By federal tax law, we can’t endorse political candidates or political parties. We can, however, educate voters on candidates (and parties’) positions on issues, including relating to guns.
Wirepoints has a great editorial worth reading about the lack of anyone even remotely “moderate” in the Democrat caucus in Illinois. And with the retirement of Lance Yednock, that party caucus is sure to drift further into the weeds on the left.
Can’t even one moderate Democratic candidate emerge in Illinois?
By: Mark Glennon*
Suppose, just suppose, for this fall’s elections, a Democratic candidate emerged somewhere in Illinois and said something like this:
I want prosecutors who prosecute. I want the border enforced – millions of illegal immigrants every year is suicide. I believe in school choice for kids in failing districts. I want no political or social indoctrination in schools by any side. I believe in the goal of colorblindness and the melting pot, and I reject today’s identity politics. Biological men should not be competing in women’s sports. I want government to get off the backs of Illinois employers. Term limits, fair maps, real ethics reform and property tax cuts are long overdue. And I will work with anybody in any party to achieve each of those goals.
Wouldn’t a Democratic candidate running on those things do well in most of Illinois, even in most of Chicago?
Every one of the positions above is widely popular in Illinois, yet not a single Democratic candidate I’ve seen, in any Illinois race, has staked out a centrist platform something like the above.
As recently as ten years or so ago, all those positions would have been considered mainstream. What happened? Why are no such candidates emerging?
The full answer may be debatable, but much of it surely is that yesterday’s far left became today’s ruling establishment. Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Chris Welch would not agree with a single point in that moderate platform provided above, nor would most other members of the Democratic supermajority in the General Assembly. They’ve routinely supported even the most radically progressive officeholders such as Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
Therefore, to embrace positions like those above would mean crossing Illinois’ Democratic establishment – and its money. In December alone, JB Pritzker contributed $500,000 to the state Democratic Party, and the party has an exceptionally strong “ground game” of political workers and activists.
Another cause is the deep and vitriolic tribalism that rules the day. Most candidates no doubt figure they couldn’t possibly say something like the above, no matter how popular it would be with voters, because they’d be accused of being one of “them” – the other tribe.
Still, it’s a wonder not even one Illinois Democratic candidate somewhere has the independence to claim the political center. On issue after issue, polls show our ruling progressive majority is out of touch with most voters. You’d think that a least some moderates would see the opportunity to challenge progressives far to the left of voters, but it hasn’t happened.
To the contrary, one moderate Democrat is calling it quits because he’s out of sync with the ruling majority. That’s Rep. Lance Yednock of Ottawa. “My moderate views at times can make for strained relations in this current House Democratic Caucus,” he said in a statement announcing that he won’t seek reelection. For example, he voted against the SAFE-T Act that eliminated cash bail, which polling says Illinoisans opposed but was passed by the Democratic majority.
What happened was one Barack Obama. The Marxist Messiah ripped the facade from the Democrats forever. Before Hussein showed up, these Democrats held essentially the same views – capitalism is terrible, big government socialism is always preferable, and the people need to be controlled at every aspect of their lives by those smarter than they are. Obama made this mainstream when he came to power.
Obama was a nobody fringe communist in Illinois until he suddenly found himself thrust into the national spotlight. Liberals carried his water gleefully as an alternative to Kankles, who was reviled by all. The Republicans put a dimwit up against him that had zero chance of winning because it was time for the ‘clean and articulate’ snake oil salesman. White liberal guilt elevated that gutless traitor to power, and the Democrats saw their opening to forever destroy America and remake it in their own twisted visage.
Combine this with the America sucks education being pushed for the last two generations in our public schools by fellow travelers, and you had the perfect makings for a communist overthrow of America. We are now there. Khrushchev told everyone exactly how it would be accomplished, and no one paid attention. This didn’t happen overnight; it has been well underway for my entire lifetime.
