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Defeated legislator says Madigan has “kinda outlived his usefulness”
Wednesday, Jan 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller * Rep. Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) got his clock cleaned in November, winning just 37 percent of the vote. He received the full “Because… Madigan!” treatment by the Republicans, despite being one of the more independent-minded House Democrats. There was also a big swing in his district away from the top of the ticket. President Obama won the district four years ago by 15 points. Donald Trump won it last November by 6 points. Even so, Smiddy’s 26-point loss means he drastically underperformed the top of the ticket. Bruce Rauner won his district two years ago by 14 points and Smiddy still managed to hold on, winning by a point. So, Madigan and Trump were factors, but the guy did himself no favors on the campaign trail. Still, he’s not wrong about this…
But check this out…
* From the ILGOP…
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- Opiate of the Masses - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:35 am:
Awfully nice of the cowardly Smiddy to wait until he was on his way out to say that.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:38 am:
You can be “not wrong” and still be someone who underperformed and did him/herself no favors, even when targeted, even when being independent.
None of that is mutually exclusive.
- Try-4-Truth - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:41 am:
So, if Rep. Smiddy is “not wrong” and agrees with Gov. Rauner, why target him? You just got rid of an ally from the other party.
Seems like a weird thing to do.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:42 am:
Smiddy was never a Madigan guy. He first ran as AFSCME’s candidate after MJM and Quinn passed the first round of unconstitutional pension “reform.” His legislative career started with he and Madigan on opposite sides. Hardly a surprise that it should end the same way.
- Roman - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:43 am:
So, I’m guessing Smiddy won’t be moving on to a lobbying career.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:44 am:
===…why target him? You just got rid of an ally from the other party.===
Smiddy wasn’t a Raunerite.
That’s the whole ball game.
- Deft Wing - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:49 am:
Smiddy’s more than “not wrong.” He’s right.
He’s right that the House is controlled by one guy, and has been for years.
And he’s right Madigan has stayed on too long and accumulated too much power … to the detriment of Illinois.
- Try-4-Truth - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:51 am:
Mr. Willy,
Yes, you are right, but I’m trying to point out the silliness of the ILGOP’s response here. Rep. Smiddy agrees, they congratulate him on the way out of the door.
Seems….. disjointed.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:52 am:
Sore loser.
- RICo Dem - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:08 am:
Smiddy was never popular when he was among the politically living, but you’d think now that he’s dead the comments of capfax would at least pat him on the back for expressing a sentiment shared here daily.
- Markus - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:08 am:
It took Madigan 30 years to “outlive his usefulness”. It took Rauner less than 2.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:11 am:
Yaffe - Now if someone from the GOP would stand up to Rauner.
- Not Rich - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:24 am:
Bad candidate =’s bad results..
- Juice - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:26 am:
“As long as you have the Speaker controlling what gets out of the rules (committee) for legislation, I don’t see [redistricting reform] coming anywhere close to hitting the floor.”
Umm…Mike, HJRCA 58 was actual honest to god redistricting reform. Passed the House with 105 votes. Including your own.
- CrazyHorse - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:37 am:
==It took Madigan 30 years to “outlive his usefulness”. It took Rauner less than 2.==
Even though we’re only 4 days into 2017, this is probably the front runner for comment of the year.
- siriusly - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:46 am:
The Rauner team has gotten so good at controlling the message that the other party is now repeating it.
That is winning by any measure. Madigan or no Madigan - the Democrats must do something about the lack of a message. They are losing.
- Stark - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:53 am:
Can’t wait to take seriously a guy who was more famous for playing a phone game than efficient legislating. Remember the arbitration bill? Worst performance by a floor leader ever.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:55 am:
Actually, I’d suggest that it was Raunner who has “kinda outlived his usefulness”; about one year ago.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 11:25 am:
Didn’t he throw a county board race a few years ago with a huge campaign war chest (as far as Rock Island County Board races go, at least)?
I was shocked when he actually won something…
- A guy - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 12:08 pm:
He’s a footnote in history now, but that being said:
A reporter asked him a question and he answered it. It’s the truth according to him. He ain’t alone.
- JoeMaddon - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 12:25 pm:
**Umm…Mike, HJRCA 58 was actual honest to god redistricting reform. Passed the House with 105 votes. Including your own.**
LOL - and you think that MJM didn’t know it was dead in the Senate?
- Juice - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 12:31 pm:
JoeMaddon, and that’s Madigan’s fault?
- Signal and Noise - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 1:40 pm:
Taking cheap shots on his way out the door. Way to show some spine. Loser.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 1:57 pm:
=Taking cheap shots on his way out the door. Way to show some spine. Loser.=
Squirmy Smiddy.
- From his district... - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 2:58 pm:
I don’t understand how Smiddy can take so much money and political support from Illinois Speaker Mike Madigan and then when (Smiddy) loses, he throws Madgan under the bus. Smiddy was and always will be a spoiled rotten loser that doesn’t understand politics!
- walker - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 3:25 pm:
“”Smiddy was never a Madigan guy.”"
True, but doesn’t matter.
It’s never been about individual legislators, or what they do. ILGOP just listed the competitive districts in order, and attached any Dem Reps to Madigan.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 3:29 pm:
the gamer guy? I’m surprised he’s got time to comment what with important actions like that taken during the work day.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 3:30 pm:
From his district, you’re probably right about all of that; right up to spoiled rotten loser….
Whatever the Speaker has given him ever, didn’t matter this time around. The Speaker was an albatross around his neck this time.
- Jake - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 4:24 pm:
One thing I know for sure that changed is the fact that the guy who ran the last two winning campaigns was no longer on the team. Ben Head (who is know Cong. Schakowsky’s Political Director) ran the two previous winning campaigns. Rumor has it he is one of the best organizers in the state. A friend who is an operative told me Jan won her race by her largest margin and he spent half the budget they normally did. Just a massive ground game he created in the 9th. Maybe he did the same there in the two winning races?
- Opiate of the Masses - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 8:15 pm:
@ Jake…nah, the locals all saw the games he was playing with a local school district in the interests of his teacher’s union president wife. he made two dumb moves that made the press and people were not about to forget. some long time dems refused to endorse him because of those antics. now he can go back to paying into AFSCME rather than collecting from them.