The Daily Herald’s unsolicited advice
Monday, Oct 30, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Daily Herald editorial board offers reelection campaign advice to Gov. Rauner…
In offering it, we recognize that the governor is not apt to take our advice. His first term suggests that he generally doesn’t listen to advice from anyone.
And that, Mr. Rauner, seems to be one of your fundamental problems — figuring out how to work with people and keeping in mind that a big part of that is listening to their problems and ideas, building consensus and trying to build win-win solutions rather than dictating winner-take-all confrontations where someone has to lose.
This is especially important when you face an opposition party that has overwhelming control of the Illinois legislature and the someone who is most apt to lose is you!
Somehow, you didn’t recognize that obvious truth during your first term, leaving even those of us who endorsed you, sympathize with you and pull for you perplexed by your apparent naiveté.
Where has this man-in-the-tower approach gotten you, Governor? A state in stagnation. A tax increase you didn’t want. A mass exodus of frustrated legislators. […]
It’s not enough, Governor, for you to tell us again that Springfield needs to be reformed. We’re with you on that and most of the state is, too.
But unless you can show us how you’re going to effect that change, it’s just empty talk. Illinois needs action, not recycled rhetoric. What will you do, Mr. Rauner, to produce it?
Thoughts?
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:01 am:
Rauner will most likely not be reelected. The question needs to swiftly focus to Pritzker and the Dems. What will (they) do, to produce change?
- Macbeth - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:01 am:
What’s surprising about this “trenchant” retrospective analysis is that it’s somehow news to anyone.
“His first term suggests that he generally doesn’t listen to advice from anyone.”
What, you only just realized this? Doesn’t his entire business career point to this single point?
- Dome Gnome - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:02 am:
That is strong rhetoric for this newspaper.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:02 am:
Illinois will not change until we have a bigger mass exodus of frustrated legislators who seem to care more about being reelected than reforming Illinois government and business environment.
- PublicServant - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:04 am:
Madigan and the newspaper editorial boards he controls
Thanks Mike
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:04 am:
Spot on, but it will fall on deaf ears. He isn’t interested in learning how to govern or compromise. He’ll surround himself with sycophants and spend a hundred million dollars to tell us that Illinois will become a workers paradise if we jettison Madigan, unions and workers compensation. A truly missed opportunity. When you lose credibility, you can’t buy it back.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:06 am:
===Illinois will not change until we have a bigger mass exodus of frustrated legislators who seem to care more about being reelected than reforming Illinois government and business environment===
That answer to Rauner or Dan Proft?
The Raunerites hurt social services, higher education, increased the state’s debt.
The Brave 15 and Perfect 10 who saved the state and “betrayed” (Ms. Wheeler’s word as she personally cheered illinois’ destruction) Rauner, that Proft wants to replace as Proft allegedly is also “against” Rauner…
So, you chose.
Raunerites or Proft lemmings?
- PublicServant - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:06 am:
===Rauner will most likely not be reelected. The question needs to swiftly focus to Pritzker and the Dems. What will (they) do, to produce change?===
Maybe collaborate, work to come to agreements? You know, something Rauner doesn’t want to do.
- wordslinger - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:09 am:
At his core, Rauner is a dilletante, a retired rich guy with an expensive toy. He bought it, he’ll do with it as he pleases.
Too bad he didn’t buy a boat. They’ll keep you busy.
- Skirmisher - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:10 am:
Wish I had written that, not that Rauner would listen to me either.
- Boone's is Back - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:11 am:
What boggles my mind is that the Gov seems fully capable on taking campaign advice and staying on message. Yet when it comes to governing it’s like a totally parallel universe.
- We'll See - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:14 am:
One of the Gov’s biggest problems is that he believes that he is the smartest guy in the room. This may have worked in the capital world, but in the world of politics, he has a lot to learn and thus far his arrogance has gotten in the way.
- A guy - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:17 am:
I guess there’s advice in there.
- Arsenal - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:17 am:
==Illinois will not change until we have a bigger mass exodus of frustrated legislators who seem to care more about being reelected than reforming Illinois government and business environment.==
That’s laudable, but you’re never going to get politicians to not run for office. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, man.
What you need to do instead is align these incentives.
- Anon221 - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:23 am:
“Where has this man-in-the-tower approach gotten you, Governor?”
A Trump-worthy approval rating, for one. A walk-in closet full of campaign “appropriate” costumes for another. And, a “barbershop” quartet of other governors singing his “praises”.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:34 am:
They endorsed him.
Now after a full term, they tell him that he has been unable to listen, take advice, build consensus, dictated confrontations, unable to recognize an obvious truth, apparently naive, a man-in-the-tower, full of empty talk while our state is in stagnation with higher taxes, frustrated legislators and needing action.
