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More thoughts about Garrett’s lite guv candidacy
Friday, Mar 19, 2010 * From what I’ve been getting, one of Gov. Quinn’s plans is to use Sen. Susan Garrett to attack Sen. Bill Brady on social issues while he focuses on economic issues. That makes plenty of sense. Quinn has had huge problems with women voters for months. It’s not just the early prisoner release scandal, either. “They just don’t connect with him,” sighed one Quinnster this week. Garrett might help him win their confidence while he cuts capital project ribbons and talks about jobs. * One thing that went through my mind yesterday about picking Garrett as Quinn’s running mate is that I don’t ever recall her ever voting for a tax hike. The Daily Herald has a story up about Garrett this afternoon and takes a look at the issue…
While her public position is understandable, that’s the usual line legislators use when they are actually planning to vote “No.” And, at least as far as I can remember, she’s pretty much always a “No” on this stuff. She started legislative life in the House, where she was constantly targeted for defeat. So, she (and staff) watched her voting record pretty closely. That habit continued when she moved to the Senate, much to the chagrin of some of her colleagues. The Republicans could use the tax issue to ridicule the governor, of course. “Your own running mate won’t even back your tax hike.” Then again, having someone on the ticket who isn’t supporting a tax hike can’t be all bad. I’m curious what you think.
- Posted by Rich Miller
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- TaxMeMore - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 12:34 pm:
Are we sure the Democrats have followed every law to the letter in order to replace Cohen on the ballot? Did Cohen’s withdrawal form meet legal requirements? Will anyone challenge the replacement candidate’s filing? Will they dot all the i’s on that right?
I don’t think the Lt. Governor candidate matters that much when people decide on a Governor. Garrett will have very little impact.
- bored now - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 12:37 pm:
my own feeling is that republicans will hammer quinn on taxes no matter what (he didn’t even need to propose new taxes for that to happen), and the governor will simply have to make the case that we need substantial and new revenues, regardless of who is his running mate. i’d assume that if quinn recommends garrett that they’ve worked that out. to me, it looks like a great choice — and we shouldn’t use her behavior in the legislature as a significant predictor of how she’ll react in a statewide campaign. she could surprise us…
- Ray del Camino - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 12:50 pm:
a) There should be no daylight between the ticket-mates on the big issues. b) Does everybody think it’s OK to have an all-Chicagoland ticket?
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 12:53 pm:
Bill Brady is going to be so busy trying to defend his record of voting for taxpayer handouts for big corporations that he’s not going to be spending much time on offense.
That’s IF the guy can even raise enough money to compete.
- Finger Pointing - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 12:55 pm:
In my experience, Garrett is a high-maintenance legislator who needs lots of coddling and who is very indecisive on the issues, trying to have it both ways by wanting to be a Dem. leader but also wanting to demonstrate “independence” to her more conservative constituency. I’m not sure she would turn out to be a good fit, and could even give the Quinn campaign “fits”!
- The Doc - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 12:55 pm:
Garrett is a good, safe, uninspiring choice. It allows the campaign to relentlessly hammer Brady on social issues.
I would hope Quinn has received a certain level of assurance that Garrett won’t make him appear foolish on the tax hike issue; however, we’ve witnessed enough gaffes during his time at the top to ask the question.
- Trying 2 B Helpful - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:02 pm:
I think the Gov is MUCH better off with Senator Dave Koehler as a running mate. He shares the Gov’s views on many issues, he’s a good campaigner with a proven record of winning downstate in a Republican-leaning area (which would otherwise probably go for the Republican ticket), Koehler’s a minister (I think), and he could help the Gov win the Peoria area. Although I like Garrett, her apparent opposition to the Governor’s position on such a center-piece issue as the proposed tax increase and her somewhat brusque manner will more than negate what she could bring to the table. Plus, I’m not sold on this idea that women will just blindly support any woman or a ticket which happens to have a woman on it.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:04 pm:
Garrett makes a great deal of sense, covering a great many “sins” that Quinn may have with voters.
1) She may be able to directly go to women voters, strictly as a woman. This could give Quinn a second look just due to the fact Garrett is female.
2) Brady needs to be attacked on the fiscal side (taxes?, 10% cuts?, etc.) and with Quinn trying to do those attacks to offset the Brady economic attack, Garrett can spend 24/7 on the “extreme” social stances of Brady and Plummer.
