Recommended Resources

 

The Authoritarian Playbook

Source: Protect Democracy

    (Protect Democracy) - 6/15/2022 - Before the 1990s, authoritarian leaders bent on upending democracy typically came to power forcefully and swiftly, often by means of a military coup d’etat. The moment democracy ceased to exist could be time-stamped and reported on with a block headline.

    Yet for at least the last thirty years, the threats to democracy have evolved. Today, democracy more often dies gradually, as the institutional, legal, and political constraints on authoritarian leaders are chipped away, one by one. This has happened – or is happening – in, among others, Russia, Venezuela, Hungary, the Philippines, Poland, Nicaragua, India, Turkey — and the United States. . . .   

 

    By using “salami tactics,” slicing away at democracy a sliver at a time, modern authoritarians still cement themselves in power, but they do so incrementally and gradually. Sometimes their actions are deliberate and calculated, but sometimes they are opportunistic, myopic, or even bumbling. There is no longer a singular bright line that countries cross between democracy and authoritarianism. But the outcome is still the same . . .  see full store HERE

 

 

Wake Up to the Growing Dangers of Christian Nationalism

 Source: Freedom From Religion Foundation, by Co-president Annie Lauie Gayler

     (FFRF) - 2/12/2024 - Almost 20 years ago, the Freedom From Religion Foundation inaugurated a campaign “to wake up the nation to the growing dangers of theocracy.” We ran commercials using that terminology over Air America Radio, recited by talents like Rachel Maddow and Ron Reagan, published a “Theocracy Watch” column in Freethought Today and included a special segment called “Theocracy Watch” when we first launched Freethought Radio in 2006.

     Among the few individuals calling attention back then to that particular iteration of Christian nationalism under George W. Bush was Michelle Goldberg, who wrote an early-bird warning, Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, in 2006. When we invited Michelle Goldberg to address our national convention that year, she explained about Christian nationalism: “Their idea from the beginning has been to undermine the Enlightenment.”  . . . .  see full store HERE

 

 

The Darvo Strategy - Deny, Attack, Reverse

Source: The Guardian, by Sidney Blumenthal

     

   (Guardian/Exerpt) - 2/1/2024 -  Time after time, with predictable regularity, never missing a beat, Donald Trump proclaims his innocence. He always denies that he has done anything wrong. The charge does not matter. He is blameless. But this is only the beginning of the pattern. Then, he attacks his accusers, or anyone involved in bringing him to account, usually of committing the identical offense of which he stands accused. But it is not enough for him to lash out. Then, he declares himself to be the victim . . . . Trump’s pattern is textbook manipulation – literally. It has a precise name given to it after decades of academic research. Jennifer Freyd, now professor emerita of psychology at the University of Oregon, developed the theory over her career studying sexual assault, trauma and institutional betrayal. She named the process by which the perpetrator seeks to avoid accountability Darvo – a strategy with the elements of denial, attack, and reversal of victim and offender..  . . see full story HERE

Elections in America

 GOP’s Full-Throated Nativism 

Fails to Resonate Beyond 

the MAGA Base

    Washington, DC – (America's Voice) - Nov. 13, 2022 - An array of voices are highlighting one takeaway from the 2022 midterms – once again, most voters rejected Republicans’ relentless anti-immigrant attacks and larger extremism. As in past recent cycles, the GOP fear-mongering and nativism failed to resonate beyond the MAGA base as Americans voted against leading peddlers of ugly nativism and expressed renewed support for common sense solutions at odds with Republicans’ ugliness. Among the voices and examples:

• Greg Sargent of Washington Post: GOP assumptions on border and immigration again “proved wrong”: As part of his larger analysis titled, “5 big GOP narratives just went down in flames,” Greg Sargent of the Washington Post notes, “Invasion language did little for Republicans,” writing that “Republicans have long enjoyed a presumption of a major advantage on this issue, but aside from Trump’s 2016 victory, it keeps failing to deliver … GOP confidence that President Biden’s ‘disastrous open border’ would spark major electoral repudiation, giving Republicans space to hyper-radicalize their base around the issue, has proved wrong.”
• Paul Waldman of Washington Post: “Arizona Democrats chalk up their big night to GOP focus on immigration.” Waldman writes: “Though Republicans wouldn’t use those terms, immigration was clearly the beginning and end of their strategy in Arizona this year. If you went to any GOP campaign event in Arizona lately, you would have heard a litany of horrors about the border as candidates Kari Lake and Blake Masters painted a nightmarish picture of murder and mayhem pouring into American communities, courtesy of a quasi-conspiracy involving the Chinese Communist Party, Mexican drug cartels and President Biden himself seeking to flood the country with fentanyl and criminal aliens … In Arizona as elsewhere, through victory and defeat, Republicans’ faith in the electoral power of the immigration issue has been unwavering. And all indications are that whatever else happens between now and 2024, that isn’t going to change.”
• “Hatemongering isn’t a sustainable political strategy.” Los Angeles Times columnist Jean Guerrero, who wrote a biography of leading nativist Stephen Miller, responded to Miller’s attempted spin that Republicans didn’t make anti-immigration attacks enough of their focus by noting: “Except this is literally all the GOP ran on. Hatemongering isn’t a sustainable political strategy.”
• “While votes are still being counted, it’s clear Stephen Miller’s racist political ads were a flop” from Gabe Ortiz at Daily Kos: Ortiz writes, “Miller had been assuring his racist base that a “red wave” was in store for Republicans, doing his part by launching massively offensive ads in more than a dozen states that sobbed about supposed “anti-white bigotry” and pushed violent anti-immigrant imagery … But this week, voters largely rejected this bigoted agenda … ‘Stephen Miller predicted that Republicans’ nativism would help usher in a ‘red tsunami,’ but his tens of millions of dollars’ worth of overt racism and nativism fell flat in 2022—just as his similar election predictions about the power of GOP nativism failed in past cycles,’ said Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of immigrant rights advocacy group America’s Voice. ‘The strategy of trying to mobilize the MAGA base around extreme Trumpian grievances and anti-immigrant fear-mongering fell flat.’”

