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Repubs mostly target each other in wake of Daley dropout

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* So far, at least, Bill Daley’s exit from the Democratic primary is not prompting the Republican candidates to focus their attacks on Gov. Pat Quinn. Instead, they’ve used the occasion to mostly attack each other. Bill Brady…

According to Brady, both Rauner and Dillard have so-called RINO problems to overcome. For Rauner, it’s his association with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

“80 percent of those polled by a We Ask America poll say that if they know you were supportive of Rahm Emanuel, meaning Bruce Rauner, it’s a non-starter. They won’t support you as a Republican candidate for governor,” Brady said. […]

Brady said Dillard’s main problem with Republican voters will be his past support for President Obama, appearing in a television ad for Obama during his 2008 campaign. However, Dillard’s quotes in the ad praised then Senator Obama for his ability to work in a bi-partisan way, as well as his negotiation skills.

While more and more voters wish that legislators could work in a bi-partisan manner, Brady thinks party lines supercede that desire, and Dillard’s appearance will hurt him in the race.

“These folks have compromised in ways that [Republican voters] can’t accept.”

* Kirk Dillard…

“It’s very clear that Mr. Rauner is now, especially with Bill Daley out, that Bruce Rauner would be Mr. Emanel’s choice,” Dillard said. “I think you want someone who’s independent from the Mayor of Chicago. We have major battles going on over school funding, funding of the Regional Transportation Authority and I have a respectful and good-working relationship with the Mayor of Chicago, but I’m not in his inner circle as is Bruce Rauner.”

Dillard went on, “I believe that for a Republican nominee, that closeness to Rahm Emanuel - the guy who made Rahm Emanuel rich by giving him tens of millions of dollars right after he left the Clinton administration - that is not a healthy governmental relationship for a Republican governor.” […]

As for Bill Brady, “he proved last time - in 2010 - he was unelectable and it hasn’t gotten easier for him this time,” Dillard said.

* But Bruce Rauner did stick to the subject of Quinn…

“We’re the worst run state in America. And it’s all about lack of leadership, all about lack of driving results. Quinn, clearly — worst governor in America. The good news for us is, it doesn’t look like he’s such a crook he’s going to jail.”

* In another interview, Dan Rutherford merely repeated his claims that he was the only candidate who could win in November. And Dillard did get in an anti-Quinn line…

Republican state Sen. Kirk Dillard said, We know Pat Quinn … 12 credit downgradings by Wall Street, an economy that is the second worst in America … he is a completely ineffective leader.”

Coverage follows conflict, and whacking each other is a surefire way of getting into the newspapers and on TV. Expect more of it.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:02 am

Comments

Things that don’t surprise me. Contrary to what Greg Hinz thinks the withdrawal doesn’t mean anything for the current R primary- there’s no great groundswell of Democrats looking to cross ballots. And if it doesn’t change anything about the GOP primary then it doesn’t change anything about the general. The unknown R nominee still faces the same internal problems winning the primary, and the same problems in the general assuming he does the things necessary to win the primary.

Comment by Will Caskey Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:09 am
Turning on each other looks cheap and tacky! Does not bode well to start so far out from the election. Name calling looks stupid.

Sad.

Comment by Nearly Normal Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:17 am
I don’t get it? Emanuel has trimmed Chicago’s budget laid off 2300 plus teachers, closed old what so call useless schools, put the police union into an impossible corner as far as raises,ticked off almost every union in Chicago acted as a conservative in almost every way conceivable. Yes he was the Chief of Staff, but a major opponent to Obama Care being implemented the way it was. He wanted to put health care in place in stages.and was over ridden by the the Pres. and the rest of the team. Why would Republicans hate him so much? Interested in comments on that one?

Comment by Tim Elenz Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:20 am
“RINO”

Will there ever be a day in which GOP candidates try to out-moderate each other?

Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:23 am
So far Brady, D-Lard and Rauner seem intent on throwing punches, while Rutherford stands on the sidelines.

Interesting choice. He could end up looking like the adult in the race, or he could end up completely forgotten.

Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:24 am
I don’t know why anyone would consider Emmanuel to be any more of a Democrat than Bill Daley is.

Comment by Chavez-respecting Obamist Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:25 am
I am so glad I was wrong …

Wrong about the 4 GOP candidates staying in the Sandbox and hammering away at Pat Quinn, and not at each other …

….

