A little more than three weeks remain until Election Day, and it’s driving me nuts that the Chicago media is spending most of its time focusing on a candidate who’s running in an election that’s not until next year.
Illinois is in crisis, and all anyone wants to report on is Rahm Emanuel. The coverage finally reached its nadir this week when Fox Chicago put a “futurist” on the air to predict that Emanuel would win.
The National Rifle Association endorsed Bill Brady for governor and it was almost completely ignored by the same city media that has covered how many gun-related crimes?
Gov. Quinn just announced that he would push hard for civil unions for gay couples after the election, but hardly anyone has noticed.
Instead, Emanuel shakes a few hands at an L stop and every reporter in town is dispatched.
We have a gigantic budget deficit in this state and neither candidate has a real plan for balancing the books. In fact, they’ve both offered up sham proposals void of specifics. The Sun-Times editorial page did an excellent job yesterday explaining why Bill Brady’s budget proposal is ridiculous. But it let the governor slide.
During the past 18 months, Gov. Quinn has switched positions on which tax increase he supports more times than Emanuel has used the “F” word.
Quinn’s latest version uses most of the tax increase money for property tax relief. In other words, it’ll barely make a dent in the deficit. So, what will he do about that deficit? He won’t say, other than that he’ll try to make some more cuts and he’s hoping for additional federal money.
Hope, as they say, is not a plan. Just ask President Obama, who came to town Thursday to help Quinn’s campaign.
But Brady is the Hopemeister General when it comes to jobs. The Bloomington Republican told the Sun-Times that he wants to create as many as 400,000 new jobs by the end of his first term. Brady wants to use Indiana as a model, but Indiana has a higher unemployment rate than Illinois does at the moment.
Also, Indiana has higher personal and corporate tax rates than Illinois. Unlike Illinois, Indiana taxes pension income. And its state sales tax rate is higher and covers more things.
According to estimates generated by our state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, Illinois would bring in about $5.6 billion more a year if it had Indiana’s state tax structure. But Brady says he’s against all tax increases.
There are two very good candidates running for state comptroller with interesting ideas on how the state can prioritize its bill-paying efforts. That’s hugely important to hundreds of thousands of people here because the state has a stack of overdue bills higher than the Willis Tower stacked on top of Emanuel’s ego.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent on a very competitive state Senate race on Chicago’s Northwest Side. Ald. Brian Doherty, the city council’s lone Republican alderman, is up against appointed state Sen. John Mulroe. Doherty is being blasted for voting for the parking meter debacle. Mulroe is taking heat for having several taxpayer-funded incomes. It’s a fascinating and brutal campaign that might be newsworthy if everybody wasn’t so gosh-darned concerned about whether Emanuel had a good night’s sleep.
Time is running out, people. You’ve had your fun, but there is much to cover and precious few days remaining to cover it. Get over your grotesque Rahm fetish and get to work, for crying out loud.
- South Side Mike - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:41 am:
Standing ovation, Rich. Standing ovation.
- Greg B. - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:42 am:
I think you said it about ooohhhh exactly right.
I think some of your stuff about Indiana is a bit off. I’ve learned over the years that it isn’t this state having the 49th lowest tax or that state having a lower sales tax on shampoo than the neighboring state on dog biscuits. It’s about a stable business climate and confidence in govt. We have neither.
Indiana may have a higher unemployment rate than Illinois, right now, but over the whole Daniels administration it’s been better.
- OneMan - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:43 am:
Amen…..
Also there are some interesting congressional races that deserve more than just you making ad revenue off of them
- I don't want to live in Teabagistan - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:47 am:
Rich, do you know what Rahm is doing today?
- We Todd Did - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:47 am:
Spoken like a true downstater.
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:48 am:
You’re trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon, Rich. Glamor and gotcha are the name of the game. Our current crop of candidates lack the former, and since they have all hunkered down, we won’t see the latter.
The next wave of intense coverage will be when one candidate releases some horrifically horrible ad, and the media will fixate on the ad for a few days. Other topics for the media, polling. The horserace is easier to cover (reinforcing my long standing assertion that an overwhelming majority of the media is lazy) and the ads than it is to cover the issues.