    Indeed, as America’s Voice tracked, the Stephen Miller-affiliated “Citizens for Sanity” spent over $51 million in TV ads across 16 states in the midterms’ homestretch with some of the year’s most vile nativist, racist and transphobic ads (as seen during World Series) – just part of the GOP’s relentless focus on nativism and 3,200 different paid communications on anti-immigrant themes highlighted by the America’s Voice’s ad tracking project.

    Following is a statement from Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director for America’s Voice:

    “Nativism has become the beating heart of the Republican Party and the throughline from Trump’s descent down the escalator in 2015 to MAGA extremists taking control of the GOP to the current perilous moment facing our democracy. And once again, the political potency of GOP full-throated nativism failed to resonate beyond the Republican base and may have been part of a larger backlash among many voters against MAGA candidates.

    "One clear takeaway from this election is that the GOP’s massive investment in nativist attacks failed to deliver, which is an especially striking fact given an election environment that overwhelmingly favored Republicans and that the issue was a top message priority GOP-wide. The vast majority of Americans reject the GOP’s radicalism and scare tactics on immigration and recognize that immigrants are a source of strength for the nation. Now, we need policies that meet the vast majority of the country where it actually is – in favor of common sense solutions that address the uncertain futures of Dreamers, TPS holders, and farm workers and in support of bipartisan reforms that will modernize and actually address immigration reform in a real way.”

U.S. Elections

Social Media and the 

Midterm 2022 Elections

Anticipating Online Threats to Democratic Legitimacy

    Washington, D.C. — (CAP) - Nov. 5, 2022 - As social media companies continue to allow attacks on American democracy to proliferate on their platforms, a new issue brief from the Center for American Progress reveals the top threats to democratic legitimacy facing social media platforms and explains how these companies must confront them.

    “Online platforms are not the sole cause of this democratic crisis,” said Adam Conner, CAP’s vice president of Technology Policy and co-author of the brief. “But companies’ continued refusal to make the fundamental changes required to stop their tools from becoming platforms for hate and election subversion make them complicit in these assaults on our democracy.”

    Over the past few years, there has been an extraordinary informational assault on the legitimacy of U.S. elections fueled by the spread of baseless claims of fraud. Despite continuous calls for product changes, social media platforms continue to abdicate their responsibility to prevent these attacks.

    The new issue brief identifies the three most significant threats to democratic legitimacy that social media platforms must address: 1) election subversion theater, 2) online harassment and intimidation of election workers, and 3) post-election informational chaos.

    “Many candidates and elected officials now promote baseless claims of fraud in order to create the impression that there were instances of fraud or election insecurities, even when there were not,” said Ashleigh Maciolek, research associate for Structural Reform and Governance at CAP and co-author of the brief. “Online platforms need to be aware of this election subversion theater and take steps to prevent their platforms from being used to delegitimize elections.”

    Anticipating that these informational threats will continue to undermine U.S. democracy, fuel violence, and sow chaos, CAP and its partners issued a clear set of demands to major social media companies ahead of the midterm elections to protect the freedom to vote and fairness of elections. Unfortunately, many of these demands have been ignored. The three informational threats identified by CAP remain major threats to the legitimacy of our elections, including:

• Election subversion theater: Social media companies continue to allow election denialism and baseless claims of fraud to spread on their platforms, providing a platform for perceptive assaults on the legitimacy of the U.S. election process.
• Online harassment and intimidation of election workers: Online disinformation and violent rhetoric have made the election process seem untrustworthy, implicating election workers who are simply carrying out their vital jobs to protect U.S. elections.
• Post-election informational chaos: Between the time that the public casts their ballots and elected officials are sworn into office, social media companies must double down on countering baseless claims of fraud, declarations of a “stolen” or “rigged” election, and other election conspiracy theories.

    Recognizing these online threats, CAP again recommends that social media companies take serious, proactive steps to prevent informational assaults on U.S. democracy to proliferate online. Among other recommendations, these steps include:

• Employing viral circuit breakers to ensure that the spread of false election information or delegitimization is not immediately damaging
• Proactively monitoring for—and expeditiously removing—attempts to create conspiracy theories about election workers
• Prohibiting advertisements that promote the “big lie,” delegitimize the election, or otherwise declare elections stolen or rigged

    It is critically important for social media companies to address these ongoing threats now, as CAP expects the 2022 midterms to see the same flood of informational assaults as in 2020. These will only get worse as the 2024 election gets closer.

    Read the issue brief: “Social Media and the 2022 Midterm Elections: Anticipating Online Threats to Democratic Legitimacy” by Erin Simpson, Adam Conner, and Ashleigh Maciolek

    For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at shananel@americanprogress.org.

Law and Democracy

Common Cause Scorecard 

Charts Lawmaker Support 

for Pro-Democracy Bills

    Washington D.C. - (Common Cause) - 9/6/2022 - As the January 6 Select Committee is reportedly set to hold more hearings this month, and less than two years since January 6, Common Cause is releasing its 2022 Democracy Scorecard, which tracks the positions of every Member of Congress on issues vital to the health of our democracy during the 117 Congress. Throughout this Congress, members of the House and Senate were notified that various votes on key democracy issues – including many related to January 6^th and its aftermath – would be counted in the Scorecard, which will be distributed to our 1.5 million members, as well as to state and national media.

    “Americans expect and deserve legislation to strengthen and protect our democracy so that our nation can live up to its ideals – especially in the wake of January 6. At Common Cause we keep close track of what members of Congress have done on these issues. Our Democracy Scorecard lets constituents know where their representatives stand,” said Common Cause president Karen Hobert Flynn. “At the very start of the 117th Congress, Members were besieged in the U.S. Capitol by a violent, armed, insurrectionist mob intent on overturning the 2020 presidential election. Members of Congress were then faced with a series of choices in the months following to take steps that would strengthen democracy. Too many Members chose fealty to former-President Trump over the oath of office they swore to protect the nation.”

    “As we face unprecedented attacks on our democracy, protecting and strengthening our freedom to vote are paramount,” said Aaron Scherb, Common Cause’s senior director of legislative affairs. “After we witnessed the former president try to overturn our votes in a free election, it’s imperative for Congress to establish fair national voting standards, despite continued filibusters by Senate Republicans. Congress would be wise to take heed of the voting rights bills, and the wave of other popular pro-democracy reforms, that are being passed at the state and local level while Republicans in Congress blockade them at the federal level. This Scorecard is a resource for all constituents to evaluate which members of Congress are working to strengthen our freedom to vote and which ones are trying to make it harder for Americans to vote.

