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VIDEO: ABC- 7 GOP Gov Debate:
Proft Born a "Poor, Black Child"?

Conservatives, Republicans and Independents Looking for Reform,

I have received a good deal of feedback from my answer to ABC-7 political reporter Charles Thomas’ question during last evening’s debate provided below in context.

As you may have figured out, I was in fact not born a poor, black child. The point of my comment was to highlight the inanity of these faux Horatio Alger stories my opponents tell of how they grew up as penniless street urchins in one-horse towns and beat the odds to become somebody. It is patronizing pabulum.

Every single one of us, me included, has lived a charmed life.

Even more to the point, the future of our party and our state will turn on the policy choices we make not the socioeconomic backgrounds of the policy-makers.

Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter had very similar socioeconomic backgrounds and much different policy ideas; the same is true of Jay Rockefeller and Steve Forbes on the other end of the spectrum.

We need to focus on policy not personality (although I win by either measure).

So far I've seen commercials of my opponents in make-believe corporate boardrooms, waving the American flag and pretending to be a farmer.

I'll spare you the story of my miraculous birth. And I won’t pretend to be something I’m not. What I will do is cut your taxes, cap their spending and stop Mike Madigan from stealing your money.

On February 2, we are going to find out if our party still has the capacity to save itself.

Will we continue to look at our party’s future in the rear view mirror?

Will we perpetuate our electoral failures by propping up one of the longtime politicians who have been complicit in the terrible public policies that have destroyed Illinois economy and who offer little more than a more orderly going-out-of-business sale for the State of Illinois?

Or will we embrace the policy revolution required to recalibrate the balance of power between Illinois residents and our government? Are we ready to turn the page and turn Springfield upside down?

What will you do to bring about what you would like to see happen?

Sincerely,

Dan Proft
Conservative Republican Candidate for Governor

P.S. You can view last evening's debate in its entirety here on ABC 7 Chicago's website.