* From Doug House, the president of the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association…
Rich, last night the IDCCA held an executive board meeting and voted to set a date of Saturday October 7th at 11:30am to conduct a vote for an endorsement for Governor at our general membership meeting. My statement is attached.
* His statement…
Why I will cast my vote for JB Pritzker for the IDCCA endorsement for Governor and why I am urging the other Chairmen and Democrats across the State of lllinois to do the same.
I was elected president of the IDCCA in 2015 on a platform based on my personal commitment to take back the governor’s office in 2018. I have worked tirelessly to achieve that goal. A year ago, I asked the 102 Democratic County Chairmen of our statewide organization to be patient and to wait before endorsing, to allow for a formal vetting to take place. It was important that we get to know our candidates and for them to get to know us and see what our counties across Illinois look like and to feel the pain that has been inflicted upon our residents by this Republican governor and his Alt Right administration, but I believe we have now seen enough.
I have spent a great deal of time with many of the candidates, watched them interact with the public, studied their positions, and reviewed their preparations to become our next governor.
Only JB Pritzker has demonstrated all of the following attributes that will help him WIN;
* Temperament: JB is even tempered and does his homework, he comes prepared every day, and he is in his element while campaigning.l describe him as “A Happy Warrior for the People.”
* Strong Message: JB shares our core values of a financially strong Illinois, healthcare for all, and JB has a record of standing up against social injustices to all: workers, women, people of color, LBGTQ, immigrants, disabled, the young and the old.
* Broad Based Support: JB has shared his progressive vision of empowerment and independence and it is being embraced across our state.
* Organizational Growth: JB has built out a campaign infrastructure that will withstand the test of a race that already has national attention and national implications.
It is important as the primary approaches that people who identify themselves as Democrats know who their leadership believes will give them the best opportunity to get our state back on track and restore it to the shining example of economic opportunity and financial stability it once enjoyed.
While other candidates are to be commended for stepping forward, only JB Pritzker has generated the excitement around a progressive message, intensely and constantly engaged our common opponent, and demonstrated the ability to mount the comprehensive statewide campaign that will be required to win. It is for these reasons that I will enthusiastically cast my vote and ask others to do same for an IDCCA endorsement of JB Pritzker for Governor.
It probably didn’t help matters when Chris Kennedy left House’s Labor Day event in the Quad Cities before he was scheduled to speak. I got a few text messages and calls about how House wasn’t pleased. But, then again, this thing has probably been baked in for a while.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:10 am:
==It probably didn’t help matters when Chris Kennedy left House’s Labor Day event in the Quad Cities before he was scheduled to speak.==
It surely didn’t, but the county chairs were probably going to end up here no matter what. County chairs are usually ridiculously under-resourced. Pritzker’s money and field staff is just too enticing for them.
- I'mDone - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:11 am:
The establishment has learned nothing from 2016. I was a Hillary voter in the primary and even I can tell when the fix is in - and let’s face it - it’s just because he can outspend Rauner. Money talks and BS walks as they say.
- Real - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:23 am:
The establishment has learned nothing from 2016. I was a Hillary voter in the primary and even I can tell when the fix is in - and let’s face it - it’s just because he can outspend Rauner. Money talks and BS walks as they say.
======
There is no electoral college deciding the Illinois governors race so there is no comparison especially considering Clinton won the popular vote.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:26 am:
==The establishment has learned nothing from 2016.==
What lesson does this indicate that they didn’t learn- that county chairs shouldn’t be allowed to endorse?
- Shytown - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:32 am:
=== The establishment has learned nothing from 2016 ===
Put 2016 aside and let’s focus on the lessons that learned from the 2014 cycle – if Dems don’t have a strong candidate who can compete financially at the top of the ticket, Democrats and all the constituents and issues they care about will be subjected to another four years of hell. Those who continue to whine and complain about labor and democratic political orgs lining up behind Pritzker are using that as an excuse and cover for their candidate’s own failings. Biss and Kennedy have had more missteps than one can count with both hands (Pawar has actually run a smooth campaign and on the whole hasn’t tried to attack fellow Dem candidates too much and kudos to him for that). If they can’t pull it together in the next few weeks it will come time for this party to get its act together and unite its resources to beat Rauner. Winter is coming people.