    Some highlights and trends from the 2022 Democracy Scorecard include:

• Most of the included bills would’ve become law if the legislative filibuster didn’t exist, as many of them have majority support in Congress

• 101 members of Congress had a perfect score on this year’s Scorecard, a more than 70% increase over the number of members who had perfect scores (58) in 2020

• California has the highest number of members of Congress (19) with perfect scores

• Vermont is the only state with every member of its delegation (3) earning a perfect score

• 7 states have both U.S. Senators earning a perfect score: Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, and Vermont

    A subset of votes and bills in this year’s Scorecard include:

Votes

• Impeachment and conviction of former President Donald Trump for incitement of insurrection

• For the People Act

• DC Statehood

• Independent commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection and a resolution creating the January 6th Select Committee

• John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

• Steve Bannon criminal contempt resolution

• Protecting Our Democracy Act

• Mark Meadows criminal contempt resolution

• Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act

Bills to cosponsor

• DISCLOSE Act

• Supreme Court Ethics Act

• Frank Harrison, Elizabeth Peratrovich, and Miguel Trujillo Native American Voting Rights Act

• Democracy for All Amendment

    The Scorecard does not ‘rate’ candidates. Instead, it spotlights the votes and co-sponsors of legislation that would protect our elections, elevate the voices of all Americans in politics and government, make voting more accessible, end racial and partisan gerrymandering so that every American has a fair chance to elect representatives of their choice, and promote high ethical standards for elected and appointed officials.

    Common Cause previously issued Democracy Scorecards in 2016, 2018, and 2020 based on the votes and cosponsorship of between 15-18 key democracy reform bills.

     To view the full 2022 Democracy Scorecard, click here.

Task Force Report

Election Threats Task Force Briefs 

Election Officials and Workers

   WASHINGTON, D.C.-  (DOJ) - 8/13/2022 - Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. convened a virtual discussion today with a bipartisan group of approximately 750 election officials and workers to provide an update on the work of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force.

    Assistant Attorney General Polite thanked the election community for continuing to prioritize this national public safety issue, for engaging directly with the task force over the past year, and stressed the importance that those lines of communication stay open ahead of election season. He also reminded the election community of the individual points of contact they have in every FBI field office in the country.

    Following Assistant Attorney General Polite’s remarks, the task force shared intelligence, data, and analysis stemming from their first year of work. This included:

• The task force has reviewed over 1,000 contacts reported as hostile or harassing by the election community.
• Approximately 11% of those contacts met the threshold for a federal criminal investigation. The remaining reported contacts did not provide a predication for a federal criminal investigation. While many of the contacts were often hostile, harassing, and abusive towards election officials, they did not include a threat of unlawful violence.
• In investigations where the source of a reported contact was identified, in 50% of the matters the source contacted the victim on multiple occasions. These investigations accordingly encompassed multiple contacts. The number of individual investigations is less than 5% of the total number of reported contacts.
• The task force has charged four federal cases and joined another case that was charged prior to the establishment of the task force. There have also been multiple state prosecutions to date. The task force anticipates additional prosecutions in the near future.
• Election officials in states with close elections and postelection contests were more likely to receive threats. 58% of the total of potentially criminal threats were in states that underwent 2020 post-election lawsuits, recounts, and audits, such as Arizona, Georgia, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin.

    The task force also briefed the election community on available funds for enhanced security for election offices, and the availability of additional resources from both academic and non-governmental organizations.

    Joining Assistant Attorney General Polite in the briefing was Principal Deputy Chief John Keller of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, FBI Assistant Director Luis Quesada, and FBI Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section Chief Joseph Rothrock.

Original press release date: Aug. 1, 2022

Politics and Corruption

Trump White House Official 

Peter Navarro Indicted 

For Contempt of Congress

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (Common Cause) - 6/3/2022 - The Justice Department indicted former Trump White House official Peter Navarro today for contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the January 6th Select Committee. The former trade adviser was a leader in the Trump White House effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. In April, Common Cause urged House Members to vote to certify criminal contempt citations against Navarro and fellow White House official Dan Scavino.

Statement of Karen Hobert Flynn, Common Cause President

    Americans expect and deserve to know the full truth about the insurrection on January 6th. And they expect and deserve to see justice served to those responsible for unleashing the violent, racist mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election. The forces that sought to overturn the election are still present today and the threat to democracy is ongoing.

    Although some witnesses like Peter Navarro have failed to comply with duly-issued subpoenas, the Select Committee will begin sharing its findings with the public in its historic hearings that begin on June 9. The Committee has conducted more than a thousand interviews and depositions and collected more than 140,000 documents as part of its bipartisan investigation.

    Today’s indictment of Peter Navarro will help ensure that Congress is able to learn the full truth behind the White House attempts to steal the election that Donald Trump lost. This indictment has been slow to come, but we sincerely hope it is the first of many to come from the Justice Department.

    There must be consequences for those who brought about the insurrection and there must be consequences for those who refuse to comply with Congressional subpoenas. Congress has the power and responsibility of oversight and its subpoenas cannot be ignored without repercussions or else our system of checks and balances will break down. Today’s indictment is a victory for the American people and a victory for the rule of law.

Law and Justice

Court Blocks Montana Laws 

that Restricts Native 

American Voting Rights

    BILLINGS, Mont. — (ACLU) - 4/13/2022 - A Montana court today blocked two state laws that hinder Native American participation in the state’s electoral process. 

    The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Montana, Native American Rights Fund (NARF), and Harvard Law School’s Election Law Clinic challenged the laws on behalf of two Native American voting rights organizations and four tribal nations. 

    The first measure, HB 176, would have ended Election Day registration, which Indigenous voters have relied upon to cast votes in Montana since 2006. The second, HB 530, would have blocked paid ballot collection. 

    Indigenous voters on rural reservations, where residential mail delivery is often limited or nonexistent, disproportionately rely on the service of ballot collectors to cast their votes. In 2020, a Montana court struck down a similar measure after listening to “cold, hard data” on its detrimental impact on the Native vote.

