42 Comments - reddevil1 - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:17 am: I would agree, I would think he would have more support and stronger likelihood of winning, if he ran as an independent in his old senate seat….plus the republican that is running in that seat is a real piece of work from what I have heard. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:20 am: The 25,000 valid signatures, with a Crew verse enough to not only get 50,000 signatures, sort them to get 25,000 good signatures… but first and foremost get circulators that also are qualified to get signatures… this is a textbook “heavy lift” for McCann… unless Labor can get what needs to be got, full service, to make this happen. The time and energy Rauner’s BTIA(tm) will “waste” to try to stop this is worth every penny needed to make this all happen. I’m intrigued. It helps Pritzker by such leaps in insurance, I’m intrigued. Who is that Crew to get this done, who is paying for it, who will be the face of this project, outside McCann? - Anonymous - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:22 am: The prolifers will finally have candidate. - Been there, done that - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:22 am: If I am not mistaken, the one week period from June 18-25 is for FILING papers/petition, but independent and new party candidates are able to collect signatures from March 27th until June 25th - 90 days to get the signatures needed. - Boone's is Back - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:23 am: Kamikaze revenge campaign? - Iggy - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:27 am: what is sam up to? Nobody cares… - 47th Ward - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:30 am: ===but first and foremost get circulators that also are qualified to get signatures…=== I’m pretty sure Mapes pulled all of the petitions filed for the Dem candidates for Governor. That would give you the names of all of the circulators who could NOT circulate for Sam. That’s where I’d start, assuming they haven’t already checked that box. Hope that helps. Lol. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:32 am: Aw - 47th Ward -… lol I’m trying to build the suspense a bit, for the dramatic effect. ===I’m pretty sure Mapes pulled all of the petitions filed for the Dem candidates for Governor. That would give you the names of all of the circulators who could NOT circulate for Sam. That’s where I’d start, assuming they haven’t already checked that box.=== Concur, and I’d write this paragraph again, with past tense verbs. Done and done. - UIC Guy - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:34 am: A naïve question, maybe: does he really think he has a chance of winning? It’s not just a question about him, since lots of other politicians engage in equally implausible campaigns and I always wonder: have they managed to delude themselves the that extent? And if not, why are they doing it? A second question: if he runs, who is hurt? Rauner, because Republicans have a Republican other than Rauner that they can vote for? Or JB because the anti-Rauner vote is split? (I’d guess that the first effect is the stronger, but that’s really a guess and I’d welcome more informed opinions.) - Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:34 am: ===what is sam up to? Nobody cares…=== Rauner’s Crew does. McCann only needs 3-5%… they arguably won’t be Pritzker voters flipping on JB… - 47th Ward - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:37 am: ===Done and done.=== Sam can’t use Ives’circulators either (or Rauner’s for that matter). Although, if this is truly a labor-backed effort, it’s highly unlikely that any Rauner circulators will be tapped. And while Ives’ supporters might be the most motivated, I have a hard time believing their names would be on any pro-Labor volunteer lists, lol, with the possible exception of IUOE. - wordslinger - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:41 am: –…his gubernatorial bid as the Conservative Party candidate for Governor.– Catchy name. I wonder who such a party candidate would hurt or help in November? Also curious if the biggest single political moneybags in the country — Dick Uihlein — would be interested in such a candidate? https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/12/us/politics/top-donors-2018-elections.html - Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:41 am: - 47th Ward - Good points. If this is a labor-driven exercise, the only question to those circulators then, “did you circulate at all”… … wouldn’t want to be the tradesperson who says no then screws it up by “forgetting by happenstance”, lol - Roman - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:47 am: Sam received the maximum $55.4k contributions from two different Chicago unions (electricians and building engineers) just after the filing deadline last December. I’m assuming that was an investment in a third-party petition circulating operation for governor. Obviously, Sam would give the right-to-lifers a protest candidate. But most of those folks aren’t going to vote for either JB or Rauner if Sam isn’t on the ballot — they’ll just sit the race out. On the other hand, Sam could attract a lot of downstate union votes that might otherwise go to JB. Maybe labor is better off with him back in the Senate. sure any of those folks someone to vote could potentially take downstate union votes from JB. - SaulGoodman - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:47 am: ** it’s highly unlikely that any Rauner circulators will be tapped** Its not that unlikely. Rauner used paid circulators, so those folks tend to cycle from race to race (often regardless of party or ideology). But, also, I believe (but am not positive) that McCann can’t just not use Gubernatorial circulators, but can’t use ANY circulators that passed for any major party candidate for any race. - RNUG - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:49 am: If he does run as independent,I hope it is for his old Senate seat. I can see him winning it as an independent. I don’t see a viable path to victory running for Governor. He’s not well known enough state-wide to siphon off party regulars from both Rauner and JB. He can pick up some of the independent swing voters, but they aren’t enough to win. About all he can do is, maybe, be a spoiler to Rauner. Which begs the question, even if he takes votes from Rauner, wouldn’t it be better for those voters to go to JB to ensure a JB victory? - Grandson of Man - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:52 am: According to the article, Rauner laughed when he denied threatening McCann. Hmm… It’s completely believable that Rauner threatened McCann, given what he said he’s going to do to Pritzker and Madigan, and how much he hates AFSCME. - Grand Avenue - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:57 am: I honestly think this helps Rauner. Both Rauner and Pritzker will have off-the-charts negatives in November after they spend a combined $300 Million on negative ads against each other. There will be a lot of voters looking for a “None of the Above” option. Without such an option, those voters would vote Pritzker because Rauner is the incumbent. However, if McCann is in the race - who is pro-labor with Government experience - he will sop up those none of the above votes that would have gone to Pritzker. - Real - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 11:57 am: RNUG You people made similar comments about Ive’s until she almost pulled an upset. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 12:22 pm: - Grand Avenue - You’re not wrong… … but McCann, at best, is a central Illinois, conservative, pro-labor, pro-lifer… Think those are JB’s voters? - jwI - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 12:25 pm: combine the ives voters with the biss and kennedy voters and what do you have - Rich Miller - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 12:28 pm: ===and what do you have === A commenter with a serious drug problem. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 12:29 pm: ===she almost=== Ives lost. Almost still isn’t winning. ===You people=== If there were another incumbent governor so unliked by his/her party that the far flank of that party ginned up so much of an anti-incumbent fervor… and it was left to fester too long too by that incumbent… I’ve not heard of it, and if you have that example, go for it. To think Ives could get close is one thought. To know Ives was going to win, and Ives winning, is another. The lesson for Rauner is that the anger his base still has leaked far into the GOP brand Rauner thought he bought and controlled… and then a campaign best seen as a twitter tweet of volunteers playing “Uno”… - downstate commissioner - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 12:33 pm: If he runs, I’ll vote for him: what the heck, I’ve thrown away my governor vote for the last four or five times, anyway. Didn’t vote for Ryan, Blago x 2, Rauner…. 4 times - Arsenal - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 12:44 pm: ==But most of those folks aren’t going to vote for either JB or Rauner if Sam isn’t on the ballot — they’ll just sit the race out.== Eh, if they could come out for a Manhattan libertine like Trump, most of them would get over it and vote for Rauner, too. - Arsenal - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 12:45 pm: ==combine the ives voters with the biss and kennedy voters and what do you have== A group of people who could never agree on one candidate? - Honeybear - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 12:53 pm: This is a complicator for me. In the long run at least. I’ve worked hard to get My folks warmed up to JB It’s not an easy job with my rural AFSCME’s But I was actually making progress. Now they’ve got an easy out. Not terrible But not helpful. - Johnny Justuice - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 1:39 pm: Question for Sam is does he want to satisfy his ego or do something for the public good. Running for Gov., he’s got no chance of winning, but will satisfy his ego. If he runs for Senate, good chance he wins, and then he can really do some good for folks as a Senator. We will see what Sen. McCann is really made of. - Retired Educator - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 1:46 pm: Sam can be a spoiler. I guess his attitude is you pushed me out, so I am going to take you with me. He will cost Rauner more votes than Pritzker. Rauner won in 2014 by an eyelash, he can spin it into a mandate in his mind, but it was close. Any Republican votes Sam takes will tighten the race. - Radio Flyer - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 2:24 pm: Is there already a Conservative Party? - Mr. Morria - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 3:03 pm: If he is running as a new party won’t McCann need an entire statewide slate to run with him? - The Dorothy Brown Institute of Ethics and Term Limits - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 4:30 pm: @ Mr. Morria: just a Lt. Gov. Perhaps they will inquire about Carlos Ramirez-Rosa? - RNUG - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 4:42 pm: == You people made similar comments about Ive’s until she almost pulled an upset. == I’m a supporter of Sam’s, sending him.a number of checks over the years. But I just don’t see a realistic path to the Governor’s Office for him.at this time. - Generic Drone - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 4:43 pm: I want Rauner gone. While I voted for Sam in the past, I will have to vote for JB in general. However Im hoping Sam runs for Senate. Hes got my vote there. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 4:45 pm: ===But I just don’t see a realistic path to the Governor’s Office for him.at this time.=== Add in the oppo research, nope, very tough to see a path. To get 3-5% and hurt Rauner downstate, with conservatives, pro-life voters… that’s possible. - Sam Cahnman - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 4:51 pm: The full slate requirement for candidates for state and county executive office was struck down as unconstitutional by the US Court of Appeals in Libertarian Party of IL v. Scholz, 872 F.3d 518 (7th Cir. 2017. Never was a requirement for indpendents. https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17015935750095987349 - Stuntman Bob's Brother - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 7:22 pm: With no Sam in the race, Rauner’s chances are much less than 50/50, IMHO. With Sam in the race, Rauner’s chances are even less. So if Rauner’s goal is to ensure a D loss and a final poke in Mikey’s eye, he could drop out and throw his support to Sam, and spend the same amount of his own money smearing JB. Hey, at least it’s a path to a McCann victory, I didn’t say it was likely to happen. But I’d donate both money and time to McCann, something I’ve never done before in IL politics. - wordslinger - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 7:31 pm: – So if Rauner’s goal is to ensure a D loss and a final poke in Mikey’s eye–\ It’s not. - Stuntman Bob's Brother - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 7:43 pm: Word, what other attainable goal is there for Rauner? If he can’t win the election, this would be the only way he could claim a “Win” - by making sure Madigan’s candidate loses - and he can use whatever flowery language he wants while stepping down (I don’t care if he claims he has ALS, it wouldn’t be much more of a stretch over some of his other whoppers). It’s either this, or the last photo of him in IL will be boarding a flight to Turin, and not even he could spin that as a Win. It’s his only chance to save whatever face he still retains. - wordslinger - Monday, Apr 16, 18 @ 7:53 pm: –Word, what other attainable goal is there for Rauner?– The only one he cares about, obviously, which is winning. It may seem like November outside (January, actually) but it really is a balmy Spring day. Silly to pretend that you can call elections in April. - Rabid - Tuesday, Apr 17, 18 @ 7:08 am: Revenge is a dish best served cold, blame Sam for the weather - Nick - Tuesday, Apr 17, 18 @ 8:35 am: If he does run as the Conservative Party, and gets 5%, then the state would have a new established Party. That could be an interesting factor in future elections. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.