- Highland Il - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:33 am:
=== …to feel the pain that has been inflicted upon our residents by this Republican governor and his Alt Right administration ===
Alt Right is a little much. Does he know what that means?
- prairiestatedem - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:35 am:
Rich you are right this was planned by Doug and the Speaker long ago…let’s face it, if you are in insider who makes your money off of the rigged property tax system, that shortchanges school kids around the state, yep Chris Kennedy is the biggest threat to your insider deal. If you on one of the same faces decade after decade that hangs off the rail and waits, like baby birds for the Speaker to regurgitate lobbying business, yep you hate Chris Kennedy too. The sneering insiders are as behind JB as you can get for their own self interest. Chris has drawn record crowds around the state because the real people want something different, and if the way he resonates with people continues, all the bought for JB crowd and everyone they know simply won’t be nearly enough on primary day
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:39 am:
===Chris has drawn record crowds===
… and yet can’t find a single soul to run with him.
Oh boy.
- Anon - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:40 am:
JB is the only Democratic candidate Rauner can beat in 2018.
Yet the state establishment seems bound and determined to make sure he is the nominee.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:41 am:
==let’s focus on the lessons that learned from the 2014 cycle==
If I’m a Democrat, the first lesson I take from that race is that a dispirited and divided labor movement is absolute hell.
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:43 am:
Kennedy is a deer in the headlights, Biss has created problems for himself and the others can’t get any traction. Nobody has brought any positive energy to the field. It looks like we’ll find out how much two billionaires are willing to spend to become governor.
- Ron Burgundy - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:43 am:
I normally am not wild about party chairs getting together and endorsing in a wide open primary six months out, but in this case none of the alternatives to JB are exactly giving them a reason not to.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:44 am:
== if you are in insider who makes your money off of the rigged property tax system==
You probably want to pump the breaks on calling out the chair of, wherever, Tazewell County as Jim Curley, y’know? This isn’t some grand conspiracy. Most county chairs just want their local candidates to be well-funded and organized, and Kennedy’s apparently the one guy in the family that can’t raise money and couldn’t even get his ticket completed before petition season started. That’s an awfully big gamble for county chairs to get behind.
- DeseDemDose - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:54 am:
I hope Democrats have learned from the 2016 presidential election that all factions must unite behind the winner of the Primary that is decided by the voters. Keep it simple.
- I'mDone - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:57 am:
@Real and Arsenal
This is an example of the state party apparatus, organized labor, and anyone the Dems can think of closing ranks for the rich guy. I’m well aware there is no electoral college etc - that’s apples and oranges. It’s that the establishment is doing what they do best - deciding the race before the people have a chance to vet the candidates through a rigorous primary.
- I'mDone - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:57 am:
And in the end, any Dem is better than Rauner.
- So_Ill - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:01 am:
Good move. He’s easily the best candidate, has the most momentum, is the best one-on-one with voters and nobody has come close to outworking him and that is not even debatable.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:05 am:
==deciding the race before the people have a chance to vet the candidates through a rigorous primary==
They’re deciding nothing. They can’t. The ILDCCA doesn’t control the election apparatus. They host a breakfast at the state fair, and that’s about it.
I understand why you don’t like them endorsing the other guy, but that’s the way a democracy goes sometimes. The Southern 20 endorsed Kennedy months ago, and it looks like the race is still on to me.
- JohnnyPyleDriver - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:10 am:
==and nobody has come close to outworking him and that is not even debatable==
not sure how one would quantify such a thing, but that has certainly not been my observation.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:14 am:
===nobody has come close to outworking him and that is not even debatable.===
Premise;
JB, Biss, Pawar all have running mates.
Running mates are needed to circulate petitions. Without a running mate, you can not circulate a single petition.
Kennedy has no running mate.
JB, Biss, Pawar are outworking Kennedy… as they are able to do the most important thing any campaign can do, get on the ballot. Kennedy can not.