    The court today granted a preliminary injunction in Western Native Voice v. Jacobsen, which was filed on behalf of Western Native Voice and Montana Native Vote, Native American-led organizations focused on getting out the vote and increasing civic participation in the Native American community; and the Blackfeet Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, Fort Belknap Indian Community, and Northern Cheyenne Tribe. Western Native Voice has been consolidated with two similar cases brought by the Montana Democratic Party and Montana Youth Action. 

    The following reactions are from:  

    Alex Rate, Legal Director, ACLU of Montana: “Today is a good day for the voters of Montana, and for the sanctity of the Montana Constitution. This order reaffirms the principle that the right to vote must be preserved for all voters, and that laws targeting Indigenous voters cannot be supported by flimsy and unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.”

    Alora Thomas-Lundborg, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Voting Rights Project: “The court correctly found that these laws likely violate many provisions of the Montana Constitution, including the right to vote, equal protection, free speech, and due process. This is an important victory. Montana politicians have tried and failed yet again to undermine Native American voters.”

    Jacqueline De León, Staff Attorney, NARF: “HB 176 and HB 530 are designed to take advantage of the lack of residential mail delivery, poor roads, and inequitable access to election services plaguing Native communities. Such laws are unconstitutional. No matter how many times Montana politicians try to pass laws restricting Native Americans, we will fight on behalf of tribes to ensure Native people’s right to vote in Montana is free and fair.” 

    Samantha Kelty, Staff Attorney, NARF: “This injunction ensures that legislation designed to limit who can participate in this democracy will not take effect in 2022, and we will continue to fight to ensure HB 176 and HB 530 never restrict Native people’s right to vote in Montana.” 

    Theresa Lee, Litigation Director & Clinical Instructor, Election Law Clinic Harvard Law School: “We are pleased the court stopped these laws from burdening all Montana voters, and particularly Native voters who face additional barriers to accessing the vote, and ultimately look forward to seeing these laws permanently blocked.”

    The lawsuit was filed in the Montana 13th Judicial District Court of Yellowstone County.

    Ruling: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/pi-order-western-native-voice-v-jacobsen

    Case details: https://www.aclu.org/cases/western-native-voice-v-jacobsen

Elections and Politics

Ohio Election Official: 

Politics are Political; 

Election Administration is Not

By Mary Schuermann Kuhlman, Producer
Public News Service

    (PNS) - 2/10/2022 - Since Election Day 2020, the integrity and accuracy of the vote has been the subject of speculation across the country, with local boards of elections often caught in the crosshairs.

    Here in Ohio, election officials seem to have avoided much of the controversy. With far-right groups and supporters of former President Donald Trump still questioning the 2020 results, several red states have moved to give legislatures more power over elections instead of secretaries of state, and penalize election workers for technical mistakes.

    Aaron Sellers, public information officer for the Franklin County Board of Elections, said while politics are political, elections administration in Ohio is not.

    "Everything we do here is done in bipartisan teams," Sellers emphasized. "For example, when the voting-location person brings back the supplies on election night, if that person is a Republican, there's a Democrat ride-along person that comes along with them, or vice versa."

More than half of voters in a recent Quinnipiac poll said they do not believe there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Ohio's postelection audits revealed an accuracy rate of 99.98% in 2020 and 99.99% in 2021, based on data from counties utilizing a percentage-based audit.

    While other states scrambled to develop a plan for voting in 2020 due to COVID, Sellers pointed out Ohio was ahead of the curve. Critics argued mail-in voting is more susceptible to fraud, but he explained there are multiple verification processes before the ballot is even mailed out.

    "And when it is returned, there's additional measures that we go through before we put that in the pile to count," Sellers added. "It's verification signatures, the last four digits of their 'soc,' (Social Security number) their driver's license number, whatever they're providing, those things are checked on the front end and the back end before those ballots are counted."

    With Ohio's legislative and congressional district maps still not set in stone, Sellers noted boards of election are in a holding pattern when it comes to preparations for the May 3 primary.

    "We're just as anxious as I'm sure our elected officials are to get this resolved," Sellers emphasized. "Elections officials, we take an oath to do this, and when it's scheduled we'll do what we need to do like we did in 2020 because of COVID."

    Wednesday, Republican Senate President Matt Huffman suggested keeping the May 3 primary for statewide and local elections, and holding a second for statehouse and congressional seats. There are concerns about the cost for two primaries, as well as the possibility of lower turnout.

    Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York. Story credit: Public News Service, 2/10/2022, Mary Schuermann, Producer

Illinois Politics

J.B. Pritzker Has Brought 

Sanity and Leadership to Illinois

Governor Gets High Marks For Handling of Pandemic, Economy

By Steve Rensberry
Opinion / Analysis

    EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - 5-31-2021 - The year 2018 was a good one for J.B. Pritzker, but more importantly, for the state of Illinois.

    As you might recall, Pritzker, a Democrat, all but trounced former governor and Republican Bruce Rauner in that year's gubernatorial election, garnering a decisive 54.5 percent of the vote to Rauner's 38.8 percent. It was a big change from 2014, in which Rauner beat former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn with 50.27 percent of the vote compared to Quinn's 46.35 percent.

Illinois ranks No. 5. Source: statista. Click to enlarge.

    Proving that politics has indeed become a rich man's game, Rauner (a multi-millionaire) dumped some $26 million of his own money into the 2014 race, and another $70 million into the 2018 campaign. (1) But even with such an enormous investment in one's own election, it wasn't enough to fend off Pritzker (a billionaire), who spent $171 million of his own money to get elected. (2) This isn't counting all the additional campaign revenue raised by the two men.

