NY Times Seems Surprised to Find Young Republican Group Thriving in Heart of Chicago

The New York Times seemed positively stunned in a recent article to find Republicans living, and thriving,  in the heart of Obama-country.

In fact, the Chicago Young Republicans has increased its membership nearly tenfold since 2008, from a meager 100 members to now over 1,000. President Obama, of course, gets all the credit according to the group's members.

From the New York Times article:

Mr. Obama’s chances of re-election? To hear people in this corner of the bar tell it, so long as a Republican — any Republican — keeps his (or her) eyes trained squarely on the economy, the miserable unemployment rate and Washington’s “spending madness,” this should be a Republican cakewalk. Simple as that.

Many here offered grim views of Mr. Obama’s record, accusing him of “flip-flopping,” and implementing a “failed stimulus plan.” And, from a state where some of the most successful Republican candidates have been fiscal conservatives and social moderates, some had a plea for the Republicans: do not fixate on divisive social issues, but talk about what real people worry about — the economy.

While the chances of Illinois -- a state where Obama garnered nearly 62% of the vote -- turning red in 2012 are indeed slim, it will be interesting to see how many points the GOP gains this time around.