* Nothing unites a party quite like an opponent. So, the governor just did Hillary Clinton a favor as she attempts to repair the nasty rift in her party…
Two months after Donald Trump surprised many observers by handily winning the Illinois Republican primary, the Illinois Republican Party enthusiastically embraced him as their candidate.
Meeting at its annual convention here, a long line of Republican party officials and office-holders pledged to get behind presumptive GOP nominee Trump.
Even Gov. Bruce Rauner, who had said he would not endorse Trump and will not attend the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July, tacitly urged the nearly 1,000 state delegates to support Trump.
“Now is the time to come together, now is the time to unite, up and down the ticket,” Rauner told the convention. “What we can’t do is let Hillary Clinton get in the White House. No way Hillary Clinton is getting elected.”
Rauner never mentioned Trump’s name, but he was an exception among most of the elected officials and party officers who spoke Saturday.
That goes both ways, of course. Rauner didn’t stumble here. He is obviously attempting to unify his own party by holding up Clinton as the other side’s standard-bearer who must be stopped.
- Stanley Motss - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:09 am:
Bruce,
Hmmmm….I thought the presumptive Republican nominee said he was self funding his campaign and was beholden to no one.
Now he’s taking money.
Ok, whatever you say Bruce.
Instead of worrying about this, when are you going to finally submit your Constitutionally Mandated Balanced Budget for the State of Illinois?
Love,
Stan
- LizPhairTax - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:25 am:
And Senator Benton agrees!
- A guy - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:26 am:
He’s right where he needs to be.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:28 am:
Rauner owns Trump.
He can try not to, but until he doesn’t disavow Trump, but wants to defeat Hillary…
… then Rauner owns Trump.
“Simple”
- Annonin' - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:30 am:
Any reason no one is telling us why CommandoMakeItUp did not speak publicly to the whack jobs in Peoria?
Seems like a major development.
- Cheryl44 - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:48 am:
President Donald Trump.
Think about it.
- slow down - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:56 am:
The fact that Rauner doesn’t have the courage to reject an openly racist, xenophobic and misogynistic man like Trump tells you a lot about Rauner and it sadly is consistent with what we’ve seen in his tenure as Governor.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:04 am:
Party over country.
No, I’m not a Hillary fan, but the fact that Republicans are falling into line to support Trump proves they’d rather have a completely toxic person in the White House rather than denounce the things he stands for.
- @MisterJayEm - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:07 am:
“I’m not a racist or a bigot, I’m simply willing to tolerate naked racism and bigotry to get what I want.”
– MrJM
- CharlieKratos - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:09 am:
The only people who could talk me into voting for Hillary Clinton are Bruce Rauner and Donald Trump.
- Anotherretiree - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:09 am:
Trump has on three occasions speculated about using nuclear weapons. I hope someone in the Clinton camp thinks to resurrect the 1964 ‘Daisy” ad. Its relevant this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDTBnsqxZ3k
- Anonymous - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:15 am:
Yet another issue he’s wrong on.
- Anon221 - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:26 am:
We Do Not Speak His Name….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSyockB8QaM
- wordslinger - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:29 am:
For those following the presidential race, 270towin.com is an invaluable resource.
I’d give Trump a one-in-three chance of winning. He almost certainly will win the great majority of states Romney and McCain won in common — but all that gets him is a landslide loss.
How does he get to 270? The Electoral College has been a tough road for GOP candidates since 1992. Two tight wins for W, four landslide losses to Clinton and Obama.
Put it this way, Trump could win every state that Romney did, plus Florida, Ohio and Virginia — and he’d still lose.
The GOP autopsy after the Romney loss said future GOP candidates, in order to win, had to recognize demographic change and reach out to the young, unmarried women, blacks, Hispanics and Asians.
How’s that going?
- Chucktownian - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:42 am:
Hillary’s going to win this state by 15 points. The hope is plenty of GOP state reps go down and then we can solve this state’s problems.