3) Garrett v. Plummer on the issues and attacking and/or defending their “guy”? Plummer is not ready to explain himself on softball questions of … jobs he held. Now, he is going to “defend” social stances, against a woman foe, and not look like he is attacking a woman? Good luck with that one Jason ….
4) North Shore Republican moderates who still have some doubts about Brady/Plummer… She is THE alternative Quinn needs to take some Repub votes away where Brady/Plummer are vulnerable. If Repubs are behind in recognized registered Repubs compared to regestered Dems to begin with, what a smart way to try to erode Brady’s pool of Repubs by putting someone on the ballot who can reduce the initial pool Brady hopes to start with as a base.
How much fun is it going to be if Garrett is the “guy” she rails on Brady/Plummer, and Plummer is asked to respond?!?!?!? The political theater wouild be priceless …or, remember that “deer in headlights” Plummer senerio my self and others had when Plummer would debate, maybe even on Chicago Tonight, and Plummer has to defend against a female, seasoned, political foe?
Good move, but will MJM sign on?
As a Repub, this type of move scares me most …
- Robert - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:05 pm:
re: tax hike, she’ll have to change her position, but then repubs will say “she was against it before she was for it”
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:05 pm:
===this idea that women will just blindly support any woman or a ticket which happens to have a woman on it===
That’s not the idea. The idea is to woo women back on the issues. Yes, a woman helps, but there’s little “blind” about it.
- Anonymous - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:21 pm:
I don’t see how Garrett couldn’t support the Quinn tax increase. Didn’t Penny Severns flip in 1994 after she became Netsch’s running mate and end up supporting Netsch’s tax increase?
- OneMan - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:23 pm:
She will help some, however I think she would be more effective if she were from Tinley Park than from Lake Forest.
I think you could blunt her some (they don’t have overcrowded classrooms in Lake Forest, etc). Also I think pointing out how Turner got passed over would work.
I don’t think picking a woman from a wealthy area is going to play well with some folks pushing Turner.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:29 pm:
So what have we decided?
Are we filling the Lt. Governor’s position with a nominee, or are we eliminated the position? Right now the Party In Power seem to be doing both, which doesn’t make sense.
So, what the Party has decided regarding this elected position will determine how well one of their candidates does running for it. It doesn’t matter who is nominated if the party is eliminating the office they are running for, right?
Take a pick. Madigan is pushing for it’s elimination, right? It is already being processed, right? So has anyone told the Governor that whoever he selects is being selected for a non-existent office, or one that the Party has already determined isn’t important enough to keep?
So it might be Garrett. Who cares? How well can anyone do running for an office selected for extermination by the party that nominated them?
Except for Madigan’s plan to eliminate the Office, I’m not seeing Quinn’s plan with Garrett, or whomever, to be little more than more stupid political tricks at a time when voters are fed up with stupid political tricks.
Blagojevich, Burris, Cohen - now this? Does my party have any idea just how lacking in credibility they are after these fiascos? Rod Blagojevich will be making news all campaign season. Roland Burris is a jackass waiting to be ridden by Kirk. Cohen was a disaster. When are these people going to learn that there is a limit to voter’s patience regarding stupid political games?
Pick a side Governor, and stop crapping on your own parade.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:42 pm:
VM …lol… who is more depressed about their pary, you or me????
- Small Town Liberal - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:46 pm:
Vman identifies as a Dem? Am I missing something?
- Wumpus - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:55 pm:
Garret-cuda? Not another Palin moment? Either way, Repubs will criticize her/her positions. Pick the best person and deal with the campaign.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:56 pm:
Vman identifies as a Dem? Am I missing something?
Yeah. Balance.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 1:59 pm:
who is more depressed about their pary, you or me????
It depends on how hard I think about how far removed the Party has gotten from it’s base and the American people. The lunatics have been in charge for far too long. Then I think about the GOP, and I think the same thing.
- SAP - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 2:02 pm:
Little bit off-topic, but when I read this, the only thing I thought was Julie Hamos. Pluses (1) Soon to be jobless. (2) Helps Quinn with women. (3) Defuses Scott Lee Cohen’s silly claim that his ouster was motivated by anti-semitism. (4) Got RTA tax increase through, which was no mean feat. (5) Has brains. Minus: (1) Prob cannot get MJM stamp of approval.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 2:04 pm:
With all due respect to our AG and SOS candidates … we seem to only slate an “A-List” of candiates if we feel we MAY win that office. Otherwise, we fold and try to get anyone to run, without apology … seems we are willing to concede if there is any fight to be won out there, given ha Lisa and Jesse are real, real tough … then there is Plummer and his fiasco … then being “super majoritited” in the IL Senate and hammered by MJM every 5 minutes … I guess the grass is always greener …
- KeepSmiling - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 2:10 pm:
VM, LOL. you really need a Happy Hour.
