59 Comments - soccermom - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 11:56 am: Hell yes. Given that she isn’t taking money from banks, bank executives, state employees and others who do business with the office, she’s at an extreme disadvantage in fundraising. She shouldn’t be penalized for ethics. - MrJM - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 11:58 am: Q: Should the Democratic Party of Illinois provide significant funds to down-ballot statewide candidates like Kelly and David Miller? A: Yes. Because every voter who casts a ballot for Kelly and Miller will vote for the Democratic candidates on the ticket above them. Democratic leaders shouldn’t care why Democratic voters show up at the polls, they should be more concerned with whether they show up at all. – MrJM - wndycty - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 11:59 am: Put it this way. Governor Quinn and Alexi top a ticket with three African Americans on it and the African American turnout is extremely important for a Democratic victory. Hell yes they need to put money in these races. If the Dems help turn out the vote for Kelly and Miller, especially in the African American community, it helps the top of the ticket as well as legislative races. Kelly and Miller voters are not about to vote for Brady, Kirk, Dold, Kinzinger or Schilling. Turning out the Black vote in Cook County, Kankakee, Joliet and the Quad Cities is important to the entire ticket. - A.B. - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 11:59 am: well if you have a a set amount of dollars and have the option of putting all of your money in a few big races and might win them OR spread your money thin and potentially lose all of them, which is a better play? Seems to me that the party is putting their money in the top of the ticket where they might be able to win and hoping some coattails might help the bottom half. - Easy - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:00 pm: Yes. Lots of it. Starting immediately. - 47th Ward - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:01 pm: The party should (and does) provide some resources like access to the voter file, volunteers, postage rates, etc., but not cash contributions. We all know that Chairman Madigan provides party funds to his House candidates, and that’s a sore spot for many. But he also provides the staff and consultants, so he controls how those dollars are spent (rarely wasted). If you want to run statewide, you’ll need to raise at least a million dollars. Kelly knew it, Miller knows it, and everyone else understands the burden is on the candidate, not the party, to raise those dollars. Don’t come crying to Madigan in October because you don’t have the dough to get on TV when it counts. Maybe Mary Mitchell could write Robin a check. That, plus today’s overly generous column, would be a nice contribution. - Plutocrat03 - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:01 pm: Certainly. What is the purpose of a statewide party if they do not support their candidates? I understand lower amounts than for the top ticket, but all legitimate party candidates should be supported. - VoterUSA - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:07 pm: YES!!… The Coordinated Campaign can only go so far, and besides She is a Great Candidate, and will be a Great treasurer. - Sideline watcher - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:08 pm: It’s amazing that we even have to ask. The way they have been treated is shameful especially now that they are so concerned with whether the Black votes turns out. There is no way to cover this state without resources or media. They both should be on tv now. Also bears noting the lack of help or perceived lack of help for Robin from Alexi. - Irish - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:13 pm: Is the State Republican Party supporting her opponent? I would think that yes the State Democratic Party should help her and would help her just to keep the whole ticket strong. But once again here is Mike Madigan and he is going to spend the state party’s money where it benefits HIM the most. His biggest concern is maintaining his power and that is where he will concentrate his funds. - ILPundit - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:18 pm: Ummm…no. The fact of the matter is that the down-ballot races are low profile, they do not drive turnout, and most importantly, very poorly run campaigns — certainly compared to the ones higher on the ballot. I mean, has Robin Kelly done anything besides produce a state funded mailer highlighting her role as the Treasurer’s Chief of Staff? Anything? I might feel differently if these down-ballot candidates had showed any capacity to run a compelling race. As it is, they haven’t, and to send them money is like flushing it down the toliet. The money is better spent at the top of the ticket — as strong turnout at the time can help them more than anything else they are doing anyway. - Wumpus - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:18 pm: yes, it is still a major office - wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:19 pm: Given their recent track record in elections, I figure the Dems know their business. Those offices are the farm teams. You can make the argument that if you want to move up to the Big Leagues, you should be able to demonstrate you can make it on your own down there. - Cuban Pilot - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:23 pm: Yes. For both parties, it is important to develop a “farm team.” (I know it is hard to call downticket statewide candidates a farm team). Anyway, if either candidate wins, they could have a long future in Illinois politics, especially Ms. Kelly. So, they should contribute money. Further, looking ahead to the future, the State Dem. party may regret not doing more to help kelly go after Rutherford. Instead, when Dan wins in November, he has a great base to run for SOS and the gop could wind up with a very important patronage position. - WOW - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:27 pm: Steve Brown is right. They are doing the same thing they are doing for all other democratic non-state rep. candidates. Not a freaking thing. They don’t raise money to help a statewide ticket. They raise money to help elect state rep.’s. They last helped on the statewide ticket in 1998 helping Poshard and the coordinated campaign. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:31 pm: “Mr. Madigan” thinks he SHOULD help in the funding of those two, the “Speaker” thinks otherwise. I think the Speaker will win this one. Do I believe? Yes. But, at some point, if you want to be a player in politics, one of the prongs to be in politics is the ability to raise the cash …and if you can’t… well … then you don’t get to be in politics too long. - Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:31 pm: Of course the ILDEM should support their candidates, as should the ILGOP, but finances must be allocated based upon whatever parameters the party leaders (ha!) decide. If a candidate is not receiving money, it is either because there is none, the money will be allocated to a more important race, the candidate is considered to be able to self-finance, or the candidate is not worth the investment (read, loser). Pick the one or more reasons that apply. - Amalia - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:38 pm: yes, but have they done it before? yes they have provided coordinated materials, but the State Party is not exactly generous with cash. Dick Durbin, that’s a better story. - L.S. - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:42 pm: I like Kelly, but she’s a terrible fundraiser and it’s not anyone elses fault. When you jump in state wide you have to build a fundraising structure. It’s part of the game…a big part. She was vulnerable in the primary because of this and caught a break with the other guy dropping out. Now she still can’t find the funds. It’d be great if there was some extra money to run TV commercials and mailers for her, but that’s hundreds of thousands of dollars that vulnerable Dem campaigns don’t have right now. - OneMan - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:46 pm: No, for four different reasons. 1) In some ways losing these races may do the Democrats a bit of a favor, if they manage to keep all of the statewide offices then the austerity and tax increases to come will be entirely on their heads. That will have an impact in legislative races in two years. 2) If you have finite resources these are really the races to lose. If the house is in play or close to being in play it is a better move to keep control of the house than to keep the comptroller’s office in party hands. So it seems a better use of limited resources. 3) If you bail a candidate out, it sets a bad example for other candidates down the road. 4) Six years is a long time to live with a Democratic senator who would be higher profile than a state Treasurer. Also losing the President’s old senate seat would be embarrassing. Again a race that is a better investment. - SangamoGOP - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:46 pm: Thiry days out and tens of points down…No, the state party should not be helping with cash payments. Is the ILGOP helping Enriquez or Kim? Perhaps with coordinated efforts - literature, polling, phones, etc - but probably not with gobs of cash. Kelly and Miller have not proven themselves capable of winning and should, therefore, be on their own. If they had raised the necessary money and boosted their name ID and were competitive w/Topinka and Rutherford, then perhaps ILDEM should kick in to put them over the top during the last 7-10 days. But not now. These two aren’t worth it. - Eugene - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:46 pm: Yes, they should. This is a very Democrat state . There’s no reason in the world all Democrats shouldn’t get funding from Mike Madigan. - Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:47 pm: Of course they should, but they put a no-win type test to any candidate. Want money from the party, be successful first. Of course, to be successful takes money & party support to help get the message out. If the candidate is successful in that respect, they probably won’t need party support. You could also ask if the party uses that money to recruit & support & train a “farm team” of candidates with potential. The answer is “No.” It would seem that assessing a candidate with respect to a set of criteria and then providing a small amount of support to get things going would be better than hoarding money so it can be doled out when things go bad. - Adam Smith - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:51 pm: OK folks, let’s get real here. Mitchell is whining because she thinks it is a case of racial bias. But what it is, is smart politics. Are Steve Kim and Robert Enriquez (”who?” you ask) getting bags of cash from ILGOP? NO. Why, because they are not competitive. Kelly and Miller are up against very well-funded and much higher name ID candidates. To take precious money and pour it down a sinkhole to win these offices when you have Senate, Governor and control of the legislature on the line would be political malpractice. I’m sure they are both lovely people, as are Kim and Enriquez, but, to quote Harold Washington, “politics ain’t beanbag.” - Wumpus - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:56 pm: This is still a dem state, shhe could win. They are treating her worse than they did Scott Lee Cohen - wndycty - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 12:59 pm: @Adam Smith the racial element is important not from the stand point of racial bias but