Ever since Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in June, many longtime GOP members have been waiting for his star to fade.
Known for his brash personal style, outlandish political statements and stardom in reality TV via "Celebrity Apprentice," Trump seemed destined for a candidacy that would burn very brightly and fade very quickly.
Nearly nine months later, the star of Trump's candidacy only burns brighter with every passing primary and the Republican establishment has gone into overdrive to stop him from winning the nomination. These efforts will reach their apex just as Trump hits Illinois in advance of the March 15 Illinois primary, in which a victory could all but seal the nomination.
On this week's "Only in Illinois," we look at the Trump phenomenon in Illinois, where recent polls show him with large leads over his three competitors. This is surprising because Illinois, home to arguably the most moderate Republican in the Senate in U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, has been regarded as a bastion of moderate Republicanism.
Meanwhile, Illinois native Hillary Clinton registered even stronger support among Democrats in recent polls.
But as we learned last week in Michigan (and, for that matter, in the 2014 Republican gubernatorial primary), polls can't predict results.
Will Illinois Republicans put a speed bump in front of the Trump Express or give it more momentum as it rolls onward to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July? That's one of our topics on this week's "Only in Illinois."