Illinois Grassroots To Begin An Alternate Illinois GOP After Devastating Losses
Illinois Grassroots To Begin An Alternate Illinois GOP After Devastating Losses
Lack of leadership from the Illinois GOP
April 6, 2023
Val Ojeda, Writer
Op-ed
Once again, Illinois politics never ceases to amaze me. This is also nationwide. Though I can discuss politics covering multiple states, let us discuss the victories that the Democratic machine is celebrating this past election day.
On Tuesday, they not only defeated us at the polls, but they gained more power in government.
On Tuesday they:
1. Arrested a REPUBLICAN President.
2. Democrats won 80% of Illinois school, municipal and other races.
3. Wiped out the entire Republican slates.
4. Celebrated low Republican voter turnout.
5. Placed a socialist, anti-Police Mayor in Office in Chicago.
6. Won the majority in the Wisconsin Supreme Court
They also celebrated electing the first TRANS person, yes, a man in a dress, to the Crete library Board south of Chicago to further bring confusion to our kids there.
After these losses, us Republicans have become a laughingstock.
How did this happen? Well, I predicted these losses in January. As a strategist, you know which way the wind blows. In this case, it went to the Democrats.
When you have worked enough political campaigns, you identify faults. It's called a root cause analysis. I identified these factors along the way and yelled from the hills, but no one would listen.
After yesterday's losses, Republicans are demanding answers. They are upset and confused. Most importantly, they are enraged. Not understanding why after three years of COVID-19 restrictions and shutdowns? The forced vaccinations. The flight of the family members to out of state that we never got out the vote.
Case in point. The mother's, the “Mama Bears' ' as they are called. After three years of rallies and an online social media presence with hundreds of groups, why did they fail to come out to vote to support candidates that are in line with their political beliefs? I'm not damning them, as a matter of fact, I have the utmost respect for them and I praised them, and they have my support.
But they failed to show the numbers promised.
Now the “Mama Bears” are presently blaming the men. Next everyone is blaming the Illinois GOP and the leadership of Don Tracy.
I agree. The Party is ineffective. The Democrats are perfectly happy with the leadership we have now, especially when one of their own, a Democrat, is the Party Chair, Don Tracy.
The Board made a mistake of electing not only a Democrat, but one with no skills to do the job. Would you hire a mechanic to do open-heart surgery? Or a housekeeper to defend a murder case in court.
You see, Tracy is unfit to lead because he does not have the skill set to win races. Instead, you need a strategist. The Chicago Bears hired Mike Dikta, a former football player who knew the game, to become coach. Later, he won the Super Bowl for the greatest team ever in that special period of time.
However, like a coach, if you don't deliver wins, you get your ass fired. Like Tracy needs to be!
The committee said he was voted in because he's a millionaire and he could hustle donations for the party. Just two million in two years. That's all he raised meanwhile the Dems raised 170 million. It's time to fire the coach!
So we had these losses. No one delivered. Now who's at fault?
Who should we really be blaming?
We should blame ourselves.
A case in point is voter turnout. In North Aurora, an election judge reported only 100 votes in four precincts. That's all day until the polls closed. Why did people stay home and not vote?
In the metro Chicago land collar counties, they had an average of only 20% of voters turn out. Only 15% in Will County.
Though there was a poor voter turnout, and we were drafted in most races, the GOP did score some wins.
Popular Republican and Joliet business executive and philanthropist Terry D'Arcy of D'Arcy Motors defeated Bob O'Dekirk by a wide margin in the Joliet mayor's race, with all of Will and Kendall County precincts reporting.
In that same county, Will, it was bad for Homer Glen.
The candidates part of the Democratic Integrity for Homer Glen slate won the race for Homer Glen Mayor, Village Trustee's and Village Clerk, wiping out the entire Republican slate of Homer Forward, including an incumbent. In reality, it was Homer Backward.
Also, this included the Homer library board. It went to the Democrats.
