91 Comments - Connor - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:32 am: Dillard’s problems aren’t just about money. He’s also polling at a horrible amount, just barely with his head above the water. Right now I just don’t see any of them dropping out unfortunately. #danrutherford2014 - Living in Machiaville - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:33 am: Why drop out? Lots of revelations coming out about Rauner so it’s anyone’s ball game. Aside from him however, none of them will be able to finance a win against Quinn. - 47th Ward - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:38 am: I voted for Brady. He had his shot last time and couldn’t beat Quinn. No reason to think, should lightening strike and he is re-nominated, the outcome in 2014 would be any different. Nobody knows if Dillard might have beaten Quinn in 2010, and Dillard has ignored every lesson since then. 2010 Dillard might make a good governor, but 2014 Dillard is too far gone to ever make himself palatable to a majority of Illinoisans and there isn’t anything Jim Edgar can do to get the smell of the right wing off him. Rutherford? Could be a very good govenor or he could be a rube, but he’s earned a shot and could match up well against Quinn without all of the distractions that Dillard or Brady’s ideaologies bring to the race. Brady should get out and give someone else a shot at losing to Quinn. - northshore cynic - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:39 am: Bill Brady demonstrated his inability to count votes in a general election in 2010. The votes are in the Chicago metro area. Dan Rutherford unfortunately suffers from the same problem. Gov. Quinn proved that you can win statewide and only carry 2 counties while losing 100. Dillard and Rauner are the only ones that positioned to fight in Cook townships and collar counties. - Quiet Sage - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:41 am: Despite Dillard’s move to the right, he and Rutherford have very similar constituencies. Rutherford has become much the stronger candidate and Dillard should drop out to give him a chance. - ALL SHOULD DROP OUT!!!!!!! - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:41 am: None of the bottom three can beat Quinn, they should all drop for the good of the party and the good of the state. Check out the latest polls…… - McDouble - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:42 am: D-Lard needs to drop out. He won’t because he’s a stubborn career politician who will do anything, but he doesn’t seem like he has a chance to win a general election. - anon - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:42 am: I voted for Brady. Rutherford has proven that he can raise money, spend it wisely, and be a tireless campaigner. There is no doubt that he is in this. Dillard and Brady aren’t raising, and aren’t acting like serious candidates. As a person who would prefer to NOT see Rauner on the general ballot, I feel like Rutherford has the best chance to knock him off. Brady staying in splits the downstate vote. Dillard staying in likely takes rauner votes. If its a three way, with Brady out, Rutherford has a real shot. - Steve - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:43 am: I voted no. Why should anyone drop out at this point. The word is getting out in the Republican contest to high information voters about Bruce Rauner. Being a big time financier of the Democrat party isn’t a small issue. Or financing comrade Jan Schakowsky. Or making Rahm Emanuel a millionaire. Bruce Rauner is a creature of the Democrat party to divert resources of Republican party in attacking Pat Quinn. If Bruce Rauner doesn’t make it to the Governor’s mansion: he’ll get insider deals for his “service” in the cause of one party government in Illinois. - Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:43 am: No way. If anything, they should team up. It would require some artful negotiating, but that’s what the best leaders are capable of. - Just Me - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:43 am: I voted no only because it is still early. Please ask again in a month. - Hinsdale Dave - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:44 am: Kirk Dillard is a disgrace to us all. He should drop out and move to Florida. - CircularFiringSquad - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:45 am: We voted for NoTaxBill to drop. He offers the least energy.D-lard can attack FarmerBrucey and DandyDan can win the primary. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:45 am: No. Still early. - Raising Kane - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:46 am: We should go back to the Oberweis proposal of 2006 and have them draw straws to see who stays in the race. Under Obie’s plan he got to draw 4 straws because he was the closest in the polls. Under those rules, Rutherford should get the 4 straws. - Endangered Moderate Species - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:46 am: Rauner will implode and someone will need to emerge to the front. Dillard needs some cash to stay in the hunt. I don’t see any of them beating Quinn unless something crazy (this is IL politics) happens in the next 9 months. - Been There - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:46 am: Dillard should drop out. I can’t see him pulling it off with no money. Unless Tracy is going to dig really deep. But even then it might be too late. - Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:47 am: @ALL SHOULD DROP OUT!!!!!!! - did you miss the poll released earlier this week showing that 57% of Republicans remain undecided? That’s nearly 3 times the number who said they support Rauner. That’s also a pretty good reason to STAY IN, at least for the time being. - Norseman - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:47 am: Voted for Brady and Dillard to get out. Besides the well reasoned arguments by 47 on Brady and Dillard, neither has the financial support to run meaningful campaigns. The Rauner opposition can coalesce behind Rutherford. - walker - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:49 am: Too early. A lot of sorting out still to occur. - wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:49 am: I voted no. The race just started. People are just starting to pay attention. - MrJM - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:49 am: I voted Dillard because the guy who filmed an Obama commercial can’t credibly call Rauner a fake Republican. And the ability to do that will be necessary for a GOP primary candidate to successfully “beat up Brucey.” – MrJM - Pete - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:50 am: I clicked Dillard and Brady. They couldn’t get it done in 2010 and they won’t get it done in 2014. I think that they have done little or nothing for the Republican party between 2010 and 2014. They’ve had 4 years to build on a close race and a close vote. The two should have continued trying to build the Party. They took a back seat and much of the Republican image has been carried by Rutherford and JBT. I honestly think they went from being a household names to being completely forgotten as politicians, and most people associate that with inability to stay engaged with the public. - illinifan - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:50 am: No…it is an open process. Let the party members see all their options and then they can decide which one is the best candidate. It may also result in a few more debates, giving the public more exposure to the candidates thinking. - Hinsdale Dave - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:53 am: If someone put a gun to my head and told me I had to choose between Kirk Dillard and Pat Quinn, I would say “pull the trigger”. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:54 am: =I voted Dillard because the guy who filmed an Obama commercial can’t credibly call Rauner a fake Republican.= People seem to understand the difference. - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:55 am: I don’t think it’s wise to say that anyone has “earned a turn” which seems to be the unspoken view of some folks. Having said that, I think the combination of lousy fundraising, polling below expectations, and views unlikely to sway the general electorate suggest Dillard and probably Brady should call it a day. - AFSCME Steward - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:56 am: I voted both Brady & Dillard. They both had a chance in 10. Neither ran an effective campaign. Neither has the resources to win the GOP nomination now. Rutherford is the GOP candidate that has won statewide & could swing enough Democratic voters to the GOP in November. Rauner & Obie will drag the GOP ticket down to defeat if they are the nominees. The GOP has a real shot at winning the Governorship in November. What happens between now & March will determine just how good the chance is. - Ike - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:59 am: Dillard should open his eyes to realize he doesn’t have the support (even in his own beloved DuPage County) and/or the money and/ or the message to be credible. I’ll reserve opinion in the others for a month from now. - susiejones - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 11:59 am: I voted for Brady to drop out. He couldn’t get it done last time and he has done nothing since to improve his ability to win. - corvax - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:02 pm: voted Dillard and Brady, basically the same reasoning as AFSCME Steward. Rutherford’s the only proven state-wide winner and, despite the attention in the press and blogs, most people don’t pay enough attention to not be swayed by Flip Rauner’s ads. If the repubs wnat a chance, it’s got to be Rutherford, and to be Rutherford, he needs a one-on-one shot at Flipper - Southwest Cook - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:04 pm: This is just embarrassing for Dillard. He has no base of support and no money. He would be lucky to get 10% of the primary vote. If he wants to stop Rauner, then he should drop out and support Rutherford. Brady has no money, but he has a lot of name