J.B. Pritzker appears to have chosen a solid message for the fall campaign. The overall theme at the successful Democratic gubernatorial candidate’s press conference the day after he won the primary race was “Bruce Rauner is a failed governor.” The message is also the primary subject of his online advertising push against Rauner.
Not coincidentally, that’s pretty much the exact same message Rauner successfully used against former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn four years ago. “Pat Quinn failed.” Period. End of story. Whatever the question was, the answer was: “Pat Quinn failed.” When will you release your complete tax returns? “Pat Quinn failed.” What about the questions about your company’s business practices? “Pat Quinn failed.” What color is the sky? “Pat Quinn failed.”
Rauner avoided answering an awful lot of questions with that response back in the day. When he’s properly managed, the man knows how to stay on message, and it worked phenomenally well in 2014.
Gov. Rauner’s message since he’s taken office has been a variation of blaming House Speaker Michael Madigan. No budget? “Madigan.” State fairgrounds deteriorating? “Madigan.” Sky isn’t blue today? “Madigan.”
And because he’s stayed so perfectly on message, Rauner has completely framed the current political debate. What did Pritzker’s top two Democratic primary opponents use against the frontrunner the most? “Madigan.” What question does Pritzker get whenever a reporter interviews him? “Madigan?” Pritzker has to change the subject. He has the answer, but he’s just not using it yet. He’s still allowing Rauner to control the campaign.
“Obviously you’re going to keep getting asked about this,” I said to Pritzker hours after his post-election press conference to denounce Rauner as a failure. “The governor says you’re Madigan’s hand-picked candidate. The governor says if you win, Madigan will run the state. And you have said you’re going to be independent. But how?”
“Bruce Rauner’s got nothing else to talk about,” Pritzker replied. “He has for the last three and a half years, he’s tried to trash Democrats by throwing the Speaker at them.” And then he said, “I’ve been an independent leader my whole life. I don’t think that any of that sticks to me.”
OK, stop right there. Nobody in Voter Land has any clue whatsoever about Pritzker’s life. They mainly know what they see on TV. And for the next several months, the TV ads they’ll see will be about how Pritzker is Madigan’s corrupt stooge.
The “right” answer is: “Bruce Rauner’s got nothing else to talk about because he’s a failed governor.” If you’re going to have a campaign theme, then for crying out loud use it so incessantly that we all get completely sick and tired of hearing it. Then — and only then — will you know it’s working.
Pritzker eventually did slip in the word “failed,” but only in relation to Rauner’s failure to win his primary by more than a tiny margin.
The big worry expressed by several Democratic insiders who otherwise support Pritzker is that the nominee may not be tough enough, mean enough and single-minded enough to really take it to Rauner, who we all know by now is willing to say and do whatever crazy thing it takes to win – up to and including calling Rep. Jeanne Ives, of all people, a Madigan pawn. Beating a guy like that requires strict message discipline, even in a “blue” state in a “blue” year. Blithely treading water through November risks a 2016-style ending.
So, I asked Pritzker about this. I’ve heard more than one Democrat, I told him, who wished he would show more meanness. Does he believe he has what it takes to really take it to Rauner?
“I absolutely have what it takes to beat Bruce Rauner,” Pritzker said. “He’s an utter and complete disaster as a governor. I’m gonna make that clear.”
Then make it as clear as that with every answer to every question, man.
Pritzker used to tell the story about when Rauner attacked him the first day he publicly expressed an interest in running for governor. “Well,” his wife said, according to Pritzker, “we’ll just have to crush him like the roach he is.” Pritzker admitted that he hadn’t used that story in a long time, but said he will be “equally explicit as we move forward to make sure people know what it is that we intend to do in the general election.”
That’s a lot of garbly words instead of just: “Rauner failed.” He’s got a winning message. He should use it.
- Lamont - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 9:29 am:
Pritzkers response to every question should be, “Rauner is a total failure. Worst governor in America and worst Illinois governor ever. He’s not in charge and a giant loser.”
- A guy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 9:31 am:
He ain’t tough. Never has been.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 9:34 am:
Great column, Rich.