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:42 am:
Someone needs to ask the Governor a very simple question:
“Bruce, as it pertains to the greater good of our country, do you think Donald Trump would be a better president than Hillary Clinton?”
You’re a leader, Bruce. Share your insight.
- Anon221 - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:44 am:
A Trump win is beyond frightening. What concerns me the most, is that the email investigation on Clinton will “mature” late summer/early fall, and create even more nastiness for Trumpers to latch onto, possibly even torching her campaign. If that happens, I think Sanders can hold his own against Trump, but not enough for a win.
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:44 am:
===The hope is plenty of GOP state reps go down and then we can solve this state’s problems. ===
Yeah, that’ll happen.
Read this: https://capitolfax.com/2016/05/23/more-crazy-talk-in-springfield/
- Qui Tam - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:45 am:
Form a policy perspective, Hillary is running as a middle right republican anyway. She’s a pro war neocon, pals with Wall Street, and a supporter of the unaccountable security-industrial complex. She comes across as left on social issues.
So when it comes to the “owners” like Rauner and Griffin she has as much in common with them as anyone.
- Mittuns - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:46 am:
FL, MI, and OH for Trump puts the EV at a tie, 269-269. PA instead of MI or OH gives him a win. It will be nearly impossible for a GOP win without FL.
- Mama - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:26 am:
Didn’t Rauner say not long ago that he would not attend the national convention in support of Trump?
I’m not surprise that Rauner flip flopped again. Rauner and Trump are two peas in a pod.
- A guy - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:37 am:
The old adage “fools rush in” applies. No way to know how this one unfolds. Way too many variables.
- blue dog dem - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 12:06 pm:
….just sayin….as a former USW member and current owner of a business in the steel industry, this is maybe one of the only areas I cam agree with the RAUN Man. The absolutely horrible trade deals under Clinton,Bush and Obama administrations have us darn near extinct.
- Mama - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 12:21 pm:
What happens if Bernie runs in the general as an Independent?
- wordslinger - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 12:25 pm:
–Rauner: “No way Hillary Clinton is getting elected”–
–The old adage “fools rush in” applies. No way to know how this one unfolds. Way too many variables.–
Kind of harsh on the governor, aren’t you, Guy?
- Anon221 - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 12:41 pm:
Mama- I sincerely believe that Bernie would not do this to our country. It wouldn’t help, at all. What he has been able to do thus far is phenomenal, and well worth the effort to get more viewpoints, and possibly balance, into the race. It may get heated until the Dem convention, but I don’t believe he will threaten a contest to divide the party like Trump threatened to do. Bernie still has sway in the Capitol, and will continue to if Clinton is elected- if she’s smart about it!
- A guy - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 12:58 pm:
==Kind of harsh on the governor, aren’t you, Guy?==
Equal opportunity harshness, Sling. Even “The Shadow” doesn’t know.
- Vole - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 2:10 pm:
Lincoln to Rauner, Lincoln to Rauner …
- @MisterJayEm - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 3:34 pm:
“What happens if Bernie runs in the general as an Independent?”
If he holds out until the Democratic convention, it will be too late to get on the ballot in 14 states. And five days after that, it would be too late to get on the ballot in 25 states. It’s already too late to get on the ballot in Texas (7% of all electoral votes)
– MrJM
- Sue - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 4:04 pm:
The only person who may possibly get Trump elected is HRC. It’s unbelievable that in a country of 300 million people that these are our choices. It would be great if the FBI does something and Biden jumps in
- Mama - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 4:27 pm:
Biden? What? How?
- Anonymous - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 6:54 pm:
Trump would lose if the Democrats nominate anyone other than Mrs. Clinton.
Sanders, Kerry, Biden - they would all win in a cake walk. Clinton - nope.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 7:41 am:
“Sanders, Kerry, Biden - they would all win in a cake walk.”
I’ve voted for each of those men but I still don’t believe that any of them would have an easy time against an opponent who is untethered to the truth.
– MrJM