- So_Ill - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:17 am:
==not sure how one would quantify such a thing, but that has certainly not been my observation.==
His travel schedule and amount of time he has spent in downstate Illinois. He already has offices downstate offices and staff’s working hard. He’s got robocalls going throughout the state (annoying, yes).
Any time Rauner or Trump opens their mouth, he has a press release and a statement out. It’s the kind pressure democrats have been sorely lacking for years.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:21 am:
“It’s fundamentally unfair of this Democratic organization to endorse before my vastly superior candidate gets his act together!!1!”
– MrJM
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:23 am:
- So_Ill -
Which will arrive first…
Kennedy’s running mate or the Great Pumpkin.
Even Linus is tired of waiting…
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:28 am:
==not sure how one would quantify such a thing, but that has certainly not been my observation.==
I’m not sure I can go so far as to say he’s “clearly outworking everyone” but it does feel like Pritzker and Biss are the only ones really running a full, statewide campaign, and that Pritzker’s messaging shop is the more robust of the two.
- Periwinkle - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:29 am:
Not sure why my comment got stuck in moderation so trying again…
As a voter, I am incredibly depressed and demoralized by the way the Democratic establishment has gotten behind Pritzker. No one would take a second look at him if it weren’t for his money. He has no experience in elected office and yet in a time when we should’ve learned our lesson about billionaires with no experience, they line up behind him like lemmings.
One unqualified billionaire vs. another is not a match-up I was hoping to see in my state.
Very disappointed in the IL Dem party.
- TopHatMonocle - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:31 am:
At this point it’s hard to convince people with the argument that “the fix is in” for Pritzker. The other potential top-tier candidates, Biss and Kennedy, are making mistakes left and right. That leaves Pritzker as the only one currently running a competent campaign. Are endorsers supposed to forget about the missteps and wait around to see if Biss and Kennedy get their acts together?
- So_Ill - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:33 am:
==I’m not sure I can go so far as to say he’s “clearly outworking everyone” but it does feel like Pritzker and Biss are the only ones really running a full, statewide campaign, and that Pritzker’s messaging shop is the more robust of the two.==
Absolutely. People seem to be a lot more interested in Pritzker’s campaign, but Biss has definitely been out there as well.
- Robert the 1st - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:33 am:
=JB Pritzker has generated the excitement=
Nothing is more exciting to progressives than an old, white, rich guy. Especially when they’re trying to defeat, an old, white, rich guy.
- JohnnyPyleDriver - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:37 am:
==it does feel like Pritzker and Biss are the only ones really running a full, statewide campaign, and that Pritzker’s messaging shop is the more robust of the two.==
I have no problem with this assessment. Gobs of money tends to help. But Biss has made at least 2 local stops, Kennedy at least 1, and JB cancelled on the one event I was aware of down here in SW IL
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:37 am:
==Are endorsers supposed to forget about the missteps and wait around to see if Biss and Kennedy get their acts together?==
This. Look, you wanna argue that the Souther 20 endorsement was premature, we can. We can bring up the AFL-CIO endorsement, too. But it’s after the state fair, it’s after Labor Day and petitions are out in the streets. This is the time for campaigns to get organized. It’s not ILDCCA’s fault that some of the campaigns can’t do that.
- Old Uncle Lou - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:38 am:
I guess a politically inexperienced billionaire who isn’t averse to gamimg the system is a great candidate as long as he is a democrat.
It is an entirely different story if he is a republican.
Let’s assume JB is the anointed one. How does he pay for all the things he is promising without a significant tax increase? There’s the headline for the election, and the question is can Bruce figure it out and use it to scare enough people to keep his job. If he has half a brain he’ll suggest JB can’t get there without taxing retirement income.
I find it hard to believe Bruce can win, but I didn’t think Trump had a chance based on the polls. Should be fun to watch.
- Anon0091 - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:40 am:
“He’s easily the best candidate, has the most momentum, is the best one-on-one with voters and nobody has come close to outworking him and that is not even debatable.”
