Posted on 11/07/2014 7:20:10 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
With Bruce Rauner’s election in Illinois, the Republican Governor’s Association has checked this bluer-than-blue state off its Democrat tick list. It must feel good—but I’m less than sanguine.
For the better part of a year, powerful Chicago Democrats have been whispering in my ear, extolling Rauner’s virtues. I heard similar insider political “chatter” about Barack Obama from these same Democrats long before he ran for U.S. Senate. Even the left-leaning Chicago Sun-Times suddenly changed its no-endorsement policy to back Rauner — and only Rauner — without even the basic formality of a candidate questionnaire or interview.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
What else would you call someone who has given millions of dollars of cash to Democrats and liberal special interest groups nearly his entire adult life?
There is local conservative talk radio, but I would argue even they are in bed with the Combine. Remember back in 2010, all the local "conservative" radio shows kept gushing over "Republican Mark Kirk" and pretended he was the ONLY Republican candidate running in the primary. They brought him on as a "special guest" so often and fawned over his "service" in the military so much, it was practically a free infomercial for Kirk. Try to imagine national conservative talk radio figures like Limbaugh or Levin pimping the likes of Kirk. It would never happen.
Worse, in 2014, the majority of Illinois "Tea Party" groups openly endorsed liberal Combiner Rauner and touted him in the primary to conservative voters. There were stories that Rauner spent $2 million alone just to buy the endorsement of various "Tea Party" groups. "Illinois Tea Party Patriots" even sent out an email the day after the primary, taking credit for helping his win the nomination over real Republicans.
The fact so many self-proclaimed pro-life, pro-gun, and pro-freedom conservatives here are working for the Combine is a huge problem, IMO.
As I said, it begins with recruiting and running people for office who believe in conservatism.
We keep fighting and never give up. Surrendering to the other side is an easy path but true victories are not easily acquired.
We know this from history.
Yup.
Before the election I attended a fund raiser that Sen Ted Cruz spoke at. It was put on by Chris Cleveland for Pubs on the northside of Chicago. He is aggressively pursuing candidates for local offices, but it's a very tough fight. At this point about all that can be done is to try and keep Rats fighting in IL so resources don't go to other states.
Kirk's seat comes up in 16 and you can bet the Rats are favored to win this one. But if they have to spend a lot more than they planned on to do so the Pubs might be able to grab a seat somewhere else that's more rational.
When you can buy support and influence and corrupt good people in the process, its hopeless to fight back.
And the RINO crowd on FR insists such “Republicans” need our support because well - they are the lesser of two evils.
I keep reminding myself the lesser of two evils is still evil.
bob (and the rest of you IL’s), look who his allies are. you lay down with the devil.........
What you don't understand is that many of the "deeply entrenched leftists" in Illinois ARE the "Republican" opposition.
Tom Cross (from a safe GOP district) served as the GOP "opposition" leader in the IL House for the last 8 years, and he claimed to be a "conservative" but caved and did Madigan's bidding on every issue. He even claimed for years that he "opposed gay marriage", then flip-flopped on the day the vote was held and voted for it at the last minute when the Dem caucus didn't have enough members to fall in line in order to pass it. And then he ran for State Treasurer as the "Republican" nominee and gloated about his betrayal in campaign ads.
Maryland and Illinois may both suffer from overwhelming Dem majorities, but Maryland doesn't have a Combine of powerful GOP officials working to KEEP the Dems in power behind the scenes. Illinois does. Numerous Republicans here are owned by the Chicago machine.
Please understand. Our state is in dire condition. Who should have we voted for?
Was there another candidate on the ballot that would have defeated the liberal democrat governor we’ve suffered under?
Give me a name?
I got out of Chicago 2007. Lived on and off there since 1984. Loved the city but once I realized what a cancer it really was under all the pretty and fun, couldn’t wait to skate.
It really is a sick city that runs the whole state.
Doesn’t matter. I just like thinking that a Republican, even one in name only, was Elected Governor of King Putt’s Home State.
It’s a nice snide comment to make when a Libtard starts extolling Obama’s virtues.
Besides, I live in CA, where I can only dream that any Republican would ever hold Statewide Office in my lifetime.
When you don’t have a true opposition party, its like a Third World family dictatorship.
In IL a handful of families run things there and the elections are just for show.
I never claimed to personally know Rauner, but having been in the real estate business in IL for 30 yrs and knowing a fair number of people from Winnetka (where Rauner lives) and Wilmette (neighboring suburb where Rahm is from) it's not a bad description of that area. Also, if you recall Rauner's first big ad buy after he won the primary was of his wife sitting on a couch explaining how she's a Rat and "Bruce" is a really good guy. This of course was followed up with explanations of how Bruse isn't caught up on "women's rights issues".
You’re comparing two completely different states and situations. It’s not even as ideological as you think it is. The Combine isn’t exclusively a LEFTIST outfit. People from across the spectrum are members. You can have strident pro-lifers and the most militant pro-abortionists. This is about a cabal of individuals controlling the state and its corrupt business as usual practices, and it has been going on for decades.
Illinois has had two strong parties over the decades. The Combine effectively arose as a clique between Democrat Chicago and Republican Downstate. Maryland, conversely, has had a weak Republican party for its existence (the times they have been in control of the legislature, you can count on one hand — and they haven’t had a majority in about 9 decades). Some of your offices statewide haven’t had a Republican occupy them since the 19th century. Since Ted McKeldin left office in 1959, you’ve had precisely 3 Republicans win the Governorship (Hogan on Tuesday, Ehrlich in 2002, and Agnew in 1966, and the latter only because the Democrats split the vote with two candidates, and Agnew ran to the left of George Mahoney, the Dem nominee).
There is no need for such a “Combine” in MD when you have an ultradominant party (Dem) and a weak GOP. However, under the IL Combine, the formerly strong IL GOP has gotten weaker (except for those who play ball with it, who get amply rewarded — the only price for belonging to it is their soul).
Yep.
Right let me guess, he ticks all the right boxes:
he’s for gay rights, affirmative action, income redistribution, gun control and the extreme environmental agenda.
Your moderate IL Republican straight out of Central Casting.
“Maryland doesn’t have a Combine of powerful GOP officials working to KEEP the Dems in power behind the scenes. Illinois does. Numerous Republicans here are owned by the Chicago machine.”
I’ll give you that - Maryland’s GOP is flat on it’s ass with NOTHING
By keeping him installed, the Combine has a hand in both parties in DC. Unless someone decides otherwise, there's no reason for him to be removed. He's a good puppet for them.
They can’t be bought because they don’t present a real threat.
The few Republicans who have won there have not really changed the way MD is run. I don’t expect much from Hogan.
Great point!
FWIW, Kirk comes from the same area as Rauner and where Rahm is from.
We just don't see downstate candidates that might be able to present a more balanced perspective. The money center in the state, downtown Chicago and the northshore, determine who runs things.
The fact so many self-proclaimed pro-life, pro-gun, and pro-freedom conservatives here are working for the Combine is a huge problem, IMO.
Spot on!
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