The Republican dilemma in Cook County WHAT'S in a name in Republican politics in Cook County? Mention Thompson, Percy or Scott to Republican voters in Cook County, and recognition lights up their pupils and hands get ready to pull the levers on voting machines. But then put forth Woods, Hayter, Clarke and Mulack to those same citizens in Cook County, and blank stares appear, lethargy envelops their thought processes and inertia interdicts their electoral activity. Big Jim Thompson, Chuck Percy and Bill Scott are Republican Knights Templar who are fighting the good fight of sound Republicanism — propounding basic American principles, dedicated to reducing governmental activities, promoting efficiency, barring tax increases and collaborating with like-minded Democratic officeholders who share some of the same objectives. This trio of Republicans who head the state ticket are charismatic, personable, well-known and blessed with an abundance of funds as they wend their way on the campaign trail, attempting to persuade the voters to return them to their respective offices of governor, U.S. senator and Illinois attorney general. And then there are the country cousins from the boondocks of Chicago's suburban county hinterland. Republican county candidates Joseph Woods, Virginia Hayter, Terrell Clarke and Donald Mulack are attempting to unseat the Democratic Cook County machine-sponsored incumbents of the offices of Cook County board president, clerk, treasurer and sheriff. These Republican aspirants are unknown to the voters, unheralded in the media and unaided by their well-coffered fellow Republican state leaders. Since most of the available campaign contributions to the Republican ticket have been siphoned off by Thompson, Percy and Scott, the Republican candidates for Cook County office have practically no access to the media to inform the unknowing voters of their availability for public office. They are thus reduced to a campaign of appearances at Republican rallies where there is no media coverage unless one of the big three Republican statewide candidates appears, and condemned to be ignored by the media even then, since Thompson, Percy or Scott will make the 10 o'clock television news or the morning edition of the Chicago Tribune or Sun- Times. Without access to campaign funds or the media, the Republican Cook County candidates can only reach the voters in Chicago and the suburbs through whatever Republican organizations that exist in those two parts of the county. But there is no Republican organization in Chicago. Of the city's 50 wards, not more than four or five have legitimate, functioning Republican ward organizations which man the precincts, hold rallies, distribute literature, service constituents and perform the other substantive tasks of an effective political campaign. There is a Republican vote in Chicago, but it is not brought out by the Republican organization. It is a vote which is partially a protest against the Democratic machine and partially responsive to the personal and media appeal of individual Republican candidates. Popular, well-financed Republican candidates like Thompson, Percy and Scott are beneficiaries of the anti-machine vote in Chicago and of the impact they can make on those voters in Chicago who respond to a well-designed media appeal. But unknown, underfinanced Republican Cook County candidates, such as the current county ticket, cannot avail themselves of either the anti-machine vote or the media responsive electorate. They are vulnerable to the disciplined Democratic machine precinct captains and ward committeemen whose major objective in an election is to carry the local officeholders who control and dispense the perquisites of politics which are most essential to their interests. As for the suburban area of Cook County, while there are somewhat more responsible Republican organizations, they are nowhere near as effective as the Democratic machine is in the city. And the suburban electorate, both Republican and Democratic, as well as Independent, is much more responsive to media appeal by well-known, well-financed candidates in either party. Since the Democratic county candidates are better known incumbents and can raise adequate campaign funds for a decent media appeal, they can normally neutralize the Republican appeal in the suburbs sufficiently, carry the city massively and win reelection easily. This situation might possibly be altered if well-financed, popular, statewide Republican candidates were to share their largesse and concentrate on helping the local county ticket. But since, as former Republican County Chairman Tim Sheehan, one of the ablest Republican politicians on the local scene points out, "When we elect people to high office, they don't bother to build the party, but rather concentrate on their own careers." Cook County Republican candidates are normally sacrificial lambs who are cast adrift to fend for themselves in election years. Occasionally, a well-financed, well-known Republican candidate like Dick Ogilvie or State's Attorney Bernard Carey can break through this combination of factors. But, with the possible exception of the Republican candidate for sheriff of Cook County, Donald Mulack, it will not happen this year.
34/November 1978/Illinois Issues
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