* From the ILGOP…

“The message that Illinois voters sent last November was loud and clear: Thirty-plus years under the reign of Mike Madigan is enough. Today’s dismal turnout at Democrat Day - Mike Madigan Day - is a sign that even Democrats reject the failed status quo under their leader Mike Madigan. All Illinoisans are ready to turnaround this state, and Governor Bruce Rauner is ready to lead that turnaround.”

- Nick Klitzing, Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party

…Adding… Like I said yesterday, though, the crowd was sparse…

       

110 Comments - Anon - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:03 am: lol - Mama - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:05 am: What the heck is he smoking? - Deep South - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:05 am: Oh Pul-leeze. This is why people tend to laugh at the Republican Party. BTW, I’m pleased to know that Gov. Rauner is now ready to be a leader. What’s he been doin’ the past coupla months? - Cassandra - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:05 am: The message that Illinois voters sent last year was that they were really, really sick of Pat Quinn. And that’s it. - Archiesmom - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:06 am: Was the day before Republic Day? - Calhoun Native - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:06 am: Eight months Governor. Eight months. What have you accomplished? - Crispy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:07 am: That’s just funny–thanks for the morning chuckle! - Mouthy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:08 am: Gosh, I didn’t know the Speaker got beat in his own district by Illinois voters. Didn’t even know he was on the statewide ticket. If the Governor is ready to lead when exactly is that supposed to start? - Demoralized - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:08 am: ==The message that Illinois voters sent last November was loud and clear: Thirty-plus years under the reign of Mike Madigan is enough== Apparently not. Those same voters also elected a super majority Democratic legislature. How’s all that blame Madigan stuff working out? What kind of goofballs think that demonizing one of the guys you have to have to accomplish anything is a good idea? But I’m sure this little juvenile blame game these guys are playing helps them feel better about themselves. Enough with this crap already. Instead of blaming somebody why don’t you freaking people actually do something constructive. Like, you know, governing. - Archiesmom - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:08 am: Turn around = verb when used in “turn around this state”. Bad grammar makes me cranky. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:08 am: It’s a loser. Put $100 million behind it and it’s still a loser. Put billboards up at every turn, it’s still a loser. Put mailers out every day, it’s still a loser. Micro. It’s about the districts. All this does is make Madigan choose which districs he’ll have his own members run against him. Macro messaging won’t beat micro campaigning. Plus, “Bruce Rauner failed” will hit home more. Ask Candidate Rauner. This is so lazy, I’m embarrassed that all Rauner has is … “Fire Madigan”. This ain’t Superstar thinking… Is it? - Tournaround Agenda - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:09 am: Mike Madigan and the State Fair attendees he doesn’t control… - Aldyth - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:09 am: And as a little joke on the newly elected Governor Rauner, they gave him a Democratic supermajority to deal with. Those voters have a great sense of humor. - The Captain - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:09 am: Regardless of the merits of this particular argument, every day Rauner’s Republicans play offense. Every day. The Democrats either play defense or status quo. That dynamic has to change. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:11 am: When will IllinoisGO follow in the “Fire Madigan” rabbit hole. Asking for a Friend *Cough* Gov. Rauner *Cough*… lol - Goldwater Republican - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:12 am: Madigan and the Dems. are truly living in a bubble, they think they are fighting a war to protect the middle class. Where was the middle class yesterday? I saw 50 blue hat Tammy Duckworth supporters, a few golden oldies, and a number of people with disabilities who were propped on stage as mere pawns for democrats and their anti-turnaround agenda. Heck by the time Mellon got on stage there was maybe 8 people left in the crowd. you can go on and on about how the party with the Governor will be the more energized group at the fair. But i was at Republican day last year and I would say the energy and the attendance was just as high last year as it was this year. - x ace - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:12 am: ” If you can’t see the enemy , he still may be able to See You ” ( # 7 - Tactics -Murphy’s Laws Of Combat) - Cassiopeia - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:12 