Conservative Bob Cook Takes Lake Co. GOP Boss Slot

March 5, 2010 | Filed Under Conservatives, Elections, GOP, Illinois, Lake County, Republicans, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Congratulations goes to Bob Cook of Wauconda for being elected as the new Lake County Republican Party Chairman.

Former chair Dan Venturi withdrew his bid to keep his position after it became clear that he’d likely have lost to Cook. Venturi said withdrawing was an act of unity so that Cook could be elected unanimously.

Some grumbling about Venturi occurred when he backed Maria Rodriguez for Congress in the recent GOP primary. Instead candidate Joe Walsh handily won the 8th District primary. Venturi was considered “out of touch” by some and a pawn of House GOP leader Tom Cross by others.

For his part, though, Cook says that picking candidates in a primary is a mistake that he won’t make. As chairman, Cook says he’ll never endorse candidates in a primary.

The Daily Herald claims that Cook’s elevation to party boss “represents a growing conservative trend among party members.” I am not sure there is any state-wide evidence for that, but it is good to see conservatives finally being represented in the Illinois GOP nonetheless.

So, congratulations to Bob Cook, Lake County GOP Chairman.
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Why the ACORN 8 Protect Obama and Lie to Conservatives

March 4, 2010 | Filed Under ACORN, Anita MonCrief, Barack Obama, Communism, Congress, Conservatives, Elections, Government, Government, Corruption, Liberals, President, Race, SEIU, Unions | No Comments

-By Anita MonCrief

Last year ACORN alter ego Project Vote sued me for telling the people the ugly truth. Now the ACORN 8 are attacking me because I have acted on my belief that the people deserve truth, transparency and accountability. (The ACORN 8 slogan only calls for “truth, transparency and accountability within ACORN.”) ACORN 8 spokesman Michael McCray recently noted in a hit piece on me that “others have waged a war of rhetoric and words against ACORN and President Obama” while the ACORN 8 “focused on criminality within the association” and described my allegation of “illegal coordination between Project Vote and Obama Campaign” as not having been “publicly verified.”

Marcel Reid, as a former ACORN national board member and head of DC ACORN, understands the Obama/ACORN relationship AND the thuggish way ACORN pursues its goals.

Evidence exists that suggests that the ACORN 8’s denial of illicit coordination between the Obama campaign and ACORN has more to do with the fact that unlike me, Reid and the ACORN 8 are still radical Obama supporters and that’s why the ACORN 8 have avoided the subject of the Obama/ACORN relationship.

Fact: ACORN 8 leader Marcel Reid emailed me more than a year ago (before Heather Heidelbaugh, Esq.’s Congressional testimony based on my testimony in October 2008 in the Pennsylvania ACORN case, my appearances on Fox News and the sensational ACORN videos) that it is a “fact” that “ACORN isn’t sure that it has it’s fingers around Obama’s throat quite as tightly as they would like” and “might do a little street theater” to “cower him into submission the way they have everyone else with few exceptions.”

The Roots of Obama’s Radical Agenda

Obama’s poll numbers are sliding and his healthcare bill does not have public support, but he continues to push a radical agenda onto the American people. Could ACORN and its leftist allies like SEIU have Obama over a barrel? Someone like Reid, a former ACORN national board member, could have these answers.

Obama and Reid are both alums of the Marxist New Party, and Reid served as an officer of the party. The New Party is described this way:
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Weekly Standard on Illinois Rebels

March 4, 2010 | Filed Under Congress, Conservatives, Cook County, DuPage County, Elections, GOP, House of Representatives, Illinois, Joe Walsh, Republicans, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Fred Barnes, editor of the Weekly Standard published a piece that 8th District candidate Joe Walsh referenced this week. Barnes didn’t just talking about Walsh, though. Here is the except of what Barnes had to say about several other Illinois Republican “Rebels on the Right.”

The grass-roots revolt in the Illinois primaries was all the more telling because it was a near-total surprise. Ethan Hastert’s name, rather than an asset, “actually worked against him,” says a Republican official who supported him. The Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times endorsed his opponent, Hultgren—another surprise.