recognition and downstate support. He should get most of the social conservative vote in the primary and may just fall into the nomination if Rauner implodes. - Wensicia - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:09 pm: As I said on another thread, Brady and Dillard should drop out. The Republicans best chance of winning against Quinn lies with Rutherford. - Amuzing Myself - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:14 pm: Didn’t vote. Too early. Especially with SuperPAC involvement coming. Will be interesting to see what happens. Rutherford is the only guy with the money to buy Chicago TV, but a lot of Repubs just don’t see him as Governor material. Brady still has residual Name ID, but so did Jim Ryan four years ago. Rauner splitting moderates with Rutherford, Rutherford splitting some downstate with Brady and Dillard bringing up the rear but affecting the collar county vote sets this up for another long election night. - UISer - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:20 pm: Dillard lost all his credibility these past six months. Coulda/Woulda/Shoulda been the moderate everyone could push past a conservative Brady and a “Mr. Burns-esque” Rauner. Best chance for Rs in the state now is for Dillard to drop and endorse Rutherford. Of course, this won’t happen. - Hinsdale Dave - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:20 pm: D.Lard should drop out and just spend the rest of his life holding court at the nearest all you can eat buffet. - Hans Sanity - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:30 pm: I want to hear what each has to say after they return from their exploratory jaunts to Denver and Seattle. - Soccermom - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:34 pm: The more names on the ballot, the more likely Rauner is to win. So Brady and Dillard will have to decide whether they can live with the prospect of Gov. Rauner. (I literally got a chill down my spine when I typed those words.) - Ahoy! - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:37 pm: I’m not found of any of the candidates but don’t think any of them should drop out because their getting out spent or because their low in polling, who predicted Brady willing the primary 2 months out four years ago? - Mokenavince - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:42 pm: If Rutherford would win I’m sure the Republicans would support him the way they did Judy. The Republican Party is like crime, they don’t pay. - Johnny Q. Suburban - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:42 pm: Both Dillard and Brady. Dillard made himself entirely unelectable in a general election with his anti-SSM stuff. The anti-Rauner ads practically write themselves at this point, but the Dillard stuff is just easy really. The best chance the GOP has at taken the gov mansion comes from unions not supporting Quinn. Brady offers no alternative there. And neither of those two have any money. - Downstate commissioner - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:44 pm: voted for Dillard and Brady to drop out so Rutherford can beat Rauner. Don’t know if he can beat Quinn, but the others are, or have become, to far right to win in Illinois. At this point in time, I would throw a Libertarian vote, rather than vote for anyone besides Rutherford. - Siriusly - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:45 pm: I like Dillard, but he’s showing nothing at this point. Sorry Kirk. - Johnny Q. Suburban - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:45 pm: Though, to be fair to Dillard, he’s doing yeoman’s work in his Rauner attacks the last week or so. - Chavez-respecting Obamist - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:48 pm: Dillard and Brady. Brady is too rightwing for Illinois and Dillard is pretending to be too rightwing for Illinois. - Robert the Bruce - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:52 pm: Rutherford is the only other candidate to raise enough cash to compete, so he certainly shouldn’t drop out. Not a fan of Brady at all, but I think he is legitimately right wing, not pretending to be so. So I voted for Dillard. The challenge with all of them staying in is that they become known as “the 3,” splitting the anti-Rauner vote. Problem is that dropping out probably requires some forms to be filled out, and I’m not certain Dillard wants to work that hard. - DoubleD - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:54 pm: I feel Sen Brady has been a two time loser for the GOP…honestly it may be tough for all three to deal with Rauner given the size of his war chest, but I would like a choice about who can oppose the Governor. - PoolGuy - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:56 pm: voted no, still seems too early. maybe another few weeks. however, if Dillard and Brady stay in the race, and say one of them wins. are all the mega rich contributors to Rauner for the primary going to contribute to a Dillard or Brady for the general? if not then why bother staying in the race I guess. seems like all their eggs are in Rauner’s basket and that’s it for them. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:58 pm: Drop out? It’s anybody’s game right now. This is just silly. Four years ago Brady was below Dillard at this time of the year. Dillard should definitely NOT drop out. He’s won or come in second in the majority of straw polls, and has endorsements all across the state. Not to mention has the best shot at union cash when it will matter. The race hasn’t begun yet. They might be in the gates - but the starter has yet to fire his gun. - Mouthy - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:59 pm: Brady and Dillard should both drop out. The only chance to beat Quinn is Rutherford. - dupage dan - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:59 pm: I voted for both Dillard and Brady to go. Frankly, I don’t care how early it is in the process. While I doubt either candidate can suck much life out of the potential donators our there they still are a needless distraction. I voted for Dillard in the primary and Brady in the general. They had their shot - and truly blew a golden (sorry) opportunity in the last general. Neither candidate has shown any ability to prove to me that they have done what was necessary to address their previous failings. Brady has looked a little more governor like - just by not sticking his foot in his mouth recently. Dillard has gone ALL IN on that accord - no way John and Jane Citizen from Peoria are gonna vote for that panderer. Frankly, it doesn’t matter. They will self select in due course once things heat up and their numbers drop to fractions of percentage points. Can’t happen too soon for my taste. - dupage dan - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:01 pm: @ - Johnny Q. Suburban - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 12:45 pm: Though, to be fair to Dillard, he’s doing yeoman’s work in his Rauner attacks the last week or so === Only good reason for Dillard to remain. Let him use his waning resources to damage Rauner. Allows Rutherford to husband his resources for the real fight. - OneMan - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:07 pm: The race might just be starting but two of the candidates have a real money problem…. Not sure if that get much better soon. - just me - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:12 pm: Dillard, he has no money and has made a fool of Jill Tracy. All he talks is the past. He is a horrible campaigner. He will hurt the Republican ticket. - Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:13 pm: Hypothetical: Rauner implodes to the point where he has to leave the race. Are Dillard & Brady any more viable than they were before Rauner left the race? - Juvenal - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:13 pm: I voted No. Rutherford wins a four way race. Rauner might squeek out a three way. With Brady sitting on the conservative base, dillard broke and running an allout verbal assault on Rauner, Rutherford is in an excellent position. I expect this to come down to a rutherford rauner race in the closing weeks, with dillard backers defecting to Rutherford. - Century Club - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:14 pm: I said Dillard. He’s not raising the money he would need to capitalize on a Rauner implosion, and the latest Cap Fax poll seemed to show that Rutherford would pick up the votes from Rauner. More than anyone, I can’t see his path to victory, unless it’s tear down Rauner, then tear down Rutherford - and that seems implausible at best from someone with no money. - overcooked - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:23 pm: Remember, four years ago the primary was February 2nd, so the campaign window was squeezed to 30 days and there was plenty of movement and momentum changes. The three non-Rauners are looking for a break to become the main anti-Rauner. When 30% can win the race, nobody should quit. - Norseman - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:28 pm: Several folks have correctly noted Dillard’s recent aggressive attacks on the Baron. While this needs to be done, Dillard’s campaign appears to be in shambles and he will take votes from Rutherford. He can only hope to be politically relevant in the future if he bows out in favor of Rutherford. Dillard can be a surrogate attack dog to point out the Baron’s flaws. - anonymoose - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:29 pm: What happened to OW’s campaign? Now THERE is a thinking man’s Governor. Thank you Mr. Miller for a forum to let me get this off my chest. Voted for the three to drop. I am no fan of Mr. Rauner and want to take a hot shower after seeing a Rauner commercial. I am sure I have been hoodwinked and violated somehow. But here I am, looking at him with all the warts and all the campaign money. So, Mr. Dillard’s big contributors are union PACs - trying to control the process, in my opinion. 