corruption and seizing control of the staggering state GOP so they can fight back. In California, that man is Bill Simon. In Illinois, it's Pat O'Malley.
It's time to spread their messages NATIONWIDE, because the GOP "leaders" in swing states better watch their back. They have FAILED to stop the Democrats and the corruption, even when they "win" statewide office. WE WILL.
RALLY 'ROUND O'MALLEY!
Party insiders don't like primaries. Suprising things happen on election day because the most conservative members of the GOP tend to turn out in droves when they haven't registered in the polls previously. In 1996, Illinois Lt. Governor Bob Kustra, a mushy moderate, was 20 points ahead and considered a shoo-in for the Senate nomination. He went to bed happy on primary night and awoke to discover some unknown state rep. named Al Salvi had beaten him (as this article shows)
The establishment FEARS Simon and O'Malley. Simon could pull off another Michael Huffington in California, only this time...he has a good shot at winning the general too!
He was Lt. Governor under Jim Edgar, the most well-known and best financed Republican Governor in moderate Illinois history. He may not be have been known OUTSIDE Illinois, but Kustra's name reconitizion in Illinois far exceeded Riordan's name reconitizion in California. Riordan wasn't elected statewide, after all. ;-)
Let's go out and kick some liberal RINO butt in Illinois and California! Won't that turn the country club party establishment on their derriere!
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