* Some progressive House Democrats are hopeful about the direction of their party and their leader…

“The speaker is ready to lead the party in favor of a more bold and clear agenda,” state Rep. Will Guzzardi, a Chicago Democrat, told POLITICO Illinois.

Guzzardi said that he and colleagues in both the House and Senate have been meeting to discuss a policy platform, a messaging strategy, and social media presence — areas in which he says Democrats have failed over the last two years. “The most important work that we must do and that I am working on is to define the message and define the agenda,” Guzzardi said.

Guzzardi said he was among several Democrats who spoke to Madigan last year to “rethink our approach” about how the party was combating the proposed policies of the Republican governor. The group told Madigan that Democrats were failing to express a specific message and offer concrete solutions to the state’s budget woes.

“I was surprised by how receptive the speaker was,” Guzzardi said, adding that Madigan and the rest of the leadership team “have really expressed an openness to start putting forth a more ambitious agenda … I think early in the session you’re going to hear from Democrats on what we think needs to be done. At the very least, we’ll put some bills on the governor’s desk.”

* The House Democrats are getting absolutely pummeled by Rauner. Yeah, the governor’s numbers ain’t good, but theirs are worse. So even a slapdash response would be better than what they’re doing now.

As for social media, I find myself being not quite as optimistic as Guzzardi. Here’s a memo distributed to Madigan’s members during the veto session. Click the pic for a better image…

Sigh.

A caucus website is more than a decade overdue. A leader who once prided himself on using the latest technology became an absolute Luddite when the World Wide Web became a thing, and then doubled down on his retro views when social media emerged.

The problem with this idea is that Speaker Madigan is one of, if not the most unpopular politicians in the state. Tying all of his members’ social media accounts and press releases directly to himself through a web page might not be the greatest idea he ever came up with.

But, hey, that’s classic Madigan. It’s all centralized at the top.

* A far better idea would be to individually help his members expand their social media reach into their own districts.

On top of that, maybe the state party could hire some folks to help focus the hounds on Twitter and Facebook.

For the past two years, I’ve been monitoring two Twitter searches constantly throughout the day. One searches for all mentions of the word “Rauner” and one searches for “GovRauner,” which is his official Twitter handle. I do this as just one more way to monitor breaking news.

However, something else has been happening lately. Ever since Donald Trump won the presidential election, I’ve noticed a dramatic increase in the number of negative references to the governor on Twitter and that far more people are tweeting some pretty harsh stuff at the guy. Some of it is coming from known people and entities, but a whole lot of it is being generated by what appear to be everyday citizens. Something is definitely going on.

       

