Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » After spending millions in Dem primary, Rauner accuses “Washington liberals” of “hijacking” the GOP primary
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
After spending millions in Dem primary, Rauner accuses “Washington liberals” of “hijacking” the GOP primary

Friday, Mar 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

After the Democratic Governors Association bought ad time to meddle in the Illinois Republican gubernatorial primary, the Rauner campaign launched a new ad, ‘Conservative Voter Alert.’

“Washington Democrats have teamed up with Mike Madigan’s favorite Republican Jeanne Ives because they know they can’t beat Governor Rauner in November. Governor Rauner’s message of growing jobs, cutting taxes, and rooting out corruption in Illinois has Democrats running scared.” - Communications Director Will Allison

* Rate it

* Script

Announcer: This is a conservative voter alert. The same Washington liberals that support JB Pritzker are now helping Jeanne Ives with last-second ads. Why? Because Jeanne Ives has already surrendered to Mike Madigan.

Ives: “We’ll work with Mike Madigan.”

Announcer: Liberals are hijacking the Republican primary in Illinois. They will do anything to keep the Madigan machine in power. That’s why they support Ives.

Ives: “We’ll work with Mike Madigan.”

Announcer: Stop Mike Madigan. Elect Bruce Rauner.

* Meanwhile, National Review has endorsed Ives. Press release…

This morning, the renowned conservative opinion journal National Review, which previously named Bruce Rauner ‘The Worse Republican Governor in America,’ announced its endorsement of Jeanne Ives for Illinois Governor, writing,

Failing to pass the fiscal reforms he promised wouldn’t alone justify his ouster in the primary. But Rauner’s duplicity on the issue of abortion should be disqualifying to conservatives. During the election, Rauner — who is pro-choice, had once donated to Planned Parenthood, and whose wife is an abortion-rights activist — insisted that he was merely running to fix the state’s coffers. He had, he said, “no social agenda.” When a bill to guarantee abortion as a right if the Supreme Court ever overturned Roe v. Wade and provide public money for abortions through all nine months of a woman’s pregnancy began circulating in the state legislature, Rauner said he would veto it. In September, he signed it into law. Pro-lifers who voted for Rauner put their trust in a man who is now forcing them to underwrite third-trimester abortions. His record is not just dreadful, but features a glaring lie.

Which is why Jeanne Ives, a state legislator, is a better alternative. Ives is an underdog and lacks Rauner’s resources, but she is both a superior candidate to the governor and a solid politician in her own right. One recent poll has her just 7 points behind Rauner. For his part, the governor is running far behind the likely Democratic nominee — J. B. Pritzker, a cat’s paw of Madigan — and has been unwilling to engage Ives in debate after an embarrassing showing in a joint appearance with her at the Chicago Tribune editorial office. Illinois Republicans should vote for Ives, the only conservative on the ballot.

In response, Ives said, “I am grateful and humbled to have the support of the leading conservative publication in the country. I thank National Review for understanding the purpose of our campaign and the importance of a small government policy revolution in Illinois.”

The endorsement is here.

       

45 Comments
  1. - Arsenal - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:34 am:

    How much has Rauner really spent on those anti-JB ads? Some commenters are week or so ago thought it was a relatively low amount.

    Regardless, it’s hypocrisy, sure, but what else is Rauner going to say?


  2. - Perrid - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:36 am:

    I guess what’s good for the goose is not good for the gander?


  3. - wordslinger - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:39 am:

    –“Washington Democrats have teamed up with Mike Madigan’s favorite Republican Jeanne Ives because they know they can’t beat Governor Rauner in November.”–

    If you know you can’t beat him, why bother doing anything? Rauner’s scattershot word-salad-shooters couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with a banjo.

    Somebody in Illinois who doesn’t like Rauner sure has some pull at National Review. First the cover story, now an endorsement.

    Buckley is long gone, but that brand still has some juice in some circles on the national level.


  4. - Anonymous - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:40 am:

    i would never vote ives.


  5. - Ste_with_a_ven - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:40 am:

    “Pro-lifers who voted for Rauner put their trust in a man who is now forcing them to underwrite third-trimester abortions. His record is not just dreadful, but features a glaring lie.”

