By Steve Rhodes
“As Illinois Republicans gathered yesterday to organize their convention delegation, the absence of the state GOP’s highest-ranking officeholder did not go unnoticed,” the Tribune reports.
“U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, who suffered a major stroke in January, is sitting out the Republican National Convention as he recovers.”
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Mark Brown of the Sun-Times has a not uninsightful column today about Kirk’s “not well-known, behind-the-scenes role as an architect of a political strategy to return Republicans to power in Illinois.
“Before the stroke, Kirk had been moving forcefully to use his position as the state’s highest-ranking GOP elected official to consolidate power as unofficial leader of the state party.”
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See also: Who Is Mark Kirk?
Mystery Convention Theater
Memo to the Tribune’s Chris Jones: The last thing we need from our political parties and their conventions is more stagecraft. The substance of real peoples’ lives is dramatic enough; let’s focus our politics on that. I could really go for a dry as dust convention that actually takes its party’s responsibilities seriously.
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Journalists always seem more interested in a better television program than better politics.
State Party Prospects
“Illinois Republicans are heading into November’s elections feeling a lot better than they did a year ago,” according to Paul Merrion of Crain’s.
“The Illinois Republican Party has erased its debts, raised well over $2 million and stockpiled more than $700,000 for the fall, soon to be augmented by fundraisers with two of the party’s top draws: House Speaker John Boehner and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker . . .
“While control of either house in Springfield is not expected to change, at stake is the GOP House majority in Congress and the state party’s overall strength heading into the 2014 gubernatorial race.”
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It’s too early for this to hold much significance, but at this juncture I’ll put my money on Radogno.
Women Problem
Meme of the convention so far.
Conventional Wisdom
Be the millionth pundit to explain how Mitt Romney has to portray himself in a certain way for unsuspecting undecided voters – like a human with a plan – and you get a raise and a promotion!
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There’s never an egg-timer around when you need one.
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Always about image, never about reality.
Elite Reporters Cover Nothing
“[T]he 15,000 journalists assembled here from around the world have found themselves without a real story,” the Daily Beast writes.
God forbid they dig into welfare reform.
Best Convention Coverage
Here.
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Swag Jags
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Comments welcome.
Posted on August 28, 2012