It’s “skyhook in reverse” (h/t OW), Governor Rauner failed. It’s strong and simple. When combined with Rauner saying he’s not in charge, it shows total abdication of duty in the executive branch. Pritzker has to be strong on this message.
Pritzker has the great benefit of Republican and conservative voices who ripped Rauner as a failure, so he can use those. Pritzker also has ordinary people who are telling their stories of how Rauner failed them.
- wordslinger - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 9:36 am:
I’d add a vote for Rauner is a vote for Trump.
- Jocko - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 9:42 am:
He could take a page from DJT and go with “Rauner lied, people died” Pritzker could drill down and find people directly affected by the impasse or stick with the veteran’s home.
- Sue - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 9:44 am:
I would add a vote for JB is a vote for more spending and higher taxes across the board to pay for his progressive Democrat agenda
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 9:47 am:
Oh - A Guy -
You and Breen and the righteous indignation, then just falling back to Rauner(?)
To the Post,
===that’s pretty much the exact same message Rauner successfully used against former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn four years ago. “Pat Quinn failed.” Period. End of story. Whatever the question was, the answer was: “Pat Quinn failed.” When will you release your complete tax returns? “Pat Quinn failed.” What about the questions about your company’s business practices? “Pat Quinn failed.” What color is the sky? “Pat Quinn failed.”
Rauner avoided answering an awful lot of questions with that response back in the day. When he’s properly managed, the man knows how to stay on message, and it worked phenomenally well in 2014.===
“Skyhook, in reverse.”
Rauner set the table for this type of run against him more than just saying “do the same to him” in its simplest form.
Where campaigns are short sided is where campaigns don’t think about… the next campaign.
They can’t.
That’s not how campaigns work. You win the campaign in front of you. NCAA basketball. Survive and advance.
Why this works so well against Rauner… Rauner never wanted to succeed where Quinn failed, Rauner wanted Raunerism or he would take down state by every means available to him to hurt Illinois.
Hurting Illinois, that’s failing Illinois.
As @StatehouseChick loves to say, “simple”
You only need to look at the purposeful pain Rauner wanted fir social services, higher education, his own agencies.., they can fail, or Rauner gets Raunerism and Diana and Bruce would spare Illinois.
Bruce Rauner failed because as a bust out artist in business, if something fails, he made more money than if it succeeded, and if it was working, you broke it on purpose anyway…
“Skyhook, in reverse” was, and is possible because Rauber needed failure to create crisis, and have leverage. That was the Raunerism blind spot, because if 3 years pass and 44 Raunerism wants aren’t realized, and social services are crushed, and higher education is crippled… there is a limited path to win again… as failure was part ad parcel of the governing.
Pritzker has a smart Crew. They know what they’re doing. Look at the downstate field offices and the return that Crew got on those, they understand.
They understand a winning message, not because it’s been gamed out, they understand the obvious, Rauner has failed.
- wordslinger - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 9:48 am:
LOL, not as short or catchy, Sue. Don’t quit your day job.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 9:59 am:
Rich, great work, you get deep into it and this is the mistake that Pritzker’s Crew needs to avoid at all costs to make this message work…
===“Bruce Rauner’s got nothing else to talk about,” Pritzker replied. “He has for the last three and a half years, he’s tried to trash Democrats by throwing the Speaker at them.” And then he said, “I’ve been an independent leader my whole life. I don’t think that any of that sticks to me.”
OK, stop right there. Nobody in Voter Land has any clue whatsoever about Pritzker’s life. They mainly know what they see on TV. And for the next several months, the TV ads they’ll see will be about how Pritzker is Madigan’s corrupt stooge.
The “right” answer is: “Bruce Rauner’s got nothing else to talk about because he’s a failed governor.” If you’re going to have a campaign theme, then for crying out loud use it so incessantly that we all get completely sick and tired of hearing it. Then — and only then — will you know it’s working.===
Ball game.
Why insert a measuring or lack of measuring of Pritzker?
You don’t.
It’s all about “Bruce Rauner failed.”
The ego, and I’m not disparaging, might not allow this message since the ego wants to say how great one is.
Stop.
