46 Comments - NotRich - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:36 pm: ” Raunerites” ??? How many are there?? - Arsenal - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:38 pm: ==This love fest is gonna drive the Raunerites up a wall.== A reaction that the Pritzker team almost certainly foresaw and decided it could live with. …if not revel in. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:39 pm: When it gets to a point where I can’t love this any more, the love these two have, and the bond gets stronger and stronger. I’m with Edgar, and if Edgar is with JB… I know where I need to be. I hope this relationship drives Raunerites … “nuts”. - wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:47 pm: –This love fest is gonna drive the Raunerites up a wall.– They’ll be comfortable in their natural habitat. Seriously, the incumbent got less than 40%. He burned just about every “friend” on all points of the spectrum. Who are the Raunerites now? - Henry Francis - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:47 pm: JB may have a fair amount of ignorance as to everything being Governor requires. But unlike his predecessor, he won’t try to use arrogance to cover it up. - Bobby T - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:47 pm: Wait — Rauner? Who’s that? - anon - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:50 pm: If there is a chance that the national rhetoric can be healed from within, I believe that JB will be a major factor. Governor Edgar is right — JB really listens to people. He is a thoughtful, serious man in a very serious job. He wont succeed at every turn along the way, but he will always try to do it the right way, and he will always respect legislators and the process. Man, I really welcome that! - Griffin - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:50 pm: It is not particularly bothersome once one understands this a relationship between a hard-left Democrat and a moderate Democrat. - Paddyrollingstone - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:51 pm: Nice, Bobby T. Reminds me of this: JIMMY: Vinnie, what happened? VINNIE: Well, we— JIMMY: You get it straightened out? VINNIE: No, we had a problem. And, uh, we tried to do everything we could. JIMMY: What do you mean? VINNIE: Well, you know what I mean. He’s gone, and we couldn’t do nothing about it. That’s it. JIMMY: What do you mean? What do you mean? Uh … VINNIE: He’s gone. He’s gone. And that’s it. - 47th Ward - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:53 pm: ===this a relationship between a hard-left Democrat and a moderate Democrat.=== We have a winner. - illini - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:53 pm: My county only voted 25% for JB. I’ve got to find out what all my good Raunerite neighbors, friends and acquaintances have to say about this. I think I will know the answer. But a very good connection for JB. I hope there will be more of this. - Real - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:53 pm: It is not particularly bothersome once one understands this a relationship between a hard-left Democrat and a moderate Democra -Yet republican primary voters nominated him twice. - Just Me - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 2:57 pm: The Raunites had their chance, and they blew it by being stubborn and dismissive, so I really don’t care what they think. I’m a lifelong Republican in this state, and as much as I hate Chicago control of state government, I hate incompetence more. - Right Field - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:01 pm: Seeking compromise or shared blame? It remains to be seen. - Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:03 pm: Jim Edgar won re-election 24 years ago today, with 64% of the vote. The Dem that year got 34%. Pritzker won election two days ago with 54% of the vote. So yeah, Edgar’s a good guy to listen to, and Rauner must be green with jealousy. - Grandson of Man - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:10 pm: It’s so very important to seek out those with knowledge and listen. Rauner thought he was smarter than people and wouldn’t listen to those who said work with opponents toward incremental change. - Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:11 pm: Barf. I regret the days I helped stuff mailboxes and knock on doors to get Edgar elected to anything in the 1980s. He represents the useless Republicrat country club Republicans of the 1980s and 1990s. Edgar is a remnant of the middle of the road suburban country club Repubs in the same way that Madigan is the last living vestige of the Mayor Daley Irish controlled Chicago Democratic Machine. A pox on them both, I can’t wait until they both go extinct. - Norseman - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:19 pm: === This love fest is gonna drive the Raunerites up a wall. === Yes it will and I love it. Good work so far by JB and Lil Jim. - Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:23 