* Hmm…
Establishment Republicans are getting squeezed to death from within. In what should be nirvana — all-party control of Washington — they instead are jammed daily between a president who routinely ridicules them for ineptitude — and Steve Bannon, who’s recruiting hardliners to extinguish their very existence.
Why this matters: The Breitbart News chairman and former White House chief strategist is building a nationwide coalition that — in the words of a former Trump White House official — could “wreak havoc” across the map “if Bannon is even halfways successful.” […]
Bannon is also exploring gubernatorial and House races.
As Bannon told Fox’s Sean Hannity this week: “Nobody’s safe. We’re coming after all of them.”
One can’t help but wonder whether any disaffected Republicans in Illinois have reached out to him yet.
- Macbeth - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 9:36 am:
Ives seems perfect for this.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 9:42 am:
I would welcome Bannon and his whiskey soaked breath to Illinois.
- Soco - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 9:43 am:
Ives has ties to Rauner and Bannon won’t go for it.
- We'll See - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 9:44 am:
Proft just added Bannon to his speed-dial.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 9:44 am:
Steve Bannon and his benefactors, including the Mercer family, are the cancer on democracy that the Supreme Court unleashed with Citizens United.
It would be comical if the stakes weren’t so high.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 9:46 am:
Good. Does Bannon know Rauner betrayed Trump and the base on sanctuary cities and taxpayer-funded abortions? It’ll be fun if Bannon targets Rauner.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 9:48 am:
The Mercers backing an Ives-like candidate is the only thing I can see giving Rauner a real scare.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 9:49 am:
Republicans need to figure out what/who their party is. I know it has changed over the years. It is dangerous to continue yanking the reins to the right.
- kimocat - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 9:54 am:
Seems like Joe Walsh would be Bannon’s kind of guy.
- MG85 - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 9:55 am:
Strategically, I can see arguments for both sides as to whether or not Bannon, and his ilk, would target someone like Rauner.
1) He’s the most vulnerable gubernatorial incumbent in the nation running for reelection
2) He’s not the most vulnerable gubernatorial incumbent in the nation running for reelection in the GOP primary.
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 10:06 am:
===Seems like Joe Walsh would be Bannon’s kind of guy.===
He absolutely would be. But he is too damaged even by Bannon standards.
- MG85 - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 10:10 am:
==But he is too damaged even by Bannon standards.==
Couldn’t disagree more. Bannon was all in on Trump after the TMZ tape came out. If Bannon will stick with Trump after that, then he will feel like “Deadbeat Daddy” Joe Walsh has a saint’s reputation.
- The ghost of a former 24th district congressman - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 10:11 am:
I have a feeling that these uppity uber-alt right types are gonna get their cumuppance in 2018.
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 10:16 am:
@MG85
The election was like 3 weeks away when the video surfaced. Bannon had nowhere else to go. With time to create a campaign, Walsh is a non-starter.
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 10:20 am:
Rep. Ives, meet Mr. Bannon.
“Always two there are; no more, no less. A master and an apprentice.”
―Yoda
The Rule of Two was a Sith philosophy mandating that only two Sith Lords could exist at any given time: a master to embody the power of the dark side of the Force, and an apprentice to crave it
- A guy - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 10:43 am:
==The Rule of Two was a Sith philosophy mandating that only two Sith Lords could exist at any given time: a master to embody the power of the dark side of the Force, and an apprentice to crave it===
“That’s deep Shane”- The Replacements.
- David - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 11:04 am:
Don’t forget the Russians were here doing research already.
- David - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 11:40 am:
He is targeting some US House races too.
- Langhorne - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 11:41 am:
Madigan should be only two happy:
–the lame ducks might (please god) tip the balance to getting some things done
–both sides need some sort of success to run on, passing a budget, a cap bill, or anything else.
Madigan will oblige any combination that gets him to 60, a concept foreign to rauner
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 11:53 am:
ILGOP doesn’t want to be Rauner’s beard anymore. Bannon smells an opportunity to take Rauner down. However, you need to find a credible candidate willing to do that. Even after a primary win, they will need to win against Billionaire No-Flush.
It could be an old hand willing to take Rauner down, but realistic enough to deal with a possible November loss.
Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, an old football coach, a retired congresscritter, a resently resigned minority leader - someone like that.
Not a fresh face. A comforting old shoe.
- Honeybadger - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 12:05 pm:
Im sorry, but for crying out loud, Bannon is mad at GOP’ers who defy Trump and vote their conscience and he wants to take them out. Now he wants to go after Governors and state legislators? Whose next local officials and mayors? Way too much control and aur time for this neo-nationalist.
- Honeybadger - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
Steve Bannon and his ilk will be the downfall of democracy.
- Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 12:18 pm:
Vanillaman plus one.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 1:03 pm:
Bannon is to national politics what Profft is to state politics. Striving desperately to be relevant but largely ignored.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 1:27 pm:
“Bannon and Ives” was a canceled TBS “buddy cop” show, wasn’t it?
To the Post,
The ideology of Bannon is to destroy the existing political and governing mechanisms. Conservatives think that’s the way to go until they see what tearing down governing and political parties look like.
At the national level, it’s close to “too late”
Here in Illinois, had Bruce and Diana Rauner had a governing majority, you’d have a far left social ideology with a far right destruction of the structure of governing.
I know, that silly talk, but…
That’s how someone like Ives or Walsh can sneak in, because the duality of what’s happening makes no sense in the governing.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 1:58 pm:
I don’t see my last post…
Bannon is just an opportunist, a scavenger.
Here’s here because we keep electing carrion instead of leaders.
He’s not a threat to democracy, failures are.
- The Way I See It - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 2:13 pm:
It wasn’t as though Rauner ran unopposed in the R primary last time around, but I don’t think any of those candidates would be Bannon’s style. Either way, it’s a little hard to believe that one of those guys isn’t looking at the mess and saying” I could do much better than him …”
Just wondering what guys like Proft and Bannon will do when they don’t have “But Madigan!” and “her emails!” to run against.
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 3:54 pm:
Soco, I think that if Ives primaries Rauner, those ties can be considered cut…
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 4:17 pm:
OW, and now the mom of one of those two cops is the Mayor of NYC on another network. Teevee recycles actors like Illinois does politicians.
To The Post, I see Bannon says he is also going to go after at least six so far unnamed R US Senators. I’m just wondering if the depth of his Congressional agenda might keep him out of a piddly Governor’s race in a blue state.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Oct 11, 17 @ 8:16 pm:
Bannon is a blowhard, trying to take credit for both Trump and Moore. He didn’t bring anything to the party for either of them.
He’s good at self-promotion in some circles and promoting white supremacists online.