For Hultgren, the key to winning was staying to the right of Hastert. “I believe we need real conservatism in Washington,” he declared. “I’m proud to call myself a real conservative.” He won, 55 percent to 45 percent. He faces Democrat Bill Foster, who won a special election after Hastert’s father resigned, in the general election on November 2.

The success of Dold in the House seat being vacated by Representative Mark Kirk “came out of nowhere,” Representative Aaron Schock of Illinois told me. Schock had endorsed the favorite, Coulson. Dold defeated Coulson, 39 percent to 30 percent, in a multiple candidate race.

Once again, the winner ran against Washington and excessive spending. Dold labeled Coulson “a Springfield insider” as a legislator and one who voted for “tax and spend” bills. As a social moderate, Dold nicely fits the district, which President Obama won with 61 percent of the vote in 2008. Kirk, by the way, won the Republican primary for the Senate seat once held by Obama.

What distinguished Walsh’s victory was the role of tea party activists. Without them, he would have had little chance of winning. After his victory—Walsh got 35 percent in a six-way race—he traveled to Nashville to speak at the National Tea Party Convention. “I ran as a tea party candidate in the primary, and I’m going to run as a tea party candidate in the general,” he said.

When Melissa Bean, the Democratic incumbent, learned that Walsh would be her opponent, she expressed relief, regarding him as the weakest of the Republicans in the primary. Her reaction was reminiscent of how pleased aides of President Carter were in 1980 when Ronald Reagan emerged as his Republican opponent. They were happy to have escaped the awesome juggernaut of a Howard Baker campaign.

Please do go on over to Barnes’ piece and read what he had to say on races in other parts of the country.
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Tea Party ‘Extremists’ Take Center Stage

March 3, 2010 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Conservatives, Economy/Finances, Elections, GOP, Government, Corruption, Media, Media Bias, Newspapers, Republicans, TV News, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

The liberal media’s newest meme is to claim that the tea party movement is made up exclusively of John Birchers, militia types, racists, and “birthers.” Politico, for instance, had an extensive story about how legitimate conservatives are coming to realize that they’ll have to conduct a Buckley styled purge of the extremists if they expect the tea party groups to be taken seriously. Of course, the left has had its extremists for decades, unlike the right has never conducted any such purges, and has also benefited from a news media that has never highlighted the left’s worst nuts.

The whole idea that conservatives have to purge their wackier, more fringe members is something that at one level is obvious but at another is proof that the left and the Old Media are nothing but hypocrites. At still a third level there is part of the attitude exhibited by some of these far right elements that is a root motivation of the tea party movement, fringe or no.

As clownish left-wing commentators such as Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, John Stewart or Stephen Colbert point fingers and guffaw at the fringes of the right and as the New York Times and Politico stroke their chins and look down their noses at the unruly tea party movement, it must be noted that none of these folks ever uttered a cross word against the Code Pink wackos, the communist infiltrators, anti-war hippies, Stalinist apologists, pro-abortion extremists, Euro-trash half-wits, eco-terrorists, and outright anarchists that have filled the left’s ranks since the birth of the new left after WWII.

At every lefty protest representatives of these hatemongering groups abound. They can be found on the campus of every American college and university, as well. But are these dangerous extremists ever discussed in our Old Media outlets when they highlight lefty movements? Never. The left’s extremists are simply never mentioned. It is as if every left-wing group in America is filled with conscientious old grandmothers and idealistic young folks innocently avowing their rights as citizens of the world. Never are the violence prone, the hateful nutcases, or the drugged out losers that fills the American left ever highlighted.
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Some Tough Medicine for Getting Back to Good

March 3, 2010 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Elections, Frank Salvato, Free Trade, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, Republicans, Socialism, Taxes, Tea Party | No Comments

-By Frank Salvato

I just watched an important video. It was a United News newsreel from December 2, 1945, and captured the official Japanese surrender proceedings aboard the USS Missouri, proceedings that brought World War II to an end. As I watched, I wondered how it must have sounded to my Father, who was fighting in the South Pacific during that time.

It would be impossible for me to be able understand how he must have felt at hearing Gen. MacArthur say,

“Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it, always. These proceedings are closed.”

