Bush forces not conceding Illinois voters

[Judi Lynn]

Bush forces not conceding Illinois voters
State GOP sees turnaround from disastrous 2002 results

By Rick Pearson
Tribune political reporter
Published September 2, 2003

Illinois' move to the Democratic column in last year's election, as well as Al Gore's overwhelming victory here in 2000, would seem to make the state an unlikely campaign hangout for President Bush in his bid for re-election.

Bush will be in Chicago late this month for a fundraiser, but his top campaign strategists and the state's high-level Republicans insist Illinois represents much more to the president than just another stop on the campaign money trail. They argue that the state can be won if the GOP, which has been racked with scandal and dissension, is able to make a turnaround.

"I have been told that Illinois is in play and I have every reason to think that it is," said Robert Kjellander, the state's Republican national committeeman and the Bush re-election campaign director for Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Kjellander is a longtime friend of Bush's political guru Karl Rove. And Rove's 2000 campaign strategy for Bush displayed a certain amount of daring. In the closing weeks of the campaign, Bush traveled to and nearly won such traditionally Democratic strongholds as Minnesota in eking out an electoral-vote victory. (snip/...)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-0309020116sep02,1,2285221.story?coll=chi-news-hed

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[Best_man23]

1. No Way Dumbya wins Illinois

The Land of Lincoln was one of the few states that Gore had a lead outside the margin of error in 2000. Many Chicagoans lost good paying IT jobs in the Bush eCONomy and will be eager to send him back to the ranch.

[laylah]

2. NO WAY

the :puke:s will win Illinois. Their slimey tactics have run this state into the ground....and although our new Gov promised to clean it up, THAT hasn't happened; however, what we have now is much better that what the state had for 2 plus decades.

[dusty64]

3. Should chimp even be

on the ballot? Aren't they violating election law by having their convention so late in order to milk more blood out of the 9/11 anniversary? Doesn't this disqualify them from being on the ballot in Illinois and several other states?

[jenk]

4. nader factor

"Kjellander is a longtime friend of Bush's political guru Karl Rove. And Rove's 2000 campaign strategy for Bush displayed a certain amount of daring. In the closing weeks of the campaign, Bush traveled to and nearly won such traditionally Democratic strongholds as Minnesota in eking out an electoral-vote victory."

nader is the only reason Minnesota was a squeeker, gore wasn't the type of candidate to get excited about anyway. Nader got 5.2%!

[goobergunch]

5. Bush won't win Illinois...

unless Diebold supplies the votes, which isn't likely at this point.

[veganwitch]

6. "racked with scandal and dissension"

from a repug administration!!!!!

bush might win illinois if chicago fall off the map, but i dont see that happening anytime soon.

[jenk]

7. Wisconsin is what I'm worried about

that might shift to Bush, but I think we'll take West Virginia and New Hampshire.

Illinois will be Dem by at least 8-10 points in 04.

[madrchsod]

8. the republicans

have to find some to run first. right now no one wants the job. thete atre a few who may have a chance to win but they`d have to go thru grover and karl`s purity test..i`m not sure even the republicans would vote for a far right thug here .the repub. strongholds are getting hit with layoffs and huge increases of taxes. farmers don`t like the trade deals..they can`t blame clinton anymore.