Doesn’t sound like a reindorsement, does it?
Rauner is only supported by cynics who’ll do anything to vote against Democrats. I understand. I don’t want to either. But Rauner has proven without a doubt that bad government is still better than a government where he is governor. He made Pat Quinn look good.
Anyone but Rauner.
- jim - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:39 am:
how could anyone think that a multi-millionaire businessman with no experience in politics could possibly be successful? Rauner’s resume was his problem. It’s why Illinois desperately needs JB Pritzker.
- Michelle Flaherty - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:43 am:
You don’t have to like people.
But you do have to work with them.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 11:50 am:
This is what happens when people hear “I’ve been successful in everything I’ve ever done so I’m sure this will be no exception” in response to “how will you overcome Democratic supermajorities” and just take his word for it. Clueless from the start.
- RNUG - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 12:04 pm:
== Too bad he didn’t buy a boat. They’ll keep you busy. ==
Playing with the State is probably cheaper than keeping up a really big boat …
- Annonin' - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 12:05 pm:
How about the next brainstorm from this paper or any other talk about what IL looks like after all his “reforms” ( i.e. rollin’ back the tax, competitive elections, term limits etc. etc.
That will give us a better idea of what is really at stake here. We are thinkin’ it means 1%ers gettin’ fatter and workin’ families gettin’ F*
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 12:09 pm:
The Daily Herald will, most likely, endorse Rauner again.
Rauner listening to them, or not, won’t matter.
If I learned anything with HB40…
… the hand wringing and “what abouting” and here with “advice” and letting down…
… in the end, the odds are the Daily Herald will endorse Rauner… and Rauner knows it.
I’m sure the Daily Herald felt good publishing it. That’s nice.
- cdog - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 12:10 pm:
Sounds like the Daily Herald is positioning themselves to endorse another candidate in the Republican primary….
ruh-row Rauner.
- anon2 - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 12:14 pm:
=== They endorsed him. ===
Not in the primary — the DH went with Dillard. The DH also endorsed Clinton over Trump.
- Winnin’ - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 12:23 pm:
Come on, Daily Herald. You know who he listens to. He listens to Griffin, Uhlein and his billionaire friends. That’s all he listens.
Rewrite your editorial to reflect as much.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 12:30 pm:
how could anyone think that a multi-millionaire businessman with no experience in politics could possibly be successful? Rauner’s resume was his problem. It’s why Illinois desperately needs JB Pritzker.
irony alert.
I guess to be a successful Governor the implication is you need to be a multi- billionaire businessman.
What is JB Pritzker’s experience in politics except for being a donor?
- cdog - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 12:43 pm:
Ives would be smart to start talking to editorial boards, early in the process, even planning on several meetings with them.
Full-court press.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 12:50 pm:
===how could anyone think that a multi-millionaire businessman with no experience in politics could possibly be successful? Rauner’s resume was his problem. It’s why Illinois desperately needs JB Pritzker.
irony alert.
I guess to be a successful Governor the implication is you need to be a multi- billionaire businessman.
What is JB Pritzker’s experience in politics except for being a donor?===
If you’re saying Pritzker would be awful because Rauner is so awful… I dunno if that’s so compelling of an argument, lol.
- @MisterJayEm - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 1:27 pm:
“Rauner’s resume was his problem.”
Nope.
Rauner’s dishonesty was his problem,
Rauner’s dishonesty is his problem, and
Rauner’s dishonesty will always be his problem.
– MrJM
- Skeptic - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 1:35 pm:
“What is JB Pritzker’s experience in politics except for being a donor?” Well obviously he has as many budgets signed into law as Rauner, so there’s that.
- wordslinger - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 3:30 pm:
–Ives would be smart to start talking to editorial boards, early in the process, even planning on several meetings with them.–
I can’t think of a reason why. They’re the “Establishment,” correct?
If Ives is smart, and she wants to win the GOP primary, she will run as a Trump/Fox/Kass grievance-peddler, whining all day long like she’s got a full diaper to the one million who voted in the Illinois GOP primary for Trump or Cruz because they got such a raw deal being born white in the United States.
- wordslinger - Monday, Oct 30, 17 @ 5:53 pm:
–Illinois will not change until we have a bigger mass exodus of frustrated legislators who seem to care more about being reelected than reforming Illinois government and business environment. –
Better get a tuneup at the home office in Skopje. Your wiring is wack.
“Frustrated lawmakers” who are part of a “bigger mass exodus,” by definition, are not concerned about re-election.
English as a second language can be challenging.