There will be no soft reset back to where we were now. We are far too far gone now for a peaceful return to our cultural norms. Marxism is our new culture, carried on the protest banners of ignorant youth that know no other way but the collective. They have been poisoned with this ideology their entire lives. Few escape it. Personal responsibility is abhorrent to them. Every depravity is celebrated. Freedom is reviled.
Hey LiberalsRCancer. Why don’t you go hang with AOC, Omar, and code pink since you love Islamic terrorists so much. I’ll happily vote for the “war slut” over a 6 times bankrupt con man and former democrat donor and Hillary supporter with 91 felony charges who was found civilly liable for fraud and sexual assault and took money from Communist china. Since when did being tough on terrorists and despots become a “liberal” position?. I hope we do have another war soon. It will be a wake up call to the naive nationalist fools like you who think we can just withdraw from the world and sit back and let it burn. Nikki will actually defeat Biden and deliver a Republican house and senate but that would mean you’d have nothing to complain about anymore. MAGA whiners like yourself are the problem not the “RINOs”. I’ll take a war profiteer over a fake billionaire who’s bilking rubes like you out of their hard earned cash to pay his legal fees. LOL a “billionaire” begging like a homeless bum for his supporters to pay his legal fees. Absolutely pathetic that people like you worship this pathetic con man.
Kevin, If you’re going to pretend to be an anti Trump Republican don’t go on the bitter, frantic crazy rants where you rattle off like 20 things rapid fire… 91 felonies ( how many convictions ? ), con man, liable for fraud, sexual assault, sociopath, draft dodger, reality TV buffoon, “billionaire” ( obvious sarcasm ), begging homeless bum, taking money from communist China ( I think you mean Joe “the big guy ” ), etc. Actual Republicans that don’t like Trump name like 1 or 2 things then tell who they prefer. Going on a howling loon rant makes it obvious that you’re a frustrated liberal troll and you’ve been watching The View a little too much. And hoping for another war soon is real nice, will you be going off to fight in it ? Don’t hope for stupid shit like that because you’re not the one that will die in it.
Hey Bill he’s been found liable by a cout for fraud now all thats being decided is how much money he will pay out. He also was ordered to pay out 5 million dollars to E Jean Carroll for raping her in a department store dressing room and later defaming her. So yeah it shows how little moral character you have to be supporting a disgusting rapist over an accomplished woman of character like Nikki Haley. Maybe you have issues with strong accomplished women? Maybe your mother didn’t love you enough? I can actually name plenty of things I like about Nikki Haley. She’s someone who has moral character and that I can tell my two young cousins who are girls aged 14 and 7 that should aspire to be like. She’s someone who actually cares about policy and isn’t focused on revenge and ego. And sorry finding Trump utterly repugnant and disgusting doesn’t make someone a “liberal troll”. It makes them a good person. I would not want my future daughter dating or marrying a Trump supporter because I’d be afraid that he’d put roofies in her drink or make her disappear one day. If you support Trump over Haley or even Desantis yes there is some creepy and wrong with you. I dont expect presidents to be saints but if if you can’t be the man that I would be proud for my daughter to marry or my son to look up you have absolutely NO business running the country and if that isn’t your standard than you have no soul period. And yes I am hoping for another war because it will mean the Dick Cheney types will get back in power and Trump will be irrelevant and we won’t have moronic conspiracy theories floating around. Also if you sign up for the military and aren’t prepared to go to war than you’re a fool. So not my problem who gets sent. You signed up get ready to go, most of it will be done with drones anyway. Oh and yes Trump did take money from China and admitted it in his Fox Town hall. Maybe Congressman James Mr.McGoo Comer can get to investigating that when he has time along with Jared’s crooked 2 billion he got from the Saudis.