My Father volunteered for military service during World War II, as did many who fought for the Allies from all countries. They did so not only because they understood the existence of evil in the world, but because they wanted to preserve the “way of life” their countries afforded them. For my Father it was to advance our American heritage – freedom, liberty, constitutionality and opportunity – to his children. It was for this belief that he risked life and limb in one of the bloodiest episodes in world history.
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Four Key Minutes from Obama’s Failed Healthcare Summit

March 1, 2010 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Communism, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, GOP, Government, Corruption, Health, House of Representatives, Liberals, Republicans, Senate, Socialism, Taxes, The Heritage Foundation, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

A great video from the Heritage Foundation that shows how the Republicans really made Obama look the fool at his healthcare summit last week.

My favorite is Louise Slaughter (D, NY) who was all upset that a women in here district was “wearing her dead sister’s teeth” because the woman could not afford dental care. But, guess what Louise? Your idiotic example is meaningless to this healthcare discussion because Obamacare DOES NOT COVER DENTISTS! Obamacare would not solve your constituent’s false teeth crisis!

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Publius Podcast: The Mount Vernon Statement, A Poor Man’s Manifesto… VERY Poor

March 1, 2010 | Filed Under Alexander Hamilton, Ben Franklin, Conservatives, Constitution, Elections, Founders, Freedom, GOP, George Washington, Government, Government, Corruption, History, James Madison, John Adams, Podcasting, Publius' Forum, Republicans, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The newest Publius Forum podcast: The Mount Vernon Statement doesn’t work as a rallying cry, but here is an idea that might…

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Using the System FOR Us: The Freedom Force Strategy

March 1, 2010 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Communism, Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Democracy, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Federalism, Founders, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, History, House of Representatives, Liberals, Policy, Regulation, Republicans, Rights, Senate, Socialism, Taxes, Tea Party, Vote Fraud, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

The National Precinct Alliance is an effort to give tea party folks the guidance to make a difference at home, within their own local political system. This is the only way that we conservatives can influence what is happening in our state government and what is happening in Washington. All our tea party protests are great, but if they aren’t followed up with real political activism — as opposed to mere bombast and carping — we will find that politics will move on without incorporating our ideas, we will stay marginal in the actual power plays in our governments.

So, with that said, here is some info from the National Precinct Alliance:

The Freedom Force Strategy

The American people find themselves in the very difficult position of having to reform their government from the bottom up, after decades of public neglect which allowed politicians from both political parties to behave as though the U.S. Constitution doesn’t exist any longer.

State legislatures have been forced by over-reaching federal policies, to restate, reclaim and reassert Tenth Amendment rights just to defend the citizens of their states from oppressive policies coming out of Washington DC.
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The Mount Vernon Statement, A Poor Man’s Manifesto… VERY Poor

February 22, 2010 | Filed Under Alexander Hamilton, Ben Franklin, Budget, Capitalism, Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Democracy, Democrats/Leftists, Federalism, Founders, Free Trade, GOP, George Washington, Government, Government, Corruption, History, House of Representatives, James Madison, John Adams, Liberals, Patriotism, Republicans, Rights, Senate, Taxes, Tea Party, Thomas Jefferson, Warner Todd Huston, Western Civilization | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

A group made up of some of the biggest names in contemporary conservatism got together a few days ago and crafted what they are calling the “Mount Vernon Statement,” a manifesto of sorts meant to give direction to today’s conservative movement. Put succinctly, it fails to fill the bill.

Taken as a whole this statement is fine as a short history lesson. It explains pretty clearly what the founders had wrought when their basic work was done with the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. But as a statement of principles that might guide today’s discussion I do not think the letter works.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that this effort is harmful. In fact, I think every young person should read it for its explication of our historically conservative American principles. The problem is that this thing doesn’t seem to speak directly to what we are facing today like a statement that perhaps aims to become boilerplate should.
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For CPAC and Beck, The Truth About the ACORN 8

February 20, 2010 | Filed Under ACORN, Anita MonCrief, Barack Obama, Congress, Conservatives, Democracy, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Government, Politicians, Race, Republicans, SEIU, Senate, Socialism, Unions, Vote Fraud | No Comments

-By Anita MonCrief

What began in 2009 as a quiet rumble of discontent blossomed into a movement over health care and rocked the nation with the election of Scott Brown. Now fired up Conservatives are bringing that energy to DC for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

Thursday CPAC began with an abundance of Conservative leaders coming together from across the country. Republicans, Conservatives and Libertarians will mingle with the tea partiers, now recognized as a force even by The New York Times that buried an ACORN/Obama expose before the 2008 presidential election. The perceived and much hyped divides that exist within the movement have many taking sides and others looking to assume control and dictate how President Obama and his radical Administration should be contested.