The Dems in the race ran as Republicans because that is a Conservative area. The Republicans chose to hide their identity and were identified as Democrats. Constantly under attack with political oppo they refused to fight back fearing retaliation?
This is a perfect case of ineffective strategy and complacency. While the Dems were campaigning, the King was shopping for new clothes, in this case, the Republican slate, or I kid, you not, the “Fantastic Four” as they identified, themselves making themselves out to be characters instead of candidates.
So, Homer Glen was a loss, but Naperville was a win.
Republican Scott Wehrli, a former Police officer, defeated Democrat Benny White 53% of the vote or 15,634 votes. Benny White had 45% or 13,265 votes.
White was a spokesperson for Black Lives Matter that led to the riots in Naperville.
A city council member, they also exposed him for not paying his taxes on his Naperville.
Springfield, our Capitol, has a Republican Mayor now.
Two-term mayor Jim Langfelder conceded Tuesday night following an unsuccessful bid for a third term as the city's top official.
The concession means that Republican City Treasurer Misty Buscher will be just the second woman elected mayor of Springfield. With all precincts reporting, Buscher defeated Langfelder by 772 votes, getting 51.5% of the vote to Langfelder's 48.5%.
Buscher was first elected city treasurer in 2015, the same year Langfelder was elected mayor. Buscher appeared at a rally for then-candidate Donald Trump and identified as a Republican. Eight years later, the county Republicans endorsed her against Langfelder in what turned out to be a successful attempt to dethrone him.
In Orland Park, things didn't go so well for former Congressional Candidate and Mayor Kieth Pekau.
His proposed referendum to give him more power as a mayoral control government versus a city manager was soundly defeated. The voters were exposed to his actions during the campaign. Desperate for power, he mobilized RINO “leaders” in the party to attack any Republicans who opposed his reach for power.
In one such move, Dan Proft, or should I say PROFIT and his publication, attacked Scott Kasper in a front publication known only for its attacks. The liberal media exposed his publications that are known not only to oppose Democrats, but also Republicans.
Kasper was attacked because he, on behalf of most grassroots Conservatives, did not support Pekau's initiative. For transparency reasons, we will disclose they were opponents in the 6th District Congressional primary. Kasper lost in the primary.
In the Profit publication they were amused that Kaper lost, but so did Pekau in the general against a weak Democrat, Sean Casten. As a matter of fact, a former candidate consulting Pekau and that also attacked Kasper lost that same race in 2020. Now that's really amusing!
Orland Park voted YES: 6,383 to keep the Village Manager to Pekau's NO: 3,318
Also, voters rejected Pekau’s slate of endorsed candidates, losing 9 out of 10 races as a testimony proving that an overwhelming majority of Orland Park residents rejected Pekau himself and anyone associated with this two - time loser to elections.
After this sounding defeat, you shouldn't expect Pekau to run for reelection for Mayor, let alone a greater seat like Congress. After this fiasco, his reputation is shot amongst his constituents and because of his attacks on a Trump supporting patriot like Kasper enraging the masses supporting him, including myself.
It's best he retired into a Democrat RINO senior community somewhere.
The GOP lost the Supreme Court race in Wisconsin. Of course.....
A democratic-backed Milwaukee judge won the high stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court race Tuesday, ensuring liberals will take over majority control of the court for the first time in 15 years, with the fate of the state’s abortion ban on the line.
CONSERVATIVE Wisconsin just became another Illinois!
Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz won the hotly contested race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court defeating former state Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly. Spending in the campaign shattered the previous national record for a state supreme court election.
The win by Protasiewicz comes at a pivotal time for the court, and for the Democratic voters who carried her to office. Justices are all but certain to hear a challenge to Wisconsin's pre-Civil War abortion ban, and with a liberal majority, they're likely to consider a lawsuit that could overturn Wisconsin's Republican-drawn legislative maps.