Kevin, Ms. Carroll didn’t file charges for rape, she said it was a fight ( or something ) then came out of the woodwork looking for money years and years later. Yeah, sounds legit just like stormy Daniels. No, my mom loved me very much while she was here and I love strong accomplished women. My wife has all kinds of degrees from 2 medical schools and she is way brighter than I am and she makes a SHITLOAD more money than me so no problem there. Tell your young cousins to be all they can be, chase down everything they want in life and never give up. Nikki Haley could be a good role model and she may be a good president but she isn’t going to beat Trump. If you really want more war, Want Dick Cheney types back, and think Trump supporters put roofies in the drinks of their own wives and girlfriends you have some serious head problems. Anyway, thanks for the convo but it’s getting boring now. have a nice day.
Don’t hold your breath looking for a moderate Democrat, those creatures have gone the way of the Dodo. Today’s Democrat is more of a Bolshevist than an American. Everything they do is to enrich the Party and the Party tells them how to legislate. The head of the Party and Democrat strategists get their orders directly from the CCP. Bribes are passed out like candy at Halloween. This is how Nancy Pelosi is a multimillionaire on her Congressional salary and she’s not the only one. There are plenty of Republican Uniparty members getting big bucks too. For instance Lindsey Graham the warhawk. When we are in a state of war China has money rolling in hand over fist because a lot of our munitions and supplies are made there. This is where China gets the money to pay the US government. This is why they want to stop Trump. It’s as plain and simple as that.
Yep. Look at the reaction today. The praise for Diapers Bribem by our ‘allies’ the Republicans this morning for another little war in Yemen. Trump upset that applecart and the swamp (or MIC, or Deep State, or whatever name you choose) and cost our leaders on both sides of the aisle a lot of war profits in his tenure. Trump must be stopped by any means from ever becoming POTUS again, in their estimation. Hence, the ridiculous attempts at disqualification under 14A to remove him from ballot access, the bullshit lawsuits, etc. If by some chance all of this fails to make a dent, those that really pull the strings will order Trump to be JFKed. He interferes with their shared goals of globalization and endless war profiteering. They are getting increasingly desperate to marginalize Trump, and time is running out now.
Bribem is their drooling puppet of choice, but if he fails, War Slut Nikki Haley will also fit the bill. Most of her financial backing is coming from the left. She is the insurance for the war racketeers. Without Trump, we have no real choice in this election, just as we have no real choice in Illinois anymore.
LOL Trump is a “billionaire” begging rubes like you to pay his legal fees and took 5 million from Communist China. I’ll support the “war hawks” as they dont have 91 felony charges and aren’t bilking supporters out of their money. Trump is a sociopathic con man who only cares about himself and wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire. Amazing how many stupid people are out there who think this reality TV buffoon and draft dodger actually cares about them.
“polls show our ruling progressive majority is out of touch with most voters.”
Most implies a majority, but yet they win by large numbers. If that statement were true, that wouldn’t keep happening.
Hey Kevin – you have some Joe Bribem dripping from your chin. Need a wetknap?
Hey LiberalsRCancer you do you call Trump daddy when you coddle his ballsack like a cheap hooker. You can wipe that orange stain off your mouth now
L R C,
it appears “Kevin L.” has something shoved up his poop-shute and he is bitter about somtehing, just sayin’, must not feel good.
Why be a “moderate Dem” when going far-left already gained them the State, Cook County, and the Illinois Supreme Court?
The old Daley/Burke/Madigan machine WAS moderate. They were corrupt as hell but they supported the cops and were tough on crime and generally were supportive of the business community and supported school choice. Gay marriage only passed with 2 votes and it was because they got moderate Republicans to support it. The fall of the old machine ushered in the new progressive socialist era. Anyone miss Rahm as mayor now and wish Madigan was still speaker?
To think that R J Daley and Madigan were “moderate” is ludicrous and testament to the mindset of “Kevin L:”, Daley and Madigan were “crime bosses” first and foremost running Chitcago and by proxy ILL-Annoy for their own criminal enterprise operations. They were only “tough on crime” if it interfered with their operations and agenda. NO ONE IN their right mind will ever miss the O-blah-ma sycophant (aka: psyco-phant) Ram Emanual and Madigan’s “go along with me or you are eliminated” “strong-arm” politics, “Kevin L”!