Back to thoughts on the q.. if Garrett takes the appointment she would need to vote in favor of a tax hike, should it be voted on this session. Quinn would like that. It would remove an otherwise no vote and she could potentially talk some other anti-tax Dems into following suit. And while a vote in favor of a tax hike would likely hurt her if she were running for re-election to the Senate seat, I don’t think it will make a big difference statewide, given it’s Quinn’s key initiative and she would be his running mate. But I seriously doubt they will vote on a tax hike before the elections, because it wouldn’t help Quinn’s popularity to say the least. They could campaign Garrett as a fiscally moderate balance to Quinn, with a focus on alternatives and/or budget cuts to assure women in the collar counties that future tax increase proposal #2 is a “last resort” and “as small a burden as possible” and the “responsible thing to do for the sake of our children”. She’d be credible.
SAP, reason (4) is a minus for attracting liberal and moderate Repubs. Quinn really is better off with someone who hasn’t been a cheerleader for taxes.
- SAP - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 2:13 pm:
KS I’ll give you that, but it comes down to picking your poison. A running mate who is already with you on the tax issue or one who has to flip flop her way over to you.
- YA - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 2:13 pm:
Fellow lawmakers are said to be estatic over the prospects of Susan Garrett leaving the Illinois Senate. Go Susan go!
- Downstate - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 2:29 pm:
Not sure Garrett will help the ticket, given her track record, but am sure that Forrest Claypool is an inspired choice. His demonstrated record of reform in the nation’s second largest county would play very well downstate and, of course, in the collar counties. He’s bright, articulate, politically savvy. His reform message would help beat back the Republicans who are positioned to hammer Democrats on those issues. Claypool would help Democrats with those political headwinds — not sure about Garrett.
- Kitty - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 2:42 pm:
Garrett is ideal for Lieutenant Governor- a smart, experienced legislator, decisive on the issues and with an outstanding record of accommplishments- what more could you ask for? She brings SO MUCH to the ticket- Quinn couldn’t get much better than this- and neither could the voters!
- Will County Woman - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 2:49 pm:
“They could campaign Garrett as a fiscally moderate balance to Quinn, with a focus on alternatives and/or budget cuts to assure women in the collar counties that future tax increase proposal #2 is a “last resort” and “as small a burden as possible” and the “responsible thing to do for the sake of our children”. She’d be credible.”
no she would not credible.
- Quinn T. Sential - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 3:26 pm:
Susan Garrett? Excellent choice.
A Lake Forest millionaire matron should light a fire under the behinds of apathetic members of the African American community who may have been thinking they had no other reason to come out and vote.
This gambit to bring women into the fold may be just enough to have Art Turner’s contingent take a pass.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 3:28 pm:
===light a fire under the behinds of apathetic members of the African American community who may have been thinking they had no other reason to come out and vote.===
African-Americans are fully half of Democratic constitutional office candidates right now.
- Betsy - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 3:52 pm:
I thought Quinn wanted a reformer? Wasn’t Garrett tied up in the Sorich trial and scandal?
- Quinn T. Sential - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 4:03 pm:
I would argue that Jesse White does little to motivate the AA community to come out and vote, but they pull the lever for him automatically once they do.
JW motivates caucasian voters to pull the lever for him; even Republicans, due to his do-gooder status in the community from the tumblers. He will have an even greater plurality of caucasians this next time around due to his refusal to sing the papers on the Blago- Burris appointment. As a consequence of both of these, he does little to motivate voters to come out.
R-Kelly is not exactly the fire and brimstone motivator either, and the Treasurer’s post will seem like small consolation if the community feels that Art Turner got stiffed for a limousine liberal from Lake Forest.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 4:17 pm:
===Wasn’t Garrett tied up in the Sorich trial and scandal? ===
There was testimony that some campaign workers were sent to her district. There was no testimony whatsoever that she did anything untoward.