- Anonymous - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:49 am:
Chicago media covers mayoral candidate Emanuel because of his national reputation. State senators and reps are not the fodder of Chicago interest, despite their inflated importance while in Springfield. At the editorial budget meetings, I would bet the mayor’s race seems far more likely to gain readership than the hot contest for the 10th Legislative District.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:52 am:
Doherty is now calling himself an Independent. Somebody tell the Repubs he left their party.
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:53 am:
Way to put the wood to them, brother, the irresponsible Chicago media and the Indiana fantasists, all in 600 words or less.
Brady’s going to “create” 400,000 jobs, balance the budget in one year and cut taxes? Is there anything he can’t do?
- Ukieduke - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:54 am:
News Flash!!! Rahm burped during dinner yesterday! Reporters conflicted whether it was a single belch or two short bursts! Details at ten !
- I don't want to live in Teabagistan - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:57 am:
Seriously,
What is there to cover? Madigan and White will win in landslides.
Regardless of what you think about both Comptroller candidates, 90% of State workers couldn’t tell you why we have a Comptroller AND a Treasurer.
Quinn and Brady? The air is coming out of the Brady campaign. His desperation showed when he said Quinn is worse than Blago.
And Quinn? He is slowly taking control. The Obama radio ad coming out Monday will be a gamechanger. Most people ignore political ads, but regardless what you think of any particular president, when you hear him speaking, you listen.
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 10:57 am:
RahmsDeadFish strikes again…
- IrishPirate - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:00 am:
What has Rahm said about the Doherty/Mulroe race?
Where is Rahm having lunch today?
What does his lunch consist of?
- winco - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:01 am:
there you go again…with your “facts” and “issues.” Those don’t sell newspapers! Those don’t make people tune in at 10! The newspapers and local news are doing what they know everybody wants: manufacturing and delivery of celebrities. And I haven’t checked lately, but I am sure they are thriving now with record sales and record ratings, since they seem to stick to this model.
- Anonymous - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:08 am:
Rahm’s going to be angry with you, Rich. You better be careful.
- Siriusly - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:08 am:
You are always a great writer, but that was truly one of your best columns.
- Irish - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:09 am:
Brady is going to create 400,000 jobs in four years with a system where he has to get approval for any program from the Four Tops and their minions; yet he couldn’t apply that same talent to his own business and had to lay off employees even though he had total control of his business.
Quinn is going to use the income increase to provide property tax relief. So he is taking the money he was going to use to INCREASE education funding and replace the money local governments are spending on schools. So it is a wash, schools are left with no increase. De-Jevu, it is the whole lottery selling point all over again.
IT”S THE FAERIE DUST!!!!!
Good column, Rich. Once again Admiral Capitol Fax says what needs to be said when no one else is sayin it.
- TwoFeetThick - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:11 am:
We should look on the bright side: at least they’re covering stories that at least kind-of/sort-of might at some point matter to the city, state and country, as opposed to the latest missing hot blond.
If we learn what Rahn likes to eat then we’ll know if we need to prepare ourselves for another Chicago mayor dying in office if he’s elected. The media is just giving the voters the most comprehensive information possible so they can make a well-rounded, thoughtful choice. Or something.
- Angry Republican - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:12 am:
What drives me nuts is there is too much discussion of Brady/Quinn positions, but no mention of how either one will work with Mike Madigan. Bottom line, the real person in charge in Springfield is Mike Madigan, and the governor is just a figurehead. How is MMM planning to fix the IL budget mess?
- TwoFeetThick - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:14 am:
Ugh… RAHM.
- D.P. Gumby - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:15 am:
Too gentle (not snarking on you). Hammer even harder on the worthless job Chicago media doing on any kind of legitimate analysis of the issues regardless of actual factual coverage. But keep up the good fight!
- John Bambenek - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:16 am:
But everyone knows that the Mayor of Chicago is the most powerful office in the State of Illinois.
/snark
- MikeMacD - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:17 am:
It’s odd that the Bloomington Republican doesn’t “want” to cure cancer in his first term as Governor. This is troubling.
- Montrose - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:17 am:
Writing that had to feel good in a cathartic way. Well done.