In a message to supporters, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich quoted Ronald Reagan in unveiling the new Contract From America

“In a message that resonates to this day, President Reagan proclaimed, ‘Our people look for a cause to believe in,’ and then asked: ‘Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors, which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?”

The 2010 CPAC promises to be exciting, invigorating and, most importantly, a journey for many Conservatives. Glenn Beck will deliver the closing speech on Saturday. The choice of Beck is an interesting one for CPAC, but as the rising star of the movement, Beck will pull large crowds and attract media attention.
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Ed Morrissey Interview With 2nd District Candidate Isaac Hayes

February 19, 2010 | Filed Under Congress, Conservatives, Cook County, Elections, GOP, Government, House of Representatives, Illinois, Republicans, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

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Where Have you Gone George Washington?

February 15, 2010 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Conservatives, Federalism, Freedom, George Washington, Government, Government, Corruption, Patriotism, Society/Culture, The Law, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

I don’t celebrate “President’s Day.” I celebrate the presidents individually, not the whole gaggle of them at once. But I most certainly don’t celebrate George Washington, the father of our country, as just another president. These days, George Washington has been relegated to that “truth telling guy” to be seen on the one dollar bill and on TV commercials at the end of February or that guy lumped in with Lincoln on “President’s Day.” And that is a shame, indeed, for, without George Washington, our presidency and nation might have had a far different attitude.

But, what made Washington such a giant for our times as well as his? For one thing, he knew how to act in public.

Back in the 1700’s

In the year 1759 a man named William Robertson wrote a book called The History of Emperor Charles V, a book some claim was the standard after which modern historical study and writing has come to be patterned. Mr. Robertson, who became Principle of the University of Edinburgh in later years, introduced a salient point into the era of the Scottish Enlightenment. That idea was that “Politeness” in society would result in becoming a civilized nation. And it was a politeness perpetuated and spread through capitalism that was the best avenue to achieving that civilized level.

He wrote “In proportion as commerce made its way into the different countries of Europe they successively … adopted those manners, which occupy and distinguish polished nations.” So, as the theory goes, man by his very nature craves material possession and property. To get that property he must work for it with his best skills. To make use of these skills he must rely on neighbors to get supplies to employ such skills as well as to become customers for his skills. This leads man to act in a solicitous manner of his neighbors so that they will be disposed to employ him and his abilities. This “politeness” employed by the individual inculcates the action in society at large which, in turn, enlarges that field of involved persons to counties and then the country in general, neighboring countries and, ultimately, the world and the governments they create.

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A Conservative Candidate to Face Kirk and Giannoulias in Nov? Better Be Careful!

February 13, 2010 | Filed Under Alexi Giannoulias, Chicago, Congress, Conservatives, Cook County, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, GOP, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Lobbyists, Mark Kirk, Republicans, Senate, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

There has been some loose talk around conservative circles in Illinois about finding a more conservative candidate to run against both Alexi Giannoulias and Mark Kirk for the Illinois Senate in November. But the time for this was during the primary and that time is now passed. If we wanted a more conservative candidate than Mark Kirk we should have nominated him on February 2. A third party candidate at this time will only elect the mob banker, Alexi Giannoulias, to the Senate.

The only thing that wouldn’t make my statement above untrue is if a more conservative, third party candidate can mount a seriously funded campaign and can build a state-wide coalition over the next few months. By seriously funded, I’m talking at least four million dollars. The likelihood of this is remote at best.

And here is the thing: if a serious conservative candidate was able to get four million dollars together in only three months that candidate would have done so last October or November and would have been on that primary ballot.

