* I finally got around to listening to Bill Cameron’s latest “Connected to Chicago” show…
Lynn Sweet: So, let’s look at what is going on here in the Durbin-Duckworth announcement. They gave Chris Kennedy plenty of time to either neutralize them or earn the endorsement. The only thing that Duckworth and Durbin want is a Democratic governor, and the politics of all the major candidates aren’t that different. Now in the long term, so let’s put that in bucket one. Bucket two, JB Pritzker is a generous donor to Democratic Senate candidates, the Democratic Governors Association, so everyone knows that even if he loses, as he has said, he will maintain being a generous activist. So that gave him a running start.
But from what I can tell, he earned it. He has been traveling the state. He has been consulting with the Senators. I know that Sen. Tammy Duckworth is the Democrat who just won a big statewide race, OK, so she knows the most and has the best information and the best insights about what it will take to win. So he has been going and meeting with the people who can help him understand what it takes to win in the state of Illinois, and I think Duckworth and Durbin appreciate it. He’s not just using his money to buy commercial time. He is putting in his time to talk to the people who have done this to find out what it takes.
And I think, you know, Chris Kennedy had a lot of time to earn this, and now that filing is over and people will start focusing on the campaigns, the only thing that surprised me at this stage is I thought they might have waited a little bit, maybe until after the holidays just in case, to give Kennedy a little more time, but maybe they thought he’s had enough time.
In terms of the other candidates, they just haven’t risen beyond their regional base.
Cameron: Yeah.
Sweet: And actually when you look at it, I just looked up at the State Board of Elections. I guess there are seven or eight people who filed and out of it, the only ones who are real contenders here are JB and Chris Kennedy and, uh…
Cameron: Biss.
Sweet: And Biss, is the three major ones here. And it takes a lot to really make it on the statewide basis. So that’s why this endorsement, the two Senators combined has a lot more heft than other things because they have statewide name recognition. They have statewide connections. They travel around the state and they’re known. And that’s why this endorsement is the top standard of what you could seek.
Ray Long: Plus, Durbin is Downstate so he has some Downstate cred, too, which is something a lot of the candidates don’t have.
Sweet: People have heard of him! Biss put out, in all respect, he put out some press release, the most recent one, where he was touting some endorsement and it was somebody who I’d barely heard of. Not to be disrespectful and it’s important, but sometimes you have to weigh endorsements as to what can get attention. With all the things that people have on their minds and what they’re doing and maybe just trying to get their house cleaned for the weekend and get ready for the holidays, it takes a lot to break through. Having Durbin and Duckworth, combined, at least can get your attention.
Greg Hinz: The short version of all of this is that Chris Kennedy so far has run a crashingly disappointing campaign. Duckworth and Durbin see all the good things that Pritzker could do for them, particularly spending money to build a statewide political organization that will continue afterwards. So if Kennedy’s not going to show anything, why wait?
Take some time to read what Sweet said. She’s a DC type, so she may not be up on every little twist and turn in Illinois, but what she says about the Senators is from her own work and she’s right. Durbin and Duckworth wanted the Democratic hopefuls to show them that they were “real” candidates who could put together “real” campaigns before making any endorsements.
Their requirements included spending a lot of time throughout the state meeting with people, opening offices, hiring field staff, putting together a solid messaging team, etc. Pritzker courted them hard. And it worked out in the end.
* Related…
* Pritzker run keeps picking up steam: But it’s Pritzker who has the backing and the clout of the big boys. Fortunately for his opponents, voters will have the last word, and they have shown in the past that they are capable of thinking for themselves.
- SAP - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 8:50 am:
Agreed on the Sweet stuff. As for Ray Long’s comment, I think Dick Durbin had a lot more “Downstate cred” back when he was in the lower chamber.
- Downstate Dem - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 8:59 am:
“Crashingly disappointing campaign” is the perfect description of Chris Kennedy’s effort. I was hoping for much more out of him.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:08 am:
==the politics of all the major candidates aren’t that different==
Not only that, but their politics are all painfully unoriginal and could have been cooked up fifty years ago. There isn’t a new idea among the lot of them that hasn’t been repeatedly proposed, tried and has failed.
Everyone knows that Rauner isn’t governing. He made Blagojevich look gubernatorial and hard-working. Rauner is flat-out bad.
But I’m incredibly unimpressed with the Democrats as well. It doesn’t much matter which of them gets the nomination.