    However, it wasn't just big money that decided the 2018 race, but the fact that the Republican's front-man simply failed at governing. "Rauner Deficit Increased 52% in FY17 to $14.7 Billion," one news release from Pritzker's election team reads (3). Talk is cheap, and Rauner, like most Republicans, was under the naive delusion that all the state needed to do was lower taxes and cut spending and its problems would be solved. One of his worst decisions was refusing to sign a budget for two years, essentially holding the state hostage until lawmakers approved a list of partisan demands. The fallout was felt by school districts, service organizations, and others all across the state, ultimately leading to a downgrading of the state's bond rating. (4)

    Bottom line: neither tax increases alone nor tax cuts alone are likely to solve the state's fiscal problems, we need both. That's what most economic experts I've read insist. But Republicans have been myopic and uncompromising on the issue -- and consequently have made the situation worse. (5)

    The scary part is that Rauner was not conservative enough for some, like his challenger Jeanne Ives, who narrowly lost to Rauner in the 2018 Republican Primary. Ives claimed she was motivated to run after Rauner signed into law HB-40, a bill that ensured abortion would remain legal in the state, and allow coverage for women with Medicaid or state-employee insurance coverage. (6)

    Pritzker, meanwhile, has stayed the course and acted as a governor should, with integrity, all the while taking a responsible lead on the pandemic and approving extended aid to unemployed workers. Nor has he dwelt on his losses, or become vindictive when rejected, as Rauner was prone to do. When voters gave Pritzker's graduated income tax proposal a thumbs down, he moved on to the task of governing and looked for other ways to balance the budget, including cuts. As luck would have it, the economy did better than expected and it was ultimately determined that no income tax increase would be needed to close a projected $3 billion budget deficit. (7)
  
    "Before JB became governor, for over two years a dysfunctional state government couldn’t even pass a budget. Services were cut, schools suffered, and families throughout the state paid the price because of a governor who didn’t get the job done," the governor's campaign site reads.

    One big disappointment in the 2018 state election was that the Illinois Chamber of Commerce still gave Rauner its endorsement, despite his dismal performance on the economy, citing opposition to Pritzker's "support for a graduated income tax, a $15 minimum wage, support for trial lawyers' agenda and lack of a meaningful commitment to reforming pensions and restoring fiscal integrity to our finances." (8)

    The Chamber's position on such contested issues was revealing in terms of showing its ideological biases, and unfortunately fits a pattern of siding against Illinois families, against poor and underpaid workers, and against people injured through medical malpractice or negligence.

    So here we are, a year and a few months away from the next gubernatorial election, set for Nov. 8, 2022. The opposition is ready with their "Pritzker Sucks" signs, their accusations that Illinois' population is "dramatically" shrinking because of a high tax burden and Democratic policies, and claims that Pritzker's tax policies will destroy businesses and hurt downstate residents. None of it is true, but I'm not sure the opposition cares because in their minds winning is everything. It's the new paradigm.

    What has Pritzker done while in office? Does he deserve a second chance? Consider the following list of achievements, as posted on Pritzker's official campaign site, here.

Government

• Passed a balanced, bipartisan budget that begins to pay down debts from the prior administration.
• Improved our bond outlook to “stable” for the first time in years.
• Passed a public safety pension consolidation bill to help lower property taxes and reduce future budget pressure.
• Reduced state pension liabilities with an employee pension buyout program.

The Economy

• Launched the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan, the largest in state history, to rebuild roads, bridges, and communities and create and support hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs.
• Prepared our children for the jobs of the future by expanding skills development and focusing community college programs on the fastest growing industries.
• Raised the minimum wage to a living wage for all Illinois workers.
• Made college more affordable for Illinois students by expanding in-state scholarships and making more merit scholarships available for high-performing students.
• Created a minority business loan fund.
  

Business

• Launched an effort to bring high-speed broadband internet to every corner of the state
• Created a minority business loan fund.
• Developed new incentives for job creation on new construction and renovations in underserved communities.
• Refocused community college workforce development programs to concentrate on high-growth industries.
• Signed the most equity-centric cannabis legalization plan in the nation to invest in communities hit hardest by the war on drugs.
• Encouraged new job creation and workforce development with an apprenticeship tax credit for businesses.
• Extended the film industry tax credit, creating and supporting thousands of entertainment industry jobs in Illinois.
• Elevated the innovation economy with new business incubators and an extension of the research and development tax credit for manufacturers.
  

Early Education

• Expanded child care assistance eligibility to 10,000 more children.
• Strengthened early childhood education and child care with the biggest investment ever in Illinois into early childhood programs and facilities.

K-12 Education

• Provided historic funding levels for K-12 students across the state.
• Raised the minimum salary for teachers.
• Expanded skills development with new investments in vocational training in high school.
  

    Illinois is a lot of things, and by no means perfect, but to call it a failed state, never mind a haven for "judicial hell holes," is pure partisanship. It is often compared to surrounding states as though there were any real parity, but considering the state's contribution to the nation's overall GDP, Illinois is a powerhouse of productivity and opportunity by comparison, ranking No. 5 nationwide and outranked only by Florida, New York, Texas, and California. Neighboring Indiana is ranked No. 18, Wisconsin No. 21, and Missouri No. 22. (9)

    Although Pritzker has not yet officially announced his candidacy for re-election, the Chicago Sun-Times reported this past March that he had already made a $35 million campaign contribution, so it seems likely. (10)

    I don't think I'm alone in recognizing that the Republican Party has a problem on its hands, not just because of Pritzker's popularity and success, but because of the growing influence of extremists within its ranks.

    A May 14 story written by Sarah Nardi for WGLT is insightful. Reporting on a meeting of the Lincoln Club of McLean County, in which former Gov. Jim Edgar, Rep. Dan Brady, and former Illinois Republic Party Chairman Pat Brady served as panel members, Nardi writes: "Edgar said the problem facing Republicans in a gubernatorial race is the growing chasm between a state that's moving left and a party that's moving right . . . . To reclaim the governor's office, Edgar said Republicans will have to unite behind a moderate candidate -- something hard-line conservatives will resist. But a shifting electorate means that in the Chicago suburbs, a once reliable source of GOP votes, people aren't casting ballots for Republicans the way they once did." (11)

    Nardi writes that Edgar acknowledged the shifting political landscape, and how much things have changed. "My definition of a moderate (Republican) is what would've been an extreme conservative 20 years ago," Edgar is quoted as saying.

    So there you have it. An admission, by at least one prominent Republican, that Illinois' second major political party is definitely not what it used to be, is conflicted, and has essentially normalized its most extreme elements.

    Is that the kind of leadership we need in Illinois? I think not.

    Illinois has had bad luck with governors, both Republican and Democratic, but today's Democratic Party -- and Pritzker specifically -- have earned my confidence. He is what Illinois has needed. If Pritzker goes the way of Ryan, Blagojevich, or Rauner, making things worse instead of better, then he should be held accountable, but in today's climate of extremism, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a Republican challenger worth considering. 

