1. - Ravenswood Right Winger - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 10:58 am:

   Dear Jim Oberweis: Please don’t run for Governor in 2010. Signed, Illinois GOP.




2. - wordslinger - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 10:59 am:

   Interesting to hear him pick up the Edgar banner. Is he now a pro-choice moderate?




3. - grand old partisan - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 11:35 am:

   wordslinger – oh, please. Being “pro-life” was never a critical part of Edgar’s political identity. He supported, and was supported by, pro-life candidates before and after his tenure as Governor. The “Edgar banner” has always been about fiscal responsibility and regional balance against Chicago.




4. - Ghost - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 11:41 am:

   Translation: we at the GOP don’t understand why our party is still in shambles after everything that has happend with the current administration. WOuldn’t you rather have us then Lisa Madigan? Pretty Please?!?




5. - Levois - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 11:52 am:

   I actually liked Brady more than I liked Topinka. I don’t remember how well he did in 06 though.




6. - RMW Stanford - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 11:52 am:

   Bill will make a great GOP nominee for Governor and I can not believe that after his recent debacle that Oberweis could be realistically entertaining any notations of running for Governor.




7. - Levois - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 11:54 am:

   Also I don’t recall him campaigning much in minority communities like he suggesting the GOP should now.




8. - easy - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 12:01 pm:

   The only difference between Brady and Obie is that Brady has lost one less primary. Nice guy, but he’s run truly lackluster efforts for congress and gov. Remember, this guy finished behind obie and jbt…and he wants to be our latex saleman, I don’t think so…




9. - birdfangop - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 12:13 pm:

   i dont think its fair to say he ran a lackluster effort in his gubernatorial race-he simply couldnt build the name id…his congressional race may not have been the most perfect race, but it wasnt run as poorly as so many other races…among candidates with any sort of name id, i would venture to say he is most favorable…besides look at what the gop thru out this year-a guy who quit, a senate candidate who wants to eliminate medicare and social security (yea, like thats a good plan), and millions of dollars at a rich guy who lost-certainly brady at least would provide hope (although he is wrong on some of the hard core social stuff)




10. - VanillaMan - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 12:20 pm:

    “The people of Illinois are with us, just as they were with Jim Edgar when he ran for governor,” he said.

    Why would he say this? Did he think Illinois voters were ready to bail on the GOP in 1990 after a decade and a half of Thompson?

    Brady? JEESH! Governor of Bloomington, perhaps.

    Nope. The only guy who would have any chance in 2010 would be Ron Gidwitz.

    Maybe Spiderman.




11. - Rob_N - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 12:34 pm:

    …Sen. Brady needs to be careful when saying things like, “This state is in debt to the tune of $8,800 for every man, woman, and child who lives here […] We are the highest debtor state in the nation … and it’s all because the Democrats don’t get it.”

    Every man, woman and child living in America also owes around $25,000-30,000 and it’s a direct result of the Republicans’ wanton spending in the White House and formerly-GOP controlled Congresses.

    Somebody’s gotta pay that bar tab, but the Republicans squeal anytime anyone even talks about taxes.




12. - PhilCollins - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 1:09 pm:

    In 2006, I walked seven precincts for Brady, in northern Lake Co., but I hope that he won’t run again, since he’ll probably lose again. Many IL Republicans lost statewide elections, ran in a second or third statewide race, thinking that their previous race would help them, and lost the second (or third race). Al Salvi lost statewide elections in 1996 and ‘98. Jim Oberweis lost statewide elections in 2002, ‘04, and ‘06. Joe Birkett lost statewide elections in 2002 and ‘06. Steve Rauschenberger lost statewide elections in 2004 and ‘06. Andy Martin lost statewide elections in 2004, ‘06, and ‘08. Brady shouldn’t think that he can win, although those other five Republicans failed. He should remain in the state senate until his congressman, Tim Johnson, decides to retire. When that happens, Brady should run for that seat.




13. - Trafficmatt - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 2:00 pm:

    For those of you that are saying Brady shouldn’t be the guy because he lost to Obie and JBT, just remember that in that race, there were a few conservatives (Brady, Obie, Rauschy) and several millionaires (Obie, Gidwitz and Martin). So, it was a very crowded race with lots of money.

    Let him run. If he can garner attention - great. If not, someone else will rise to the top.

