How the GOP can take back Illinois

That's just the beat of time-the beat that must go on
If you been trying for years-then we already heard your song
The Clash, "Death or Glory," 1979

Although none of them were Ronald Reagan conservatives, from 1977 until 2003, Illinois' governor's mansion was occupied by Republicans. Illinois' state senate was contolled by the Republican Party as late as that same year.

How do we take back the state?

One way is to not find candidates with leadership skills--but no political experience. Someone like Greg Ballard who pulled off one of the biggest political upsets ever by unseating two term Democratic incumbent Bart Peterson in the Indianapolis mayoral race. Ballard was outspent 30-1 by Peterson, but still came out on top.

From the Louisville Courier-Journal, with a hat tip to Bill Baar at Illinoize.

Ballard, a 52-year-old retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, capitalized on public discontent over property tax increases, a hike this year in the Marion County income tax and the city’s crime rate.

"I've got more experience than most mayors going in based on my Marine Corps experience, my corporate experience and small business experience," Ballard said today. "I study leadership all the time, and so I have no problems at all leading this city."

From a later Courier-Journal article:

City-County Councilman Robert Lutz, a Republican, said Ballard isn't "beholden to anyone or to any law firm that lined his pocket" in the campaign.

"He's an independent guy," Lutz said. "I don't know what he's going to do. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if he made some decisions that won't make the powers that be happy, on either side of the aisle."

Only one Indianapolis law firm held a fund-raiser for Ballard--no one thought the incumbent would lose.

Oh, and the Republican Party won control of the Indianapolis City Council too.

Illinois has twice the population of the Hoosier State, so there has to be a couple of Ballard-types here. Looking to the business world--many Fortune 500 companies are headquartered here--makes sense, but it would be have to be someone who didn't have a toe in Illinois' sleazy politics. That's why Ron Gidwitz, CEO of Helene Curtis, went nowhere with his 2006 gubernatorial campaign. As for Jim Oberweis of Oberweis Dairy, well Jim, you're a political gadfly.

But maybe a corporate leader isn't the answer. After all, Ballard was just a colonel.

Besides the tax and crime concerns of Indianapolis voters, one of the reasons Ballard pulled off a surprise win was that he a man with proven leadership skills--but he wasn't a professional politician. His inexperience became an asset.

Illinois is being run by professional politicians right now. Everything is going great, isn't it?

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