The problem is all in the wording/spelling. There are NO moderates in the democRAT “party”, the “democRAT party” is NOT democratic, that is why I spell the party (label) as “democRAT-i-KKK”, it sounds the same, spelled different, the democRATS are the party of the “KKK”, they are RATS when it comes to their use of the US Constitution (wiping their rear ends, stomping on it, trying to subvert and destroy it).
I am shamed to admit when I was young and basically uninformed, my first vote was a “d” primary and voted for H. H. Humphrey in 1972. Jimma Caaater, (the worst president until Bribeim), drove me to the Repubs with the great Ronaldus Magnus Reagan (to quote the great Rush Limbaugh),
Pray for America, it will take Gods help to defeat the Marxist-democRATS!
It appears we have more “purse swinging” going on, oh well, takes some pressure off of me, maybe.
GSL 1589 no it wont take “God’s help” it will take Republican voters wising up and stop worshiping a disgraced twice impeached six times bankrupt, four times indicted, reality tv star buffoon, civilly liable rapist, and soon to be convicted felon cult leader who claims to be a billionaire and begs his own supporters to pay his legal bills. If Republican voters had an ounce of intelligence we’d be in President Scott Walker or President Marco Rubio’s second term with a Republican house and senate and a 7-2 majority on the Supreme Court but you all wanted to go with the criminal buffoon because you wanted to stick it to the “establishment”. Congrats you stuck it to yourself instead.
KEVIN L:
President Trump was NOT “found guilty” of raping E. Jean Carroll. The fact that that’s your FIRST assertion should disqualify you from any serious contemplation whatsoever! Nor was he found LIABLE for “raping” E. Jean Carroll. HE was found LIABLE for “sexual abuse,” whatever that meant, and it wasn’t defined. If you BELIEVE her, I have some real estate off the coast of Commiefornia I’ll sell ya cheap! SHe’s a KOOK. The case is on appeal. Who knows what’ll happen. It wasn’t a fair trial, if you watched it at all.
The fact that he was charged with many things means, literally, NOTHING. He was accused of many things in the Congress, and defeated every allegation. Yet Peter “pencilneck” Schiff was on TV every day, every hour for almost THREE YEARS telling us that HE HAD THE EVIDENCE of TRUMP’s collusion with RUSSIA to steal the 2016 election and “pee-gate.” HE LIED. EVERY TIME HE OPENED HIS MOUTH, he lied. IF Trump were such a crook, ya’d think they might have at least SOME EVIDENCE of it. They don’t.
THe Georgia case? Politically motivated. He’ll win. Maybe not in the trial court, but in the end.
The New Yawk case? If you’ve never been in court, allow me to explain to you that Judge ERDOGAN is just about as BIASED a judge as one can get. And his pure bias in ignoring, just for one important thing, the valuation of Mar-a-Lago is enough for reversal; and, it WILL BE REVERSED. THe second reversible error in that case is, THERE IS NO VICTIM. Even the banks, that the A.G. insisted were victimized, said they weren’t victims, they received every dollar back that they had loaned, AND they made money on the loans. That means there’s NO CAUSE OF ACTION. Dismissed on appeal.
Now, it may seem like I’m a Trump-ophile just leaping to his defense but, alas, I’m not. I’m simply pointing out FACTS. I know very well that, until about 2016, he was a lifelong DEMOCRAT. He had to be to function in new yawk city. But much like Reagan famously said, “he didn’t leave the Democrat party, the Democrat party left him.” And he did make a fine president. And he is definitely no saint. BUT he hasn’t done MOST of that of which he’s been falsely accused. And to be fair, you – even you – must admit that President Trump is NOT NOW the man he once was. He has matured, and grown, and found GOD, even at his age. He has been in a stable, by-all-appearances loving, marriage for, what, fifteen years now? And his CHILDREN ALL LOVE HIM. THat speaks WORLDS.
