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Democracy is dead in Illinois as one-party control grows

By William O. Lipinski

The midterm elections are just around the corner, so I thought it was time for me to say were I think things stand at the present.

In Illinois, I can’t see where the republicans win a single statewide office.

The Illinois Republican party almost doesn’t exist anymore. The party of big Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar, and George Ryan is gone from the Prairie State.

If you don’t have money and you don’t have the news media on your side, winning elections is just about impossible, and that is where the GOP finds itself in the Land of Lincoln.

Gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey and his wife

In the last few days, I spoke to three individuals, that I know to be strong Republican voters.

Only one of the three, knew the name of the Republican candidate for governor and he was not voting for him.

The other two, at the present time, didn’t know if they were voting in the midterm elections.

I am afraid democracy is dead in Illinois, the citizens have no real Choice.

Now, let’s take a look at the rest of the country where the Republicans are alive.

Before the supreme court decision on abortion, many pundits we’re predicting the Republicans capturing the House and senate by wide margins,

A few said the house would see the GOP picking up 40 to 50 seats, and the senate going GOP by a margin of 54 to 46.

I never saw it being that strong for the Republican party.

I was thinking of the GOP picking up 35 seats in the house and winning the senate with a margin of 52 t0 48.

My thinking was the Midterm Elections are historically bad for the party in power, and this year the President was very unpopular.

But then all of that changed with the Supreme Court decision.

That gave many Democrats an emotional highly charged cause, and gave them the energy to work much harder in behalf of the Democratic party this year.

Then President Biden with some assistance from the Republicans, passed a number of pieces of legislation, that the news media presented as great achievements.

These two things started the Democrats on a successful roll that was reflected In much better numbers in numerous polls across the country.

The Democrats and a number of liberal political pundits started talking that the democrats would keep control of the house and pick up four to five Senate seats.

But the further we receded from the supreme court decision, the more older issues returned in polling results.

Inflation became number one, crime became number two and the overall economy number three. In many polls abortion has fallen to fourth fifth and in some cases to sixth.

With these poll results the Republicans started a comeback, that is continuing.

Once again pollsters are saying Republicans will pick up 25 to 30’s seats in the house and perhaps get to 52 in the Senate.

I think a more realistic figure for the house would be 27 seats and in the Senate the democrats would have 52 seats.

Remember the republicans are defending twenty-one senate seats and the Democrats only fourteen seats in this midterm election, a much easier challenge, for the Democrats.

Also, the Republicans are burdened with certain Trump supported candidates who defeated better regular republican candidates in the primary.

So, at the present time I can’t see the Republicans getting to more than forty-eight seats in the Senate.

(Visit www.BillLipinski.com to read more of Bill’s opinions. Email him with your comments at [email protected].)

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William Lipinski

William Oliver Lipinski is a former U.S. Representative from the State of Illinois. He served as the Democratic Committeeman from the Chicago 23rd Ward from 1975 and as Alderman of the Ward until he was elected to the Congress in 1982.

Lipinski writes the "Right from the Middle" Column twice each month.

Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill and graduated fromSt. Patrick High School, Chicago, Ill., 1956; attended Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, 1956-1957; United States Army Reserves, 1961-1967.

Lipinski was elected alderman, Chicago, Ill., city council, 1975-1982; He was a delegate to: the Democratic National Midterm Convention, 1974; Democratic National Convention, 1976 and 1984; Illinois state Democratic convention, 1977.

He was elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-eighth and to the ten succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1983-January 3, 2005)

His email is [email protected]

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