Catching up with Bailey
Monday, Jun 27, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’ve grumbled about how, while covering him a little, the Chicago political media has mostly ignored Darren Bailey’s candidacy or given it short shrift, up to and including some folks buying into a “Sullivan surge” claim that hasn’t yet been shown to be even close to true.
This story looks like it could’ve been written three weeks ago, but the race has now become a battle of a Trump-backed candidate vs. the non-Trump candidates…
The Republican primary for Illinois governor on Tuesday is shaping up to be a battle of billionaires trying to determine the face of the party in a Democrat-controlled state.
I mean, how many polls showing Irvin in third place do we need to see? And Sullivan’s billionaire backers aren’t even mentioned. Same goes for this AP story. The current second-place contestant also has billionaires behind him, but that is completely ignored.
* From a NewsMax interview…
“I am endorsed by all of the pro-life and pro-family groups here in Illinois,” he said, adding that if he is elected and Republicans regain the state legislative majority, taxpayer-funded abortions will stop “immediately.”
“Here in Illinois, a 12-year-old can get an abortion without her parents knowing anything about it,” Bailey said. “We will fight to end that. Interestingly enough, as Cindy and I have traveled the state and gotten to know many good people in Chicago, especially getting into the churches, we’ve come upon a novel idea to make abortion unnecessary. We will begin involving churches, religious groups, civic organizations to give pregnant women real choices. And I’m looking forward to that and spearheading that to make abortion unnecessary under the current makeup and laws here.”
Bailey said he will also fight against soft-on-crime leaders such as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and he believes he has been propelled to the lead spot in the gubernatorial race because 3 years ago when he was elected to the House, he started pushing back against the establishment.
“I found out the establishment wasn’t just the Democrats; but many times, it was people on our side of the aisle,” Bailey said. “So I sued Gov. Pritzker in June of 2021 over these egregious lockdowns, and then that began to propel us and gave us some notoriety across the state.”
He has some major intraparty fights left in him. And, as subscribers know, this is just one of them…
Watch for conservative Republican Darren Bailey to make a play to take over the Illinois GOP after tomorrow’s primary. Playbook hears that move could come as soon as Wednesday — right after Bailey’s expected victory in the six-man race for the party’s nod for governor.
* Tribune with a bit of catchup…
As a member of the legislature, Bailey also has opposed LGBTQ rights, most recently contending that teaching children about the role the community has played in history in state-approved textbooks is “sexualizing kids” and forces “schools to indoctrinate our kids with their far-left ideology.”
Bailey also has spoken in biblical terms of the decline of the family unit and the role of women and has called transgender rights “the moral rot that is destroying society.”
“God, in His creation, He intended, you know, the family unit to be headed by the dad. The dad is supposed to be out, you know, teaching his children hard work, ethics, honesty and integrity,” Bailey said in an April 4 interview on “Outside the Beltway.”
* Sunday on Facebook…
We’ve been realizing that something is changing. And that something that’s changing is the people are just getting sick and tired of being burdened by a failed government, especially a woke liberal government that seeks to just indoctrinate our children. It seeks to let criminals go scot free. It seeks to just push people who dream and want to work hard in this state, push them out. That’s coming to an end. And I think despite our weather, I have hope and I’m going to make a statement that I believe Illinois will be a destination state very soon. So it’s going to take a lot of work. I’m going to need your help. But I’m telling you we can do this.
So anyway, I’m going to, let me read and get you kinda in the mode. Since it’s Sunday morning, please consider going to church somewhere wherever you’re at. Just get on Google and Google ‘a church near me’ and find a place to go. Many churches have 10:30 and 11 o’clock in the morning worship services throughout the state. Some have three, two o’clock, three o’clock in the afternoon services and evening services. Friends, I’ve said this from day one, this is the purpose of the church, to come together. We are better together. If we come together, worship our Creator and just get energized for the week ahead, listening to His word, which is truth.
* Maybe some reporters will show up for tonight’s event…
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:06 pm:
“Here in Illinois, a 12-year-old can get an abortion without her parents knowing anything about it”
I think Sen. Bailey is confused about what the problem in that scenario is.
- thisjustinagain - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:15 pm:
Every time I hear a politician invoking a deity’s name I reach for my Constitution.
(And yes, that’s a parody of the line from Act 1, Scene 1 of Hanns Johst’s play Schlageter, which predates Goering’s somewhat mangled version of it.)
- JS Mill - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:19 pm:
=we’ve come upon a novel idea to make abortion unnecessary. We will begin involving churches, religious groups, civic organizations to give pregnant women real choices.=
So novel I have heard that come out of the mouth of every right winger interviewed on the topic since forever but especially in the last 6 months.
Boy this guy is full of hot air.
- DougChicago - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:20 pm:
Taking over the Illinois Republican Party? What exactly is there to take over? I suppose Proft and Timpone can suck up the contributions it will receive from little old ladies in Alton into their “newspapers,” but other than that it’s difficult to imagine an organization less worth taking over.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:22 pm:
-adding that if he is elected and Republicans regain the state legislative majority… abortions will stop “immediately.”-
Fixed it for ya.