- really - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 4:26 pm:
I think she’d be a good choice as lt gov. All you naysayers, I’m surprised that none of you have compared her to Corinne Wood, wasn’t she a millionairess too? I don’t think Sen Garrett is as high-maintenance as she was. She had a reputation for being to tough on her staff, didn’t she? On the other hand, I see Sen Garrett as a thoughtful, pragmatic person. I get what some of you are saying, that you think because of her wealth she may make assumptions from a point of view that’s skewed from a large portion of democrats,but she chooses to be a democrat rather than the party that a millionaire might assume looks out more for their interests. I think a balanced ticket between Quinn who leans liberal and Garrett who leans conservative is a good idea.
- Robert - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 4:32 pm:
really 4:26,
you make good points. but appearances matter in elections, and even if Garrett is conservative as you say, the perception will still be of a millionaire limousine liberal, not as a conservative. brady would love to face a ticket with a millionaire from lake forest. “out of touch” will be easy to stick on her, fair or not.
- Amalia - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 4:33 pm:
I’d rather that the positions on money match with the G and the LG. but that’s not the big problem.
I’m more upset that they may decide to pick a woman but came up with an uninspiring choice. Can anyone honestly say that aside from the fact that she is a woman that there is anything exciting about her? so i’m supposed to get all up for Pat Quinn and his positions on women’s issues because he picked someone so bland, only exciting by being whiny?
honestly, I’ll be angry for not picking Art Turner if they pick Susan Garrett. can you see her leading the state if something happened to Quinn? I shudder at the thought.
- Betsy - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 4:44 pm:
===There was testimony that some campaign workers were sent to her district. There was no testimony whatsoever that she did anything untoward.===
I’m sure the Streets and San campaign workers just blended in with the real housewives of Lake Forest. Ha.
- bored now - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 5:10 pm:
Quinn T. Sential: i’m sorry that you don’t think robin kelly is a dynamic, exciting candidate for treasurer, but you must be in a small circle. after all, robin won her primary WITHOUT A SINGLE TELEVISION ad — despite the money her primary opponent poured into tv (attacking her, to boot) — largely because she has so many friends around the state, so many people eager to help her, so many volunteers willing to do whatever she asked. i can count on one hand the number of illinois politicians who fit that bill.
robin kelly is one of the new, exciting, tough and determined democrats we have here in illinois, and i’m absolutely positive that african-americans will be eager — and excited — to get behind her candidacy. robin even transcends that west side/southside divide that has sometimes paralyzed the african american community…
- WOW - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 5:39 pm:
Does Quinn think that he can continue to take the african-american community for granted? African-Americans make up 15% of this states population and will simply stay home on election day if Quinn and madigan do not select Art Turner!!!!
- Boone Logan Square - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 7:21 pm:
===She will help some, however I think she would be more effective if she were from Tinley Park than from Lake Forest.===
I wonder how much of this is intended to peel off voters inclined to vote for Kirk in the Senate race…or the 60% of GOP primary voters who voted for Dillard/Ryan/McKenna? Given a ticket of a Cook County/Collar County vs a ticket of two downstaters, the demographic potential is certainly logical for the Democrats. If Garrett can help Quinn with women and also with people concerned about the governor’s competence, she’ll be a help.
What will matter more is painting Brady as a less attractive option than Quinn. Two people can do that: Quinn and Brady. While there’s potential for fireworks on the lt. governor ticket, what matters in November is what the main attractions say and do. If Quinn stays consistent to the line he took on Chicago Tonight, he has a chance of looking like an optimistic, compassionate leader….he’ll need to do that AND let Brady have it as an “extremist” (as he also said on Ch. 11).
It’s possible the discourse will be more elevated than 2006. I wouldn’t bet money on it.
- Quinn T. Sential - Friday, Mar 19, 10 @ 8:13 pm:
Bored Now,
Thank you for your insight Mr. Kelly.
- phoebe - Saturday, Mar 20, 10 @ 11:12 am:
Garrett is a poor choice, but the lt. gov nominee probably doesn’t matter because most people won’t care or notice who the nominee is. To the extent that they do, Garrett won’t help Quinn. She will come off to people outside her district as the Teresa Heinz-Kerry of Illinois.
- FDR Democrat - Saturday, Mar 20, 10 @ 2:02 pm:
Choosing Senator Garrett makes sense if you are using the Lt. Gov position to focus on social and reform issues in the burbs. THis election
will be won and lost in the burbs.
Senator Garrett knows how to campaign and win
in independent and slightly R areas and can
help Quinn, to the extent Lt Gov matters, with
those sort of women voters in the burbs.
Quinn/Garrett vs Brady/Plummer will be the clearist ideological and geographic choice
the voters in Il have had for decades.