It should also be pointed out that the state GOP will not be helping anyone but Kirk. Any insurgent candidate would have to build a state-wide network, or already have one, that could best the entire GOP establishment in order to run a credible race.

With Patrick Hughes out of the campaign due to his primary loss, there is no one else with the name recognition, state-wide network, or money to mount a serious campaign. Would that there was one.
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PuffyPost Shows Political Ignorance Once Again: Joe Walsh ‘The Party Candidate’

February 11, 2010 | Filed Under Chicago, Congress, Conservatives, Cook County, Elections, GOP, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Huffington Post, Illinois, Media Bias, Republicans, State Government, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, the Puffington Post has once again shown that it is wholly un-credible as a source for serious political analysis. This time it’s the “work” of HuffPuffer Will Guzzardi who doesn’t seem to know what a primary is or what it does, at least if his headline can be used as an example.

In his titled “Joe Walsh, First Tea Party Candidate To Win Election, Starts Attracting Attention,” Willie Guzzardi attempts to regale us on his deep knowledge of what occurred in the late Illinois primary. Unfortunately, we can doubt that pretension of depth without getting any further than his header. After all, Joe Walsh was not elected to anything as the headline claims. He did win the nomination of his party in order to run for election, but he didn’t get elected.

Additionally, we can easily take issue with Guzzie’s claim that Walsh is “the tea party candidate.” Yes, Mr. Walsh ran as “the tea party candidate” but previous to December 2009 Mr. Joe Walsh had never once BEEN to a tea party event in his life. And to this he admits openly. His running as “the tea party candidate” was a campaign strategy, not a grass roots reality.

Now, just before the primary on Feb. 2, Walsh did get the endorsement of a local tea party group. So, though belatedly, he did become a “tea party candidate.”
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Some Letters Beating Me Up Over My Tea Party Articles

February 9, 2010 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Communism, Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Elections, Free Trade, Freedom, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Harry Reid, House of Representatives, Jobs, Journalism, Liberals, Media Bias, Nancy Pelosi, President, Rahm Emanuel, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Society/Culture, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well I’ve now written six — this makes seven — articles criticizing certain failures of the Tea Party movement thus far. They are all meant to be constructive criticisms, though, not dismissive nor derogatory of them. It’s measured introspection I employ in each of these articles. No name calling, no laughing, no hate. There is just no logical way to construe what I’ve written thus far as hate against the Tea Party movement. But this whole Tea Party thing reveals several things to me. First of all it shows that there is still a lot of passion for them and that is a very good thing. I want the Tea Party groups to succeed and I want them to become a force that can teach the GOP a lesson. The other main thing it shows me is that too many people can’t read for comprehension these days.

The sad thing is that these days even the slightest criticism of a thing is seen by too many as outright hostility. Everyone is so hypersensitive that even a mild criticism meant as an exercise in introspection is seen as an over-the-top attack. It doesn’t just happen on the right, either. Look at what happened to all those Hillary Clinton supporters during the run up to the 2008 presidential elections. The constructive criticism that Hillary fans offered the Democrats was pounded down so hard by the left that many Hillary supporters found themselves aligned — and some permanently — with the side they thought they opposed; the Republicans.

Naturally there’s the name callers and nay sayers always floating around out there. I had one guy, for instance, say, “who asked you for your opinion” of the Tea Parties? This same guy then went on to give me HIS opinion of them evoking the obvious rejoinder of just who the hell asked him for his opinion, anyway? Obviously he wasn’t bright enough to “get” that concept!
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The president must lead America conservatively

February 9, 2010 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Christianity, Communism, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Marie Jon, Religion, Socialism | No Comments

-By Marie Jon

President Barack Obama stood before Congress and the American people just a little over a week ago to deliver his State of the Union Address — but his words still resound as nothing more than the tirade of a spoiled, frustrated, scolding and angry man.

While some might claim that the president’s long speech was effective and promising, many have a different view, citing his failure to connect with the majority of the American people, who no longer trust the man. Too many eyes have been opened.

Obama can say he’s not a political ideologue all he wants, but Americans know he’s a hard-core “progressive.” He stands for changing his country. That is not his job.