- So_Ill - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:26 pm:
Are we all supposed to know who Steve Cortes is?
- Tim - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:28 pm:
=== Every time I hear a politician invoking a deity’s name I reach for my Constitution. ===
SCOTUS has likely reached for a different Constitution than you have (see the latest school prayer decision today).
- Jocko - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:29 pm:
==give pregnant women real choices.==
Since they’ll be required to carry the child to term.
- Amalia - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:33 pm:
“….we’ve come upon a novel idea to make abortion unnecessary.” I’m going to break something I’m so livid. let’s look at every single way he and his crowd block sex ed, healthcare, programs for children, birth control. this is such disingenuous garbage.
- Nuke The Whales - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:33 pm:
His keynote speaker is THE Steve Cortes?! He got THE Steve Cortes!! Who is Steve Cortes?
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:37 pm:
“especially a woke liberal government that seeks to just indoctrinate our children”
The Trump rally had Village People songs playing right before Trump went on. We’re talking leather chaps. Do they know what they’re listening to? Lol
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:40 pm:
After Tuesday…
Been thinking a lot lately… after Tuesday.
All the press finally, and quite lazily, catching up… Wednesday is a mere beginning.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:41 pm:
Well, I know where I am not going tonight after I get off the UPNW..
- TheInvisibleMan - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:44 pm:
“to give pregnant women real choices”
“Pregnant woman”: I choose to have the choice to have an abortion or not.
“Darren Bailey”: No. That’s not a real choice. I said only real choices. We’ve made sure that isn’t a choice without asking for your input and/or ignoring it when we heard your screams asking for that choice. Now please select from this list of approved churches to hand your unborn child over to and have them be spiritually married into the church at birth.
Apropos of nothing, we also don’t like how the left seeks to indoctrinate children.
- JoanP - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:49 pm:
Bailey’s statements are a good example of why I’m a lot more concerned about the Supreme Court decisions in Carson v. Makin and Kennedy v. Bremerton School District than I am about Dobbs.
There is a concerted movement in this country (see “dominion theology” and “Christian reconstructionism”) to force Christianity (and a very specific, rigid, conservative form of it) on all of us.
Bailey sure sounds like a part of that.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:51 pm:
===“…And I’m looking forward to that and spearheading that to make abortion unnecessary under the current makeup and laws here.”===
Is this like Governor Abbott of Texas stating that rapes don’t happen in Texas anymore after the Texas legislature passed new abortion legislation?
- PublicServant - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:53 pm:
=== Boy this guy is full of hot air. ===
He’s full of something, alright. I would not have picked hot air as my first choice.
- Huh? - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:56 pm:
“we’ve come upon a novel idea to make abortion unnecessary”
Like paying for contraception and vasectomies?
Oops. Republican’t candidate. My bad. Should have known. /s
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:58 pm:
===Taking over the Illinois Republican Party? What exactly is there to take over?===
- TheInvisibleMan - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:01 pm:
“see the latest school prayer decision today”
The Satanic Temple is going to be busy holding prayer events at football games I see. Are pentagrams allowed to be drawn on the field yet, or will that take another court case after some school etches a cross into their football field.
They’ve learned nothing from the statue of Baphomet having to be allowed at the state capitol, for no other reason than due to the demands of one other religion to use state property for religious displays.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:02 pm:
That tweet, Rich?
Well said.
The brand was bought, then abandoned… then… Griffin *tried* to resurrect the the brand back… Griffin left town before the primary finished.
The ILGOP… it’s not even a shell of what the RaunerS left.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:03 pm:
Above was me. Apologies.
- Steve Rogers - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:04 pm:
“Here in Illinois, a 12-year-old can get an abortion without her parents knowing anything about it,” Bailey said.
Bailey also has opposed LGBTQ rights, most recently contending that teaching children about the role the community has played in history in state-approved textbooks is “sexualizing kids”
Strong in this one, the Q is.
- Hot Taeks - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:05 pm:
Haha Trump did call the YMCA the gay national anthem.
- DuPage Saint - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:12 pm:
Give women real choices? But not all and I guess pregnant 12 year olds get none. I am old although younger than most National political leaders always pull a Republican Primary ballot probably for last time tomorrow. I gave no party let it crash and burn let Bailey take over and drive a stake in it. My hope is Democrats go overboard and somehow sometime a center party arises
- Streator Curmudgeon - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:18 pm:
“So I sued Gov. Pritzker in June of 2021 over these egregious lockdowns, and then that began to propel us and gave us some notoriety across the state.”
Notoriety. Not like the Notorious RBG.
But notoriety is an accurate, but unconscious word choice.
- OneMan - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:20 pm:
This resulted me in looking up who Steve Cortes is, that is part of my life that I am never getting back. With him being the keynote, it should be a fun crowd.
Suffice to say growing up on/near the south side at the same time gave us very different perspectives.
Might have gone if it was Dan Cortese of MTV fame.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:34 pm:
Bailey’s idea of choice for pregnant women is, epidural or wooden spoon?