because a strong African American turnout helps the Democrats. By putting resources into these two races the Democratic party helps the top of the ticket because of the excitement in the Black community. - Skeeter - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 1:09 pm: The lack of funding says a bit about whether the positions should be elected offices at all. I like Miller, but if Miller loses, what is going to happen? Seriously, what is the difference? I would rather put money in a contested House race and maybe get a vote. Comp and Treas. wins add nothing. - Pioneer P. - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 1:13 pm: “I like Kelly, but she’s a terrible fundraiser and it’s not anyone elses fault…” Her campaign manager is a fundraiser and at the very least, the Kelly campaign should have been able to do that well, but they are busted. A decent campaign manager with any experience would have had Mary Mitchell working on her third column about Robin Kelly without the tearful Mike Madigan is being mean thread running through it … “First African American female statewide Constitutional officer” —- the story would write itself 100 times across the state. The campaign has been sad, to say the least. Taking that into consideration, any vote for Kelly or Miller is likely a vote for Quinn at the very least, so yes the state party should be kicking in some support. It’s a reward for bad behaviour in this instance, but if it’s helping the top of the ticket, that’s what this is all about right? - diehard Dem - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 1:23 pm: the Statewide and Countywide tickets was put together to drive turnout with good candidates. David Miller and Kelly are far better candidates then others who angeled for the spots. Both African Amer and Latino turnout is key. Let’s not forget that the elephant sitting in the room are the “Independents” like Claypool and other bitter losers, who are driving a wedge between everyone and have never spent a dime on anyone but themselves. - Phineas J. Whoopee - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 1:26 pm: Actually, the more bad press Robin Kelly generates toward the the dem party probably helps the party by informing African Americans that there are 3 black candidates on the ballot. BTW, how come David Miller isn’t all over the tube for the general election? He certainly had a presence in the primary. But to answer the question, of course MJM should be concerned with the whole statewide ticket and help anyway he can. Sometimes, I think he would rather control the house and push Brady around than have to deal with a duly elected Quinn. It’s crunch time and he’s still doing squats. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 1:30 pm: ===You could also ask if the party uses that money to recruit & support & train a “farm team” of candidates with potential. The answer is “No.”=== If the party did that, the media would just say those people were trained MJM puppets. Seriously. - "Old Timer Dem" - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 1:37 pm: You are right Rich. Madigan loses with the press no matter what he does. If he releases party money to the statewide candidates, the press says he wants to control them. If doesn’t, they say he is using all the party funds for the House candidates to control them. - "Old Timer Dem" - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 1:40 pm: This nothing new. Ask Mirian Santos how much money she got from the Party when she ran for Attorney General in 1994. She went to Jail because she shook down city contractors trying to raise money for the coordinated state Dem campaigns. - Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 1:48 pm: Isn’t MJM marshaling the ILDEM resources for a future run for governor by a relative? - 47th Ward - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 1:51 pm: ===Isn’t MJM marshaling the ILDEM resources for a future run for governor by a relative?=== No. What a dumb question. Did you just move here? - wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 2:05 pm: –Isn’t MJM marshaling the ILDEM resources for a future run for governor by a relative? – It’s all part of the Grand 20-Year Conspiracy, as were Lisa passing on both the Gov. and Senate races this year, either which she would have won in a walk. Strange conspiracy. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 2:10 pm: The last time I worked on a major campaign - and by that I mean a paid staffer and not a volunteer - we couldn’t get the Illinois GOP to do anything for us. We couldn’t even get them to give us phones for calls. The GOP is now running things much smoother and campaigns are getting some help. However, you have to show you are interested and serious first. The state parties and their benefactors can’t just prop up a candidate who is essentially dead weight and/or has no chance of winning. Dan Rutherford has essentially been running for Treasurer since there were whispers about Alexi’s upward itch. He has a million plus in the bank and will probably advertise for two weeks straight in Chicago, the Quad Cities, Peoria, C-U, the Metro East and Rockford. He has shown an ability to be a master fundraiser, a great campaigner and a party cheerleader. I’m certainly not a Democrat and I’m not one to give the Dems advice, but seriously, if they want to change the party structure, encourage the state committee to oust Madigan and bring in someone who will spread the wealth. I know keeping a legislative chamber is important, but there are many other campaigns and committees who need the money. I don’t know how well Robin Kelly would have fared with Madigan’s help, but I’m sure she would be polling better if she had more resources and utilized them properly. - SangamoGOP - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 2:13 pm: Reading the comments, it is obvious why Madigan, Blago, Obama and other Dems who raise gobs of their own money win big and hold the levers of power. If Madigan managed ILDEMS like the majority of commenters want him to, he would spread his resources too thin to win the races that count and would lose power. The goal of a political party is not to help everyone who signs up to run for an election or to help everyone who wins a primary. The goal is to control as much govt power as possible. Besides, do you really think Madigan is nervous about Topinka and Rutherford winning? For Madigan, it is all about the General Assembly and more specifically about the House. And, as to the issue of Kelly and Miller juicing the African American vote for the rest of the Dem Ballot, what happened to Jesse White or Lisa Madigan’s huge support in the AA communities? Face it, ILDEMs don’t need Miller or Kelly for anything. - Who Cares - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 2:14 pm: =BTW, how come David Miller isn’t all over the tube for the general election? He certainly had a presence in the primary.= Because he had a hard fought primary and used all his resources. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 2:21 pm: ===Because he had a hard fought primary and used all his resources.=== That’s part of it. The other, bigger, part is that his top funders in the primary are now with Topinka. - raising kane - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 2:51 pm: If Robin Kelly had taken a leave from the Treasurers Office she would probably be in much better shape. Its kind of hard to dial for dollars from the office. Or havee meetings with big donnors. So MaryMitchell should have asked “when the hell are you going to get off state payroll and run a full time campaign?” If she doesn’t believe in it enough to take a risk, why should Madigan? - bored now - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 3:13 pm: 47th Ward states: “The party should (and does) provide some resources like access to the voter file, volunteers, postage rates, etc.” ok, i’m calling bull. obviously, you don’t have a clue about what you are saying. the party does not provide voter file to statewide candidates — and thank god! because madigan’s voter file is crap. it’s utter crap, actually the worst voter file in the country. madigan refuses to use the democratic standard (van or votebuilder, they’re basically the same thing), despite the fact that there are now thousands of people trained in its use here in illinois (because of the obama campaign). the voter file he uses is ripe with bad phone numbers (a problem that van has solved), to the extent that smart house candidates now use TWO voter files — the one that madigan provides and then one that’s actually useful (but don’t tell anyone!). madigan has seen his voter file used against the best that the republicans have to offer in 2004 (aaron schock). yet nothing changed. it’s really no wonder republicans are extremely confident in this cycle’s elections. data wins elections (we actually learned this in 2000, 2004 and 2008; i know, i know, those were presidential elections and who cares?). for the record, the kelly campaign could have had access to van for $15,000. that’s not a terrible price, but it’s not one that they felt was justified given their other priorities (that tv time that you mentioned). we need to stop pretending that there is a real democratic party here in illinois that is analogous to the democratic parties elsewhere. i completely understand that illinois has different values and priorities (eg, the mayor of chicago is more important than the president. really???), but the dpi is nothing but an arm of friends of michael madigan and functions very little as a party apparatus. i’d assume that robin and david knew that going in. but i doubt very many people like that. full disclosure: i coordinated robin’s petition drive. i left the campaign upon it’s completion. - ILPundit - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 3:14 pm: I nominate raising kane’s post for front page treatment. Spot on. - Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 3:38 pm: bored, Funny you see the ILDEMS in much the same way as some see the ILGOP. Given the success of Democrats in Illinois, I am really rather surprised at the description you have provided. The infrastructure provided by the ILGOP seems a bit more robust than the ILDEMS. It sounds like “The Machine” is getting a bit rusty. - Siriusly - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 3:39 pm: Bored Now: I don’t know much about what the ILDEMS are giving or anything about VAN, but I concur that the voter file the House Dems use is crap. I used some of their sheets recently, real antiquated crap. - LincolnLounger - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 3:42 pm: Amen, Raising Kane! I can’t believe the media isn’t terrorizing her about it. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 4:04 pm: Yes, the RNC’s and ILGOP’s GOTV and phoning systems are very sophisticated. We’ll have to see if they pay off. - 4 percent - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 4:49 pm: Adam Smith is absolutely correct. Prescious resources should be allocated properly. With all due respect, dropping $1 million to buy statewide television wouldn’t push 1,000 ratings points for one week for a statewide candidate. These dollars are better spent organizing, early voting, etc. Given the Mitchell column, am I led to believe that both Dems and GOP should support legislative candidates with no chance? How would she feel if Scott Lee Cohen were still the Dem Lt. Gov candidate? Is he worthy of money? To paraphrase Norm from Cheers, “it’s a dog eat dog world, and she’s wearing Milkbone underwear.” - hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 4:52 pm: Illinois Democratic Party fundraising and spending is just embarrassing generally, not just as it applies to people like Kelly and Miller. I mean you go to their putrid website and there isn’t even any online contribution system when it would take like 20 minutes to set up just a link to an ActBlue page for Pete’s sake. As a registered Democrat and first-time donor in the 2008 cycle who has since donated to a few other candidates here and there, it’s kind of baffling to me that the only direct mail fundraising piece I’ve gotten this year is from Sharron Angle telling me I need head for my checkbook “if you’re the Republican I’ve heard you are.” I mean I get endless e-mails from Organizing for America and the national Democratic Party, but nothing from any candidates locally. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 5:12 pm: Obviously, the Illinois Democratic Party has no idea what it’s doing. That’s reflected in the current lineup in the GA and of statewide officeholders. Illinois ain’t a Blue State. Apples to apples, there’s no reason the Illinois GOP should not be competitive. I’m astounded, given events and circumstances, that Alexi and Quinn are even in the hunt. Somebody’s doing something right. - hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 5:17 pm: “The goal of a political party is not to help everyone who signs up to run for an election or to help everyone who wins a primary.” Actually, that’s exactly the goal of a political party. The political party exists to help political partisans and politicians achieve their political goals. The partisans and politicians don’t work for the party. At least in a functioning democracy. “The goal is to control as much govt power as possible.” Getting control and power is MADIGAN’S PERSONAL GOAL. The party is supposed to actually stand for something beside gaining control and power. - bored now - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 5:36 pm: Cincinnatus: sorry, i haven’t worked with the ilgop since lynn martin’s senate race. to be honest, i don’t have any impression of what they are capable. i am much more familiar with conservative movement stuff, including the voter vault, and i *know* that both pete roskam and aaron schock have utilized these tactics and data. they are the ones (illinois republicans) that i’d be afraid of; i’m just not familiar enough with the regular party on the gop side to make any comment. hisgirlfriday: angle’s pieces seem to have been generated by zip code. fundrace.com used to have a geo-specific graphic of who gives to which side, and i’d bet you reside in one of those big red circles (like the gold coast, which is also inside a much bigger blue circle)… - Down Here - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 7:13 pm: Does anyone really believe that Robin Kelly and David Miller are going to drive out the African American vote? If Jesse and Quinn ain’t gonna do it, Kelly and Miller certainly won’t. hisgirl: Mike Madigan is the only person who wants to be in control and have power? Good grief. Think Tom Cross is saying, “You know, I really don’t care if I win.”? The way he has run his campaigns the last three cycles you may think so…but that’s besides the point. If the party doesn’t have power and control, what is the point? So you can go out there and say, yeah we lost, but gee, didn’t we make some good points and “stand for something?” That’s what makes losers stay losers. - Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 7:14 pm: I’ve used Votebuilder/VAN and DPI’s voter file. Any candidate can use the DPI’s program, but they usually have to pay for it. (There’s some support for you!) VAN, on the other hand, is available to all the county parties. Frankly, instead of paying the DPI, you might as well pay the Board of Elections for the list of registered voters, it’s cheaper, more accurate and almost as easy to use; especially since you have to have Access to use voter file anyway. VoteBuilder/VAN, on the other hand, is very easy to use and is web-based (no need to buy and learn Access). It seems crazy to me that the Dems cannot develop one web-based list and provide access to all candidates at no (or minimal) cost. Asking campaigns to pay for access is counterproductive. The only requirement should be that the campaigns update the database. - streeterville - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 7:49 pm: This is why guys like Kip Kirkpatrick (before he got out) and Raja would have been perfect for the downballot nominees. The Party is too decentralized to fund these races so you need candidates who can raise money or spend their own. - DRB - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 8:01 pm: The Dems have owned this state for the past eight years. Were they not fundraising during this time? They should be loaded with $ to spend. - Simple Point - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 8:19 pm: The Simple Point is that the dems need to excite their base to win. Thats Labor and minorities. Both Kelly and Miller can if they are used on the stump. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 8:28 pm: The responses are hilarious! You are asking Democrats if they should spend money they don’t have in order to win an election? Of course they say “yes!”, they are Democrats! Spending money no one has is what they have been doing over the past decade! The GOP did it too! Realistically, these races are coat tails, driven by upper ballot races. Unless you are a Madigan, or a self-funded millionaire, no one spends money on these things. The money has to go to Quinn and Giannoulias, not Kelly or Miller. Miller already has my vote, so he should save his money. - The Truth - Tuesday, Oct 5, 10 @ 10:17 pm: I think if the Dem party won’t help Robin then maybe Scott Lee Cohen can fund her campaign. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.