That last point is really important and it is absolutely accurate. It’s one of the reasons he really liked Stratton - she was one of the only folks willing to work as hard as he will. He’s relentless.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:40 am:
Arsenal i dont disagree findamentally about the tesources and most likely a do e deal; but if clinton taugh us nothing else it that it aint over intil its over. Bailing without trying is the only guaranteed way to lose.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:42 am:
==But Biss has made at least 2 local stops, Kennedy at least 1, and JB cancelled on the one event I was aware of down here in SW IL==
Yeah, what places they visit has a few more factors involved, right? They may think their votes are somewhere else, and they’re working that place really hard. Or, like- I’m in Springfield, so Biss has been able to do a few extra events ’cause he was already in town for session.
- JohnnyPyleDriver - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:45 am:
==Yeah, what places they visit has a few more factors involved, right?==
Oh absolutely. But from my view, the “hard work” being done by JB is entirely wrapped up in his money. Yes, he responds to every single thing Rauner says. Good job. I do appreciate that. But I’m also following Biss who has been all over the state several times talking directly to people. I see a lot more of that from Biss than I do from JB. The other candidates aren’t serious candidates so I’m not paying as much attention to them
- Periwinkle - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:46 am:
At the progressive grassroots, not seeing a lot of excitement about JB. More like resignation to the fact that their party is literally being sold to the highest bidder.
- JohnnyPyleDriver - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:46 am:
==Are endorsers supposed to forget about the missteps and wait around to see if Biss and Kennedy get their acts together?==
What does this mean? JB hasn’t had missteps? We’re watching the same race right? Something about toilets…coziness with Blagojevich. I could keep going
- Heat of Summer - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:49 am:
Robertthe1st: Now you leave Bernie out of this.
- Anon - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:51 am:
Uncle Lou-
We need another significant tax increase as it is, and that is just to pay for the unbalanced budget we already have considering how much of the general fund pensions are going to be eating going forward.
JB is another in a long line of delusional politicians that haven’t yet grasped that the bill is finally due for the profligacy of the past 30-40 years, and there is no new money to be had for “investments”(I.E lots of new spending).
The money has already been spent and we have little to show for it, and even worse all future tax increases have already been accounted for as far as the money already being spent.
- jake - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:57 am:
Biss and Pritzker are the only two taking this seriously, in the sense of trying to craft and implement a winning strategy. They are in essentially identical places on issues. Pritzker’s strategy is to make himself seem inevitable with a spending blitz from an effectively bottomless pot of money, plus reassuring the Democratic establishment, especially the Speaker, that he poses no threat to the distribution of power within the Democratic Party. Biss’s strategy is to point to what a mess the state was in even before Rauner’s election and say, let’s not go back to that. Both say they want a progressive income tax. But Pritzker is aligned with Madigan, who blocked the progressive income tax from getting on the ballot when the bill to do so was introduced in the House. Personally, I’m with Biss.
- So_Ill - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:59 am:
==At the progressive grassroots, not seeing a lot of excitement about JB. More like resignation to the fact that their party is literally being sold to the highest bidder.==
Must be a Chicago liberal tea party thing. Tons of excitement downstate. Hell, there were probably 150 people at his Springfield rally on a Friday night during high school football season.
I’m not sure how a progressive can hear his message and not think he’s with them.
Not enough free stuff being promised?
- JohnnyPyleDriver - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 12:10 pm:
==Must be a Chicago liberal tea party thing. Tons of excitement downstate. Hell, there were probably 150 people at his Springfield rally on a Friday night during high school football season.==
I saw Biss speak to about 100 people in Collinsville on a saturday afternoon a couple weeks ago. JB was not available.
Progressives aren’t rallying behind JB because, well, he isn’t a progressive. He was undecided between Obama and McCain for goodness sake.
- Periwinkle - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 12:30 pm:
So_Ill, what many progressives see is someone who is buying an election, and we’re sick of that. Why would I want to vote for someone who’s only in this race and supported by the party because of how much money he has? That’s what the GOP did with Rauner, and we’ve got the other unqualified billionaire in the White House. Especially in such a tough legislative environment, I’m not up for rolling the dice on this one.