You want to win, not feel good. Feel good about winning. “Bruce Rauner failed”, the rest is noise, even the “I’m a good guy” pivot.
(Hat tip to - GoM -, humbly)
- Anonymous - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:01 am:
Sue, I hope JB raises your taxes and you follow your rich idols out of the state and become a troll on another blog.
- A guy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:01 am:
Oh- Willy.
If a primary doesn’t get the job done, supporting the party’s nominee is the only real option, unpleasant or not.
The mitigating circumstance may have been the other side supporting a different candidate, but, alas, we get JB- a guy who meets the amazingly unbelievable standard of being an “even worse” choice.
The real measure of what a party can do is not to see how quickly the mud gets slung or the gutter becomes home in contested primaries. But, how quickly can atonement and cooperation be reached after these awful scenarios.
Breen worked diligently and not half-hearted for Ives. She came close, but came up short. The reality for the caucus and it’s leader was that JB is an atrocious outcome and they needed to come together for each other. They’re doing that. The most judgmental Republican in Illinois has an issue with that. I’m pretty sure all of them can live with that.
I’m not thrilled about Rauner at all. Haven’t been for quite some time. Our charge now is to win as many House seats as we can. Let me know when you might start helping with that. You might have to leave your chair.
- SSL - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:02 am:
“Rauner failed” vs “Higher taxes JB”.
Pick your poison. Either way, it isn’t good.
- Ole General - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:03 am:
I hope Rauner wins only to see the mental gymnastics on November 10.
- wordslinger - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:11 am:
–I hope Rauner wins only to see the mental gymnastics on November 10.–
Exciting life you lead.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:17 am:
- A Guy -
LOL
You “left” Rauner after HB40, not because of a primary race, just like the phony Mr. Breen.
You can choose to let politics in a primary to make a ststement, but you and the phony Mr. Breen thought righteous indignation was just as important as it is now to be seen as utter phonies to your “unwavering” beliefs. LOL
Your credibility, as well as Breen’s, as a “conservative of convictions” is as phony as the the costumes Rauner wears as you now support him.
It’s now just about politics, not any credo or belief system either you or Breen felt was your core.
Your core now is “I’m with Rauner, ignore all that I said about my core, before Ives ran, and I left Rauner on principle”.
Speaks to you both… now I know.
Breen is no better than those he chastised for a lack of character… as Breen’s own lack of character is just more phony and far more comical to his alleged stances on principle. That’s who Breen is, just like everyone he thinks he’s better than, and it hilarious to watch.
- Retired Educator - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:20 am:
A guy; I would agree with you normally. These are not normal times. Anyone who is totally backed by Rauner for a House or Senate seat will be a full blown Raunerite. We are in need of conservatives who have conservative values. We do not need more rubber stamos for a failed Governor, and his poorly played agenda war. He has achieved nothing but death and destruction since entering office. I have always been a Conservative Republican. This guy is not even close to what I think this state needs. He can not get my vote. I would rather stay home then vote for Rauner.
- Pundent - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:20 am:
JB should not run on that assumption that people “know who he is”. Most don’t. And Rauner will spend the remaining months attempting to define who Pritzker is. Rauner will say early and often that Pritzker is a pawn of Mike Madigan who wants nothing more than to raise your taxes. And if people hear it often enough a large number of them will absolutely believe it.
The only effective counterpunch to this is “that’s all Rauner has because he’s a failure”. Practice it every day.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:26 am:
===Let me know when you might start helping with that. You might have to leave your chair.===
Rauner and Raunerites made clear… ask - Louis G Atsaves -, he tells me all the time, you’re with Rauner or with Madigan. I’m with Durkin all day, but now that the primary is over, I want Durkin to succeed, but now that charge is with Rauner abs Raunerism, which I don’t support.
I’ll wait to hear from Durkin or Brady how they want “my” help, but I’m not holding my breath, or expecting anything from them along those lines. They’re too busy trying to win with both Trump and Rauner in some districts that might not be open to either.