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:43 pm:
-We will begin involving churches, religious groups, civic organizations to give pregnant women real choices.-
Some choice. Here, you can’t have the medical services you want, but you have to talk to this religious group that you want no part of because the government said so.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:45 pm:
-This resulted me in looking up who Steve Cortes is,-
Looking forward to JFK Jr. in the dunk tank at the State Fair.
- Proud Papa Bear - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:59 pm:
Since those folks are into crowd sizes, Bailey and twice-impeached Trump brought, what, 10,000 to their rally?
Yesterday’s Pride Parade probably drew close to a million. The folks I saw there were also “getting sick and tired of being burdened by a failed government” but their ire was directed at the Supreme Court.
- OneMan - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 3:07 pm:
==Looking forward to JFK Jr. in the dunk tank at the State Fair. ==
You might be on to something they can have a whole theme at the fair with games like
– Capture the False Flag
– Which Q are You
– Did the butter-cow vote?
– Abe Spinning in tomb bingo
- SomeGuy - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 3:17 pm:
-We will begin involving churches, religious groups, civic organizations to give pregnant women real choices.-
Sounds like no choices for PREGNANT women. The choices they are proposing all revolve around what to do after the delivery.
- Dread Pirate Roberts - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 3:22 pm:
- force Christianity (and a very specific, rigid, conservative form of it) on all of us -
I couldn’t agree more. Ignoring the obvious problem of ignoring freedom of religion, the version of Christianity this crowd is espousing is an extreme conservative version. I’m a Christian that is pro-choice, pro-lbtqia+ rights, the list goes on. This is not my God or my Jesus that these people are invoking.
- Lefty Lefty - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 3:37 pm:
I went to church yesterday. My pastor preached after reading Acts 8:26-40. The verses tell a story of Philip, a late-arriving disciple of the new church, discussing Isaiah with an Ethiopian eunuch.
Cutting to the chase:
The Christian disciple welcomed the questions, fellowship, and conversion of a non-Christian (likely), non-binary (according to some scholars) person of color. It was a wonderful message of inclusion. It would be great to hear about this and other inclusive, tolerant, compassionate parts of the Bible from Mr. Bailey some day.
- Give Us Barabbas - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 4:03 pm:
I’m pro-choice but don’t applaud abortions, I realize it’s not my business and the women’s choice, and wish that our society did do a lot more to give women support for their pregnancies in situations where they just can’t have a kid. The greatest tragedy is forcing a mom to have to make such hard choices over simple economics. If you hate abortion, you need to remove these economic and societal problems that promote it.
That means streamlining and funding more adoption and foster parenting, that means more funding for prenatal and neonatal care, for financial supports to the mom and baby, for their housing, their utilities, for nutritional support, day care, respite care, medical care, transportation, job training and schooling, protection of jobs for extended maternity leave, and I should probably stop there because no republicans and no conservatives are willing to spend a single *dime* more on these things that would make a real difference in the choices facing a pregnant woman. In fact; they keep trying to *cut* these very services or create disincentives like means tests. And while churches can be great, most of the ones I know of that profess pro-life support centers for pregnant women don’t really follow that up with dollars, past a month or two post-birth, max. It was never about the kids or the moms. It’s about theocratic hypocrisy and control.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 4:20 pm:
== If you hate abortion, you need to remove these economic and societal problems that promote it.==
I’ve seen a number of op-eds in the last few days from religious leaders on the right stating that the gop now has to start working to provide much more funding to support women who have unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. I think they’re cluelessly naïve, however I do look forward to seeing them tie themselves in knots trying to convince their buffoonish gop legislators to support higher taxes that will fund social welfare programs.
- vole - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 5:02 pm:
But Parson Bailey, I mean, please hear me, what if it is beer drinking weather, instead of church going weather? I mean don’t beer bring us together too?
- Jibba - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 5:08 pm:
===we’ve come upon a novel idea to make abortion unnecessary===
Well, you go right ahead and do it, then. I would be overjoyed if it is so good that many women would voluntarily stop having abortions all over the state. Why even bother to make abortion illegal then? Oh, right, that is not what this is all about.
- vole - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 5:18 pm:
and as the good book of Bailey says, 90% of the land area will have dominion and the little slivers of socialist blue percenters will not divide the red MAGA sea
- Give Us Barabbas - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 6:23 pm:
Yes, indeed: let’s all vote for the people least likely to actually support women for, well, anything, really. I really just can’t understand why any woman would ever vote GOP.
- G'Kar - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 7:09 pm:
When I listen to Bailey in his religious mode on Facebook, I immediately flash back to Little Ed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8mhZdoC5qc
- JS Mill - Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 8:03 pm:
=especially a woke liberal government that seeks to just indoctrinate our children. It seeks to let criminals go scot free.=
And this guy thinks he is a good christian yet he lies all the time. Both statements are completely false.
Like any good demagogue he must find an enemy and then attack.
It is my hope that Pritzker shows no mercy and attacks him relentlessly in the general.