    Love this sentence, a glaring lie followed by an accusation of glaring lies


  6. - Publius - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:40 am:

    While democrats accept the rules of engagement and say nothing when attacked, the gop gain ground by being the first accuser. Kind of like when you were kids, billy kicks you in the shin and you kick him back and he goes and tells the teacher and you get a swat.


  7. - anon - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:41 am:

    honestly, you can’t blame Rauner for putting out an ad to counter the DGA. Fight fire with fire. Love the conservative voter alert. Smart.


  8. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:42 am:

    After 3 years, I’m not surprised.

    Rauner is “you can’t do what i do to others” type of guy.

    It’s who he is. It’s Rauner as a person, candidate, governor.

    It was a proportional response for Rauner’s own meddling.

    Rauner created ILGo to not only meddle in Dem politics but to create Raunerite caucuses.

    Welp, when you’re an utter failure as a governor, taking you out in ways you felt you could leverage “crisis”, it’s delicious.


  9. - Skeptic - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:43 am:

    “Rauner’s scattershot word-salad-shooters couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with a banjo.” Maybe they should try an accordion. Either way, if they connect, it’ll make he world a better place.


  10. - JS Mill - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:45 am:

    Well, it is from the “Pants on fire” crew so you know it is legit. /s


  11. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:47 am:

    Oh Will, lol

    ===Governor Rauner’s message of growing jobs, cutting taxes, and rooting out corruption in Illinois has Democrats running scared.” - Communications Director Will Allison===

    Rauner is losing, double-digits, to Pritzker, who is also underwater in his own polling.

    That’s how awful Rauner is, and how awful those polled see him….

    Rauner is losing to a candidate already underwater in their own approval disapproval… by double digits.


  12. - 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:50 am:

    One thing is for sure, her name ID is going soar high these next few days. Conservative voters might just be fed up enough that when they vote, they will remember Ives’ name. This ad could backfire on them.


  13. - Gooner - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:50 am:

    I’ve been around politics for 30 years. I’ve heard some pretty ridiculous attack ads.

    The “Ives is a Madigan pal” may be the most ridiculous attack ad that I’ve ever heard.

    Rauner seems to have a very low regard for the intelligence of Illinois voters. The ad in many ways really does show that Rauner believes voters will believe anything.


  14. - Perrid - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:51 am:

    “underwrite third-trimester abortions” - uh, no. Abortions after the baby is viable, around 23 weeks, are illegal for everyone unless the life or health of mother are at stake. And Medicaid and SEGIP already had to pay for abortions where a doctor had documented that it was necessary for the life or health of the mother. What the legislation did was allow the state to pay for earlier abortions without a doctor’s note. And people would still get mad about that, so I don’t even understand why they have to make up stuff about third-trimester abortions.


  15. - Anonin - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:52 am:

    == The “Ives is a Madigan pal” may be the most ridiculous attack ad that I’ve ever heard. ==
    Not really ridiculous. Dan Proft is working with the unions to defeat Durkin is he not?


  16. - DarkHorse - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:52 am:

    Ives can claim a moral victory if she exceeds Oswego Willy’s 37.5% “Over/Under”. My bet is she claims it Tuesday night.


  17. - Nacho - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:57 am:

    Everybody knows the National Review is controlled by Mike Madigan.


  18. - Louis G. Atsaves - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 9:58 am:

    I’ve always had the impression since early voting began that the Ives “Conservative” voters stampeded to the polls and that she would be struggling to crack the glass ceiling that the “base” represents in terms of support. Many of these voters wear the mantle of “deplorable” as a badge of honor.

    What these ads represent is the National Democratic Party assumption that the majority of Republican voters are “deplorables.” Those voters do not accept that title and were appalled by the initial Ives “thuggish man wearing dress wanting to get into girls bathrooms” introductory ad.

    Ives claims to be within 7. Drury claims to be rapidly gaining. Yet neither of them are releasing their own polls.

    These ads may accidentally be helping Rauner here under those circumstances. We will know in a few days.


  19. - Cheryl44 - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:00 am:

    Rayner has already proved he has no regard for the intelligence of the average person. He seems to think enough of us will vote to let him remain governor in spite of his record.


