As expected for more than a week now, former Illinois GOP Chairman Andy McKenna announced today that he’s running for Governor of Illinois. Take a look at the e-mail that was sent out just hours ago:
For Immediate Release
September 24, 2009 Contact: Lance Trover
(618) 201-2997
LT@McKennaGov.com
Andy McKenna for Governor
Family Businessman Andy McKenna Files for Governor
CHICAGO - Community leader and family businessman Andy McKenna announced today that he has filed a statement of organization to run for Illinois Governor.
"It's time to put our house in order. A culture of corruption, a mindless irresponsibility towards taxes and spending and a hostile climate toward the creation of new jobs illustrates just how far Springfield has strayed. It won't be easy, but we can turn those around," said McKenna.
"Illinois faces serious problems, but these problems can only be solved by leading a sea change in ethics, confronting some hard choices on behalf of Illinois taxpayers, setting aside the needs of special interests and career politicians and creating a laser focus on the interests of Illinois families. Only then will we be able to provide the people of Illinois the opportunities they need to succeed."
McKenna is a business and civic leader who resides in Chicago with his wife, Mary. He is the father of four and will formally launch his campaign next month.
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Funny. Did you notice? Not one mention of the word "Republican," even though he was Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party until stepping down earlier this year. He is described as being from Chicago, one of the most Democratic cities in the nation let alone the state. His occupation is described as "community leader," "family businessman" and "civic leader"-- and not as what you might expect more from a lifelong Republican, Chairman and President of a multi-million dollar suburban paper company.
Log on to his gubernatorial campaign Web site, and there’s again no mention of his political party affiliation.
It isn’t until you do a Google search and find his Facebook page that you discover who his real friends are: John Boehner, John Cornyn, the Republican National Committee, the Republican Party, Aaron Schock, The GOP Comeback, The Illinois Republican Party, etc.
In solid blue states like Illinois-- where there isn’t a single Republican in statewide office-- the Republican brand is almost toxic. Part of it dates back to the corruption surrounding former Governor George Ryan, part of it could be related to the recent weakness of some of its candidates. Remember Alan Keyes being drafted to run against Obama in 2004?
Furthermore, in states like Illinois with generally moderate Republicans, the radical right wing conservative wing has primaried the moderates and driven a lot of respectable Republicans out of public service. The fact that the national image of the party is being dominated by a group of loud, angry White Southerners talking about secession and threatening violence against the President also doesn’t go over too well in The Land of Lincoln.
What’s left is Republicans disguising their political affiliation with terms like "Chicago community leader," railing against "special interests," and no mention whatsoever of their lifelong hyper-partisanship. Whomever ends up running against the Republican candidate needs to remind every voter in the state—- repeatedly-- of The Party That Dare Not Speak Its Name.