Text f: Politics

CHICAGO — Illinois has been known for choosing Republicans of a moderate brand, in the mold of James R. Thompson, the state’s longest serving governor, or Mark Steven Kirk, the United States senator elected in 2010. So for Mitt Romney, who has had to defend himself against the moderate label elsewhere, a primary here — with its large prize of delegates and the symbolism of President Obama’s backyard — would seem a welcome, natural fit. And yet, while Mr. Romney has a crucial strategic advantage for gaining delegates on Tuesday and an overwhelming list of establishment Republicans on his side, Illinois is not shaping up to be the effortless romp some had presumed. A Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll showed Mr. Romney ahead of Rick Santorum, but only by 4 percentage points, within the margin of sampling error.

Mr. Romney swept through the state on Sunday from Moline, on the western edge, to the Chicago suburbs before spending the night in Springfield. He has placed enough importance on Illinois to spend four days here leading up to the primary.

He and his allies are also greatly outspending his rivals, with one voter reporting receiving three recorded calls from Romney forces in a single day. Mr. Santorum spent Saturday in the state and will return Monday for a full day of campaigning.

Some Republicans say this state’s political inclinations are simply shifting, giving a more conservative bloc a far louder voice and leaving them wondering whether that old Illinois stalwart, the middle-of-the-road Republican, is obsolete. […]

“Mitt Romney is a sound individual and a good businessman, but from a sheer lovability or enthusiasm standpoint, he’s not the world’s most gregarious guy,” said Kirk Dillard, a longtime Republican state senator who has not committed to any particular candidate as he did in other years, like 2008, when he ran as a delegate for Senator John McCain. “That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with that. Maybe that’s what we need right now.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/us/politics/moderate-republicans-losing-ground-in-illinois.html?ref=politics (19 March 2012)

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