    I do completely agree with those that say Obie shouldn’t run. I have heard those rumors too. I think that was part of the problem in 2006 was those that didn’t have lots of money (Brady and Rauschy) couldn’t do battle with all the money out there.

    Rob N - thanks for your advice. Don’t presume that the Republicans should take advice from an intense partisan from the other party. Besides, there were plenty of Dems voting for lots of spending. Besides, let’s not forget Monica Lewinsky’s boyfriend there in the White House before Bush.




14. - N'ville - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 2:00 pm:

    I think Brady is Jim Edgaresque in that he seems to actually want to govern. What a novel approach…




15. - Team Sleep - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 2:31 pm:

    Bill Brady would make a great governor. He ran a pretty good campaign last time around and I think he would’ve beaten JBT in the primary if Obie Trice had not run. He’s got the moxie and the smarts.




16. - grand old partisan - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 3:09 pm:

    I agree that it would be foolish to discount or dismiss Brady as a serious candidate. He came of short in 06, but he did rack up respectable numbers against the establishment’s ‘their turn to run’ candidate and someone with almost unlimited funds.

    I saw Brady speak at several events in ’06, and heard many in the DuPage business community who were very impressed with him, but already committed to backing Topinka. If he can secure their support early this time around, and then stay on a consistent message of “I’ll be Illinois’s governor, not Chicago’s,” he could create a formidable coalition of downstaters and suburbanites tired of state government getting bogged down by issues like the CTA and the intramural politics of Chicago Dems like Jones, Madigan and Blago.




17. - Skeeter - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 3:28 pm:

    Correct if I’m wrong, but doesn’t Brady deny that evolution is fact?

    He’s too far to the right. This is not Georgia.




18. - Rob_N - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 3:41 pm:

    Matt writes, “Rob N - thanks for your advice. Don’t presume that the Republicans should take advice from an intense partisan from the other party. Besides, there were plenty of Dems voting for lots of spending. Besides, let’s not forget Monica Lewinsky’s boyfriend there in the White House before Bush.”

    Besides, let’s not forget that Monica Lewinsky’s boyfriend actually forced the Republicans controlling Congress and the Dems in the minority at the time to (gasp) balance the budget.

    Besides, are you part of the “Blame Clinton” crowd too? The man hasn’t been in office for 8 years and had nothing to do with spending $340 million a day on an unnecessary war in the wrong country.

    Besides, Republicans are fond of extracting little portions of big bills out of context and then yelping that “Democrats voted against X!!!!” so your canard about Dems voting for massive spending bills in order to build hospitals, develop highways, etc. rings hollow considering Dems all along have been pushing for PAYGO policies.

    Finally… Besides, in addition to being an “intense partisan” I’m also a taxpayer, voter, Illinoisan and American… being any one of those five things does not discount in the least from the others. (Or, since you are an “intense partisan” from the other, other party should we simply ignore everything you say rather than discuss the merits of what you say?)




19. - steve schnorf - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 4:02 pm:

    Bill Brady will make a fine Republican candidate for Governor. He’s conservative, but the cultural issues aren’t the things he talks about. He understands government, understands business, and isn’t scary to this (very) moderate Republican. I just don’t know at this time if any R can win the governorship in 2010. If the answer is “no”, I would hate to see Bill throw his career away, but we will have to run somebody, Keyes has left the party (I heard), and Trigona has a little bit of a personal history problem.




20. - Skeeter - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 4:11 pm:

    Steve,
    Of course Brady is not going to talk about his stands on social issues, but they will come up.

    And when it comes to social issues, like “belief in basic science”, he is far out of the mainstream of Illinois. You don’t get far in Illinois when you deny evolution.

    The GOP wants to run every race on the same game plan, whether they are running in New York, Georgia, Ohio, or Illinois. The GOP demands this embrace of hard core social conservatism and that just is not acceptable in Illinois.

    Assuming Lisa Madigan is the candidate, she will defeat Brady by 10 points at least.




21. - Sock Puppet Express - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 4:26 pm:

    I forget is he the tall Brady or the short Brady?




22. - grand old partisan - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 4:29 pm:

    Skeeter –

    I could be wrong, but I don’t believe that Brady has ever advocated for a state ban on teaching evolution, or a state mandate on teaching creationism. If that’s the case (as I think it is), then who cares what he thinks personally? Are you saying that someone of personal and religious convictions different than yours is inherently unqualified to govern?




