Making it all about Madigan
Thursday, Sep 6, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Usually when governors campaign for legislative candidates, they mainly stick to the positives of the candidates they want to see elected. Gov. Rauner, however, is not a usual governor and this is not a usual state. Here’s what he had to say yesterday when making an appearance for the Republican opponent of Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur)…
Nobody in central Illinois should vote for Sue Scherer. She has refused to sign the Peoples Pledge.
* But it’s really not so much about Scherer or her GOP opponent Herman Senor as it is Speaker Madigan…
Rauner said Madigan has been entrenched in Illinois politics for decades and uses political power and money to “buy votes” in his district, keeping him eligible to be speaker of the Illinois House.
“And that culture of corruption from Chicago has infiltrated our state government for decades under Mike Madigan,” Rauner said. “We need to throw off that yoke of corruption and get new leadership, fresh ideas.”
* WJBC…
“When we collected over 600,000 signatures so you could get term limits on the ballot, so you could vote term limits up or down five years ago, Mike Madigan and his funders — (JB) Pritzker and the Chicago political machine — they sued us in state court, and they won in state court,” Rauner said.
Rauner was not interested in pledges when a pro-choice group asked him to sign one promising to uphold the tenets of an abortion bill he signed. This is different, he says, because he’s trying to change the Constitution to force term limits.
* WMAY…
Governor Bruce Rauner is continuing to push for term limits… and for anyone other than Mike Madigan to be speaker of the Illinois House. Rauner joined Republican legislative candidates in Springfield to sign what he calls the People’s Pledge.
* Response…
Steve Brown, spokesman for Madigan, said later the pledge sounds similar to the “magic formula” that Rauner has been using for months, leaving him 16 points behind his Democratic opponent for governor, J.B. Pritzker, in a recent poll.
“It’s just another low-road smear attempt that’s apparently failing him,” Brown said.
* But, here’s the thing. I watched and read a lot of coverage of yesterday’s “People’s Pledge” event and the one thing conspicuously missing from almost all the stories was Scherer’s Republican opponent. The SJ-R’s piece mentioned in passing (deep in the story) that he attended the event. WCIA was the only outlet that gave him significant coverage.
And if you watch the raw video, you’ll see that when Rauner attacked Rep. Scherer he didn’t even mention Senor’s name. I think the governor only said Senor’s name once - when he introduced all the attendees.
- Retired Educator - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:39 am:
Senor has no chance. His campaign is underfunded, and he has no organization. He was chosen to run by inept County Chairmen, and they have no clue how to win an election in their areas. Senor is a name on the ballot, not a worthy candidate.
- JoanP - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:41 am:
I expect a lot of people are going to be surprised when they go to vote and don’t see Madigan’s name on the ballot.
- Roman - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:45 am:
I’d be careful about using that 16-point Pritzker lead in the polls as proof that Rauner has failed. If the lead drops to 3 or 4 points, or disappears all together, then what do you say?
And given the quality of each campaign’s efforts on the airwaves, I’d be surprised if the polling doesn’t soon show the race getting tighter. I’m guessing the tax attacks on JB are more effective than the attacks on Rauner’s wardrobe.
- Montrose - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:45 am:
Can someone with skills please make a meme where Rauner is inserted into the Beautiful Mind scene where formulas are written on every inch of the walls and windows, but the word Madigan is the answer to all the formulas? Thanks.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:47 am:
===…you’ll see that when Rauner attacked Rep. Scherer he didn’t even mention Senor’s name. I think the governor only said Senor’s name once - when he introduced all the attendees.===
Rauner gave the HGOP those 4 millions to have GOP candidates be merely props… so Rauner can have events to bash Madigan, Dems, and fight off his own unpopularity.
It’s embarrassingly comical… that these last 60 or so days we’ll see Rauner “campaign” for candidates… by going and saying odd things like attacking those he needs to to help his own unpopularity.
Rauner is trying to be “bright” by running against the GA… and Dems… but Rauner is so unlikable… Rauner’s Crew messages at events so far away… from those Rauner is supposedly campaigning for.