2010 Dillard was a fine man. 2014 Dillard…the last person I would vote for of the three. Mr. Brady. Well, the 2010 campaign against Quinn was lackluster. The 2014 fundraising shows Mr. Brady is just more of the same candidate. Sad, he is a nice man. Mr. Rutherford. Was that intro Internet spot awkward or what? Nothing against him. Nothing for him. But taking the high road…no negative ads….just ain’t gonna get the job done. And time keeps on tickin’ tickin’ tickin’ into the future…. 3/18/14 - basically two months to election day….with people voting early and absentee much earlier along the way. …and thank you very much. I will vote on election day. Learned my early voting lesson in 2010 as my pick for Governor dropped out. So primary 2010, by voting early, I ended up voting for NO ONE for Governor… think about that 2nd choice Kirk Dillard, who could have received my vote had he tidied up the 2010 DuPage plethora of candidates earlier… - BehindTheScenes - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:35 pm: Dillard and Brady have been on the merry-go-round before and neither one managed to grab the brass ring. I voted for them to bow out and quit splitting the normal Republican fund-raising base 3 ways. Rutherford probably can’t or won’t be able to pull from the deep pockets of Rauner’s friends, but maybe he could pick up some of the money that has been or would go to either Brady or Rutherford. - Norseman - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:36 pm: Willy’s is a stealth write-in campaign. All the other candidates will beat up each other. Then the voters will quickly identify what we who read the blog already know, that is Willy is a commonsense leader. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:36 pm: - anonymoose -, Running in the General Election, please contact - Norseman -, To the Post, Say it all the time, “Run ‘em all”. Who knows what Monday will bring, let alone Primary Day. Plus, I am not committed to any of the FOUR, but it is quite clear if you read my Posts, one will not be getting my vote come November. - Grandson of Man - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:43 pm: I voted for Brady and Dillard dropping out of the race. I read this morning that Rutherford has more campaign cash than each of them. I also think that Rutherford would be more moderate than Rauner and may have a better shot in the GE. - Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:45 pm: Dillard and Brady. Rutherford really has the only clear shot to defeat both Rauner and Quinn, Brady ran what has to be one of the worst campaigns on record, losing to an abysmally unpopular governor in a huge Republican year, and Dillard…jeez, what do you say? Bad campaign in ‘10, showing signs of going crazy in ‘14. I don’t think either of them will…maybe Brady, but Dillard is blinded by ambition. I’m pretty sure he’d sell out his mom if it would get him to the Governor’s mansion. - ChrisB - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:46 pm: Forgot to explain the vote. Brady had his chance, and is currently lackluster in his fundraising. Hopefully he doesn’t think he can slide into the nomination again. Despite Dillard’s poor showing, he is the only guy making headlines in Chicago (Besides Rauner, of course). - Boog - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:48 pm: From a downstate point of view, no way Rauner wins the primary - just keep pounding his affiliation with Chicago Dems, that should be enough. Payton Prep ? Who cares, most people have never heard of it, and clouting your kid to get into a private school is nothing new for the rich and/or politically connected. Most of us would do the same for our kids if we had the means. I don’t dislike Rauner’s money, or his disdain for unions, I dislike his politics because he is a D posing as an R. As for the others, they should stick it out and not listen to all of the dems on this page. - Archiesmom - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:48 pm: Let ‘em all stay in and fight it out. You never know what will happen. Or what skeletons will be unearthed. Or who will have their 47% moment. Politics is priceless - enjoy every moment of it! - Percival - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 1:57 pm: Voted only Dillard. He just doesn’t have the wherewithal, especially financially, and he is simply terrible at debates, just as he was four years ago. (Is he still reading debate responses from a notebook?) I cringe thinking of him in a televised one on one with Quinn. Add in the union money and the Obama commercial, and he is getting mighty furry for a GOP statewide candidate, no matter how folksy he might be. I did not vote Brady out because he is getting some traction with voters, has residual name recognition from 2010, and is good stump man. Bill Brady is a genuinely likeable guy. He could still put something together, but he has to drop soon without big money coming in fast, as he will have nothing but ego and a smile going down the stretch. It seems to me that this race is plainly coming down to Rutherford v. Rauner. A three way only diminishes the focus the voters need to give it. - A guy... - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 2:15 pm: It seems the real question