By DOUG IBENDAHL • November 10, 2015
My original working title “Suck it Pat Brady” was reluctantly rejected for this piece.
Sorry to be so blunt, but when a greasy hack like Pat Brady gets so much egg on his face it’s hard not to gloat a bit.
Pat Brady is one of the so-called “name” people supporting John Kasich’s presidential campaign in Illinois. In that role Brady’s been publicly mocking Donald Trump for months. He’s repeatedly hurled insults like “clown” at Trump, and last month Brady questioned whether Trump would even get on the ballot in Illinois. Brady claims Trump “asked all the usual suspects” to be delegates. “They all turned him down.”
Brady has even recently announced a juvenile contest where an entrant can win $500 worth of alcohol for successfully guessing when Trump drops out of the race.
Just this past Sunday morning, Brady was on a Chicago radio show and insinuated - with absolutely no evidence of course - that Trump is getting high attendance at his events by providing free beer.
For the record, the beer at Trump’s record shattering event in Springfield Monday night was $6 a cup.
Putting aside Mr. Brady’s seeming obsession with mixing alcohol and elective politics, he’s right about one thing. Trump’s campaign in Illinois is largely devoid of the “usual suspects.”
And thank God for that.
I attended that record shattering event in Springfield Monday night. Management of the Prairie Capital Convention Center put attendance at 10,200 which exceeded the previous record by well over a thousand people – a former record not related to any politician.
I have personally never witnessed so many people turnout for any Republican anywhere in Illinois. Not even close. The place was literally filled to the rafters, with even the top ring of seats filled to capacity, something some long time Springfield residents told me they had never seen at that venue.
But what was really great about Trump’s event was the new faces. It was a diverse crowd with men and women of all ages, race, education, and occupation. More importantly, there were few if any of the “usual suspects” from Illinois Republican politics – the Pat Bradys of the party who are best known for their incompetence and proven records of failure in Illinois, even as the GOP experiences a resurgence elsewhere in America.
My sense was that Monday’s Trump event was the first political event for many attendees.
Monday night provided living proof that Donald Trump is making the GOP a Big Tent – something Pat Brady and his handlers failed miserably in accomplishing during Brady’s two disastrous election cycles as State Party Chairman.
While Trump was shattering the mold in Springfield Monday, Brady was back in Chicago where he struggled to entice 50 people to a free event at the Billy Goat Tavern for Kasich. And a chunk of those 50 were reportedly some fine young people from a local chapter of the College Republicans, at least some of whom are not even committed to Kasich yet. (I personally received two robo-calls promoting Kasich’s Billy Goat event and I assume many Republicans did as I’ve never signed-up for any Kasich list.)
Had I not left town to see Trump, I might have tried to swing by the Billy Goat. I definitely have some questions for Kasich. Yes, Ohio has been enjoying an uptick since Kasich has been Governor. But let’s face it - that rusty state had nowhere to go but up after Kasich and his fellow former executives at Lehman Brothers helped crater not only that greedy Wall Street firm, but the entire U.S. economy as well.
I wish Kasich luck with Pat Brady & Co. in Illinois. It’s a match made in something lower than heaven.
In fact I want to say “thank you” Governor Kasich. By keeping the “usual suspects” clear of the Trump campaign you’re helping make my Illinois Republican Party great again.
Doug Ibendahl is a Chicago Attorney and a former General Counsel of the Illinois Republican Party.
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