pm: The JB Ramp Will likely sound really good to some. - 47th Ward - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:25 pm: ===Barf=== I love Spaceballs as much as the next guy, but I’m sorry, we already have a winner. - SOIL M - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:27 pm: I proudly supported Edgar as SOS, and as Governor, and still do. He knew how to lead, how to make a deal, how to move things forward for the State. He knew that without some compromise, nothing would get done. Yes, he is a moderate and not a hard line conservative. Until the Republican Party remembers that it takes a moderate to actually be able to Govern in this State they will continue to fail. And I will take a Moderate over the Progressive who posed as a Conservative Every time. That really did not work so well. - Blue Dog Dem - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:31 pm: I will not pre judge JB. I will give him time to incorporate Edgar’s fiscal conservative policies into his first and second budgets. I know ex governor Edgar can find the cuts necessary to keep the overall income tax increase into the low 6% range. Have faith conservatives. Jim wont let us down. - I'm an Illinois fool - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:34 pm: Funny how all the pension shenanigans pretty much started under Edgar. Yes his advice will fit in with JB very nicely. - Archpundit - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:36 pm: === Edgar is a remnant of the middle of the road suburban country club Repubs Democrats love this kind of thing. Because it means Rs like this are happy to be a minority in a blue state instead of adapting as Rs have in Massachusetts and Maryland. - dbk - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:36 pm: ==This love fest is gonna drive the Raunerites up a wall.== Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch. Seriously, I am hoping for strong bi-partisanship in the Pritzker admin. JB seems to be a genuine uniter (as opposed to a divider), and to feel comfortable in himself (thus his reaching out, his willingness to seek advice). Hope he can begin to unite Chicago and downstate - I considered BVR’s pitting the two against each other one of the most destructive elements of his term in office. - SSL - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:40 pm: JB is doing well as he prepares to take office. Of course he wants a collaborative effort, because he doesn’t want to be out there all alone when he delivers the message that anything that moves is subject to tax. And Mr. Madigan sure isn’t going to let the Dems alone get blamed for what’s coming if he can help it. Nobody minds hitting the 1%, but it may just require a greater percentage of participation to get this state fixed. The next few months will be interesting. Let’s see if everyone is still drinking from the same canteen next June. - Matts - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:41 pm: The Bell Curve……govern from within the 30 yard lines (indulge me). Rauner governed from the one 10 yard line and jumped to the opposite 10 yard line. See where that got him, and hope he feels the burn - thats a nasty thing to say, but here is a person that has nasty way of governing. Good riddance. Pritzker seems to be a decent (and treMENdously rich) fellow. Good luck to him and hope he is able to hold the middle and disregard/overcome those that want him to head for the extremes. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:50 pm: If you’re a Raunerite who thinks Edgar is a “Dem” or isn’t Republican enough for your own taste… … that’s a huge mitigating factor why the Dems have all the constitutionals, veto-proof in both chambers, and Illinois has 2 Dem US Senators. Its amazing at the lack of learning. Can’t be more for this, Edgar will help this state, JB will take the advice and govern as he feels he needs to. If Edgar is with JB… - Scamp640 - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:52 pm: What’s the matter with McDonough and Coles Counties? Rauner effectively crippled the two universities in these counties by refusing to implement a budget. In Macomb, downtown retail stores are going out of business. One store owner shutting down his business in October 2018 specifically blamed the budget impasse on his closure because his main clientele consists of young adults. WIU enrollment is down because of the impasse. So many businesses in Macomb rely on WIU being a healthy institution with a lots of students. And yet the business community in Macomb openly supported Rauner and Norine Hammond. They voted against their own business interests. It reminds me of Thomas Frank’s book, “What’s the Matter With Kansas?” Makes my head hurt. - Lester Holt’s Mustache - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 3:54 pm: ==Because it means Rs like this are happy to be a minority in a blue state instead of adapting as Rs have in Massachusetts and Maryland.