am: Yes the narrative is over the top but Madigan and crew are looking pretty old and tired. There’s not much zip left in the party. - Frenchie Mendoza - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:12 am: Ready to lead? What? Rauner’s just waiting around until Madigan gets voted out? Great. What a nice, weak leader. Someone should explain to Rauner that the image he’s projecting — lack of a budget, whining about Madigan — is about as weak and as passive as it gets. - RH - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:13 am: I think that it is more likely that the Democratic demographics are the real explanation in that they are more likely to have a real day job that they cannot just leave to go rah-rah for politicians. The bulk of the Rauner true believers are retired, “I’ve got mine-you get yours” types, grumpy about everything folks with nothing but time on their arthritic hands. - Frenchie Mendoza - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:13 am: — Madigan and the Dems. are truly living in a bubble, they think they are fighting a war to protect the middle class. Where was the middle class yesterday? — Working, maybe? - Keyrock - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:14 am: Well, I suppose “Fire Madigan 2.0″ is a better idea than “Squeezey.” Even if it isn’t governin’. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:14 am: Goldwater lost. You’re welcome. - Archiesmom - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:15 am: How many people/voters care about turnout aside from a relatively small group of political tea-leaf readers (including sme of us)? - @MisterJayEm - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:15 am: Pick one: 1) Madigan has an iron-fisted control over Democrats and Illinois politics, or 2) Madigan can’t even make Democrats attend the State Fair. It can’t be both. – MrJM - Goldwater Republican - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:15 am: I am in the middle class, I took work off on Governor’s day to support my folks. Maybe i’m just more energized than my Dem middle class counterparts. - UNION GOP MAN - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:16 am: It wasn’t just the hogs that left the Fairgrounds Wednesday night. - slow down - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:18 am: Might be time for Bruce to start running some more post campaign TV ads. They were so effective getting Madigan and the Dems to fold the first time. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:18 am: I will say I added 3 new operators for my 800 number, I play the “Call Me Maybe” done by the CYRs as my “hold” music, and I’m adding Winnebago and Effingham Counties as part of my exclusive distributing rights for “Fire Madigan, 2.0″ So… Thanks? - Archiesmom - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:18 am: Just a thought - maybe a real Goldwater Republican would repudiate what Rauner is doing right now? Conservative then is NOT the same as conservative these days. - Can't Leave - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:19 am: Many DEM supporters had to work yesterday and were also afraid of the dirty DC tactics that Rauner’s superstars have been employing, such as sending video trackers. Nobody wanted to see themselves on an ad accusing them of chugging beer when they should have been working. Only Rich can do that and call it work I know many state employees who would have loved to go to DEM day yesterday but they didn’t in an abundance of caution. I also know state employees who were “urged” to join the Governor for his parade and other GOP activities. - zatoichi - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:21 am: Does this also mean that the dismal showing of the Republicans in the last elections is a sign that the state’s voters reject their failed policies? What are they thinking? - Cassandra - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:22 am: No, no Goldwater R. The Democrats, like the Republicans, want to bill the middle class, via the highest income taxes they can get away with, for the expenses of government. Sure, the rich get taxed too. But they don’t feel it. And they’ll keep giving to both parties’ candidates to ensure that this doesn’t change. Or that it gets better. Aren’t some forecasters predicting that this current legislative crew will do away with Illinois’ corporate income tax, as part of some “bargain.” And by the way, heard any talk about eliminating “corporate loopholes” lately. Heh. Expanding taxes to any services at all? Heh again. - Bulbous1 - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:22 am: With the budget “dark cloud” hanging over the city I’m not comfortable spending $11 to get into the Fair just to hear “It’s not my fault”. - Call Me Crazy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:23 am: Although turnout at the DPI rally at the fairgrounds was weak wasn’t there a good turnout–much better than the turnout for the GOP chairman brunch– earlier that day for the Democrat Day Chairman’s brunch? - JackD - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:23 am: Why does anyone think ordinary people care about political events at the state fair? - Flynn's mom - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:24 am: Can’t BVR and the superstars come up with anything new?? This bash Madigan thing is getting old. I have an idea, it might be out there but it’s worth a shot. How about getting to work on silly little things like the budget or contract negotiations or revamping school funding?? Just a thought. - LINK - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:26 am: If this was WW II, I believe Nick would be called by one of his nicknames like Republican Rose or Sham Sally. I do understand the desire/need to curry favor for one’s cause and disdain for the opposing party but this is pure bloviating .. - W.S. - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:26 am: Hypothetical question: Who would have won the general election if MJM and Raun-Raun both ran for governor this past fall? - Wordslinger - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:27 am: –Where was the middle class yesterday?– At work? But, thank you, GR, for your other post. Your double-ought spy infiltration of the protestors at Governors Day and your discovery that they were “inner-city Chicago African Americans” was just shocking. Inner-city Chicago African-Americans, execising all those Constitutional rights, like they were citizens or something? At the Illinois State Fair, like Chicago is part of Illinois? Well, it’s good to know that there is no room in your tent for those people. - thunderspirit - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:29 am: == The message that Illinois voters sent last year was that they were really, really sick of Pat Quinn. And that’s it. == Yup. == Pick one: 1) Madigan has an iron-fisted control over Democrats and Illinois politics, or 2) Madigan can’t even make Democrats attend the State Fair. It can’t be both. == Also yup. - Flynn's mom - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:30 am: Can’t we all just get along?? Let’s hold hands, sing kumbaya and get to work. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:32 am: ===Hypothetical question: Who would have won the general election if MJM and Raun-Raun both ran for governor this past fall?=== First, poll everyone on your dorm floor, then everyone on the Quad, then everyone in SOC 216. Tell us the results… - Jack Stephens - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:36 am: No Nick. That was NOT the message. Sorry but you lose. The only message from Bruce was that Pat Quinn was a failure. Until Bruce submits his Constitutionally Mandated Balanced Budget he is a bigger failure. - Cheswick - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:38 am: “The message that Bruce Rauner bought and paid for last November: Bruce Rauner bought an election and he darn well wants something for it.” Fixed it. - Anon. - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:41 am: Looks like this should be a caption contest. “Dammit, people, I’m trying to give a speech here. Stop fawning over Miller and pay attention.” - Anony - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:46 am: Perhaps the Dems just didn’t need to show up to support the party. I wouldn’t read much into it. Rather said actually that the superstars had to latch on to this. Not surprising - just sad that this is all the have. - Bored Chairman - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:47 am: So, the Republicans can’t attack the head of the Democratic Party in Illinois…because why exactly? Oh, I get it. Democrats can attack Rauner because that’s fair game. Republicans can’t criticize Democrats because….again, why exactly? And I thought we were living in a healthy democracy. Silly me. - Formerpol - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:47 am: C’mon! The Districts are rigged for Madigan - he drew the map. GOP legislative votes statewide were nearly equal to Dem votes. Most voters had no real choice for their legislators. Rauner will chip away at Madigan’s majority in 2016 nevertheless. My Dem friends are despondent over Hillary’s poor showing to date. Voters did want change. - Mama - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:49 am: +- Can’t Leave - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:19 am:+ Can’t Leave, you are correct in your assessment. Rauner’s people do not understand the working class people have to work for a living. - Joe M - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:50 am: I think many people would choose to go to the State Fair on a NON-political day. Politics is not necessarily what people go to the fair for. Many people go to a fair to have fun. Its all about one’s idea of fun I guess. What ever turns you on. - Langhorne - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:52 am: Political junkies are the only ones who notice, or care about, attendance at dem or rep days at the fair. Rauner is kidding himself if he thinks things would be any different w madigan