By Nancy Thorner, Opinion Contributor
The Republican Assembly of Lake County (RALC) held it’s January meeting on Thursday, January 19, 2023, at the Republican Headquarters, and the guest speaker was Illinois Republican national committeewoman Demetra Demonte.
And during the speech, Demonte was honest about the midterm elections saying,
“I was terribly disappointed with the results of the midterms. The red wave, which we were led to believe was inevitable, never materialized. We won the House, but only by the smallest of margins. We did not pick up the Senate and lost the Senate run off. We picked up one governor’s mansion, but lost two others, as well as losing four state legislative chambers. All in all it was a bad showing for Republicans.”
Demetra then cited what she thought contributed to the dismal results for Republicans, not only here in Illinois, but around the country.
The abortion issue loomed large
Demetra blamed Republican messaging or lack of it. As Demeta explained,
“Prior to the overturning of the Roe decision, Republican numbers were steadily improving, but once the decision was released the entire ballgame changed. Democrats came out swinging, and they never let up, with their constant, unending drumbeat that Republicans were intent on abolishing the right to any and every abortion, which was a lie.
Instead of pushing back, Republicans walked away from the issue, even ignored the issue, enabling Democrats to convince voters we were the extremists. As for consultants throughout the country, they assured Republican candidates that voters were concerned with the economy, inflation, gas prices, crime, and the border and not to talk about abortion because it was not an important issue.”
Although many of us knew better and tried to convince top national leadership to change their losing strategy and attack the issue head on, consultants knew better.
The abortion issue was a gift to the Democrats in winning the votes, especially of suburban women. “Democrats spent $390 million dollars on the abortion issue, even usurping the word freedom for use with the newest strategically brilliant, but diabolical catchword phrase, ‘Reproductive Freedom.'”
Demetra also clarified during her speech, what she thought “freedom” meant.
“Freedom always meant one’s own freedom, not taking away the life of another.”
Other reasons cited for the Republican midterm disaster
1. Democrats massively outspent Republicans in many important races.
“Pritzker and other millionaires and billionaires around the country poured their unending money into the races. It was virtually impossible to compete with them, especially here in Illinois where we were hugely outspent.”
2. Election fraud, especially regarding mail in ballots, offers massive opportunities for cheating made worse by dirty voter rolls.
3. Biden’s promise of college loan forgiveness. Younger voters, who don’t typically show up much in midterm elections, voted believing Biden’s promise.
4. Talk of the “red wave” right before the midterm election probably sent Democrats to the polls, keeping many Republican voters home.
5. And what is the same old story that “Democrats unite, circle the wagon to save one of their own, while we are fractured, and wound and eat our own.”
We must remember Reagan’s 11th commandment,
“Thou shalt not speak of another Republican.”
Where do we go from here?
Demonte suggested that she and all of us should do all we can to help achieve Republican victories in the future.
“What we must do now is modernize our messaging by making it fresh and positive, proactive instead of reactive, with a message that speaks to the grassroots.”
This message, according to Demetra, is to focus on mail in ballots. Like Democrats, who are masters at ballot harvesting, we must learn how to ballot harvest like Democrats, which is legal to do.
Demonte’s active role as Republican National Committeewoman
1. A few weeks ago Demonte contacted the chairman of the RNC and every one of 168 RNC members recommending the RNC launch an important project to clean up voter rolls nationwide, saying,
“As indicated by federal law, The Help America Vote Act, requires state officials to regularly purge voter rolls. As many Democrat election officials refuse to do this, and Democrat lawyers oppose any such efforts, the RNC could fill the gap by forcing the purging of voter rolls throughout the country.”
2. Recently Demetra was asked to join the newly formed RNC member-led working group to conduct an after-action review of the 2022 midterms to evaluate successes and areas of necessary improvement for the Republican Party.
3. In addition to serving as the leader of the Midwest Region of the RNC, Demetra also serves on the Presidential Debate Committee.
And the first Republican primary debate will be held in Milwaukee this Summer.
Because Demetra is term limited, she will be leaving her position in July of 2024.