23. - Crimefighter - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 4:38 pm:

    The biggest concern I have is that if Brady is the conservative candidate, one liberal-moderate Republican declares, then one or two other conservative candidates declare, the conservative vote gets split and the IL GOP once again nominates the unelectable liberal-moderate candidate.




24. - grand old partisan - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 4:46 pm:

    “The GOP wants to run every race on the same game plan, whether they are running in New York, Georgia, Ohio, or Illinois. The GOP demands this embrace of hard core social conservatism and that just is not acceptable in Illinois.”

    To whom, exactly, are you referring to by “the GOP” in this comment? The RNC was constantly trying to recruit Edgar – a pro-choice moderate – to run for stuff. The state party establishment has lined up behind moderates (Topinka, Didrickson). Are there elements in the grassroots who demand ideological purity? Yes, unfortunately. But these are individual voters exercising their democratic rights, not party strategists who “run” anything or are creating the “game plan.” The Republican Party in Illinois is in sorry shape, and it has some serious problems that need to be addressed. But your comments about it are over-simplistic to the point of ignorance.

    Furthermore, I take pride in belonging to a party that fights amongst itself over issues, not petty egos and demographic grievances.




25. - easy - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 4:50 pm:

    The guy is a horrible campaigner. He lost to obie and jbt. Say what you want, but when a dem state senator ran in the dem primay in 2004 against a statewide official and a millionaire, the dem state senator won. And look where he is now…




26. - Aaron Slick - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 5:04 pm:

    I think that Brady is “the best that we have” at this moment in time. Unless someone has recently been struck by lightning and can act as the prophet that the GOP is currently lacking, Brady seems to be the only guy who can pick up the GOP flag and march back into the battle without being laughed off of the battlefield by the onlooking crowd..




27. - Me - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 5:05 pm:

    It will be interesting to see who gets the nomination and runs against Obama for the Governor of Illinois.




28. - True Observer - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 5:07 pm:

    “Say what you want, but when a dem state senator ran in the dem primay in 2004 against a statewide official and a millionaire, the dem state senator won.”

    That’s because he can count on the 33% automatic for the “race”, just like he’s counting on now countrywide.




29. - Trafficmatt - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 5:14 pm:

    Grand Old Partisan

    Very well said.

    I would only add this. A great candidate is a great candidate (risk of oversimplification). When we have had a great candidate (articulate, intelligent, has a vision, and, unfortunately good looking in this media obsessed world), they do well at the polls. When there is a bad candidate, either conservative or moderate, they do poorly. Topinka was just a bad candidate - she was in the moderate “mold” of what the party establishment seems to want. Oberweis is a bad candidate and he is a staunch conservative. Neither fared well.

    Unfortunately, we haven’t had a good crop of statewide candidates on the elephant side in the last ten years or so.




30. - Skeeter - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 5:21 pm:

    Fight over issues? As opposed to? I’m not sure what you are referring to.
    With regard to evolution:
    Initially, I believe has advocated that schools teach creationism. People can correct me if I am mistaken.
    Moreover, even if he hasn’t, if a person denies evolution then they have no business in government. If you deny basic science, you should not be writing laws.




31. - Give Me A Break - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 5:21 pm:

    Will he be running the same ads he did in downstate when he ran for gov last time? You know the ones, the ones where he said, “I’m the only pro-life, pro-gun candidate”. Can’t wait for that one to run in the Chicagoland area.




32. - steve schnorf - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 5:26 pm:

    Skeeter, I think you may be missing an important point. GOP said it well.

    Conservatives and conservative values don’t scare most moderates, including me (The scary ones are the ones who make it clear by word or deed that they want to impose their values on me).

    I think that’s a big part of Bill’s appeal, just as it was Huckabee’s, who also didn’t frighten me.




33. - Rob_N - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 5:53 pm:

    True Observer,

    At risk of continuing to veer pretty far off-topic, let me point out two things about the folks you’re referring to as “33%”.

    First, they don’t vote en masse. No group does.

    Second, he couldn’t count on those folks any more than Bill Brady should count on social conservatives or Hillary Clinton on women. Plenty of reality-based discussion around to back that up (esp. about early polling in the early state of South Carolina, etc. before anyone voted).

