By Fmr. Congressman Joe Walsh -
From what I hear, most if not all of the members of the State Central Committee have already made up their mind as to who they are going to vote for tomorrow for the Republican Party Chairman. They've been lobbied for weeks by certain candidates, all the usual political deals have been cut, and it sounds like tomorrow's silly, closed door process of a five minute speech followed by 20 minutes of questioning in private executive session is just for show.
I haven't lobbied or spoken with any members of the SCC. My intention was to drive to Springfield tomorrow and tell them what the Republican Party needed if it wanted to avoid permanent extinction in Illinois. My message was going to be brief and clear -- the next Party Chair had better be a reform conservative. Someone who can rally and energize the Party base of conservatives and independents behind our core principles of freedom, limited government, and individual responsibility and then develop a well financed plan to passionately take that message out to the rest of the voters in the State. Seems pretty simple to me. What the Party can't do is pick another establishment insider who doesn't know or care about its core voters.
The Illinois Republican Party has been irrelevant for years because it hasn't had the courage to stand for anything. It's been perfectly happy to be a bystander as the Democrats have run and ruined this great State. Deciding upon a new Party Chairman is a perfect opportunity to at long last change this. But, alas, it sure doesnt' look like the powers that be understand or care about becoming relevant. They've decided to pick the next Chairman in the usual, closed door process, and keep the Republican Public -- all its grassroots conservative tea party supporters -- shut out of the process.
I should be driving down to Springfield tomorrow to make my case for Party Chair in front of an auditorium of thousands of Republican rank and file voters. They should decide who our next Party Chair is. Instead, I'm going to give a five minute speech to 17 members of the SCC who have already made up their mind.
Maybe I won't make that drive.