ought to technically be “who will remove their name from the ballot”. At least one, if not two, have already dropped out. - Timmeh - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 2:16 pm: I don’t like primaries, but since it is what we have… It isn’t that early. Rauner is combusting now, but I don’t see any of the other three having a chance to stand out except Rutherford; at least not without Brady or Dillard dropping out. I have a lot of respect for Brady. I don’t like his ideas, but he’s a honest enough guy and I think he cares more about Illinois than ideology. But I don’t think he can win. Unless if he starts rising in the next month, then I think he should drop out. I’d respect him more for it. There’s nothing wrong with being a state senator and he’s a good one. I don’t have much respect for Dillard. He cares more about the office than Illinois or ideology. And I don’t think he can win. My only fear is that him dropping out might end up helping Rauner (but I don’t know if the evidence would support that). I think Rutherford is the best candidate to beat Quinn. He might even be the best candidate to get my vote. My fear of Rutherford is solely based on political issues, which is the best I can expect from living in a democracy. Rauner is Rauner. I hope his combustion is like the finale of a fireworks show: with pretty lights and cheering when it’s over. I want that cheering to be because he lost. On the other hand, if he does win, I do want a fireworks show. Bruce: You’re rich. You can afford it. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 2:16 pm: Sure, Bruce Rauner thinks he can beat us with his money ….Sure, he has terrific Staff paid for by his millions. They’ve got the best Troll equipment that money can buy. Heck, every Raunerbot they’re sending over here has their own personal masseuse, not masseur, masseuse. But it doesn’t matter. Do you know that ever Raunerbot is tested every 48 hours to see if there’s any change in their talking points that a Raunerbot missed? Do you know that they use the most sophisticated Troll methods from the old Soviet Union and East AND West Germany, and the newest Internet Troll power Trinidad-Tobago? But it doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t matter. …. And even, and even if they lose, if they lose, HAH! Even if they lose! Even if the “3″ play so far over their heads that their noses bleed for a week to ten days. Even if God in Heaven above comes down and points his hand at their side of the field. Even if every man, woman and child held hands together and prayed for the “3″ to win, it just wouldn’t matter, because all the really good looking girls would still go out with the Raunerbots cause they’re guy Rauner has got all the money! It just doesn’t matter if we win or we lose. IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER! - zatoichi - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 2:17 pm: The game has just started. Since these guys egos are large enough to think people will vote them into the big chair, why should they stop now? This race is far from over. - justsayin' - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 2:21 pm: You left out Rauner. Rauner’s money alone doesn’t exempt him from this discussion. He should resign because his background reveals his complete lack of ethics and principal. - Larry Mullholland - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 2:25 pm: Brady? Really? If he could not beat Gov. Quinn in a Quinn/Blago year, then he can never win. Mr. Brady please step to the left and step aside. - chad - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 2:35 pm: Dillard has no reasonable route to attaining the minimum 30% or so necessary to get withing range of a plurality, and no resources. He would have to get something like 4 of every 5 undecideds in order to do it. Just can’t happen. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 3:00 pm: =Do you know that they use the most sophisticated Troll methods from the old Soviet Union and East AND West Germany, and the newest Internet Troll power Trinidad-Tobago? = They do? *raises eyebrows* Well, that might explain a few things. Ut-oh. lol - wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 3:06 pm: .– Payton Prep ? Who cares, most people have never heard of it, and clouting your kid to get into a private school is nothing new for the rich and/or politically connected. – It’s a Chicago public school that is intended for exceptional Chicago public students. The school has a waiting list of 7,000 Chicago students. - Chavez-respecting Obamist - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 3:39 pm: Word beat me to it. Public school in the city where neither he nor his daughter were legal residents. And had she just stayed home, she would have still attended one of the top ten high schools in the state. - Timmeh - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 3:47 pm: Or he could have paid the best tutors in the world to teach her. There’s so many options for the Rauners. Plenty of them were less scummy than clouting their child into a school she didn’t deserve to be in. - DuPage Rep - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 3:51 pm: Nice Animal House quote Mr. Willy. Very truly yours. Raunerbot - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 3:56 pm: ===Nice Animal House quote Mr. Willy.