Everybody knows Chicago is a Democr...

Everybody knows Chicago is a Democratic town, yet you forget sometimes just for what reason bleak the landscape can be for Republicans.

Clarice Polok didn't forget. She just not at all knew.

Polok 59 is a offer in Republican Tony Peraica's campaign for color County Board president, spurred to activism on her distaste for how Democrats are trying to permit John Stroger's son, Todd, inherit the do job-work

There's a fate of that going around this year, in such a manner much so that many believe Peraica has a chance to accomplish something in November that others would make known you is almost mathematically impossible: to acquire elected to countywide office here as a Republican.

You might think this rare opportunity would have the Republican Party all geared up onward Peraica's behalf, but what Polok fix to her frustration is that there is no Republican Party in Chicago, at least not in the traditional reason of a campaign infrastructure available to work for a candidate.

Her first direction came when she tried to contact her Republican committeeman, the 48th Ward's Kurt Eckhardt, to behold how she could help Peraica. After trying unsuccessfully for month to reach Eckhardt, she eventually learned he had effectively mov to Florida to care for his somewhat old parents.

To fill the void, the Peraica campaign installed her as its 48th Ward coordinator. Afterward, Polok took it relating to herself to invite four other Republican committeemen from the Far North Side to confront at Peraica's new 50th Ward campaign office. She called them. She e- mailed them. Nobody answered

"Where are these people?" Polok complained to prepare for the table County GOP officials, who could barely try to explain the challenges of operating with ward committeemen who are frequently disengaged and sometimes traitorous.

"I was disappointed," explained Polok a businesswoman and longtime Sheridan Road condo resident. "I thinking they would be thrilled as business commonalty to get together. I fancy they could teach me something."

Instead, what they taught her is something Peraica already knew - - that he's practically forward his own in establishing a political organization to work forward his behalf.

Without the patronage rewards available until now to Democratic politicians and demoralized from decades of failure, the Republican Party apparatus in Chicago is as weak as it's through all ages been. There are Republican voter here -- maybe 25 percent of the electorate, with on a level more votes available to the right candidate in subordination to the right circumstances, as Peraica may be.

AN UPHILL FIGHT

nevertheless where Stroger will call immediately after the well-entrenched forces of the tamper with County Democratic Organization to bring without his vote, Peraica has to create everything from scratch.

As single of those who think Peraica has a chance, I'm not suggesting this is fatal to his chances. further it's a reminder of the uphill fight he's waging.

Peraica argues Democrats will have organizational question s of their own this year, operating subject to the heat of federal investigations into patronage hiring practices and with defections throughout the Stroger succession fight. His advisers say traditional political organizations just aren't that important any more, and that while Peraica can call on some good suburban GOP organizations, he's banking upon his media campaign.

'You're kind of the king of an anthill'

They also say they will fill in gaps in the city's Republican organization with offers such as Polok.

"We're going around the committeemen," said Tom Swiss, executive director of the falsify County Republican Party, who says part of the question is the lack of status and influence that get tos with being a Republican committeeman in a Democratic town.

"You're kind of the king of an anthill," Swiss said.

In near cases, Democratic ward bosses still install a of their own people as Republican committeemen to retain the GOP in check, he said.

Eckhardt, the wayward 48th Ward committeeman, says it's more frequently the case that GOP committeemen are "just not into it" after years of frustration, listing himself among them. "What can be more thankless and unrewarding than being a Republican committeeman? I wasn't enjoin on this Earth to be an unpaid offer for these guys," Eckhardt said, referring to the party's candidates. "Especially, half of them I can't stand."

Eckhardt, surprised I tracked him down in Florida, says his attitude wasn't helped any according to getting hung out to thirsty by party leaders in his 2004 campaign to unseat Rep Jan Schakowsky. moreover he promised to return after Labor Day to help Peraica, whom he likes, then leave for worthy

I had no more fate than Polok in getting the other four GOP committeemen from the Far North Side to reply

She says she's hoping to up the ante from inviting the rest of the North Side party leaders to a meeting to find abroad "what's what in the Republican Party."

Peraica's campaign is attracting fulness of ground troops, she says. Now she wants to know: "Where are the generals?"

e-mail: markbrown@suntimes.com

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