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Posted by Barton Lorimor (@bartonlorimor)
* Carol Marin has an interesting column this week about Kirk Dillard’s campaign listing its Facebook’s friends and page likes as endorsements…
Now I’m debating whether to kill off Facebook too, a site I have used to post columns and TV stories I’ve done.
Hardly a decision to be taken lightly, I clearly was in need of a social media intervention.
And who better to call than the brilliant Dan Sinker, creator of @MayorEmanuel, the unauthorized, hilarious Twitter feed and running account of the Rahm-quest for mayor. Sinker ultimately turned it into a James Joycian-type book on the campaign. He now heads up Knight-Mozilla Open News project, a cutting-edge effort to combine open web innovation with journalism.
Sinker sees the journalist’s Facebook conundrum. “How can you do your job if you don’t ‘friend’ politicians to see what they’re saying? . . . [But] there are all sorts of ways to exploit these words — ‘friend,’ ‘like’ — that would imply that actual relationships exist where they don’t.”
Sinker reminds us that Facebook’s vocabulary was dreamed up by a college freshman who transformed Internet interactions into a kabillion dollar enterprise. “The idea that Facebook mimics reality,” he says, “is false.”
Only once in my reporting “career” did a campaign try to turn my interest into an endorsement, but Dillard and his people are smarter than that. You don’t get to this level without respecting that people interact with your profile just to see what you are posting. Heck, I “Like” and “Follow” tons of profiles I completely disagree with just to keep their posts in my news feeds. I’m glad she called them out on this one.
* Now THIS is a LIKE like…
Former Illinois governors Jim Thompson and Jim Edgar have thrown their support behind gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard saying, “Dillard is the only Republican candidate who can win in November.”
Thompson and Edgar sent a joint letter to all GOP county chairmen, township chairmen and ward committeemen throughout the state.
* And so are all of the editorials written over the weekend by downstate editorial boards and columnists in favor of Bruce Rauner’s term limits, legislative cuts, and veto override proposals. Rather than take excerpts from them all, here is a list with embedded links…
(Champaign) News-Gazette
(Bloomington) Pantagraph
(Galesburg) Register-Mail
(Rockford) Register-Star
* When Doug Whitley announced his retirement last week, some commenters speculated it could mean he would be named a lieutenant governor candidate. According to Bernie, the answer is no…
Whitley flirted with a run for governor as a Republican in the 2010 cycle, but says he’s not planning to seek elective office.
* And buried in Sneed’s Sunday column…
It’s no shocker. . . but watch for Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White to formally announce his candidacy for a historic fifth term at a news conference in Chicago next Thursday after an introduction by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
* Related…
* Will Bill Daley’s name, business ties be a help or a hindrance?
* Term limits as popular as ever
* Finke: Rauner reveals plan for assembly
* Local legislators not thrilled with idea of term limits
* Republican Candidates for governor meet in Gibson City
* Republican hopefuls vie for support in Gibson City
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 8:11 am
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Great. Now I have to go through FB to see who I have “liked” and delete them.
On a somewhat related issue, hearing reports that Stephanie Neeley turned down Quinn’s offer of Lt.Gov.
A nice office and no real job duties, giving her time to turn out OpEd pieces on random issues? Too bad, since it sounds like the perfect position for her.
Comment by Skeeter Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 8:36 am
Thompson last ran for office in 1986. Edgar in 1994. Their endorsements only have meaning if they can shake the money tree for Dillard, who needs a lot of help in that department.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 8:45 am
Perspective?
These same editorial boards which “like” Bruce Rauner’s ideas, are the some of same editorial boards which think “counties vote” and “Chicago should be its own state!”
The other three GOP hopefuls are missing he boat by using Payton Prep Clouter to define themselves. Y’all can say everything you want to still, just use the hypocrisy of the Payton Prep Clouter to make your points!
As to the “Jims” and this Dillard and the GOP rallying; you guys are about 6 months late, and. “juice-less” to clear any field as history has shown. “Jims”, endorse and move on. If the endorsement by Jim Edgar had weight as in votes, Dillard would have had 194 more Primary votes last time we all did this “exercise” of this Dopey worded endorsement.
To the Marin piece,
Remember….The Payton Prep Clouter Bruce Rauner’s Choking Chicken?
“Likes”?
Here endeth the lesson.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 8:54 am
Rather than term limits, just hit the reset button on campaign funds. Call it a “sweep”.
Comment by thechampaignlife Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 8:55 am
Why did Dillard back out of attending the McLean County GOP shindig this weekend? The Pantagraph story mentioned he canceled but didn’t say why.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 9:08 am
Also I would be interested in a poll that asked voters if they even remembered anything concrete about Edgar or Thompson. I know the GOP primary electorate skews old but man, no one under 43 even had the opportunity to cast a ballot for JRT in his last election and no one under 37 ever had a chance to vote for Jim Edgar.