== Charlie Baker and Larry Hogan are the two most popular Governors in the nation. Illinois republicans wouldn’t know what to do with themselves in that situation, so is better for them to just focus on “owning the libs”. Just ask Anonymous, he’ll tell you - Anon - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 4:05 pm: ===Its amazing at the lack of learning.=== In my opinion it’s not a lack of learning, it’s deliberately deciding to ignore the lesson and with the GOP base growing ever more radical and feeding on ridiculous fictions that are pumped up by elected officials hoping to use those unsubstantiated fantasies to get elected, moderates may not be able to survive their primaries. - Earnest - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 4:07 pm: >Pritzker also named Republican former Gov. Jim Edgar as one of the co-chairs of his transition team. Whew! I had a nightmare that the new governor had decided to ditch the bipartisan approach and unveil a big powerpoint presentation in Decatur next week. - JS Mill - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 4:10 pm: =This love fest is gonna drive the Raunerites up a wall.= Both of them? - Skeptic - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 4:21 pm: “==Because it means Rs like this are happy to be a minority in a blue state..” You know, if people aren’t buying your product, the people probably aren’t the problem. - Griffin - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 4:30 pm: ==…instead of adapting as Rs have in Massachusetts and Maryland.== You know, once I learned that “adapting” is only ever demanded of conservatives and only ever means “become more liberal”, I kind of decided that adaptation just wasn’t for me anymore. - Wensicia - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 4:35 pm: “It’s the trait or characteristic of someone who is a success at what he does . . .” Nice dig at Rauner, who claimed to be successful at everything he did…and failed completely as governor. - Union Thug Gramma - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 4:59 pm: If Edgar and Pritzger can open a dialogue, maybe, just maybe, Illinois can show the rest of the country it doesn’t have to all or nothing, in fact that only began with the contract on america crap. Before that, everyone negotiated and compromised. Maybe we can grow into being an adult nation. - Huh? - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 4:59 pm: Why is 1.4% jealous that JB has Edgar on the transition team? 1.4% wasn’t smart enough to listen to anyone. The telling quote about JB is “He knows what he doesn’t know”. 1.4% thought he knew everything and didn’t need any help. JB is smart enough to know he needs help. If 1.4% is jealous, he ought to be jealous of the broad spectrum of people JB is surrounded by. - Mikey the Dem - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 5:31 pm: Huge fan of bipartisanship - just not with Edgar. He may be the most “full of himself” politician in IL history. This is a big deal good story and you’re all falling for it. They did this for th exact headline you’re all playing into, and to make Edgar feel like he’s part of the solution. Reality, he will travel up to Chicago a few times over the next 2 months, talk a lot, and the transition committee will do nothing with his suggestions. One thing lost in history - Rauner kept 100’s of people in IL government who were in appointed positions - for continuity. Pritzker like all Democrat Governors will fire everyone appointed under a Republican administration. Nobody will cover it - including this blog. Reality though, and something nobody talks about. All Directors will be fired - Rauner kept 6 Directors from Quinn. Wait and see if you don’t believe me. - Han's Solo Cup - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 7:20 pm: -What’s the matter with McDonough and Coles Counties?- Hammond lost McDonough County - Arsenal - Thursday, Nov 8, 18 @ 10:30 pm: ==He represents the useless Republicrat country club Republicans of the 1980s and 1990s.== So useless that they held the Governor’s mansion for literally those entire two decades. - Anonymous - Friday, Nov 9, 18 @ 7:58 am: Let’s see if Edgar is gushing about JB in a year or two or three. JB is going to be facing things he has never experienced. - The Chairman - Friday, Nov 9, 18 @ 8:56 am: –This love fest is gonna drive the Raunerites up a wall.– Edgar knows that, too. And loves it. - Maestro - Friday, Nov 9, 18 @ 9:38 am: It may drive Rauner’s followers up the wall but as we found out pretty quickly on Tuesday, there aren’t too many of those. - DeseDemDose - Friday, Nov 9, 18 @ 9:48 am: That transition team was nicely organized and agreed to in a positive manner with all aboard before election night. Signed sealed and delivered. JB team has produced more positive vibes already in Illinois than Rauner did in 4 years. - don the legend - Friday, Nov 9, 18 @ 10:26 am: Did LP change his name to Mikey the Dem? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.