Those running conservative GOP campaigns find themselves in a strong national environment, but it is always difficult to start a campaign. Some challenges affect anyone, no matter the party or political ideology. There are particular issues, though, which affect only conservative candidates Illinois 2014.
Politics challenges anyone who feels the desire to run for office. There is always a petition process, requiring people to gather a certain number of names. Then there is fundraising, since running for office is expensive whether running a national or a local campaign. There are any number of campaigns that do not succeed because they are underfunded.
Among conservatives, fundraising is often a product of having deep support from the conservative community. It is important to be considered a real conservative, and to avoid the dreaded "RINO, " or "Republican In Name Only" label. The difficulty in avoiding that label is that conservatism is divided into several camps, and the fights between factions of the same family are often more intense than fights between strangers.
The paleoconservative or "paleocon" faction is old, but small in number. This faction, influential through "The American Conservative" and other online venues, emphasizes old-fashioned, traditional virtues perceived as threatened by everything from liberalism to modern life in general. This isn't just a small faction, but a faction that includes many people with racist views poisonous to a wider campaign even when they don't reflect those of the candidate.
Fringe views on race, or even guilt by association with others holding such views, are political poison for a candidate. This makes these candidates almost unelectable in a general election. The Tea Party, for instance, enjoyed great success as a Libertarian leaning group in the 2010 primaries, but much less so afterward once it became more Religious Right focused.
Religious Right ties can be popular, even necessary in many parts of Illinois, but they can be harmful in the urban and suburban centers of Springfield and Chicago. This group values traditional views on homosexuality and women's issues. On foreign policy their primary concern seems to be Israel, which it supports fiercely.
Though typically voting Republican on election day, Libertarians do have a party of their own. They value strict Constitutionalism, free enterprise, and personal liberty. At times it appears that only a passion for gun ownership rights keeps them within the GOP tent at all, and they increasingly act as a third party on Election Day. Their emphasis upon non-intrusive government often pits them against the Religious Right.
Mainstream "movement conservatives" are the backbone of the Republican Party, reflecting the ideology that came to power with the Goldwater nomination in 1964. They are the faction of Ronald Reagan and both George Bushes, as well as Fox News, the National Review, and most of Right talk radio. They inherited the anti-communist mantle and remain committed to American superpower status, including an unmatched military and global free markets.
The mainstream's international emphasis is distasteful to both Libertarians and paleo-conservatives. Anyone on the Right looking to build a base needs to juggle these camps. When it comes to fundraising, though, the mainstream is where the money is most readily available.
Politics challenges anyone who feels the desire to run for office. There is always a petition process, requiring people to gather a certain number of names. Then there is fundraising, since running for office is expensive whether running a national or a local campaign. There are any number of campaigns that do not succeed because they are underfunded.
Among conservatives, fundraising is often a product of having deep support from the conservative community. It is important to be considered a real conservative, and to avoid the dreaded "RINO, " or "Republican In Name Only" label. The difficulty in avoiding that label is that conservatism is divided into several camps, and the fights between factions of the same family are often more intense than fights between strangers.
The paleoconservative or "paleocon" faction is old, but small in number. This faction, influential through "The American Conservative" and other online venues, emphasizes old-fashioned, traditional virtues perceived as threatened by everything from liberalism to modern life in general. This isn't just a small faction, but a faction that includes many people with racist views poisonous to a wider campaign even when they don't reflect those of the candidate.
Fringe views on race, or even guilt by association with others holding such views, are political poison for a candidate. This makes these candidates almost unelectable in a general election. The Tea Party, for instance, enjoyed great success as a Libertarian leaning group in the 2010 primaries, but much less so afterward once it became more Religious Right focused.
Religious Right ties can be popular, even necessary in many parts of Illinois, but they can be harmful in the urban and suburban centers of Springfield and Chicago. This group values traditional views on homosexuality and women's issues. On foreign policy their primary concern seems to be Israel, which it supports fiercely.
Though typically voting Republican on election day, Libertarians do have a party of their own. They value strict Constitutionalism, free enterprise, and personal liberty. At times it appears that only a passion for gun ownership rights keeps them within the GOP tent at all, and they increasingly act as a third party on Election Day. Their emphasis upon non-intrusive government often pits them against the Religious Right.
Mainstream "movement conservatives" are the backbone of the Republican Party, reflecting the ideology that came to power with the Goldwater nomination in 1964. They are the faction of Ronald Reagan and both George Bushes, as well as Fox News, the National Review, and most of Right talk radio. They inherited the anti-communist mantle and remain committed to American superpower status, including an unmatched military and global free markets.
The mainstream's international emphasis is distasteful to both Libertarians and paleo-conservatives. Anyone on the Right looking to build a base needs to juggle these camps. When it comes to fundraising, though, the mainstream is where the money is most readily available.
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