- What planent is from again? - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:20 am:
Well said. But I wonder how much of the Rahm-o-Rama is being driven by the “Everything is local and the localler the better” angle that dead-tree editions have taken on lately? Yeah, the Governor’s race affects Chicago, but it affects so many other people so it’s not news. But Rahm? Chicago-only, BAY-BEE, front page stuff.
- dupage dan - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:26 am:
We’re electing a governor? Really? I just got finished reading the Trib - didn’t see it. When’s the election? Which candidate is endorsing Rahm?
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:28 am:
DD, that is a good question. Has Quinn endorsed Rahm yet? I know he likes him because I saw his bobble head collection.
- Anon - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:28 am:
Thank you Rich.
- Bluefish - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:36 am:
Any politician who wants more press than Rahm just needs to have Lindsay Lohan come here to campaign for them. Other than that the “press” is not interested.
Wait, I take that blanket statement back. The Daily Herald is doing a decent job of covering the local legislative races.
- Barton Lorimor - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:39 am:
LOLZ, can you believe Obama said, “Has anybody seen my chief of staff?” CLASSIC!
Sorry, what are we talking about here?
:)
- Team Sleep - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:56 am:
What a great column and very spot-on. There is an outside chance that the House GOPs could takeover (albeit a slim chance); four Congressional districts could flip; and Obama’s old Senate seat could change parties. And this is what the Chicago media does. It’s almost like NYC papers’ fishbowl style coverage of the Yankees playoff run and the Mets new front office openings. I almost forgot New York has a nasty gubernatorial race, an under-the-radar Senate race and a crushing budget deficit.
- fedup dem - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 11:57 am:
That was a great article, Rich!
As far as the 10th District Senate race is concerned, I attended a debate between the two candidates Tuesday night at Wright Junior College. Doherty seemed to be reduced to reciting rehersed lines (and at times he seemed to have difficulty in answering questions quickly, almost as if he was hungover). Doherty was definately incapable of expanding upon his set points, regardless of how the questions and answrs from Mulroe went.
- JCIII - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:01 pm:
I disagree this Press Coverage is Rahmtastic!!! I’m ready to shake Rahm, and Roll. I mean what impact really is the state of Illinois going to have on Chicago……well said Mr. Miller
- John - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:02 pm:
Couldn’t have said it better myself. In the end that’s why people rate the media in the same league as politicans.
- Ron - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:08 pm:
So what? It’s Chicago, and it’s a Chicago story.
- DuPage Dave - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:11 pm:
It is quite a tribute to our status as a democracy that the populous state of Illinois has two major party candidates who no one really believes can perform the job of governor.
Quinn had a lifelong career as a “gadfly”, standing outside the system or in non-critical jobs (state treasurer) insisting that he knew how to run a railroad if people would only listen. It turns out that he was wrong. He is not a leader at all.
Brady inherited a prosperous construction and real estate company from his father and considers himself a businessman. His 17 years in the G.A. are the very definition of “lackluster”. He can’t point to a single accomplishment. He got 21 percent of the vote in the GOP primary and now believes he can accomplish the impossible- one year to balance the budget and create 400,000 jobs. It is apparent he has no clue what he intends to do or how state government really works.
If we were to look around for an intelligent, thoughtful individual with leadership and management experience to get us out of the mess we are in, neither of these guys would finish in the top 500.
Yet one of them will be sworn in for a four year term in January.
- Champaign - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:13 pm:
I agree with most of what you said, but fail to see the correlation between the NRA endorsement of Bill Brady and the gun violence problems in the city.
- I don't want to live in Teabagistan - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:27 pm:
Champaign,
Come on.
Gun violence is out of control in Chicago. Until recently, Chicago had one of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. It was struck down by a Supreme Court decision in which two of the participants in the case were–hang on for this–the City of the Chicago and the NRA. Chicago issued less restrictive regs and we’ll see how those play out in the courts.
Brady would legalize the ownership of AK-47’s, among other things.
Rich’s point, my guess, is that guns are an important issue in the City and there was no coverage by the Chicago media about the NRA’s endorsement because of their coverge of Rahm.
- NW Side GOP - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:28 pm:
The parking meter deal is just part of Doherty’s pattern of not standing up for this district- even when he thinks something is a bad idea.