42 Comments - Chicago Cynic - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:39 am: It’s like the buggy whip CEO writing about how he was going to be learning how to drive. UGH. He needs to get out of the way and let someone else take the lead who actually knows something about social media. Hell, even Lang knows more. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:39 am: ===On top of that, maybe the state party could hire some folks to help focus the hounds on Twitter and Facebook. For the past two years, I’ve been monitoring two Twitter searches constantly throughout the day. One searches for all mentions of the word “Rauner” and one searches for “GovRauner,” which is his official Twitter handle. I do this as just one more way to monitor breaking news=== This. All day. This. Either continued to get embarrassed, daily, or do some embarrassing of the governor yourselves. We’ll see. - Jay - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:45 am: How Nixonian. - Lech W - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:49 am: You lost me at …”The speaker is ready to lead the party in favor of a more bold and clear agenda.. That line is good for a belly laugh. MJM’s only agenda now, and over the last 30 years has been to retain power ! - RNUG - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:50 am: == … to discuss a policy platform, a messaging strategy, and social media presence — areas in which he says Democrats have failed over the last two years. == Amen. - Deft Wing - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:50 am: Guzzardi’s been played. - Jon - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:51 am: I think the failure is in more the lack of a actual message than in getting the message out. Yes, yes, people are suffering, social services, Rauner’s bad, etc., but never any “hows”. I suspect the Team Rauner is going to jump all over this with the $12,000 spent. Plus since this comes from Madigan, anything posted on a members social media page from the caucus is just going to be another example of “Boss Madigan” controlling the member. - Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:51 am: A social media presence will be worthless if the Dems do not have a coherent, easy-to-understand policy platform AND a messaging strategy. They need a simple message tied to a few proposals that support the part of their natural base (working class folks) they have been taking for granted. In addition, Labor needs to be on board and pushing higher wages for all. (AFSCME needs to push an increase in the minimum wage and a few other issues that parallel what they are asking for in negotiations.) Social media without a message is worthless. - thoughts - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:52 am: ==* A far better idea would be to individually help his members expand their social media reach into their own districts.== Isn’t this what the thing they do now? It appears to me they aren’t concerned with a statewide strategy because they focus on a district-by-district basis. - Arsenal - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:52 am: ==However, something else has been happening lately.== Trump’s election has somehow energized lefties more than the campaign ever did, which, great job guys, really nailed the timing on that one. And Rauner’s approval ratings were dismal before Trump’s election, so, y’know, the combination of those two threads isn’t surprising. Or necessarily meaningful. It’s easy to be Twitter Angry in January ‘17. Doesn’t mean you’ll walk a precinct in October ‘18. Hope they do, though. - Anon221 - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:55 am: “…I’ve noticed a dramatic increase in the number of negative references to the governor on Twitter and that far more people are tweeting some pretty harsh stuff at the guy.” Same thing on those FaceBook Live thingees. At least Rauner doesn’t start WWIII against the critics on FB or Twitter like Trump does. I highly doubt he ever will. That would create a record that could be “mined”. Just like the email dumps from the FOIA request of Rahm. - hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:58 am: It’s hard for me to believe someone who doesn’t even have a flip phone cell phone conceives the way social media politics works. MJM needs to turn over the reins of the IDP to a full-time political operative operating independently of the machinations of the General Assembly and the ongoing budget standoff. Dems in the House should make that a condition of their continued support for the Speakership if they don’t want to see IL turn red just like all our neighbors. - Downstate - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 10:59 am: Madigan’s team has referenced the fact that he doesn’t have a cell phone. At one time that image seemed quaint. But now it borders on either; 1)An elderly, out-of-touch gentlmen, or 2) A leadership figure that requires “layers”. - Spiro Agnew - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:00 am: A lot of the negative social media feedback goes beyond Rauner. Sites like MoveOn and ThinkProgress have really urged their readers/members to be more vocal to GOP elected officials in their states. Don’t think it’s a purely Rauner initiative. - Arsenal - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:01 am: ==Isn’t this what the thing they do now? It appears to me they aren’t concerned with a statewide strategy because they focus on a district-by-district basis.== But how much can an individual member’s tweets ever possibly break through? Lang’s seem to generate some minor buzz from time to time, but he’s at least in leadership. That being said, I don’t see Rauner’s tweets really driving the conversation either, but still, you don’t want to concede any message medium. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:05 am: Trump has changed things in which we are still flat-footed at the moment. His use of Twitter will be a boon and a bust, often on the same day, but his use chastising House Republicans for trying to water down the Ethics committee power had immediate impact, with a reversal the next day. A device with 180 million ‘friends’/sentinels has produced a massive bully pulpit that fits in a pocket. The political communication game has shifted, democratized, and put all conventional communication giants on notice and on antacids Looks like he is in the process of really mixing things up at every level. This is my estimation/opinion, not my prejudice. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:08 am: Here’s what I know… Raunerites in the Raunerite state party, their flacks, flacks in the administration all engage in Social Media. You had Lance Trover actually trolling Rep. Lang on more than one occasion, and even Richard Goldberg doing some trolling, albeit far, far, FAR less than Trover. If you take time to look on “the Twitter” you find Rep. Wehrli turning anything and everything into “Mautinoland”, another example of the constant presence by Raunerites. When I see a presence that the Democrats can say, “we are engaging in the daily”, then I’ll know they are breathing. Oh, and there’s a difference between being ridiculous as a staffer trolling a member of the General Assembly and another to showcase messaging on the policy and political ridiculousness that is Raunerism. If Democrats follow the Lance Trover style of trolling, they should continue to stay off social media. You want to look knowledgeable, not be seen as a caricature. - Team Sleep - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:13 am: “In today’s e-newsletter we will talk about how extreme Governor Rauner is. Also, please remember to vote on the funniest cat video.” - Team Sleep - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:14 am: Dems like Will Guzzardi and Kelly Cassidy share little in common with me policy-wise, but they have ideas and are active on social media. They need to be heard and their advice needs to be heeded. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:14 am: And furthermore, all caucus televisions will have those remote control thingys. - Annonin' - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:15 am: Hopefully Capt Fax has run over to BigBrain with a full list of all the offendin’ parties can be spanked, lost their allowance and sent to bed with no dinner. Waz up is that folks are beginnin’ to see BigBrain is little more than a rich, poorly prepared, mumbo jumbo machine with no plan to get anythin’ done and confronted with havin’ this new madman in the WH. Not a bright future, but keep that social media comin’. - Skirmisher - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:15 am: Regarding the increased negative references to Rauner, I can’t think it means much unless there is a corresponding increase in positives for Madigan. I think as we move into another year with no budget resolution and no apparent effort on either side to put aside the war and work for the common good, then more and more people are voicing their frustration s and giving voice to the conviction that neither side cares a lick about anyone other than their respective special interests and personal power. The honeymoon is over for Rauner now and so he is getting the verbal licking he deserves. Madigan has been getting his for some time now. - VanillaMan - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:17 am: AAAARGH! Can anyone claim the political center in Illinois? I’m not supporting 20th century government solutions a la liberal Democratic flop in 2018! Rauner is a disaster and unable to govern. This leaves a HUGE majority of citizens looking for a sensible and practical approach to common sense reforms. The person who can defeat Bruce is the one who cuts him off from the political center while he waddles around in Lincolnshire-land, spewing nonsense and burning bridges preventing bipartisan compromise. No liberal nonsense! - Team Sleep - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:23 am: “Welcome to AOL.” Speaker Madigan furiously tries to sign up for an e-mail address. “Sorry, but mike@aol.com is taken.” Madigan tries again. “Sorry, but speaker@aol.com is taken.” Madigan gives up. - Skirmisher - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:29 am: I think the increasing negatives for Rauner on social media reflect the fact that the very many people who truly believe that elements of the turnaround agenda are very necessary to the future health of the state, are now openly admitting the obvious fact that Rauner and Madigan are cut from the same cloth and deserve equal disdain. I doubt that there has been a corresponding increase in positives for Madigan. - Mokenavince - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:41 am: Madigan will tell the Democrats how and when they will do something.Nobody does anything until Madigan say so. The Democrats will just sit their and collect a pay check, plus a handsome pension and do nothing. Like the last GOP congress did. - Arsenal - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 11:42 am: ==Regarding the increased negative references to Rauner, I can’t think it means much unless there is a corresponding increase in positives for Madigan.== Depends on what context we expect it to operate in. Probably shouldn’t affect the balance of power on the budget crisis, but could be a window into Rauner’s re-elect. - Blue dog dem - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 12:01 pm: If you want to be’progressive’, why dont you lead the charge for a ‘progressive’ income tax increase. But no, the Dems will do what they do best…sock it to the poor and middle working class. - JS Mill - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 12:03 pm: =“Welcome to AOL.” Speaker Madigan furiously tries to sign up for an e-mail address. “Sorry, but mike@aol.com is taken.” Madigan tries again. “Sorry, but speaker@aol.com is taken.” Madigan gives up. = Now he will try that “fax gizmo” to sign up for email. - Liberty - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 12:06 pm: Another view point is not to get drug into Rauner’s craziness. He is unpopular already and preaches to the choir constantly. The election is still a long way out. What has Rauner done? - Liberty - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 12:10 pm: Rauner has only 75000 followers on Facebook… - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 12:51 pm: At least he did not type anything “Mautino” You go, Representative! Troll… Troll like the wind! @GrantWehrli - According to @capitolfax Madigan et al: may join us on twitter. Might have to step up my trolling game if that happens #willheuseaflipphone No, Mr. Wehrli, I’m not laughing with you… - Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 1:18 pm: ===Guzzardi’s been played.=== My sentiments exactly. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 1:19 pm: - Ducky LaMoore - Respectfully, can you walk me through how he got played? Appreciate it. - LevivotedforJudy - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 1:29 pm: It would behoove the House D’s to follow Guzzardi’s thoughts on social media. He is the right generation/demographc and understands how it can be used to sway opinion (i.e. he used it expertly to help him beat Toni Berrios). - Team Sleep - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 1:40 pm: JS - ha! “Why does the Nintendo coax cable differ from the VCR cable?!” - Altgelds Ghost - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 1:47 pm: I would imagine Guzzardi’s and Cassidy’s ideas will get full support from the MJM operation until 1 second after they vote for his rules on Wednesday. - Arsenal - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 2:04 pm: ==No, Mr. Wehrli, I’m not laughing with you…== Yeah…I understand his impulse, and hey, with Sandack gone, there’s an opening! But that’s not a good tweet to see if you’re wanting anything to get done in the state. - chi girl - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 2:42 pm: do you think they know iphones have cameras built in - chi girl - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 2:59 pm: they should’ve spent that $12k on a couple big boxes of ooda loops. ok I’m done - cdog - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 6:18 pm: Rauner has two problem constituent groups that will never vote to reelect, him regardless of his fancy talk. group 1 - energized HRC voters ready to pounce, group 2 - people like myself that voted for Trump, but will NEVER vote for a show man like Rauner. The man has stepped in it and is stained for eternity. If the Dems can stay in the center, (no crazy far-left bs), present a competent choice that understands the disaster that has been created by Rauner, and Madigan, and the past, they have a chance. - Juvenal - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 7:36 pm: Rich - Don’t blame House Democratic Caucus. A big, centralized, website that ties all Democrats together is exactly what the millennials have been demanding. Don’t believe me, ask Guzzardi. It fits nicely into their believe that there should be a common agenda that defines what Kelly Cassidy and Dan Beiser stand for. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.