Tell us how you feel about his WORK as president. DOn’t lie (he didn’t take money from China). Give us SPECIFIC EXAMPLES of his accomplishments. I’ll name two: (1) PROGRESS on the southern border wall – DESPITE bloodthirsty opposition by RINO’s for almost his entire term, and (2) CONSERVATIVE JUDICIAL appointments. I’ll name three cases that demonstrate the supreme court alone is one the road to recovery: Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid, NYSRPA v. Bruen, and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org. THOSE are directly the result of Donald Trump’s presidency.
AND THAT ALONE is enough reason to have elected him president. AND whatever his shortcomings or perceived failings, THAT ALONE IS ENOUGH TO RE-ELECT HIM PRESIDENT AND, in fact, is WHY we DID re-elect him in 2020. If the dems steal the election this time, I don’t think they’ll like the end result. I don’t think we’ll stand for it again.
AND you are a HYPOCRITE! The things you say disqualify president Trump are TENFOLD WORSE as actually committed by president Biteme. He has actually DONE the things that you SAY, without proof, that Trump has done. He has taken bribes. He has extorted a foreign government in order to ensure his SON’S own bribery. He has RUINED the American reputation around the world, and likely been the CAUSE of WWIII which, had he been president, Trump may have prevented just by projecting American greatness AND power. He has appointed absolute KOOKS to adminstrative positions, including men who are deluded enough that they think they are women. And he has put these people in POSITIONS over our fighting men. What MAN wants to serve in aNY capacity under such lunatics? That’s why WHITE MALE enlistees are down 75% in the last two years. Sure, you can get all the illegal aliens to sign up, but that ends poorly for all. And he is credibly accused of being a pedophile, IN ADDITION to what you see with your own eyes, the way he “sniffs” little girls, and touches their prepubescent breasts, and the CREEPY way he GRAVITATES right to the littlest of them, as if attracted by a magnet. Oh, and, did I mention he’s been credibly accused of being a pedophile? That accuser is HIS OWN DAUGHTER!
Jared? Who cares? He wasn’t an “officer” of the United States. He wasn’t confirmed by COngress. He acted in an advisory capacity. And either cite your source for your claim that he got “$2BILLION from the Saudis,” or shut up.
WOW “ken” you sound soo different in this above screed, I can actually respect it if it is actually “really” you. SOMEONE HAS CLONED KEN!! WAT UP WITH THAT? A long screed but at leas it is a reasonable post.
Kevin L
It WILL take God’s help to defeat the Marxist-democRATS as well as the massively uninformed anti-Trumpists like you who have been brainwashed by Marxist media TDS. IF you are Republican, you are affiliated with the repuke-licants and might as well affiliate with the democRAT-i-KKK party.
Pray for America! to defeat the Marxists.
We no longer have a real working government. We exist under empirical overlords. Serving only themselves and their factions. Another revolution is needed.
AMEN! to that Rabble Rouser! The Marxists are in control and it has Barrack HUSSEIN Oblahma’s hands ALL in it with this puppet BRIBEIM in the pRESIDENCY.
What a waste of time and words. ALL politicians are ass clowns. What is needed is a return to the intentions of our Founding Fathers. The citizen legislator who leaves his business and job to serve a term, maybe two, in order to keep this state and country in line with common f’ng sense and originalist constitutional principles. Arguing about the moral and ethical character of professional politicians is akin to chopping down a tree with a sharpened stick.
Wow, Jeff, my sentiments exactly, our country was founded on “citizen legislators” etc. serving a term or two and going back to “normal” life, NO pensions, NO perpetual (lifetime) position, “going up the ladder” to more “powerful” positions in government, that is why “the people’s house” is supposed to closest to “reality” of life with limited government “control”.
Pray for America! We need God’s help now more than ever!