Citations
1) Rauner 2018 Race Campaign Finance (politico)
2) Rauner, Pritzker Spending For Governor (NBC Chicago)
3) How Bad is the Illinois Deficit (politico)
4) Fitch Downgrades Illinois (Fitch Ratings)
5) Governor's Budget Cuts Costs, Corporate Tax Breaks (Bloomberg)
6) Jeanne Ives (wikipedia)
7) No Income Tax Hike Needed (WTTW)
8) Illinois Chamber Endorses Rauner (Effingham Radio)
9) States and Territories Ranked by GDP (wikipedia)
10) Pritzker Re-election Campaign Contribution (Chicago Sun Times)
11) GOP Leaders Say Moderate Governor Candidate Key (WGLT)

Voter Information

Election Nears For Voters In

Madison, St. Clair Counties

Voting and Registration Information for Metro East Residents

Steve Rensberry 

RP News

_________

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - (RP NEWS) - 9/11/2020 - Voters and residents in Madison and St. Clair counties have but a few short weeks to decide how they are going to vote in the Nov. 3, 2020, General Election.

Madison Co. Vote Trends: 1968-2016

   Turnout is expected to be high, and concerns about the spread of COVID-19 have prompted both local and state officials to urge people to utilize vote-by-mail options if they have any concerns at all.

In general, early voting period runs in Illinois from Sept. 24 - Nov. 2, however dates can vary per county, as they do in Madison and St. Clair. If you are unsure of your registration status or where to vote, the Illinois State Board of Elections has a polling place locator available here: Polling Place Locator. 

Individuals can register in the state year-round, except during the 27-day period immediately preceding an election, the 2 days after an election, and 16 days prior to the electon if they are registering online. Grace period registration and voting is available in-person at county clerk's offices within that period.

Here are the details for Madison and St. Clair counties.

Madison County

In-office voting at the Madison County Clerk's office in Edwardsville will begin for voters in Madison County on Sept. 24, along with the official vote-by-mail period.

A screenshot of voting machines in Madison Co.

   People who requested a ballot by mail should receive their ballot in the mail between Sept. 24 and Oct. 29, the county states, depending on when the request was received. People can request to vote by mail up until Oct. 29.

If you have yet to register to vote, Oct. 6 will be your last official day to do so online or at any place other than the Madison County Clerk's office, where you will be able to vote during grace period registration from Oct. 7 through Nov. 2. Voters must register and cast their vote immediately afterwards.

Polls will be open on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, from 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Information on where to vote is printed on a voter's registration card, which should include a list of taxing districts in your area as well as the designated polling station, township, and precinct number.

Early voting in person aside form the clerk's office will be available between 15 days and the 2nd day before the election, with the county setting Oct. 19 as the start. Available locations are listed here: Early voting locations

Residents can check their voter information status and polling location here: Voter Information

The Madison County Administration Building and clerk's office is located at 157 N. Main Street, 1st Floor, in Edwardsville, Ill.

St. Clair County

To register to vote in St. Clair County, people can visit the St. Clair County Clerk's Office throughout the year from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Election-related questions can be sent by email to elections@co.st-clair.il.us, or people can call 618-825-2366.

The St. Clair Co. Admin. Bld (RP News Photo)

   Residents may request a mail-in ballot, download a registration application, or make an address change online through the county's Elections Division. 

Applications must be received by the Madison County Clerk's office no later than 28 days before the election.

As noted on the county's website: Ballots will be mailed to applicants beginning Sept. 24, which is also the first day of early voting. The deadline for applying for a mail ballot is 5 p.m., Oct. 29. After Oct. 29, voters can still receive a mail ballot by applying in person at the County Clerk’s Office, St. Clair County Courthouse, #10 Public Square, 2nd Floor, Belleville, IL 62220. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Nov. 3 to be accepted, and properly postmarked ballots will be accepted through Nov. 17.”

St. Clair County lists Oct. 7 the start of in-person early voting, at the St. Clair County Clerk's Office, 10 Public Square, 2nd Floor, Belleville, Ill.

Politics in America

 

Be Careful What You Wish For

Some Thoughts on the Upcoming Election

 

By James Grandone
Guest Columnist

________________

   I’ve spent many years being involved in campaign management and have managed, created campaign strategies or been press secretary for 13 campaigns ranging from presidential and congressional to local tax referendums with an 85 percent win rate. So, I think I would share some thoughts on the upcoming election. And while I am proscribed from endorsing any candidates in this newspaper’s column, I can present facts from which you can derive your own opinion.

Jim Grandone

   This year, the presidential campaign seems to focus on likeability, that elusive term that can only be measured by approval ratings.

   As far as likability, neither Trump nor Clinton were exactly loved in 2016. According to the Washington Post in 2016, Trump’s 61 percent unfavorable score was the worst in presidential polling history, while Clinton’s 52 percent unfavorable was the second worst.

   In this year’s election, according to Gallup’s July survey, Trump’s approval rating is 41 percent. In the most recent Gallup poll in May, Biden’s approval rating stood at 53 percent.

   In terms of qualifications, you have Trump who has been President for more than three years and Biden who served in Congress and as Vice President for many more years. One could conclude Biden has the advantage and he may well win the popular vote in a landslide. But that may not be enough to become the 46th President of the United States.

   In fact, a handful of states this year including, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida and Pennsylvania, hold the fate of both candidates, according to Dan Balz with the Washington Post. The Electoral College, a relic from the 18th Century, will decide who will be president and the race is close. Some would call that a Tyranny of the Minority.

   Should we do away with the Electoral College? Several national organizations are fighting to do just that this year. What if Biden wins the popular vote in a landslide and loses in the Electoral College?

   Democracy is good, but we are reminded that the Tyranny of the Majority is also quite real. In fact, to win a majority for president, it would only require a handful of big states, such as California, Florida, New York, Illinois and Texas, to elect the president without the electoral college and they are heavily Democratic. What about the rest of the states? Would winning only require campaigns in the top five states? How would that affect national policy? Would politicians pander to those states at the expense of the other 45? Nothing is simple in politics.

   There’s an old saying in politics and life, “Be careful what you wish for.”

 ------------------

Jim Grandone is a long-time resident of Edwardsville, Ill. He was the architect of the 'East County...If You Only Knew' marketing campaign promoting the Metro East to businesses in St. Louis in the 1990s. Grandone holds a BA in political science from the University of Illinois at Springfield and was a Coro Fellow and serves on a variety of boards. He lives in Leclaire with his wife, Mary.