  20. - m - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:06 am:

    The Ives ad is good campaign strategy, but this type of play is bad for democracy. If it works, like it did for Akin, you get 8 months of an extremist on the airwaves and in the papers, which just encourages and normalizes the wackos from that party.

    With all of the “purity test” types of folks on both sides, we do not need a continued push toward both extremes. D’s and R’s already spend too much time talking about how they are a real progressive or conservative.

    I’m not looking forward to a general election where I have to pick between a McCarthy and a Lenin.


  21. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:07 am:

    ===…a glaring lie followed by an accusation of glaring lies===

    Again, Rauner isn’t a fan of tactics he uses that are then used against him.

    Heck, according to “Rauner-Think”..,

    Rauner signed “sanctuary state” legislation, is weak on criminals, and HB40 is a bill so liberal, coastal liberal Democrats can’t get Dem governors to sign a bill like that.

    See?

    “Rauner-Think” to honesty is easy to show.


  22. - Honeybadger - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:10 am:

    Let’s not forget, Bruce Rauner is not accustomed to not getting his way. He never loses. Except, he is not in charge according to him.
    Don’t ya just hate hypocrites?


  23. - A guy - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:13 am:

    The ad isn’t good. Usually they are from that crew, but the dopey music alone indicates it’s not serious, and the crazy “warning” at the beginning signals this one is over the top from the get go.

    Apparently this crew is a lot better when they have more time to work. And…the issue they’re facing now caught them by surprise. These guys usually were way ahead of the curve and well prepared for just about anything.

    This ad is nearly comical. That bad.


  24. - wordslinger - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:15 am:

    –I’m not looking forward to a general election where I have to pick between a McCarthy and a Lenin.–

    It’s a tough choice, but if I have to make one on their bodies of work, I find Lenin’s lyrics a little more compelling than McCarthy’s melodies and arrangements.

    Still, they’re both great. Harrison, too. Ringo, underrated drummer.


  25. - Anonin - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:17 am:

    == Ives can claim a moral victory if she exceeds Oswego Willy’s 37.5% ==
    With no money, Jim Marter received about 29% of the vote. After spending millions, getting around 37% is not a moral victory - especially if Proft your puppetmaster.


  26. - Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:18 am:

    ===Ringo, underrated drummer===

    Totally.


  27. - Arsenal - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:19 am:

    ==Rauner seems to have a very low regard for the intelligence of Illinois voters.==

    Anecdotally, it kinda seems like he’s being vindicated, though…


  28. - Mr. K. - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:20 am:

    Love this rabid primary stuff.

    But what all this does — and has done for the past few weeks — is draw a big neon arrow pointing to Rauner’s essential and fundamental impotence.

    Even big scary shadows on the front pages of political mailers or moldy faux-biker-club cuts limping with too many American flag pins don’t eradicate the fact that Rauner has — literally — done nothing in the past three years.

    Even the calcium deficient old ladies who limp up to him in downstate restaurants and coo and meow and tell him to persit, please persist, because you’re our only hope aren’t gonna help him.

    Ives has a real chance. At least in the primary.


  29. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:21 am:

    ===getting around 37% is not a moral victory - especially if Proft your puppetmaster.===

    I still like the number.

    The ridiculous ad that Proft rolled out did damage while ginning up a base already aligned with Ives.

    If you tell me this Governor is going to have 2 in 5 GOP voters vote for Ives over him, that is huge.

    That is still only 40%, and losing by 20 points as well.

    Their own poll has Ives stuck at 35. That’s 35 with the cash and the ads.

    I still like the number.


  30. - A guy - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:23 am:

    == I find Lenin’s lyrics a little more compelling==

    We agree. Imagine.


  31. - Obamas Puppy - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:43 am:

    How do you spin an ad that attacks Ives into one that means the ad sponsors are trying to help her. Rauner is a cancer of lies and deceit.


  32. - Nick Name - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:55 am:

    ===The same Washington liberals that support JB Pritzker are now helping Jeanne Ives with last-second ads. Why? Because Jeanne Ives has already surrendered to Mike Madigan.

    Ives: “We’ll work with Mike Madigan.”===

    When Ives got into the race, some - OW? - said it would help Rauner because he would look normal next to her far-right looniness.

    But if anything, Rauner has made Ives look sane (a politician working with the opposition on behalf of the state. Imagine!) while he himself has become even more batcaca crazy.