It’s nuanced beyond the simple, it’s soft-selling outside the pitch. It’s showing and exposing… a campaign with nothing to run on.
Wow.
- Annonin' - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:58 am:
Still 16 points behind and growin’
BTW wasn’t the 600K petition drive about Fair Map not term limits — it all blurs together. Maybe GovJunk had another phony plan. Maybe he should file for Mayor — give him somethin’ to fall back on TeeeeHeeee.
- a - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 12:05 pm:
“Governor Bruce Rauner is continuing to push for term limits… and for anyone other than Mike Madigan to be speaker of the Illinois House.”
Maybe the Con Admem should just say Madigan can’tbe speakerof the house. Eliminates all that subterfuge.
- So_Ill - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 12:10 pm:
Herman Senor is not a serious candidate. I probably wouldn’t mention his name either.
- Rabid - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 12:23 pm:
Writing himself a playground note “do you like me more than madigan” sign here
- Lil Squeezy - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 12:30 pm:
Same mistake they made in the McCann primary
- Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 12:42 pm:
@Roman: You may be right. But many people know the state had no budget for much of Rauner’s term, which may blunt the tax angle. We’ll find out in two months.
- Roman - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 1:00 pm:
==the state had no budget for much of Rauner’s term, which may blunt the tax angle. ==
True, or Rauner’s lack of credibility could blunt all of his criticism.
I just think there’s a simplicity to Rauner’s line of attack against JB that will resonate with voters. I’m guessing that causes a tightening of the polling margin. Hope I’m wrong.
- Don Gerard - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 1:23 pm:
Hey, remember when Champaign Republican Mike Madigan quit his gig as Urbana Alderman and ran for State Senate, but got pummeled because the ILGOP base could not grasp “the other” part of his campaign and thought he was the guy everybody was supposed to hate?
…good times, good times.
- 13th - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 1:27 pm:
The Gov is throwing them under the bus before they even get elected, just like he has done to the current GA members on some issues before
- DuPage - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 1:32 pm:
Governor Rauner, if you want voters to “term limit” Madigan, don’t move to Italy after your upcoming loss for governor. Instead, move into Madigan’s district and run against him next term. Let the voters of district decide between him and you.
- Osborne Smith III - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 1:46 pm:
Herman Senor is a nice person and a decent Springfield alderman, but he doesn’t stand a chance in this election. Sorry, Herman.
- Stuntman Bob's Brother - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 2:31 pm:
==I expect a lot of people are going to be surprised when they go to vote and don’t see Madigan’s name on the ballot==
If you don’t believe that Mikey is behind every single D name on the ballot, you’re not looking hard enough. The R’s are trying to make this election a referendum on Madigan. Will it work? Probably not in Illinois, where the voter programming is strong. But it’s the best chance they have.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 2:47 pm:
“Probably not in Illinois, where the voter programming is strong.”
Mike Madigan and the voters’ minds and election outcomes he controls. Quite amazing for someone as unpopular as Madigan. Raunerism is the closest thing to QAnon in Illinois.
- Cosgrove - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 4:25 pm:
Hey Bruce. Women are people, so why don’t you sign the pledge to support HB 40 if re-elected? You seem to like pledges a lot.
- Stuntman Bob's Brother - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 5:15 pm:
==Mike Madigan and the voters’ minds and election outcomes he controls. Quite amazing for someone as unpopular as Madigan==
So you’re saying that the leader of the party doesn’t lead the party? And, there’s this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/07/when-did-black-americans-start-voting-so-heavily-democratic/?utm_term=.cbdbf7426787
I believe Latino voters follow the same pattern, if not as pronounced. Add in the Union workers/families/friends, and Chicago/Cook County will never have Republican leaders again. And since at about half of the state’s population is in Cook County, R’s have a pretty big hill to climb in IL, wouldn’t you agree?
- Rabid - Friday, Sep 7, 18 @ 8:33 am:
I thought vote fixing was wrong
- Rabid - Friday, Sep 7, 18 @ 8:38 am:
People’s pledge is like CK’s town pledges