gone. Madigans replacement would be no more willing to abandon unions or adopt the rest of the agenda. Its not the individual that matters, its the super majority. He can drive mjm’s negatives to 100%, and he will still have the gavel. Rauner would have been better served by focusing on the remap amendment–easier to generate public support, and opposing it might actually have a price. That, and the budget. Show some competence. - Anonymous - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:52 am: Caption contest? - Louis G. Atsaves - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:52 am: If the facts were reversed, and 50 attended “Governor’s Day” and well over a 1,000 attended “Democrat Day” the derisive comments here would be overwhelming. I was at Governor’s day this year, and Republican day last year. The excitement is still there. I’m actually pretty stunned right about now how dismal the fair rally turnout was for Democrats. My “friends” the Libertarians would have attracted more people! - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:54 am: (Sigh) 1) Attack MJM, sure. It’s a proven loser. It’s not the tactic, it’s that the tactic has already failed. Try it agin, yeah, ok! Ugh. 2) Madigan beat a GOP Map 4 of 5 times, those 4 were in a row. Maps don’t win. Campaigns and issues and organizing and GOTV win elections. Period. - Who You Crappin? - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:56 am: Demoralized, your tale conveniently leaves out how many Democratic members barely squeaked out a win against opponents who, by comparison, had nowhere near the money or the infrastructure. Smiddy, Cloonen, Mautino, won by what? 1500 votes combined? If that? The reelection of that super majority doesn’t mean what you think it does. - pundent - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:57 am: Elections are won and lost at the ballot box, not the state fair. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 9:59 am: - Who You ….? - What do you call a candidate that has one vote more that their opponents? Winner. This isn’t dorm room. A win is a win. That’s how it goes. - JS Mill - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:01 am: =I am in the middle class, I took work off on Governor’s day to support my folks.= I didn’t know billionaires like Rauner and Griffin were middle class. Good work opposing your own “middle class” economic interests. @ Bored Chairman - LOL! Come back when you grow up. - Wensicia - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:02 am: - Mike Madigan Day - Really? You’re the guys hung up on one man, not the rest of us. Noun..verb..Mike Madigan. That’s all we’ll hear ’til 2016. - Anonymous Redux - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:04 am: The proof is in the pudding…No budget = No Governing. - Who You Crappin? - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:05 am: I think you missed the point, William. You can’t point to the Dem super majority, puff out your chest and say “Yeah but look everybody voted for the Dem super majority so that must mean that they want what Madigan wants!” It’s nonsense. If Jerry Long can get within 200 votes of ousting the Deputy Majority Leader (who won every other one of his races in a walk) that is evidence that momentum is shifting away from the Dems, not toward them. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:10 am: 1) it’s Willy, thanks. 2) No matter what your dorm room mentality tells you, the Democrats have 71 seats in the House, 39 seats in the state Senate. That’s it. Dems that win by 30 votes or 3,000 votes have the same voting privileges. Please learn. - Commonsense in Illinois - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:12 am: No money for buses this year? Even with unions booing state democrat leaders in years past, at least they had a good showing. Is this an indication of a split in the party - or (tongue in cheek) the response to the announcement that Lou was the keynote speaker? - the old man - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:13 am: Folks, just one announcement: Next year we will hold democrat day in a phone booth over by the manure piles where we can draw some attention. - Grandson of Man - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:14 am: Some can froth at the mouth against Madigan all they want. Why didn’t they support or pass a progressive income tax bill or the millionaire surcharge? Speaking of voters’ desires, a strong majority voted for the millionaire surcharge. If others helped Madigan, the amendment would be on the next ballot. Right now Madigan is standing firm against Rauner’s anti-union policies, and that’s what matters to a lot of people. This means a lot, as Illinois is a state trying to fend off a right wing push to cripple or end unions that is happening on a large scale nationally, in other states. - Who You Crappin? - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:15 am: Thank you for being pedantic, Bill. I can appreciate the fact that the point is flying right over your head. - VanillaMan - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:21 am: This is pathetic. Who is governor? All Rauner does is campaign against Madigan. He must be the world’s lamest governor if he needs to continually harangue a speaker of the house. Worse, it is the same crap he has been dishing out since he announced back in 2013. Has anyone told him that he won? Rauner is failing because he keeps reminding us that he cannot do what he thinks ought to be done as governor. Rauner is failing every day he keeps campaigning against the speaker of the house. Everyday this governor doesn’t govern, or present himself as governor, is a day he reminds everyone he can’t do his job as governor. Bruce Rauner is a failure. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:25 am: 1) There will only be ONE person named “Bill” here 2) You have no point. It’s 71/39, no matter how you pretend you think you “know”, it’s about winning, not about the margins of the wins. You’re the “guy” that looks at an 8-8 season and say “Yeah, um, I want to ask what if da Bears scored ‘tree’ more points a game against da Lions and 6 more against the Rams, and only thirteen points more against the Colts, do you ‘tink’ Walter Payton could be an MVP with this Awe-fensive line. I’ll hang up and listen to your answer…” (Banned Word) - Conn Smythe - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:25 am: Meanwhile, I hope someone bought Lou a beer. - Arizona Bob - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:26 am: The Dem fair support may be missing, but you can bet that Madigan’s smoke filled backroom is FULL of politically connected contractors, patronage bosses and union lobbyists asking Madman , “Where’s mine?”. Paying off his political base hasn’t been too easy this year. OW, you aren’t seriously blaming Rauner for the failure of Durkin and Radogno to field and fund competitive candidates for GA seats in the general, were you? So you expect Rauner to be able to not only beat an Irish Dem governor and perhaps the strongest and most corrupt political machine in the nation in the Governors race, he was also supposed to take over both the GOP Senate and House orgs, recruit and fund top candidates and provide party leadership to beat a guy in charge fro decades? Wow. You don’t expect much, do you? OK, OW, fill this board with your intelligence. Bless us peons with the way you’d recover the Illinois economy and address the pension disaster and overspending and overtaxing in K-12 education in Illinois, while the student outcomes are mediocre at best… Tell us how Rauner is supposed to dismantle the dysfunctional spending and borrowing policies of the Madman. Inquiring minds want to know…. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:32 am: ===OW, you aren’t seriously blaming Rauner for the failure of Durkin and Radogno to field and fund competitive candidates for GA seats in the general, were you?=== Rauner did in the Post-Mortem, saying he was going to ensure money and candidates are better allocated. Further, in recruiting after Rauner won the nomination for seats yet to have GOP candidates, Rauner operatives were crawling all over to fill open slots. That’s exactly what i’m saying. === he was also supposed to take over both the GOP Senate and House orgs, recruit and fund top candidates and provide party leadership to beat a guy in charge fro decades? Wow. You don’t expect much, do you?=== Rauner bought the ILGOP, focused on winning by marginalizing where loses occurred in Brady’s run, and today, Rauner does indeed own the ILGOP. Lock, stock and barrel. - Who You Crappin? - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:35 am: No, see, that’s not the point at all. I know you have to meet your quota of saying “71 and 39″ for the day, but that is (as it often is) completely irrelevant. “It’s about winning…” Like, gee, you don’t say?! Why shucks! Who would’ve thought? But how about we see how that works out when some time, money, and effort are spent actually *trying* to win. Winning by a couple hundred votes might give you the legislative power, sure. That’s too obvious to even be a point in this conversation. But winning by a couple hundred votes doesn’t prove that the voters are on your side. Is that really that difficult? - Birdseed - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:38 am: So is it fair to say that the talking point explanation for a poor turnout at Democrat Day is they all had to work day jobs - this year? Sheesh… - Jorge - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:43 am: AZ Bob is back. Today is a dad day. - Jorge - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:44 am: Sad….my bad. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:46 am: ===“It’s about winning…” Like, gee, you don’t say?! Why shucks! Who would’ve thought? === You? LOL “Yeah, um, I want to ask what if da Bears scored ‘tree’ more points a game against da Lions and 6 more against the Rams, and only thirteen points more against the Colts, do you ‘tink’ Walter Payton could be an MVP with this Awe-fensive line. I’ll hang up and listen to your answer…” 8-8. You are what your record says you are. I can’t help if you don’t understand reality, but I can’t answer for you if Payton would be an MVP. I deal with 8-8, not what ifs. It’s 71 and 39. Be it by 30 votes or 3,000 - Anonymous - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:49 am: Ok Crappin, get back to us in 2016. Illinois is a blue state though it seems you are seeing red. - Joe M - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:50 am: Fairs and campaigning are fine. But the campaign is over. It still comes down to having enough votes in the House and Senate to have one’s ideas become law. - Jack Stephens - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:54 am: The only “verbal hypocrisy” we are hearing is from Bruce. And constantly saying “fire Madigan” is NOT governin’. - Buzzie - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 11:12 am: Loops—- . . . Madigan wins and retains his championship. - Demoralized - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 11:26 am: ==The reelection of that super majority doesn’t mean what you think it does.== What does it mean? It means they control the General Assembly. That’s really all that matters. Your argument is akin to the “you won, but it doesn’t really count” argument. That’s asinine. - mehh - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 11:26 am: Here’s a thought. Many of the people who were at Governor’s Day last year have new jobs and didn’t attend Democrat Day this year. Many of the people at Governor’s Day this year didn’t attend Republican Day last year because they didn’t work for the Governor then. That’s the way this works. The Dems had a bigger turnout at their Breakfast. Does any of this really mean anything? I’d say no. - walker - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 11:27 am: It’s what Louis said. If this were a photo of the Republican turnout at the fair, some commenters would be all over it. Truth is, like the speeches, it doesn’t mean much either way. - Demoralized - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 11:30 am: ==overspending and overtaxing in K-12 education in Illinois, while the student outcomes are mediocre at best…== Do you ever have anything to add to the conversation other than your repeated diatribe about education funding in Illinois? ==Tell us how Rauner is supposed to dismantle the dysfunctional spending and borrowing policies of the Madman.== That’s the Governor’s job to figure out isn’t it? Are we really going to play the victim and whine about how the poor Governor can’t get anything done because Mike Madigan is standing in his way? I say tough. Rauner wanted to be Governor. It’s up to him to figure out how to work with the guy to get something done. He’s failed miserably at that task thus far. - Candy Snacker - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 11:35 am: “I think you missed the point, William.” Better watch out WYC. He will pull your access like he did draper. - zatoichi - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 11:50 am: Psst, is this thing on. Hey, you wanna take the shock off this mic? The brown acid is not particularly good. Please get off those towers. Right now, right now it’s time to…kick out the jams, mo&+{$@!*^}&#! - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 11:55 am: Oh - Don Draper -, you can come out, hiding is so unbecoming, even if your snacking on candy, lol - TROOPER - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 12:00 pm: ===Right now Madigan is standing firm against Rauner’s anti-union policies, and that’s what matters to a lot of people. This means a lot, as Illinois is a state trying to fend off a right wing push to cripple or end unions that is happening on a large scale nationally, in other states. ==== Its all that matters to me…. Thanks Grandson!! What’s worse is Medicaid is far more of a problem than anything else that is going on…. Talk about a Straw man argument!!! - Grandson of Man - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 12:05 pm: Like some say, it’s 71. Attacks against Madigan have not changed this number. It’s the maths. Simple to understand but real hard to attain. - olddog - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 12:08 pm: @ - Commonsense in Illinois - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 10:12 am === Even with unions booing state democrat leaders in years past === A noun designates a person, place or thing. An adjective is a modifying word that describes a noun. Please see Worksheet on Parts of Speech for 8- to 10-year-olds linked below. You might want to learn the difference, unless you want to come across like a partisan troll. http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/free-printable/writing-printables/parts-speech-sheet - Ghost - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 12:58 pm: Clearly most people do not understand or correctly us the word clearly….. - Who You Crappin? - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 1:11 pm: Willy, where you excel in being a know-it-all, you fail in reading comprehension. I’m not sure how I can make that point any clearer. One of your top dogs squeaks out a win against a guy who the day before yesterday had no money and no name recognition. What does that say about how people feel about the state of things in Springfield? It has nothing - absolutely nothing - to do with “71 and 39.” Try a higher order of thinking for once. - PublicServant - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 1:14 pm: Clearly, the Republican Party is bought and paid for. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 1:15 pm: === It has nothing - absolutely nothing - to do with “71 and 39.” Try a higher order of thinking for once.=== Oh, I think it has plenty to do with it. Rauner swept in 1 GOP member. Sounds like people were pleased with the GA makeup. Right? Exactly right. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 1:39 pm: ===One of your top dogs squeaks out a win against a guy who the day before yesterday had no money and no name recognition. === You may wanna fill in some blanks… lol - RNUG - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 1:48 pm: == Where was the middle class yesterday? == This one was walking around the fair with the wife in the perfect weather. == I took work off on Governor’s day to support my folks. == Although I generally support the GOP, I deliberately skipped Wednesday because I don’t support Rauner or what he has done to the party. - RNUG - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 1:49 pm: I’m not sure the turnout / lack thereof, means much. A friend lives near the fairgrounds and has parked cars for many years. I was talking to them last night and they said this has been the worst year ever for parking cars … which is really surprising given the cutback by SMTD in bus service to the fairgrounds. Walking around the fairgrounds Thursday in what has to be described as absolutely perfect weather, I was shocked at how thin the crowd was during the day. MRS RNUG, who goes more than I do, noted the attendance had also seemed thinner on the other days she was there. I’ll be very interested to see where the final numbers end up. - Hickory - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 1:52 pm: Where are the buses from Chicago? Didn’t they get their Link Cards? - Jack Stephens - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 2:02 pm: @hickory They were busy on their ReaganPhones talking. Did you know The Gipper signed Phone Welfare into law…..without any way to pay for it. Typical Conservative policy! - Union Man - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 2:12 pm: I counted 9 buses there on Wednesday. - PublicServant - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 2:35 pm: You want turnout? Hey, hold the fair in Chicago. - Mary Sunshine - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 3:21 pm: Actually, I bet several of the Democratic members were walking precincts, as they frequently and consistently do. - W.S. - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 3:22 pm: ===Hypothetical question: Who would have won the general election if MJM and Raun-Raun both ran for governor this past fall? First, poll everyone on your dorm floor, then everyone on the Quad, then everyone in SOC 216. Tell us the results…=== Sorry that you didn’t enjoy the hypothetical question. It looks like you’re not enjoying the comments today. Usually in debates, the person that resorts to personal attacks is often viewed as the loser. But I wasn’t even debating in the first place, oh the irony. Better luck next week! - Politix - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 3:32 pm: “Madigan Day” …Weak, unfunny, not clever - way too easy. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 3:35 pm: ===Sorry that you didn’t enjoy the hypothetical question.=== MJM will never run for governor, thus making it dorm room. - Anonymous - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 3:44 pm: ==But winning by a couple hundred votes doesn’t prove that the voters are on your side.== Does winning by less than 20,000 votes statewide prove that the voters are on Rauner’s side. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 3:46 pm: Rauner is co-equal to Madigan AND Cullerton’s Majorities, and they are all co-equal the the ILSC. It’s like Rauner forgets that… - Candy Snacker - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 4:11 pm: “MJM will never run for governor, thus making it dorm room.” Your college experience, based on your comments, must have been really special. This is how I picture you. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=images+of+college+nerds&id=DB0CECCA9AE0767D63A48680346D5ADCD0ECA5F5&FORM=IQFRBA#!?q=images+of+college+nerds&view=detailv2&&id=DB0CECCA9AE0767D63A48680346D5ADCD0ECA5F5&selectedIndex=0&ccid=d9xRDSgd&simid=608050306167933435&thid=JN.jqh%2frkpFrDnFJGC14OKI%2fQ&mode=overlay - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 21, 15 @ 4:25 pm: You might be snackin’ on something other than candy(?) Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.