When I hear from the Caucuses, I’ll let you know, lol
- downstate commissioner - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:29 am:
@Sue - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 9:44 am:
“I would add a vote for JB is a vote for more spending and higher taxes across the board to pay for his progressive Democrat agenda”
Somehow, that just doesn’t seem as bad as allowing veterans to die, allowing old people and children to live on the streets and go hungry, and tearing down our educational system…
But apparently you are comfortable with that…
- Stand Tall - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:36 am:
“Sue, I hope JB raises your taxes and you follow your rich idols out of the state and become a troll on another blog.” - Sorry did not know you had to swear allegiance to the Democratic Party and only respond in unison with everyone else to be on this blog.
- Wendy Wondering - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:41 am:
I am not a Rauner fan, but at this point have no idea what J.B. stands for except more taxes. That won’t play well in southern Illinois.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:51 am:
OW do you think what Breen said about Governor Rauner was any worse than what Chris Kennedy and Daniel Biss said about JB?
I don’t and no way Breen and the other Ives supporters will vote for JB
- Jocko - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:57 am:
==what J.B. stands for except more taxes==
The current bill backlog is 8 billion. Tell me how to pay that back without using the words “grow the economy” or “find waste, fraud, & abuse”.
- A guy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:00 am:
===You “left” Rauner after HB40, not because of a primary race,==
You used to do better research. I was disenchanted long before that. You’re creating your own narrative with this one. That bill wasn’t even the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was simply another devastating action. It did cause many of us to become more vocal. Check your facts. What you said here is untrue. Inadvertent I’m sincerely sure, but untrue none the less.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:04 am:
===I don’t and no way Breen and the other Ives supporters will vote for JB===
They just need to “Kirk” Rauner… leave it blank or stay home… in a blue wave year, possibly, in a state Trunp lost by 16 points.
===do you think what Breen said about Governor Rauner was any worse than what Chris Kennedy and Daniel Biss said about JB?===
The phony that is Mr. Breen made clear… the core principles before Ives announced… that was the reason he wasn’t supporting Rauner.
The Dems have unified because defeating the worst Republican governor in America is worth uniting against, they had a whole rally about it.
The Dems know, conservatives know, Raunerism is tearing Illinois apart.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:06 am:
- A Guy -
Could you pull up that manifesto when you publicly left Rauner?
Thanks.
- A guy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:06 am:
==When I hear from the Caucuses, I’ll let you know, lol==
You remind me of those contemplating the Seminary when “they get the call and the line is busy”…i.e. they aren’t “really” waiting for the call.
If you’re with Durkin all day, you share something in common with Breen. When I read your comments I really do have to seriously wonder why you think the caucuses would give you a call. You’re of absolutely no assistance to them. You’re entitled to your views and words, but I’ve seldom read anything you’ve posted that indicates you’re a big supporter of the caucuses.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:07 am:
=== When I read your comments I really do have to seriously wonder why you think the caucuses would give you a call.===
I don’t, lol, that’s the whole point.
Keep up. I’m not the one they’re looking for.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:08 am:
OK, boys, time to move along.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:10 am:
===I’ve seldom read anything you’ve posted that indicates you’re a big supporter of the caucuses.===
LOL
You don’t read too often.
When they’ve done Raunerite bidding, I’ve finger them.
I’ve done whole comments about Leader Durkin, Leader Radogno, where I know they’ve done well, cheered them on,
Your revisionist history is blinded by Raunerite loyalty… only to sojourn when your righteous indignation felt empowered to “say something”
What. A. Crock.
- A guy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:11 am:
Fair enough Rich.
- A guy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:12 am:
==What. A. Crock.==
And here I’ve committed to move along…Jeesh.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:35 am:
Apologies, Rich.
To the Post,
Rauner running against Madigan, that “Rauner” is a failure, or not in charge, although Rauner said he wasn’t in charge, himself…
What would be different in a Rauner second term? Rauber failed in his first term.
- Ron - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 1:58 pm:
I now will vote virtually straight republican in state races while continuing to vote against the right wing anti gay and abortion whachos in DC.
- Generic Drone - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 7:23 pm:
I wish someone would suggest a way to pay the bills. Plain, simple, straight talk. Then adapt a plan to move forward. The formula is simple. The politics gets in the way.