* Greg Hinz…

Mr. Rauner has put a ton of money into trying to revive the GOP field organization. He isn’t about to talk about things such as his relatively liberal beliefs on social issues or his support for some tax hikes. Too dangerous.

Mr. Quinn is hiring lots of Obama campaign vets and stretching to motivate Chicago voters, especially African-Americans. That’s almost certainly why you’ll see Mr. Obama here sometime in the fall campaigning for Mr. Quinn.

One interesting aspect is voter registration. While I’m sure that adding voters in, say, Lincoln Park would meet with the approval of both the governor and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, that’s not the case on the South Side, where Mr. Emanuel would like to hold down the turnout in February for potential foes such as Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis. Man, I’d just love to be in the room when the mayor and governor talk about registration.

One other thing I’d follow between now and Election Day is whether Team Rauner, which by most polls is 7 or 8 points up, gets overconfident. That would be a big, big mistake in a blue state like Illinois…

After that unexpectedly narrow primary win, I don’t think they’ll get too overconfident.

* In fact, one thing I heard a lot from the Rauner folks last week was “1998.” That’s the year Republican George Ryan faced Democrat Glenn Poshard in the governor’s race.

The final Chicago Tribune poll, taken a month before election day, had Ryan up by 19 very big percentage points - 52-31. Ten polls were taken between late June and October 20th. Ryan’s average lead in those polls was nine points.

Ryan ended up winning by just 3 points.

Gubernatorial races can close mighty fast in this state.

* Related…

* Zorn: Fat cat? Bruce Rauner is more of a clueless magician

* GOP’s Bruce Rauner unveils conservation advisory panel in East Peoria

* ADDED: Marin: Gov woos African-American base