By DOUG IBENDAHL • June 27, 2008
We have strongly supported the direct elections reform for a long time. We’re talking of course about giving every Republican back the right to directly elect his or her own representative who sits on the Illinois Republican Party’s senior governing board - that 19-member State Central Committee.
We’ve made the case in favor and debunked every single one of the disingenuous talking points advanced by an old guard that is terrified at the thought of being held accountable by the Republican rank-and-file in a real election.
But no written or spoken word could make a stronger case for this past-due reform than our recent State GOP Convention. Republicans who made it to Decatur were witness to the most slam-dunk case imaginable.
Yes, the convention earlier this month was a divisive, rigged-up mess that did much to help guarantee disaster for many GOP candidates this fall, even the many decent ones out there. We certainly shouldn’t be expecting John McCain for example to be spending any time in Illinois, other than for drop-ins to mine-out campaign cash for spending elsewhere.
McCain’s got to focus on states where the GOP leadership is competent and serious, especially since it’s shaping-up to be another close election nationally.
As long as the Illinois GOP keeps holding conventions where a few don’t care how much they help the Democrats by demoralizing our own base, Republicans here shouldn’t expect to be a player in a presidential election. And it really has nothing to do with native son Barack Obama being on the ballot. The same stupidity and unprofessionalism locked-up Illinois for John Kerry last time, and long before the race had really even begun.
In many ways, this year’s state convention was more destructive to GOP prospects than the last one in 2004 - and that one was pretty bad.
And that’s exactly the point. Through their actions, Andy McKenna, Jr. and his handlers did Republicans one big favor - unwittingly of course.
They just reinforced everything we’ve been saying about the need for this Illinois GOP to wake-up and get serious. A lot of people got to see first hand in Decatur what happens when a handful of really bad players selfishly take advantage of a system where they feel immune from being held accountable by the Republican voters they are supposed to be serving.
So we want to thank Chairman McKenna for becoming the Poster Boy for direct elections. Thank you Andy for proving our case.
The real story
This direct election debate goes to the heart of our Illinois GOP’s dysfunction and its inability to beat the Democrats in a statewide battle. It’s been almost funny at times listening to the same individuals who would one day be saying “it shouldn’t be such a high priority” or “it’s not important” - and then the next day going to such incredible lengths to destroy their reputations and credibility in an effort to keep Republicans from getting their vote back.
Over the next few days, I’ll lay out the entire story, the real story, in detail. Seeing how this direct election reform proposal was handled step-by-step through the entire convention process is probably the single best way to understand what really happened in Decatur. It’s also probably the single best way to get to know the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Illinois GOP.
It should also be evident that this old guard has invited losing upon themselves. After Decatur, the players in charge need to explain how they expect anything other than another disaster in November. And Andy McKenna needs to explain why he shouldn’t go down in history as the worst State Party Chairman in Illinois GOP history (quite a feat, given that Judy Baar Topinka was also in the running).
2004 vs. Now
At the last state convention in 2004, the big issue was the National Committeeman race. Pretty much the same old crew that rigged-up this month’s Decatur affair, also rigged-up the last one in Collinsville. Back then everything revolved around giving their pal Bob Kjellander another four-year term as National Committeeman. There wasn’t much else at issue that year.
Big Bob was already a major source of controversy in 2004 at the time of the convention, and questions were already being raised as to why one of our top GOP officials was making such a fortune courtesy of Rod Blagojevich’s Administration. No attempt was made to answer any of those questions, but of course Kjellander was jammed through again anyway.
This time the race for National Committeeman was again a hot issue. Kjellander didn’t run again, but he and his friends wanted to preserve the legacy. And unlike 2004, there was also a contentious race this time for the post of National Committeewoman.
Both of those races brought out the worst from the usual suspects. But there were also some pleasant surprises. For example, the woman who was “supposed” to win the race for National Committeewoman fell short.
Carol Smith Donovan had the support of most of the same State Central Committeemen who supported Kjellander last time for National Committeeman. They each of course hand-picked a member for the nominating committee who would follow the designated marching orders.
But a three-way race for the National Committeewoman post clearly threw a wrench into the rigging. When no candidate got the necessary majority on the first ballot (Donovan fell one vote short in the nominating committee), a subsequent ballot resulted in a better candidate, Demetra DeMonte beating Donovan. Basically, Kathy Salvi’s supporters joined with DeMonte’s supporters when it was clear Kathy had the fewest out of the 19. But it was enough.
That shows some progress at least. More independent minded people made it onto the nominating committee this time. To some degree DeMonte can probably also thank Steve Rauschenberger for her victory. It’s pretty clear that the old guard expended most of its arm-twisting, threats, lies and smears on trying to stop Steve again. Less was therefore invested in the National Committeewoman’s race. Still, DeMonte’s upset win was encouraging to see.
We’ll talk more about those two races in the future because they are also illustrative of some serious problems. Just like in 2004, a good portion of the rigging and bad behavior this time centered around who would get those top party posts.
But nothing could compare to the lengths that a few went to in order to keep Republicans voiceless in their own State Party.
Doug Ibendahl is a Chicago Attorney and a former General Counsel of the Illinois Republican Party.
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