Gov. Pritzker became involved in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Pritzker contributed $1 million to the state party and $20,000 directly to Janet Protasiewicz…
Once again our Governor is buying Supreme Court Justices!
This race was one of the most observed elections in the nation and yet bad strategy delivered us a loss.
You want to know why Republicans lost? Poor strategy.
Political strategy.
Here is an example. The race for Chicago Mayor between Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson.
Into the runoffs, I predicted Johnson would win hands down. I supported neither candidates because they are die hard liberals. But I observed and monitored.
Paul Vallas had a lot to bring to the table as a well-known figure compared to the unknown Johnson, a commissioner on the Cook County Board.
Vallas raised double the amount Johnson raised. Vallas raised 20 million to Johnson's 10 million.
In a campaign knowledge can make or break you. That's why you hire a consultant that's been around the block to help you avoid tragic and losing mistakes like Vallas made?
14 of the top BLACK leaders in Chicago backed and endorsed Paul Vallas. Vallas thought he won already. No need to really campaign anymore.
Willie Wilson and Bobby Rush were the headliners.
No one was paying attention to them supporting a white man.
Once again, allow me to explain this to you as a political consultant….
ENDORSEMENTS mean nothing. Zero!
Candidates scramble for endorsements for nothing.
Vallas was endorsed by the Chicago Police Union. Ok, so Vallas has the Cops, all 11,000 of them and their families. So, that's about 50,000. Why didn't the union mobilize half of the 50,000 “Blue” Cops and supporters to knock on doors every day? Even half the Cops, that's 6,500. Nothing.....
Socialist POS Brandon won by strategic skill. His campaign manager was good. He kept BJ out of the limelight, yet their ground game was on set. The Chicago Teachers Union, ever so militant, organized 20,000 volunteers knocking on doors. Bernie Sanders bussed in another 3,000 from Indiana and Wisconsin.
On weekends, these socialists hit a half a million homes and handing out Brandon literature outside businesses.
In politics, it takes hard work, not being a pretty face. Vallas never embraced the blacks until the end. Remember, 90% of his campaigning was to the Police. That didn't work out for McCarthy when he ran for Mayor.
Then Vallas and his non-stop attacks on Brandon, especially the light bill fiasco. When that attack came out, he handed Brandon the victory. A WHITE man attacking and embarrassing a BLACK man over an unpaid bill. He enraged the black community, like the colonists to King George.
Johnson campaigned to Blacks, his entire campaign, the largest voting bloc in the city.
All the money Vallas had in the world, and he couldn't hire himself as a real strategist to deliver him a win. He was unrelatable and unsellable unless you were a Cop or White, and unfortunately in Chicago, that's not the biggest voting bloc.
In 2014 Bruce Rauner a white man, won Chicago. It's not impossible. It's a pure strategy, which Vallas had none of. Just a smart guy in a $3,000 suit.
Now Chicago is left with a BJ with no happy ending!
Now, because of Vallas's ineffective losing strategy, Chicago was left with a Mayor worse than Lori Lightfoot.
The real Mayor of Chicago is CTU, not Brandon, though.
Expect this from his administration:
1. 15% wage increase for teachers and administrators.
2. Pensions for short-term employees and contractors.
3. Public funded specialty schools and academies will close.
4. No School resource officers.
5. A socialist and woke agenda taught to students.
6. Patronage hiring. Cronyism and nepotism.
7. Forced hiring of unqualified low IQ students to city jobs.
8. Pending pension collapse that will create a domino effect on other publicly funded pensions in Illinois.
9. The Police will never have a better contract. Instead, they will be under more of a microscope. Expect more departmental charges and CR's. More terminations for petty violations.
And number 10. On our list......... TAXES!!!
Expect a 10% tax hike of what you are paying now to start. Someone has to pay for all these new PT CTU administrators, advisors, lobbyists and teachers raises!
So, the liberals took the claim from Chicago. They won school Boards and other local races by 80%. So, looking at this, how did they win?