=== You may want to double-check that one… Signed, Camp North Star - PoolGuy - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 3:56 pm: it was Meatballs Dupage Rep - 3rd Generation Chicago Native - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 4:18 pm: I voted Brady because he is the long shot. - Farker - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 5:25 pm: Voted D-LARD and Brady Dillard and Brady’s campaigns are hemorrhaging the little money they have. Their polling at the bottom in any recent reputable poll. And they’ve both already had this shot. Dan has money, has won statewide already and as others have noted doesn’t putting miles on the Nikes. He needs more money to be successful and for the PACs to start dumping on Big Bruce but he could actually pull it off. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 5:28 pm: As just an FYI, I voted “No.” If Rauner is disqualified in voters’ minds by the coming union barrage, then Rutherford will likely have the edge, but 2010 shows that anyone could win. - Henry Clay - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 5:36 pm: Money will only buy a candidate name recognition. Elections are ultimately decided by media publicity and the public’s “coffee shop talk and water cooler conversations”. A strong grass roots organization will trump a fat wallet each and every time. If the voters see sincerity (and leadership ability) within a candidate—they are elected and home free. If “the folks” smell the odor of self-enrichment and false sincerity emanating from a candidate, they are soon to become the clone of a smore that got too close to the flames. - Soccermom - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 5:43 pm: Seriously - I would like to hear someone explain Brady or Dillard’s paths to victory. Early voting starts in six weeks, so there isn’t much time left. Neither one has anything close to the kind of cash required to do serious paid media. Money isn’t the only factor in a campaign. Ask California Gov. Meg Whitman, who spent $177 million to Brown’s $36 million. But there is a minimum opening bid, and I don’t see how either Dillard or Brady gets there. And without money for media, I don’t see how they win. If anybody can see how they could do it, I’m seriously interested. I don’t see Brady improving on his 20 percent showing from last time, and I think he could lose votes to Rauner, if Bruce maintains his “frontrunner” status; I suspect there are folks who will vote for anyone they think could beat the Governor, and Brady has proven that he can’t do it. And I don’t see Dillard doing as well as he did last time, given his recent swerve to the right. I think he’ll be conceding a substantial number of voters to Rutherford. I don’t have a dog in this race, and I can’t see any of these guys beating Governor Quinn. (And that includes Rauner, whose negatives are increasing every day.) So I would like someone to walk me through the numbers (as opposed to telling me why their guy is the greatest thing since Swiss cheese, and why a miracle will happen on Election Day.) - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 7:06 pm: =no way John and Jane Citizen from Peoria are gonna vote for that panderer. = Let me make sure that I understand this. Within the REPUBLICAN context, you’re calling Dillard a “panderer?” - Just The Way It Is One - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 8:38 pm: No. They should all stay in. This is America, dag nab it, and if Tio Hardiman qualifies for the Democrat Ballot to run for Governor, he’s in–even if he only has a few lously hundred bucks to spend. That’s the way it is–and SHOULD be in a Democracy. Sure, the other 3 GOPers besides the Rich Guy candidate are going to have a tough road to hoe with less dough, but they should go all out and do everything they can to win. And it sure would REALLY be something if the favorite (you know who, the one with greenbacks just DRIBBlin’ out of his pockets all over the place…) falls short somehow by a handful of votes again and the PEOPLE let him know that it is THEY who decide who wins, and not the Gazillions someone might have to spend to try and recreate himself to influence their votes(!)–and if the outcome turns out somewhat similar to what happened in 2010, at least in terms of how incredibly close the final tally between Brady and Dillard was…! To me, that’s America and the fairness of our Free Election Voting system at its’ finest…! Indeed, I truly hope NONE of the Republicans drop out at this point, or any time between now and the Primary Election–let’s have at it, Boys!!!! - Just The Way It Is One - Thursday, Jan 16, 14 @ 8:39 pm: That was meant to read above: “…a few lousy hundred bucks to spend….” Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.