  33. - Bigtwich - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:56 am:

    Beware the Ives of March.


  34. - Bigtwich - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:56 am:

    Beware the Ives of March.


  35. - wordslinger - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:06 am:

    –How do you spin an ad that attacks Ives into one that means the ad sponsors are trying to help her.–

    Very easily, as it is the obvious truth. Dems would much rather run against Ives than Rauner for many reasons.

    Might be the most truthful spin to ever come out of Rauner’s Big Lie propaganda machine.


  36. - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:06 am:

    “If you tell me this Governor is going to have 2 in 5 GOP voters vote for Ives over him, that is huge.

    That is still only 40%, and losing by 20 points as well.

    Their own poll has Ives stuck at 35. That’s 35 with the cash and the ads.

    I still like the number.”

    How about the Democratic side. JB spends 63 million to lock up 35% of the Democratic vote for Governor, with 31% undecided. How many of those don’t know enough about JB yet?

    The Attorney General race has 43% undecided but the Madigan anointed candidate has 15% while Pat Quinn is at 23%

    All 8 candidates want Speaker Madigan’s resignation as party chair

    The leader of the Cook County Democrats has countless Democrats voting for his opponent in the Assessors race.

    Tell me again how it is the Republicans that are in disarray and the Democrats will waltz to victory


  37. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:42 am:

    ===How about the Democratic side.===

    Rauner is losing to Pritzker, by double digits.

    Pritzker is at 50% and underwater

    The lone Dem candidate underwater is leading Rauner by double digits and hitting 50%

    Who is Rauner’s constituency?


  38. - zatoichi - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:47 am:

    Rauner’s arguement against Ives is her saying: “We’ll work with Mike Madigan.”. That is deep thinking. Of course he never said anything like that, ever.


  39. - don the legend - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:47 am:

    …Tell me again how it is the Republicans that are in disarray and the Democrats will waltz to victory…

    You’re probably correct. I guess Rauner will win with his pro abortion, junk bond favoring, Quincy Veteran’s Home supporting, crushing deficit spending loving conservatives who will push him over the top in November.


  40. - VanillaMan - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:56 am:

    “Why aren’t I 50 points ahead, you might ask?”


  41. - cdog - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:58 am:

    Hopefully, Rauner is out March 20. For sure he toast in November.

    There are too many people of principle that will never vote for him. The lack of ethics and morals that it takes to spew garbage like he does, is disturbing.


  42. - Logan - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 12:02 pm:

    “Who is Rauner’s constituency?”

    That’s an easy one. People who believe his flat out lies, and people who are paid off by him. And even then I don’t think they’re going to vote for him.


  43. - anon2 - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 12:09 pm:

    I’d bet that conservatives who like National Review are mostly in Ives’ corner already. Does the Trump base even know who William F. Buckley was?


  44. - Anonin - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 12:19 pm:

    == I still like the number. ==

    I think you are right. I think it’s around that number. Not that it matters that much. The GOP in Illinois is toast. Rauner and the conservatives who elected him can pat themselves mightily on the back. Well done. Back to the drawing board.


  45. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 12:24 pm:

    ===I think you are right.===

    Sincerely appreciate that. We both will see.

    ===The GOP in Illinois is toast. Rauner and the conservatives who elected him can pat themselves mightily on the back. Well done. Back to the drawing board.===

    Hopefully, post-Raunerism, a GOP can decide who we are, where we failed, besides the obvious of surrendering to Diana and Bruce Rauner, and a party can build that can win in Illinois again.

    I’d like to see that. Democracy is healthiest when both parties can win over policy.


Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


* Pritzker calls some of Bears proposals 'probably non-starters,' refuses to divert state dollars intended for other purposes (Updated)
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* Friends of the Parks responds to Bears’ lakefront stadium proposal
* It’s just a bill
* Judge rejects state motion to move LaSalle Veterans' Home COVID deaths lawsuit to Court of Claims
* Learn something new every day
* Protect Illinois Hospitality – Vote No On House Bill 5345
* Need something to read? Try these Illinois-related books
* Illinois Hospitals Are Driving Economic Activity Across Illinois: $117.7B Annually And 445K Jobs
* Today's quotables
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* Live coverage
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller