Where does the IL-GOP go from here

By: Robert Cruz

On Election morning North America witnessed a lunar eclipse, an event that comes every 3/4 years which turns the moon red. A symbol of perhaps the upcoming midterm elections? Now a week later we find out not so much. What happened? How did we get it so wrong when all the signs were there for a GOP landslide in Congress? It is time to face some hard truths about the party of Lincoln and Regan here in IL. On June 4th 1919 the 19th amendment was enshrined in congress, GOP had a MAJOR impact in that amendment passing. Ironically that is where modern day challenges for the GOP begin.

According to a CNN Exit poll Exit polls for Midterm Election Results 2022 | CNN Politics in the Midwest women are voting Democrat 53% to 46% Republican. In urban areas it's 64% Democratic to 35% Republican and in the suburbs it's 52% Democratic to 47% Republican. When you dig a little deeper, married women vote Republican 56% to 42% Democrat, while single women voted 68% Democrat to 31% Republican. Why are so many women voting this way? The natural thing most conservatives would say is “They are baby killers” or “they don’t want to take responsibility for their actions”. What if I told you that they don’t want government overreach in their medical decisions or mandated medical practices? How would that make you feel? Government overreach seems to be the norm these days. Where is government overreach acceptable or when is it not? Shouldn't it NEVER be acceptable as we live in a free democratic republic that protects its citizens from such overreach? For the record I am a person who would always CHOOSE LIFE, but more now than ever should the government be able to deny any citizen a choice? Is there a separation here that we are missing in the Republican Party? Lastly, does it have to mean someone would choose abortion if we they were offered a choice instead of a mandate?

This poll has some interesting anomalies associated with it which makes this perspective that much more intriguing. First, 40% of the people identified as Democrat and voted 96% that way (net 93% Dem). 34% Identified as Republicans and voted 96% that way (net 93% Rep) shocker right? But the remaining 26% identified as Independent and voted 54% Dem to 42% Republican, that is a 12 point swing when the leading issues facing Americans per this poll was inflation/economy. 82% of all women surveyed said their life is worse or the same as 2 years ago yet the Democrats hold the Senate and win multiple majorities in states across the Midwest? This issue is standing in the way of our party from removing the cashless bail provisions set to begin January 1, 2023. The ever growing inflation and rising costs we see on a daily basis and failing education standards that lower our home values in the process. Where do we go from here? My suggestion is we draft our message around medical freedom for all Americans without government mandates. No taxpayer money for personal medical choices not covered by insurance. This won’t be popular amongst Republicans on the far right I know, but you have to ask yourself what you're willing to compromise in the voting booth to achieve a government that has the safety, economic interest and educational interest of its people as the priority. Right now we have none of that here in IL