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Dr. Arie Friedman

February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Chicago, Congress, Conservatives, Cook County, Elections, GOP, House of Representatives, Illinois, Republicans, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Here is a great interview with Dr. Arie Friedman who ran in the 10th District, but didn’t win. Still, he is an impressive candidate and I hope he tries again soon.

This is a candidate we have to keep our eyes on.

www.Friedman2010.com

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John Boehner is Kidding Himself

February 5, 2010 | Filed Under Business, Capitalism, Congress, Conservatives, Economy/Finances, Elections, Free Trade, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, John Boehner, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Yesterday our Republican minority leader in the House of Representatives proved that he still isn’t seeing the problem with the GOP. He’s living in denial, at least he is if we can take his words at face value.

On the Mike Gallagher radio show yesterday, leader Boehner insisted that there is no substantive ideological differences between the Tea Party folks and the Republican Party.

(As reported by The Hill)

“There really is no difference between what Republicans believe in and what the tea party activists believe in,” Boehner said during an appearance on the conservative Mike Gallagher’s radio show.

Boehner went on to say that the GOP has a job ahead of it to, “prove it to the tea party activists that we really are who we say we are.”

I can only shake my head at Mr. Boehner’s blather. Granted it might be mere bombast and hopeful talk from a man hoping to convince voters to buy his product. He may know he’s blowing smoke in part. But let’s assume he’s dead serious.
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Anti-Gun Government Tyranny in Canada

February 4, 2010 | Filed Under 2nd Amendment, Anti-Americanism, Canada, Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Government, Corruption, Guns, Journalism, Liberals, Newspapers, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Unlike the U.S., Canada does not have the right of self-protection enshrined in its laws. Where we Americans have the coverage of the Second Amendment to protect our God-given right to self-protection, the Canadians have to rely on the occasional good nature of their overlords in government to determine how their right to own a firearm is treated. Sadly, their ownership of firearms is usually mistreated rather than upheld.

A writer for the Toronto Star wrote an article recently that showed the capriciousness of government thugs where it concerns privately owned firearms in Canada. Joe Fiorito had a retinue of Toronto’s finest stormtroopers come beating on his door one day this month to confiscate his old rifle because the columnist had the temerity of forgetting to re-up his registration of a disassembled, 30-year-old, small caliber bird gun.

Involved were multiple police cars, half a dozen officers, judge’s warrants. All sorts of iron, jack-booted automatons of the state came down on Mr. Fioritto. It was as if he were public enemy no. 1. All of this over a beat up old rifle that was disassembled, locked in a basement, and stored in a house in which no ammunition existed.
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Illinois Shows Limitations of Tea Party Movement

February 3, 2010 | Filed Under Chicago, Congress, Conservatives, Cook County, Cook County Board, Economy/Finances, Elections, Freedom, GOP, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Republicans, Senate, Society/Culture, State Government, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | 14 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Tea Party folks keep getting mad at me for saying that in the end they might prove ineffective in races at levels higher than local because they aren’t organized enough. They puff up their chests proudly proclaiming that they intend to resist being organized and they claim that being organized is precisely what they are fighting against. I understand the feeling, even sympathize quite a lot, but there is a problem with this obstinacy. It means they won’t win on a statewide ballot very often. The Illinois primary just proved me correct, too.

Let’s take the race for Senate in Illinois as exhibit “A.” Of course the good old boys in the state party went with Mark Kirk, the center left candidate from a northern suburb of Chicago. He was the he-can-win candidate and the establishment choice. Not one Tea Party group, though, wants Kirk and for good reason — and I heartily concur with them, as it happens. So who was the “Tea Party candidate,” the one meant to beat out Kirk, the one backed by the newly found power of the Tea Party movement? There wasn’t one. There was three.

Sadly, the Tea Partiers in Illinois split their vote all up. Some Tea Party Groups went with Don Lowery and some went with Patrick Hughes. A few even went with John Arrington. Hughes, of course, was the only one that had even a remote chance as far as voter polls were concerned. Hughes at least registered in the polls, Lowery and Arrington barely showed up at all.
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