    PS: Arch reiterates an old Royko column about then Mayor-elect Harold Washington. I suggest you swap out the name Washington with Obama and the old mayors’ names with former presidents (current incumbent included)… Makes the exact same point.




34. - annon - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 6:03 pm:

    Bill Brady is a very good choice for the GOP governor nominee in 2010. He did well in 06′ to the extent he could & running in a 5 way race against Oby who threw millions at it & JBT the “darling of the party” that no-one thought could be beat. tAlk about lack-luster campaigns as someone mentioned earlier..she quit running the day after the primary. Hey…he’s out there, doing it & making an effort, talking on issues & engaging the process especially now when he really doesn’t have to be. He’s serious from what I’ve seen & heard so if the GOP is awake {hello McKenna} they’ll get behind him. No more old guard or recycled candidates & George ryans gone …. give him a chance & a frsh start. He’s a good candidate & can successfully lead the ticket in 2010 if they’ll let him & work with him.




35. - easy - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 6:10 pm:

    Someone forgot to tell roland burris about the magical 33 pct formula…




36. - Skeeter - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 6:39 pm:

    Steve,
    If that is the case, then why does every social conservative who runs state-wide get trounced? Where is that moderate support for Rauschy, et. al?
    The GOP seems to have this big tent fantasy, but in fact it is is incredibly spintered Unless you line up issue by issue, big chunks of the GOP stay home or vote for the Dem.




37. - Herself - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 6:43 pm:

    Brady would be an excellent candidate for Governor. He has my vote.




38. - Wumpus - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 7:24 pm:

    Skeet, Rauschy is not a conservative..he is conservative/moderate with little money and a funny name.




39. - steve schnorf - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 7:59 pm:

    Skeeter, that’s a legitimate question. I believe the main reason is the disproportionate influence the cultural right wing has in Republican primaries.

    Candidates who have hope of receiving strong support from the conservatives, in races where there is more than one conservative candidate, end up saying and doing things to solidify that support that hurt them badly in the Fall with moderate Rs and Ds, and with independents. You can believe that the earth and all things on it were formed 5000 years ago, but you can’t insist that I believe it, or demand that it be taught to my kids as fact, without scaring the hell out of me. So,don’t make it part of your campaign speech, and you’ll be fine.

    I know people told Steve R that, and I know they have told Bill that.

    BTW, in Rauschenberger we lost one of the best minds we had active in our party, IMHO. And for those of you who didn’t know him personally, he talked more about the cultural issues in that primary than I had heard him in all the years I knew him.




40. - Loop Lady - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 8:26 pm:

    hey Me-I agree that Obama will be the next Governor of IL…Just like Blago, Chicago guys just don’t enjoy DC that much and return home to rule victorious-or something like that…until they get indicted…




41. - annon - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 8:40 pm:

    Lisa Madigan as mayor of Chicago is a more likely scenario. Obama ???




42. - Bruno - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 9:38 pm:

    No one is paying attention to the other side of the aisle.

    If Blago avoids indictment, runs in a 3-4way race, might he win the nomintation again? (I’m not a Dem, so I’m not sure)

    If it’s a 2 way or if Rod doesn’t run, I don’t see ANY Republican beating ANY democrat (except for Rod)

    The R party is too in thrall to it’s corrupt hacks to allow any candidate to run on a platform that would attract enough Rs and Independents.

    “We’re not Rod” isn’t a platform, and save a few “transparency” plays that are mostly for show, there isn’t an idea or a plan on the horizon for any R.

    When faced with a party doling out goodies to each of their constituencies, the party with the greater constituency will win.

    Brady’s only chance of pulling off a win would be to campaign on bold and agressive reforms. He’s a nice guy, but I doubt he has it in him.

    The IL Republican rank and file is sick of their reps blathering on about “fiscal responsibilty” while taking campaign cash from teachers unions and AFSME - who, whatever you think of them - are the last people in the world who want fiscal responsibilty.

    Illinois politicians see their job description as keeping the trough full of taxpayer dollars for their friends to feed on.

    Sooner or later the natural social conservative and taxpayer voter base was going to revolt against leaders turning their party into one of patronage hacks.

    Thus are the Republicans doomed. Abandon pork, and your dwindling corrupt funders drop you (and fund Topinka-types). Embrace pork, and your base (eventually) abandons you.




