Racketeering, bribery, fraud and extortion. Ask almost any Illinoisan and they’ll tell you a story, long ago, or recent, about a Chicago Alderman, Illinois Governor, or another elected official who has been convicted in a political corruption case. Four out of our last ten governors have been in prison and the Democrat Party machine, masterminded and advanced by former Illinois House Speaker, Mike Madigan, still remains. Chicago is the heart of the political corruption that has plagued our state for decades, which makes it the perfect place to host this year’s Democratic National Convention.

This year we are not witnessing a nomination, but a coronation of Kamala Harris. As much as I disagree with his policies and believe he was unfit to run, President Joe Biden won the primary only to be thrown under the bus by Democratic Party elites who forced him to hand over the nomination to someone who has not won a single primary vote. A failed candidate who during the 2020 election, couldn’t even make it to the Iowa Caucuses, has been forced upon the American people.

Chicago is an incredible city, one that I love dearly, but failed policies and failed leadership in Illinois have put our great city on a path of decline. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the lowest polling official from this year’s veepstakes, and Mayor Brandon Johnson, whose short time in office has already been marred by controversy, are doing their part by reading their lines and setting the stage for this week’s convention.

Pritzker and Johnson’s mission as hosts is to put on a façade good enough to fool a nation for a week. The illusion will include moving tenants out of tent cities and hiding their failed sanctuary city policy that has caused a massive influx of illegal immigrants and disenfranchised Chicago taxpayers, specifically in low-income areas. At the same time, convention planners are negotiating with radical left protesters who are planning to disrupt and shut down this week’s events across the city. Our men and women in Chicago law enforcement will also be stretched thin — dealing with ongoing crime. The directions coming from the national Democratic Party are clear this week: put on a smile and wave to the cameras while hiding the disastrous effects of liberal policies backstage, out of the public’s view.

Since taking office, Pritzker and Johnson have made it their mission to turn Illinois into the most liberal state in the nation. Laws like the SAFE-T Act have been enacted, making Illinois the nation’s first state to end cash bail. Our business tax climate has worsened under Pritzker’s watch, and educational outcomes and student proficiency are on the decline. As a result, Illinois families and workers struggle, our streets are less safe, and residents are fleeing Illinois for better opportunities elsewhere.

Similarly, Kamala Harris has avoided scrutiny from the public by stiff-arming the press and hiding her record as the media remains complicit in letting her read off a teleprompter. Her time as vice president can be defined in a single word: “failure.” Americans can see right through her new act as she distances herself from the Biden-Harris administration’s failed economy, the failed border, and the failed global leadership that she has helped create and sell as vice president.

While she is trying to play this new role, straddling the fence on a multitude of issues, she is still flirting with the far-left Hamas supporting wing of her party, which will be on full display in the streets of Chicago this week. Just look at her pick for Vice President. As Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz’s failed leadership in the summer of 2020 allowed Minneapolis to burn as riots raged. At the same time, the lackluster presidential candidate Kamala Harris was crowdfunding bail money for criminals. 

This convention will hold no surprises, at least inside the convention room. Harris and Walz will undoubtedly continue to spew a slew of progressive ideas to appease their base, and the delegates will go along to get along with this new plan from party elites. It’s reminiscent of the many Chicago officials who have ruled the same way: top down, with extreme loyalty demanded.

As national Democrats put the Pritzker-Johnson model of weak governance on display this week, it’s important that Americans looking for common-sense, conservative leadership get off the sidelines and make a difference by voting this fall. We must reject the many failed policies of Democrats and the Biden administration and move our country in the right direction toward a future where our citizens are safe, our economy is strong, and we all have more opportunities for success.