The quality of the candidate matters, or it should. Money does not equal governing experience or ability. It’s ridiculous that this is even a question. If campaign finance laws were different in this country we wouldn’t even be talking about Pritzker. Not to mention the message this all sends to young political talent - don’t bother running for office unless you’re a billionaire. What kind of society is that going to give us?
Unqualified billionaires buying their offices is not the future that progressives want.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 12:56 pm:
Biss who?
You can talk to hundred of people, but you need hundreds of thousands of votes. And some guy you talked to fades over time if you dont have messaging up. And your running maye is your first major chnace to demonstrated your decsion making ability.
If Biss cant sell hims self to gain some serious cash he is just on a rec team dreaming about the big leagues. If uaj cant sell yourself to bring in cash you cant sell yourself to get votes
- Nostalgia - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 1:04 pm:
Maybe Kennedy is looking for someone with the last name of Johnson for his running mate. A Kennedy / Johnson ticket
- Etown - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 1:04 pm:
Mr House can provide all the reasons he wants about why Dems should support JB but bottom line is all he cares about is JB $ that will funnel to his coffers
Spare me the crap and just admit the reason you support him
- So_Ill - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 1:36 pm:
Periwinkle- that’s great and all and I understand where you are coming from and I totally shared those exact sentiments…until I met JB. I’ve had 2-3 chances now to pick his brain and I saw someone who was engaged, willing to listen/learn and ask all the right questions.
The fact is, JB is the only person with the money to get his message out affectively and the personality to beat Rauner.
Biss might be the most boring guy in Illinois politics. While I truly believe he is the smartest candidate and would be the best governor, his personality is not suited to compete with Rauner (who is pretty damn boring himself).
As close as the two are on the issues, it all comes to to who can attract voters and get their message out to the masses. If polling is any indication, that isn’t Biss.
- DrurysMissingClock - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 2:11 pm:
=It probably didn’t help matters when Chris Kennedy left House’s Labor Day event in the Quad Cities before he was scheduled to speak. I got a few text messages and calls about how House wasn’t pleased. But, then again, this thing has probably been baked in for a while.=
Sure, it might have made him angry, but come on. I can name about 4 billion reasons why Mr. House chose JB and not one of them is someone flaking on an event.
- Blue dog dem - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 2:40 pm:
Reminds me of Debbi W. Schulz and the HRC scandel. Wonder how that turned out in the general.
- Ahoy! - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 2:44 pm:
If Kennedy gets his act together he could run much like Bernie did with the Democrats putting the thumb on the scale of a candidate in a primary. Last time i checked, that didn’t work out too well in the general election.
- So_Ill - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 2:57 pm:
==If Kennedy gets his act together he could run much like Bernie did with the Democrats putting the thumb on the scale of a candidate in a primary. Last time i checked, that didn’t work out too well in the general election.==
He has botched every single moment of this campaign, starting with the DNC last summer. He can still win a primary, but I think Rauner would have a field day with him.
He’s a weak candidate, who can’t raise money and can’t get out of his own way.
==Reminds me of Debbi W. Schulz and the HRC scandel. Wonder how that turned out in the general.==
There is no candidate comparable to Bernie Sanders running in the Democratic primary. Not even close.
- Anon0091 - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 3:11 pm:
So_Ill, I’m really glad you said that about JB. People who haven’t met him don’t like what they think he is. But as you pointed out, he’s been all over the state and people who meet him generally like him and are surprised he’s not what they expected. It’s not just the money, he’s also the best candidate.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 4:10 pm:
==Reminds me of Debbi W. Schulz and the HRC scandel.==
That doesn’t really scan. ILDCCA doesn’t have an equivalent role in gubernatorial primaries in IL that the DNC does in Presidential primaries. The ILDCCA doesn’t establish any rules for the primary. Moreover, DWS’ scandal was that her staffers were caught saying dumb things about one of the candidates in e-mails. That’s not what we see here.
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 6:38 pm:
Arsenal. My correlation is to the pre-ordaining of a golden child. The two principle candidates are both flawed to the point that I would like to see who emerges from the general Dem primary voters.