Democrats Make Inroads In Suburban Chicago

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (June 10) -- The well-heeled suburbs north of Chicago have long been a Republican stronghold. But there are signs this year that Democrats may be making some inroads.

Few places in Illinois can boast of the diversity Lake County has. It is suburban, urban and rural, all in one.

Along the shores of Lake Michigan, some of Chicago's wealthiest and well-known reside here, in places like Highland Park and Lake Forest. Some neighborhoods are so secure that protective fences aren't even needed. And the doors of some homes have always been open to Republican candidates.

How comfortable is Bob Dole's lead this year?

Valery Gallagher of the Lake County Republican Party figures it's secure. "I would probably guarantee that Dole would be right around 60 percent," Gallagher says.

GOP candidates usually capture about 60 percent of the Lake County vote. George Bush took 63 percent in 1992. But Democrats now are catching up. Bush beat Bill Clinton by only seven points in 1992 in the county.

Democrats joke about their former invisible status.

"Maybe 20 years ago, if somebody was to ask you who the Democratic chairman was or where the Democratic party was, everybody would shrug their shoulders and say, 'I have no idea,'" says Terrry Link, chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party.

And 20 years ago, a reporter might have struggled to find supporters of a Democratic president. That's not the case today, though.

Agnes Day likes Clinton. "I'm not into stuffy, and I like it when he played the saxophone," Day said. "He just seems down to earth."

"I just figure he's trying to do more for the people in general and not look out so much for big business," says Rodney Cone, another Clinton supporter.

The county has endured some downsizing, and some voters blame Republicans. They have become disaffected with GOP policies, pointing the finger at the presumptive Republican nominee.

Pam Gill doesn't mince words when asked about a possible Dole presidency.

"That would be be very disastrous for black people in particular, in terms of Medicare, in terms of welfare reform," Gill said. (76K WAV sound)

Says Thomas Salazar: "He just doesn't seem sincere. That's what I think, you know."

The county's immigrant population has also grown, swelling some cities like Waukegan with traditional Democratic voters.

Despite the changes in demographics and population, it appears the GOP voting trend will continue here. Voters in Lake County are expected to favor the Republican presidential nominee, but not by an overwhelming margin, like in years past.

Pollster Mike McKeown has some numbers.

"One of our sweeps a little while back in Lake County, this was again in the past month, showed Clinton only three points down to Dole," McKeown said.

Gallager is not alarmed. "If Bob Dole is three percent ahead now, he'll be a good 25 percent ahead on election day," she said.

Mary Oldberg, another voter, has confidence in Dole, too. "He is a mature person, and I think he can deal well with people of other countries," she said. (96K WAV sound)

There's a lot of talk about character here in Lake County. Chris Melchior feels the president has a problem.

"A lot of people don't have that many women coming at them, different allegations, some of them got to be true eventually," Melchior said.

Linda Krinstle, a Clinton supporter, disagreed. "I don't see a character flaw in him. Nobody's perfect. It's not easy being human."

Bob Day doesn't like either candidate. "The genius of our system is that we survive in spite of the people we send to represent us," he said.

The comments from Lake County are as diverse as its population. Once considered a Republican stronghold, it could be a county up for grabs in 1996.

This story originally appeared on CNN's "Inside Politics."

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