The real story is how Doherty hurts us with his reputation and his attacks on Mulroe fall flat when people get the facts.
- bored now - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:34 pm:
i thought the mayor of chicago was supposed to be “the best job in the country?” shouldn’t the media attention reflect that???
- Amalia - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:36 pm:
Fed Up Dem: I heard Doherty was reading from prepared text! if there is another debate I’m in on a watch party bus from the SW burbs cause this sounds better than popcorn at the movies!
Tonight is officially hoist a drink in honor of Rich Miller for his spot on column pointing out important things to cover. thanks for puttting it in print, and posting on this blog, Rich. rock on!
- OneMan - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:37 pm:
I don’t want to live in Teabagistan
Because when you shooting a guy, the last thing you are likely thinking is “I am going to get in trouble for having this gun”
- bored now - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:37 pm:
to be serious, it’s not like the elected officials in illinois act like who’s elected to congress much matters. steve brown made it quite clear where madigan stands on this question when he called the illinois democratic coordinated campaign “durbin’s.” why should any democrat here care that illinois is about to lose a democratic congresswoman? or potentially a senator? i mean, it’s possible that we’ll elect a senator who will represent the interests of kentucky and the beltway, not illinois. even if he is a known liar. in the rest of the country, that would be disconcerting to people. in illinois, it’s not. and that is bizarre…
- Segatari - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:49 pm:
The Chicago media is not covering the election because “their team” - The Dems are going to lose badly and it makes them depressed. The Chicago mayors race makes them happy because Chicago will vote to elect a Democrat no matter what. THAT’S why they are spending all their time on it.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 12:49 pm:
Segatari, you’ve posted that before. It was silly then and it’s silly now.
- I don't want to live in Teabagistan - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 1:08 pm:
OneMan,
You are correct!
But how that argues against my point isn’t clear.
Guns are an important issue in Chicago; the NRA is the most powerful single-issue political group in the country and their endorsement of Brady signifies something but the Chicago media isn’t covering it.
- I don't want to live in Teabagistan - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 1:12 pm:
Segatari,
Quinn, Lisa Madigan, Jesse White, are all Chicagoans: Aren’t they part of the Dem team the Chicago media wants elected?
Or is this how the clever Chicago media disguises their true intentions?
- nexttimesayplease - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 1:45 pm:
Mulroe and Doherty deserve some attention because Mulroe’s hits are the truth and Doherty’s hits are a stretch to say the least.
- frankie - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 3:33 pm:
Bill Brady getting an endorsement from the NRA and Pat Quinn pandering for the gay vote are as much of a surprise as the sun coming up tomorrow. Everybody expects that right? The story that makes the news would be if the NRA endorsed Quinn and Brady was for civil unions. When you have two less than mediocre candidates running for a major office like we have then the whereabouts of Rahm fill the newsday. Sad but true. Quinn wins by 7-12000 votes.
- Champaign - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 3:41 pm:
Bagistan,
The NRA was a minor part of the McDonald case. ISRA was the lead plaintiff with 4 or 5 Chicago residents.
Semi-auto AK’s are already legal in Illinois. Bill Brady has never said he would push to legalize full-auto arms (which are highly regulated by the federal government anyway).
Pat Quinn was endorsed by the Brady Campaign Against Gun Ownership and Sarah has been robocalling for Quinn as well. That’s hardly news either.
- Segatari - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 4:43 pm:
>Segatari, you’ve posted that before. It was silly then and it’s silly now.
It may be silly, but there is no other plausable explanation as to why they have been operating like that. If you have one, I’d like to hear it.
- Northwest Nelson - Monday, Oct 11, 10 @ 6:31 am:
I too, attended the 10th District Senate debate at Wright College. Doherty read from a spiral notebook with slurred speech, had trouble with responding to rebuttals, and at one point rambled on about something no one could follow…in fact, when the moderator asked Mulroe to respond to the rambling, Mulroe had to respond that there was no response… Doherty supports no-brain medicaid reform and other “simple” ideas. Mulroe was apble to articulate specifics using professional accounting approaches to fiscal spending… The republicans made a big mistake with Doherty…he simply isn’t fit to run or win…