I will never vote for Rauner, but I’m disgusted by the alternative, aren’t you?
- Former Hillrod - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:12 am:
@ Vman
Yes.
- Baloneymous - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:14 am:
Unoriginal. Well for one, we’re Dems pushing to legalize marijuana 50 yrs ago?
- A guy - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:18 am:
==. I know that Sen. Tammy Duckworth is the Democrat who just won a big statewide race, OK, so she knows the most and has the best information and the best insights about what it will take to win. ==
I like Tammy, but this is almost laughable. Her campaign manager and staff might have insights. They were out there. She was missing in that campaign.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:29 am:
==Unoriginal. Well for one, we’re Dems pushing to legalize marijuana 50 yrs ago?==
Wow. That’s really sad.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:32 am:
Kennedy does seem to have the attitude that he is an incumbent seeking reelection. The Rose Garden campaign is not going to cut it. He needs to put in the hours and make himself available.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:32 am:
===Durbin and Duckworth wanted the Democratic hopefuls to show them that they were “real” candidates who could put together “real” campaigns before making any endorsements.
Their requirements included spending a lot of time throughout the state meeting with people, opening offices, hiring field staff, putting together a solid messaging team, etc. Pritzker courted them hard. And it worked out in the end.===
First, Sweet is spot on, on the generalities. Rich is filling in where some may see cracks, but this foundation of thought by Sweet really pins down how this all went down.
I’ve bemoaned that Kennedy seemed detached and a Crew more designed to drain Kennedy’s monetary resources than build a campaign apparatus. Throw in the counterpoint that Kennedy’s fundraising has purposely been awful, with a lack of urgency, how can you take what they are trying to do seriously at this point?
As for Biss, when Biss decides to talk about broader things and themes, he’s doing better. When Biss tries to go after Pritzker and Rauner together, it’s alienating those that may just want to beat Rauner, and hear how each candidate will be different and bring Illinois back from Raunerism. I also stated that Biss needed to go from living rooms to ball rooms to gymnasiums to stadiums, if he feels he’s a Bernie type candidate. He also has to do it without national cable having him on TV every day, and reporters giving him time on TV at stops to draw in more people. Almost an impossible ask for statewide candidates of most states. Again, Biss, like Kennedy, has shown himself and the campaign behind where they need to vex
I called out Pritzker to be the front runner, take it, and tale it to Rauner and we’re all seeing more of that now. Pritzker has field offices, a Crew to man them, an apparatus to drive the campaign, and the money to execute.
Pritzker checks far more boxes than the others.
It’s not up for discussion or debate. Campaign metrics and measures, even outside money… Pritzker has more prepared to win then the others.
Throw in a crowded field, Pritzker’s advantages… tough hill for others to climb. Indeed.
Thus the endorsements, be it Labor or elected officials…
Campaigns grow, then hit strides. Can the others catch up?
Well, both US Senators think…
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:40 am:
“I will never vote for Rauner, but I’m disgusted by the alternative, aren’t you?”
No. I support a progressive income tax, proper funding of social services and higher ed, property tax reform done the right way, by increasing the state’s share of funding, health insurance expansion, marijuana legalization, union rights and so on. There are stark differences between Rauner and Pritzker or any of the other candidates.
I agree, Pritzker seems to be building an infrastructure, and that’s very important and warrants support and endorsements.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:54 am:
==No. I support a progressive income tax, proper funding of social services and higher ed, property tax reform done the right way, by increasing the state’s share of funding, health insurance expansion, marijuana legalization, union rights and so on. There are stark differences between Rauner and Pritzker or any of the other candidates.==
Except for a new legal societal vice, you sound like Lyndon Johnson, circa 1964.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:54 am:
As I try to mention from time to time here, Gov. Rauner won his election primarily because many independent-ish people in IL were fed up with Pat Quinn and having one political party in charge of everything. Since then Gov. Rauner for various reasons has disappointed a number of those who voted for him last time. So these voters are at least open to considering another candidate this time around. But have most of the underlying *reasons* for Rauner’s win changed much? Have any of the candidates’ solution messages changed much? With the possible exception of Kennedy I am not sure that they have. At this point what seems to be sorely missing is someone for these disaffected Rauner voters to comfortably vote for. Ives? probably not. JB? highly probably not. It is understandable that the Dem candidates are focusing on the upcoming primary but in doing so they are making themselves less palatable to cross-overs/independents in the general. Rauner may well be re-elected if someone else doesn’t see and understand this void that many voters see.
- CICOM - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:56 am:
OW, well stated. It seems impossible to hear a clear message from CK or DB.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:58 am:
==sometimes you have to weigh endorsements as to what can get attention==
Yeah, “sometimes”, and in the specific context of Durbin/Duckworth vs. the state legislators that have endorsed Biss, sure. But folks that don’t get attention, but have an actual organization are plenty valuable.
But, y’know, in the context of this race, JB’s scooping up all of those guys, too.
==“I will never vote for Rauner, but I’m disgusted by the alternative, aren’t you?”==
Nah. I’m disappointed that a couple specific Democrats didn’t make this race, but I’ve liked Biss for a long time, and JB’s really impressed me so far.
- Scott Cross for President - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 10:08 am:
Absolutely agree, Rich. Lynn connects the dots with this line:
“He’s not just using his money to buy commercial time. He is putting in his time to talk to the people who have done this to find out what it takes.”
Money buys time and creates time. Having money allows Pritzker to create hours in the day, hours that would have been scheduled for call time are instead transformed into hours to call Durbin, Duckworth, labor leaders and community leaders to ask questions and listen and learn. Add these personal touches to a broad media campaign and you show Pritzker as an engaged candidate who is everywhere.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 10:11 am:
“Gov. Rauner won his election primarily because many independent-ish people in IL were fed up with Pat Quinn”
Boy did they make a mistake. Second-rate Quinn was a much better steward of the state’s finances than Rauner—paying pensions, reducing the bill backlog, bringing in revenue and paying for education and social services, etc.
“Except for a new legal societal vice, you sound like Lyndon Johnson, circa 1964.”
Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment. Illinois voters support a millionaire surcharge and marijuana legalization. Tie those things with fiscal and economic responsibility—paying bills and funding education, infrastructure, etc.—and compare this with Rauner’s willful and severe damage to the state, and we have a strong campaign message.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 10:33 am:
==At this point what seems to be sorely missing is someone for these disaffected Rauner voters to comfortably vote for.==
That’s the wrong frame. This isn’t Alabama, where a Democrat has to hope a lot of Republicans abandon their party to win. It’s a lot closer to the opposite. That’s why Rauner played the “no social agenda” game in ‘14.
- Seriously? - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 10:49 am:
As RM points out, Sweet is a DC type who missed some of the machinations. Durbin’s state director, Bill Houlihan, has backed JB from the beginning - introduced him at meet and greets. I can’t imagine he’d have done that if Durbin hadn’t given his blessing.
- Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 11:00 am:
==He has been traveling the state.==
This is key. The crew is great, they’re active, and they’re already helping Dems at the local level. But, the key has been JB traveling around the state and chatting with the local Dems. People are much more likely to cast a ballot (and work for and talk about) someone they have met and chatted with. JB keeps showing up, and he doesn’t just wave and give a speech. He works the room and chats with anyone who has a question or comment. He has a staffer take notes, and they follow up. You cannot beat the personal touch.
- Hickory - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 12:09 pm:
Money talks. No need for the Speaker to say one word.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 1:38 pm:
I don’t think it is that at all. The momentum comes from those under the top Dems. they were not going to buck them.
- JB13 - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 3:01 pm:
Well, yes, *but*… it’s been obvious from the start who the candidate of choice for the Democratic establishment is. (Hint: It’s the billionaire who doesn’t seem to think it’s a problem that one guy has run the General Assembly for four decades.) There was no way Durbin and Duckworth were going to buck the establishment in an election like this with this slate of ‘meh’ candidates.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 3:21 pm:
–I like Tammy, but this is almost laughable. Her campaign manager and staff might have insights. They were out there. She was missing in that campaign. –
I wonder what any of that means?
Why don’t you just spit out in no uncertain terms whatever insult you’re trying to imply about the senator you like so much?
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 5:05 pm:
What Scott Cross for President said:
The most important thing that Pritzker’s money buys him is 20 hours a week he can spend meeting voters, reaching out to leaders, attending events…instead of in calltime.
- Molly Maguire - Wednesday, Dec 13, 17 @ 10:53 am:
Spot on. Even though our politics tend toward Biss, my colleagues were pleasantly surprised by JB’s manner, tone, commitment and work to earn it. A solid second among us.