Until this year, when the guest of honor was Bruce Rauner, the multimillionaire turned first-term Illinois governor — and a Republican. On a recent sunny afternoon, Mr. Rauner roared into the fairgrounds on his Harley-Davidson, wearing a checked shirt, black leather vest and pristine blue Wranglers.

 

Hopping off the motorcycle, Mr. Rauner turned his back on the dozens of protesters who were there to confront him over proposed budget cuts and waded into the crowd of cheering Republicans, pumping hands, guffawing at jokes and flashing a thumbs-up sign to the party faithful.

 

“You know what? You are great, strong, proud Republicans,” he said, standing on a stage in front of an American flag the size of a movie screen. “Our Republican values are the values that make America the greatest nation in the history of the world.”

 

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