------------------

(Reprinted with permission. This article originally ran in the Edwardsville Intelligencer)
Posted on RP News, Aug 17, 2020

Election 2020

Biden's VP Pick Checks 

All The Right Boxes

By Cheryl Eichar Jett
Opinion/Analysis

_______________

   EDWARDSVILLE, Ill., (RP NEWS) - 8/17/2020 - One hundred years nearly to the day (August 18, 1920) after the ratification of the 19th Amendment that guaranteed American women (white women, anyway) the vote, a multi-racial woman – Kamala Harris – made history this past week as the first woman of color to run for vice-president on a major

Graph courtesy of statista

party ticket. After a closely-followed, much-speculated, but tightly-held process to determine his pick, former vice-president Joe Biden selected Senator Harris (D-CA) and on Tuesday, August 11, he announced his pick via Twitter. His tweet was picked up immediately and news outlets quickly spread the announcement. Republican mistruths and conspiracies were not far behind.

   In many opinions, including my own, Sen. Harris checks all the right boxes to serve as former vice-president Joe Biden's running mate. Some of these are obvious. She's a woman – of color. And some check marks have been on display – in spades – particularly since the announcement. Motivated supporters contributed, allowing the campaign to rake in $48 million in as many hours. And, fulfilling one of the modern roles of a vice-presidential candidate, Harris has shown that she's capable of assuming the role of attack dog.

   So what are the ways that Harris fills the bill as Biden's vice-presidential candidate – and as vice-president, should their Democratic ticket win the election?

Attack Dog

   Harris has already proven that she can competently handle the task of launching attacks on the opposition. At their August 11 press conference, she and Biden seemed to already have their routine down pat. Biden outlined issues and touched on policies, while Harris offered attacks on the Trump administration's failures, followed by assurances that Biden would capably lead their new administration. Several pundits have been heard commenting on Harris' ability to “throw a real good punch.” And Joy Reid, MSNBC host of “The ReidOut,” commented that “anyone who criticizes her will face a wall of opposition.” Harris has been a fierce and consistent critic of Trump. Reid has called her the “anti-Trump.”

Kamala Harris / Wikimedia Commons

 Female During the Trump Era

   Of course, this is a historically significant pick in the era of the “me too” movement, the centennial of the 19th Amendment, and the surge of women voters and electees in the 2018 election. Harris is the first African American, the first Asian American, and the first Howard University (a historically black college) vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket. Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) said, “This is huge.” Presidential historian Michael Beschloss described the pick as it “recognizes the glory of diversity in America.” Beschloss added that Harris' entire career had been spent “defending the rule of law, at the time the rule of law is under grave danger from the president.” “A really qualified choice and future leader of the Democratic party,” said political consultant James Carville.

Biden's Preference For a Close Connection

   Harris became good friends with Biden's son Beau when they were fellow state attorney generals – Harris in California and Beau Biden in Delaware. That's when Joe Biden first met Harris. Sharp-eyed journalists and photographers zeroed in on Biden's notes at a campaign event on July 28, which at the top of the list said “do not hold grudges,” assumed to be a reference to Harris' sharp attack on Biden in the first primary debate over Biden's opposition to school busing in the 1970s. Biden apparently kept his own advice in mind. Columnist Eugene Robinson commented that both Biden and Harris have the empathetic connection thing going for them.”

Harris' Multi-Racialism Offers Many Americans A Connection

   Harris' Indian mother and Jamaican father emigrated to the US, where they married and had two daughters, Kamala and Maya. At her graduation from Howard University, Harris looked around and realized how many graduates looked like her – multi-racial. In John Blake's article, “Why Kamala Harris as VP would be a revelation for Black America,” Blake states, “Presidential candidate Joe Biden's selection of Harris as his running mate could have a similar impact. Thousands of students at Howard and other historically Black colleges and universities – known as HBCUs – can now look at the 55-year-old Harris' ascension and say the same: She looks like me.”

Articulate and Strong Debater

   Joe Biden, if he didn't already know, found this out during the televised first primary debate when Harris went after him on his school busing stance back in the 1970s. Reverend Al Sharpton has called her a “very good debater. She will give Vice-President Pence a very bad evening in the debates.” At the same time, she is clear-eyed about what will be coming at her, both on the vice-presidential debate stage and in the opposition's ads and tweets. Harris has stated in interviews that she knows what's coming from the Trump campaign – “lies.”

Reputation as Champion For The People

   Harris' reputation-making achievement as California Attorney General was the $20 billion in settlement funds for California homeowners that her negotiations eventually garnered. Playing hardball and pulling out of the nationwide mortgage settlement talks in 2011, Harris was under fire from housing rights advocates and union leaders for doing so. In the long run, the larger mortgage settlement – the $20 billion – finally came through to mitigate some of the disastrous effects of the financial and housing crisis of 2008.

Liberal Voting Record In The Senate

   Despite a reputation that seems to persist as a “law and order” or “top cop” senator, Harris has maintained one of the most liberal voting records in the Senate during her term as junior senator from California, according to watchdog groups. A recent ranking by the government watchdog website GovTrack.us ranked Harris more liberal than Bernie Sanders.

In Duo With Biden, Gives Voters A Clear Choice

   The Biden-Harris campaign presents a clear choice between government for the people, and government for one's own purposes and pockets, as exhibited by the Trump administration. The Biden-Harris team has been visible in the past week providing leadership on the COVID crisis that is sorely lacking from the current occupant of the White House. As Princeton University James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of African American Studies, author, and cable news commentator Eddie S. Glaude Jr. said recently, it will now be a “reckoning at the ballot box” between two very stark choices.

Fund Raising

   And finally, as mentioned above, her announcement as VP pick touched off a record-breaking wave of donations to the campaign. Of course, Biden is hoping that this is the tip of the iceberg as their campaign gathers steam. See: Biden Campaign Raise $48 Million in 2 Days

   As Harris continues to prove her mettle on these points, one can't help but think, even if it's a simplistic notion, that it's a rewarding nod to the 19th Amendment ratification 100 years ago, and to the suffragettes who made it happen.

