By Illinois Review
While families sat around the Thanksgiving table sharing what they were grateful for, IL GOP leaders spent the holiday weekend rallying around embattled chairman Don Tracy – expressing their gratitude for his leadership this past election.
On Saturday, Illinois Review published a Facebook post encouraging fellow grassroots conservatives to email their state central committeeman – the “governing board of the IL GOP,” and tell them it’s time for chairman Don Tracy to go. The post stated,
“Under his [Tracy] leadership, Illinois Republicans suffered massive defeats and now Gov. Pritzker and Illinois Democrats have supermajority control in local and state matters.”
The post included graphics with the email addresses of all 17 state central committeemen and encouraged everyone to attend the next state central committee meeting on Dec. 10th at Bolingbrook Golf Club to express their frustration with chairman Tracy and the IL GOP.
So far, the Facebook post has generated 130 shares and 102 comments in less than 24 hours, and it has become a platform for grassroots conservatives to express their frustration with the IL GOP leadership and the direction of the party.
But as expected, IL GOP leaders – who were way outnumbered – weighed in on their support of Tracy. And the backlash was swift.
Reading the comments posted by IL GOP leaders makes it clear why Illinois Republicans continue to lose election after election. They were arrogant; they attacked constituents; they blamed fellow registered voters for election losses; and they were proven to be out-of-touch with everyday, hardworking Republican voters.
Some Chicago GOP leaders went so far and even accused suburban Republicans of losing the election. For example, David Krupa, former field director for Jeanne Ives for Congress and candidate for 13th Ward Alderman in Chicago, wrote on IR’s Facebook post,
“Don Tracy was not the reason we lost this election. He’s a good leader…Please redirect your anger towards Republican leadership in the collar counties. We lost this election in the collar counties.”
In other words, Cook County and Chicago went for Republicans, while elections were lost in the suburbs. Unbelievable.
But that’s not all.
The Chicago Republican Party weighed in, commenting, “…it would be a landslide unheard of, if (big if) the GOP everywhere else in the state performed as they have in the past few decades…”
Again – blame registered Republican voters and deflect any responsibility while at the same time defending the chairman of the IL GOP for low voter turnout. Makes total sense.
Chicago GOP chairman Steve Boulton also chimed in, saying, “Don Tracy is not the problem, and has instead steadily improved the ILGOP from the financial wreck he inherited…”
Conservative grassroots activists were quick to respond – outnumbering allies of Tracy, and setting the record straight.
“What’s the definition of insanity? Look it up, you’ll see ILGOP,” wrote former IL GOP US Senate candidate Peggy Hubbard.
“My committeewoman doesn’t hold meetings and has blocked me and many others from her Facebook page,” wrote Beth Kaspar.
“Newsflash. The Illinois GOP is nothing more than a social club consisting of Illinois Democrats. They are immaterial, irrelevant and of no importance,” said Jesus Alaniz.
“I remember when our ILGOP put up Alan Keyes against Obama for Senate. Keyes wasn’t even from Illinois,” said Donna Milliron.
“Our state CCs [state central committee members] will never have the ba**s to stand up to Tracy,” wrote Cheryl Ann.
And when state central committeeman for the 8th district Dean White expressed his support for Tracy when asked by Illinois Review, Anne Fri commented, “if you support Don Tracy, it sounds like you need to go too!”
State central committee member Jeanne Ives for the 3rd district also weighed in on the debate, mocking a constituent about the exact date of the state central committee meeting. But when asked publicly by Illinois Review if she supported Tracy or if it’s time for him to go – Ives remained silent.
At the time of the publishing of this article 17 hours from when the question was asked of Ives – she remained silent.
Illinois Review will await her answer and the answers from every state central committee member.
Transparency and accountability are a must if Illinois Republicans are ever to start winning again.
By Illinois ReviewAn Illinois-based nonprofit that provides original research and commentary on the state’s economy and government finances is facing a financial crisis of its own as its...
Read moreDetails