As much as the rhetoric and positions of the Illinois GOP turns off voters under 35, I can’t imagine validators of the ILGOP as foreign and removed as those two move the needle much for younger voters either despite their moderation.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 9:28 am
Interesting how the biggest opponents of term limits are the politicians who have been in office the longest. Where are guys like that going to find a job with the salary and benefits offered to them as legislators. Jay Hoffman found out being out of power has real disadvantages to job marketability(Pay), after he was bounced out a few years ago Missouri seems to be doing just fine with term limits. A healthy change of Reps and Sen. and leadership. I would support Rauner for Governor based on his support of term limits.
Comment by Downstater Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 9:33 am
Payton Prep Cloutet Bruce Rauner better hope his gimmick fails, I mean, when you are “advocating” it’s better to know you are paying for someone who will be on office for a while who can help, otherwise those hundreds of thousands of dollars to Rich Daley and Rahm Emanuel might go to waste…
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 9:39 am
More confirmation that Dillard is the choice of the old men who want to preserve the gop status quo, no matter how unsuccessful and outdated.
Comment by too obvious Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 10:08 am
~A nice office and no real job duties, giving her time to turn out OpEd pieces on random issues~
I want to be Lt. Governor–how do I let these people know of my interest in the position?
Comment by Chavez-respecting Obamist Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 10:13 am
This reminds me of conversation I had with an Illinois Supreme Court Justice regarding social media and the bench. Whether lawyers who like a judge’s profile would be a conflict. (It isn’t in my opinion but judges are being encouraged to not use social media).
As far as Carol Marin (who I actually like) it is utterly ridiculous to think you are going to be a journalist and NOT be on social media platforms that people are on. Amazing how people still see their job as content creator only.
Comment by Kyle Hillman Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 10:23 am
Wonder if the DS newspapers bail when they finaaly figure out CousinBrucey’s little plans screws DS out of reps and sentators
Oh my
Brucey manages to screw downstaters and minorities — who have senior reps — in one dumb move
But he does give all the power to lobos who of course write big checks to campaign funds.
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 10:32 am
No, Missouri is *not* doing “just fine” with its term-limited legislators. A fresh batch of crazies and nullifiers arrives every few years, with no institutional memory and no experience of working together collaboratively.
Comment by Ray del Camino Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 11:11 am
The next time the Dillard campaign is going to write an endorsement letter for people to sign, it would be nice if they used someone who can properly punctuate sentences and proofread. “Democrat-controller legislature”? Sheesh.
Comment by LincolnLounger Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 11:20 am
Regarding term limits: It’s just another example of stirring up the masses. Rauner claims we need to limit the time legislators have to stay in office. Opponents say term limits will only give more power to lobbyist (like they need more?) and if we don’t like the legislators we have we can vote them out. I’d like to take them up on that and have a constitutional amendment to require a fair, objective and unbiased redistricting system. As it stands now I can’t vote out my Rep even if I wanted to.
Comment by Past the Rule of 85 Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 11:21 am
Newbies and challengers all love term limits. However once elected they forget all about it.
Comment by Mokenavince Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 11:25 am
===Newbies and challengers all love term limits. However once elected they forget all about it.===
For more info, please see “Shimkus, John.”
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 11:29 am
Sorry, I’m anonymous 11:29. I must have deleted my cookies or something.
Mmmm, cookies.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 11:31 am
47th, understandable. I toss my cookies about twice a month.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 11:37 am
woa, woa woa… Edgar and Thompson endorsed Dillard? Didn’t see that one coming, what a game changer!
Comment by treefiddy Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 11:50 am
Treefiddy, I am guessing Dan Rutherford didn’t see that one coming. He worked for Thompson and has always stayed close to him. Dan has always thought that Thompson would support him. Apparently not.
Comment by Raising Kane Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 11:58 am
–More confirmation that Dillard is the choice of the old men who want to preserve the gop status quo, no matter how unsuccessful and outdated. –
I don’t think the Thompson and Edgar endorsements mean much in 2013, but their model of relative moderation, especially on social issues, is hardly outdated or unsuccessful.
See Kirk, JBT and Rutherford; they don’t have big fan clubs among the full-mooners.
Outside of the Peter Fitzgerald aberration, who was the last hard-right GOP candidate to win statewide?
Dillard couldn’t cash in on their endorsements if they were meaningful, anyway. His public record is hardly moderate. He’s been running as fast as he can to the right since the blowback from the Obama spot.
As Soccermom pointed out recently, you lose your “M” card when you’re the water carrier for ALEC.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 12:19 pm
With all due respect to Carol Marin and Dan Sinker that’s why people over 30 can’t have nice social media things to play with. Journalists have to be on social media, they have to be engaged and they have to engage with readers, other journalists and people in their industry there. If you don’t you’re saying especially to younger readers and your industry at large that you’re too good for that neck of the woods. That doesn’t play.
Comment by shore Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 12:57 pm
I say stick to anti-social media.
Comment by Kasich Walker, Jr. Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 1:59 pm
Has anyone else concluded that the term limits proposal is actually a Trojan Horse? Namely, that Rauner’s goal here is not to impose term limits, but rather to trigger a redistricting that, as Governor, he could block if the General Assembly stays Democratic. Otherwise, the tinkering with the number of Senators and Representatives makes no sense. The “term limits” will attract the voters, and the auto-redistricting will get carried along for the ride.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 9, 13 @ 3:54 pm