First, they were unified. They are one party and know how to circle the wagons. They raise money. A lot of money and share it with each other. They work with each other. They help each other. One thing they have in common is their hatred for Trump, and you saw how they had him arrested. In Michigan for the race to the Supreme Court they didn't steal that race, they won it fair and square.
So, how can they continue to beat us? They conquered the midterms and now the consolidated races.
After Tuesday's defeat, many Republicans threw up their hands and gave up. I say they gave up after the 2021 election.
Allow me to explain.
After the steal of the Presidential election, it all came out. An organized conspiracy to hijack the presidency. They succeeded in doing so.
They hacked and manipulated Dominion and other voting machines. Furthermore, they harvested ballots. They recycled ballots. They dumped Republican ballots into the trash. They obstructed election judges and other observers. Counts were manipulated. I can continue.
Next we were left with Biden, who deserves to be in a nursing home instead of the White House.
A month before the election, Biden's rallies comprised 50 people and Trump had 3 rallies a day with 30,000 a piece? Something was off.
Biden won with 80 million votes to Trump's 75 million. That means Biden had more votes than even Barack Obama. Impossible. No wonder Republicans became frustrated with the election system.
The day after Biden's inauguration, the RINOs stepped in to gain control of the party that Trump was the leader of. When that happened, the fire died out and MAGA was becoming a forgotten memory.
Trump continued to fight, though.
He fought against election fraud and exposed the deeper state, including the same Republicans who supported his impeachment publicly and silently.......
One by one, the traitors revealed themselves like a scene from the GodFather.
John Bolton, Jim Mattis, Niki Haley, even his Vice President Trump.
When Trump was at his lowest and the walls crumbled around him, including the multiple criminal investigations stacked against him, he fought back. For two years he traveled the country inspiring others and working to get Congressman and senators elected. He helped get Governor's in office, including members of state general assemblies. Then, in November 2022, he announced he was running again for President.
Then he got busted. Of course, it was going to happen. The Dems feared him. They attempted to obstruct a presidential election.
So, Trump had to decide at 77 years old. Retreat and drop out to enjoy the rest of his years in retirement with his beautiful wife and family, or continue to fight and face more criminal persecutions.
He fought!
As Republicans, I tell you this. Your fight is not over. It's not about the size of the dog in a fight, it's about the size of the fight in a dog. Yes, I agree life is not fair because I've taken my hits. And I have some stories. But like Trump, I continued the fight because people depended on me.
The future of this country lays upon your shoulders. It's about our children. What are we to leave them because of our weakness? Debt? An increase in crime and a broken economy?
Tuesday you had a chance to make that difference with your vote, but 80% of us stayed home. That was a slap in the face to every candidate that worked hard to represent you.
I know a candidate that the last two months she was surviving on Ramen noodles to win. That's dedication. One night she was putting up signs and ran out of gas doing so and had to walk five miles home because she had no money. On top of this, she cared for an elderly sick neighbor that the family forgot. When the health care provider went home, she helped care for this woman including making her meals on top of working her full-time job.
She never quit. She was grateful for her life and what she had. Her goal was to serve. Especially her community.
I took her on as a client and did the opposite. Instead of charging her consulting fees I donated to her campaign. Anything beyond that she refused even gas money.
After all that work something strange happened…..she won!
You don't need money to win a race. She had none. As you have seen with the Vallas race, even the Dems defeated a wealthy candidate.
Trump beat Hillary Clinton's billion dollar race with half. I can go on with other races as examples, but yes, it can be done.
What's most important to winning races is dedication. Loyalty and hard work.
We enter the next round of races for 2024 and what can be done.
Are we to lie down our weapons and surrender to the enemy in the middle of a battle and lose the war? After Tuesday's losses, I heard of upset voters and even candidates discussing moving out of Illinois out of frustration. I get it.
We cannot give up. We will continue to fight.