 

For further reading:
University's history of producing trailblazing Black leaders on display
Nomination Gives Joe Biden a Recording-Breaking Fundraising Bump
The Harris pick is a hit with voters so far
In Historic Pick, Joe Biden Taps Kamala Harris to Be His Running Mate

Election Trends

Democrats Gain Ground In Race

For Control of U.S. House

By Steve Rensberry

srensberry@rensberrypublishing.com

-----------------------------------------------

EDWARDSVILLE, IL - July 8, 2020 -- All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be up for election on Nov. 3, with most forecasts showing a tight battle in many states, while leaning toward continued control by the Democrats. Significant uncertainty remains, however, with a full 118 days left until the big day.

The 2020 Consensus map compiled each election by the site 270toWin shows, as of June 2, the Democrats with a likely 223 seats and the Republicans with 193, with 19 seats forecast as “toss-ups.”

Of the 223 forecast for the Democrats, 181 are designated at “safe,” 27 are designated “likely,” and 15 are designated as “leaning.” Of the 193 forecast for the Republicans, 158 are designed “safe,” 21 as “likely,” and 14 as “leaning.” The Democrat currently control the house and will need to win 218 seats to maintain that advantage.

Rachel Bitecofer of the Washington D.C. Niskanent Center posted an update of the center's projections on June 7, speculating that the Democrats would capture 50 Senate seats to the Republican's 47, with three considered toss-ups. In the House, the Niskanen projects the Democrats will capture 241 seats to the Republican's 182.

“Whatever 2020 turnout is, barring something extraordinary that disrupts the election, if more Democrats and left-leaning independents vote than did so in 2016 and pure independents break against Trump and congressional Republicans, Democrats will not only hold their 2018 House gains — they are poised to expand on their House majority and are competitive to take control of the Senate,” Biecofer stated in her report.

She cited the rising Covid-19 death toll, a leveled economy, and the significant impact polarization is having on the process. She draws an interesting parallel with Jimmy Carer's reelection campaign in 1980, not facing a polarized nation did face an economy in a downward spiral from oil shortages, inflation and unemployment, then was hit with the Iranian hostage crisis.

“Sound familiar? It should, because in the electoral bloodbath that followed, down-ticket Republicans flipped control of the Senate from Democrats for the first time in 25 years. They also used the chaos to remake the American economy, but that is a story for another day,” Bitecofer stated.

For a look at the full Niskanent Center update and report, see Negative Partisanship and the 2020 Congressional Elections.

Presidential delegate filing highlights Illinois' role

By Benjamin Yount, Stephanie Fryer and Anthony Brino

Illinois Statehouse News

   SPRINGFIELD - 1/8/2012 - While the Republican presidential candidates are in New Hampshire this weekend, their surrogates are trying their best to bring the one-upmanship of the race to Illinois.
   January 6 was the last day for the 2012 GOP presidential campaigns to file their delegates with the state Board of Elections.
   Illinois State University political science professor Bob Bradley said the delegate slates help gauge the strength of a campaign, if not the candidate.
   "That's why you pay attention to these filings," Bradley said. "You have to see who is on these delegate lists. They could be the next up-and-comers in the party. You also get a sense of who is important."
   The delegates, chosen from each of the Illinois' 18 Congressional Districts in the March primary, will go to the national nominating conventions where they will vote on the nominee for president. This year, the conventions will be held in August in Tampa, Fla., for the Republicans and September in Charlotte, N.C. for the Democrats.
   Illinois Republicans will send 108 delegates in all, but only 54 will vote for a presidential candidate. The other 54 will serve as alternates. Democrats will send 123 to their convention for President Barack Obama.
   Delegates are elected individually from each of the state's 18 Congressional districts. Voters have to chose the delegate by name; a vote for the candidate is not counted as a vote for that candidate's delegates.
   Newt Gingrich's and Rick Santorum's Illinois campaigns were among the last-minute filers Friday.
   Gingrich's Illinois campaign chairman Keith Hansen said voters shouldn't read too much into filing on the last day or the lack of a "headline" name on the delegate or alternate list.
  "We've had conversations with some prominent names in the political community in Illinois, and they have agreed to join our state campaign committee," Hansen said. "We will be making some of those announcements next week."
   Among the delegates for the former U.S. House Speaker are state Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, state Sen. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, and former state Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville.
   The Georgia native’s team filed a full slate of 54 delegates and four alternates.
   Santorum's delegate list is light on lawmakers, but full of some of Illinois' bigger conservative names. Santorum's campaign filed a slate of 47 delegates and 40 alternates.
   "What you find is many of Illinois' tea party leaders, pro-life and pro-family leaders as well," said Jon Zahm, spokesman for Santorum's Illinois campaign.
   Former Republican state Rep. Al Salvi and his wife have filed as Santorum delegates as have Irene Napier, the head of the anti-abortion group, the Right to Life of McHenry County, and David Smith, chairman of the conservative political group, the Illinois Family Action pack.
   Mitt Romney's campaign was the first of the GOP candidates to file its list of supporters. The campaign for the former Massachusetts governor also filed a full slate of 54 delegates and 54 alternates.
   Romney's Illinois campaign chairman and state Treasurer Dan Rutherford said he was first in line Tuesday with his slate of supporters.
   Joining Rutherford on the Romney team are state Rep. Patti Bellock, R-Hinsdale, state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, and state Rep. Rich Brauer, R-Petersburg.
   Supporters of Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul filed their 54 delegates and 54 alternates earlier this week, but that list is absent of any state lawmakers.
   Andrew Craig, Moline delegate for Paul, said Paul supporters don't need or, in many cases, want big-name politicians representing their cause.
   "I think it's more important to have average, everyday citizens," Craig said. "We don't need to be supported by the political class."
   There are no delegates who filed for former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman's campaign.
   The delegate list for Obama reads like the who’s who of prominent Democrats, including state Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, and state Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan. 

   Bradley said people selected to be delegates are known commodities in the political world, but he adds that "going to a convention is a cool perk."
   But the conventions, Bradley said, will not decide the candidates. The race for the GOP nomination will probably be over long before the August convention, he said.
   "You have one or two candidates who stay in the race no matter what," Bradley said. "But for the most part the race will be over by the Super Tuesday primary."
   Super Tuesday is the multi-state primary on March 6. Voters in Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia go to the polls and select the GOP presidential nominee.

   Story courtesy of Illinois Statehouse News