43. - Bruno - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 9:45 pm:

    BTW, Isn’t this Walsh the same guy that gave us the Balderman/Ozinga fiasco? Again, not sure.

    You fall on your sword, throw the 11th to the Dems, and throw some cash into the cash poor party coffers, and we’ll make sure you get some nice Cement Contracts?

    Is that conjecture? Yes. But in Illinois, it’s pretty much a job description and a line on a resume for Republican Operatives.

    Intentionally dismantling a party seems to be what they do best. I hope they are well paid.




44. - Alan McNish - Monday, Mar 31, 08 @ 9:56 pm:

    If Brady can raise the $10-15 million necessary to be competitive in this state, he can win.

    Sen. Brady is the right candidate to 1.) be a unifying force for the GOP, 2.) attract Independents and Democrats fed up with the ethical lapses of the current adminstration, and 3.) be a Governor that actually governs.

    The guy looks like he was sent from central casting, so that certainly helps.

    The last guy with all of the above attributes, was…Jim Edgar.

    We recall how successful and popular he was. It can happen again.




45. - Central IL Stater - Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 1:03 am:

    Brady will be the best that the GOP can come up with right now seeing that all of the good GOP candidates have left office or won’t run.

    Hopefully he will be the candidate to turn it around.




46. - cathyr - Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 2:20 am:

    Go ahead GOP - run another right winger. We hope you do.




47. - cathyr - Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 2:20 am:

    Go ahead GOP - run another right winger. We hope you do.




48. - Leigh - Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 6:18 am:

    Whatever happened til waiting after the next election cycle? Cross is a much better candidate, but you won’t hear from him til after the ‘08 elections.




49. - grand old partisan - Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 9:25 am:

    skeeter - “Fight over issues? As opposed to?”

    = why don’t you finish reading the sentence? As opposed to petty egos and demographic grievances, as I said. Do Madigan, Jones and Blago really disagree on anything substantial? No - it’s just a stuggle for power within the party, and everyone in the state is suffering because of it. Look at Cook County and Chicago internal politics (which is affecting Springfield because everyone with any power there is from Chicago). The pitiful racial politics that left you with Stoger, Jr. The fact that discussion of who might be the best person to send to the U.S. Senate if Obama is elected President will, no doubt, be influenced by race.

    You don’t think there are enough people in the Suburbs and downstate who are stick of this. Even to the point of saying “I don’t care that this guy doesn’t believe in Evolution, as long as he doesn’t force that belief on me, and as long as he is going to actually put Illinois first, and not his intra-party, intra-city squabbles, I’ll vote for him?”

    I’m the first one to admit that my party has problems, and isn’t in the best shape. But take an object look at your own party. You guys are in serious danger in 2010, whether you realize it or not.




50. - grand old partisan - Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 9:26 am:

    “Go ahead GOP - run another right winger. We hope you do.”

    Why? The last time we did (Fitzgerald), he won.




51. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 9:48 am:

    Crimefighter, I’m fascinated by this idea that the Great State of Illinois is pining for a full-moon right-wing candidate. Who would that be? Thompson, Edgar, Percy? Those are the only GOP winners in the last 30 plus years. You can throw in Peter Fitzgerald, but I’d suggest he was an aberration who profited from he Dixon/Holcomb/Braun dustup.

    For all the lip service that right wingers pay to Ronald Reagan, they fail to understand the appeal of the great man from Dixon. He was an optimist; he loved the United States; he was tough; he was (gasp) smart; he was (horrors) a compromiser (by the way, his hero was FDR; he voted for him four times).

    Read his diaries, read his letters. There’s your roadmap to revitalize the Illinois GOP.




52. - Skeeter - Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 11:07 am:

    GOP,
    You don’t think the fight between Blago and Madigan is about issues? Then you are not paying attention.
    They both call themselves Dems, but they have very different ideas about government.
    Blago favors big government with a lot of hand-outs.
    Madigan wants to keep a safety net, but wants to pay for what we buy and would rather pass on a program than incur costs that cannot be met.




53. - Skeeter - Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 11:08 am:

    By the way, GOP, do you really think that everyone would be happy if either Blago or Madigan “won”?
    Of course not, and the reason is that those two see government differently. People don’t want it resolved because it is a distraction. They want one side to win because of policy considerations.

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