Starting today, solutions are in motion to make changes in the Republican Party. When I say the Republican Party, I don't mean the Illinois GOP, and it's ineffective central committee and inept Chairman who couldn't campaign their way out of a wet paper bag.
As I type this, grassroots organizations are coming together to create a central body of grassroots Republican conservatives to organize outside the Illinois GOP.
They had plenty of chances to step up and correct their mistakes, but the gloves came off after these latest election losses. Onward, we will organize on our own.
This is our plan.
It begins with uniting our grassroots organizations since the central party system does not work and is ineffective. Just look at the GOP chairs in Cook, Dupage, Will, and Grundy counties alone. Worthless. These lazy chairs helped deliver wins to the Democrats. They failed to produce. They failed to assist candidates, and they failed themselves as individuals. Worthless.
As an example, I'm calling out the Grundy County Republican Central Committee because get this, you can only attend their meetings by appointment and approval only? We are trying to build the party now, we are vetting conservatives. If they are doing this, no wonder candidates are being scared away unless your name is former Rep. Welter or Adam Kinzinger, who the Grundy GOP placed in office. Both are RINOs, and we're excommunicated from the party in shame. The second they left office, the chairman there resigned because they were his sweet potatoes. He lost his meal ticket!
Don't let me start with the other three counties. As a matter of fact, they are worse.
We are trimming off the fat, and there is a lot. The party will win races again as we will set a policy to assist and promote grassroots Republicans. Not the moderate RINOs that wanted us to embrace abortion to win races. Let's start with the Illinois GOP leadership.
Here are the bylaws they REFUSE to provide to you because they know they can be expelled!
What strategy is that?
20% voter turnout means we need more Republican votes, not killing more babies to get in office!
We have the playbook, now. We are going to score some wins. We are going to recruit and not vet out Republicans because they are identified as “extremists”?
This is not who we are. Our Republican President Lincoln went to war to defend individual rights. So, who are we to be prejudiced against one because they supported Darren Bailey, the NOMINEE for Illinois Governor?
We will fight election interference. We are cleaning up the voter rolls, which the GOP refused to do. Furthermore, we are going to provide training and help to volunteers, PCs, candidates and conservative leaders.
Not only that, but we will provide a central clearinghouse for cyber. To build free websites. Social media. Text and email political marketing.
Most important, FREE VOTER DATA!
Next we will pool donors and endorsements, and we will create the largest voter registration drive in Illinois history, recruiting minorities that were shunned away by the old guard.
If one tells you Hispanics are NOT conservative Republican, let me tell you that the one typing this column is MEXICAN! The same goes to my black, Asian, Indian and Arab brothers and sisters.
Youth, seniors, and veterans will be our top priority!
You know how many seniors I took calls from seeking voting info and they cried on the phone abandoned by the GOP!
They want leadership, and we will lead them to the polls in 2024.
Finally we need something the GOP lacks….a striking ability. How many times have Republicans been attacked in mailers, on social media, text blasts, emails and robo calls.
Most candidates and their families are dragged through the gutter. And all Republicans lay there like a gazelle caught by a lion ready to be eaten.
In the military there is a concept the President has at his disposal. The United States Marines. They are the nation's striking force. After they attack or defend, the Army comes in later to occupy.
That's what the Illinois GOP is…..an occupying force with no striking ability. We need to fight back to win races.
Great things are on the way soon!
If you want to be a part of this great endeavor, call me direct:
708-437-1728
or sign up at this link to help be a part of this great endeavor to restore and rebuild our party!
https://form.jotform.com/230963961823160
Either get on the train or get left at the train station because we are moving forward to save our party, state and great nation.
©️Val Ojeda is a Republican Author, Media Personality, Strategist and Consultant. Ojeda manages federal political campaigns also serving as President Trump's Hispanic Coalition Leader. Ojeda is also a businessman, entrepreneur and the founder of FAMA a 501c3 Chamber of Commerce. Ojeda served as law enforcement Veteran Officer/Detective.
