Was Attack on Illinois Conservative GOP Base a Forerunner of National Effort to Shift Power in Republican Party?
Values Voters and Huckabee Get Endorsement of Dallas Morning News, But GOP Rift Widens Commentary by Daniel T. Zanoza, Executive Director If there is anyone who does not believe the Republican establishment wants to break up the values voters coalition of the Grand Old Party, they haven’t been watching what has been going on in recent years. As a resident of Illinois, the attack on the Republican Party’s pro-family base has been going on for nearly a decade. The situation in Illinois represents a microcosm of what is happening on a national level. In 2006, Illinois’ Republican establishment ran a liberal party stalwart for Governor. A conscious effort had been made by GOP movers and shakers to diminish the influence of values voters and the candidates they supported. Ultimately, Judy Baar Topinka, a pro-abortion, anti-gun candidate who favored special rights for homosexuals was the GOP’s nominee. Her candidacy went down in flames because the pro-family base of the Republican Party stay