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:32 am
Here’s a link to an interesting article on Rauner pulling Dem primary ballot and other matters. Some of this has probably been reported on here before

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-09-18/tom-kacich-rauner-voted-dem-primary-06-gave-money-dems.html

Comment by Nearly Normal Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:34 am
It’s always fun to watch a circular firing squad. Really tough to predict a winner for the Republican nomination.

PQ and one of these guys as our choices for Governor? And we wonder why Illinois has become a political laughing stock?

Comment by Stones Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:35 am
Glad to hear Pay-to-Play Rauner believes Quinn “doesn’t look like he’s such a crook he’s going to jail.”

That’s quite a testimonial coming from an expert like Rauner. In his line of work, you had to be very sure you knew where the line was at all times.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:36 am
I never understood RINO it would make sense in a solidly Republican state but in this state where they haven’t been successful in years it isn’t helping them at all. At least as far as this state is concerned that term frustrates me in the worst way!

Comment by Levois Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:42 am
Dan Rutherford has this odd phenomenon going for him right now. For the time being he is seen by party establishment folks and people on this blog as a moderate but in the last Capfax poll (or the last one I saw) he was leading the conservative vote. BOTH Dillard and Brady attacked others in the race on Conservative bonafides but not Rutherford - interesting. In all these little squirmishes Rutherford comes out looking better to conservatives (because he wasnt attacked on credentials) AND to the general public (doesn’t get caught up in the pettiness). Strategy looks good so far but we shall see.

Also, one last thing - Champaign County voted for Brady in a 5 way race in 2010 with 49% but Rutherford just won their straw poll with over 50%…hmmm. I’ll say it again, Dillard has the establishment, Brady has church goers, Rauner has uninformed (just wait till they get to know him)shake ‘em up voters, but Rutherford is the only one to get support from all cross sections - especially establishment AND regular people.

Comment by J. Nolan Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:44 am
Agreethat Quinn is a totally ineffective leader I just hope Chicago sees this and does NOT elect him again….you think this state is in bad shape now?

Comment by concern1 Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:51 am
Levois — Kirk, JBT and Rutherford have all been called “RINOs,” among other things.

Their true crime is winning, I guess.

Hard to be the Eternal Victim when you win.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:53 am
Here we go with the RINO stuff. Let the purity test begin.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:54 am
Welp,

Couple house cleaning things upfront;

There was not a direct “quote” from Brady and the word RINO. So, Brady Crew, and the others, you get ONE refernce to RINO before it gets to be slammed right back you.

You get one …

Now, making that point Brady is trying to make, don’t use RINO, you Dopes, turn that phrase to the positive for you, not the negative on the others. It has greater impact.

You get one RINO, then its on “you” how it turns.

To the Post,

This is exactly …EXACTLY… what I feared would occur when answering Rich’s QOTD yesterday. These Lemmings can not look at the lay of the land and run a race that is winnable both in the the Primary and the General, and take out the Bill Daley of the GOP Primary without using the prism of “RINO”, thus making the focus on the statement ring hollow to everyone, that while Payton Prep Clouter is close to Rich Daley… and Rahm… and Arne Duncan … nope, that can’t be enough can it, nope, you have to make it about “purity”.

You just can’t help yourselves!

The polling shows it negative to Rahm and Rich Daley and all the players, it says nothing about “purity”!

I use the analogy often about MJM and Bear Bryant, “he can take his and beat yours, and then go and take yours and beat his.”

Another football analogy that iis starting to not only take hold;

The Dems and MJM, they just “line up the players, telegraph the plays being run and tell the ILGOP, ’stop us’…”

And we can’t.

The Dems have quietly slated 5 of the 6 statewides, and as they wait for the Quinn choice for #2, there is no talk about “purity primaries”. There is no talk of “force” upon sitting members of the General Assembly.

The Democrats are lining up, and saying, “Beat us”

My Party? We refuse to use the Prism of Payton Prep Clouter Bruce Rauner, who Bill Daley told Sneed is probably his choice, and define an inclusive ILGOP, the likes that My Party hasn’t seen since Bernie Petersen and Rosemary Mulligan sat …in the same … MAJORITY Caucus.

These 3 just can’t help themselves.

I take no pleasure in thinking, “Got one out of 53 right yesterday with the in-fighting”.

No.

I am angry. I am so upset that these campaigns refuse to see the opportunity to win… is not going after each other for each other’s sake, its about buliding the BEST aparatus, that can be the most inclusive, under the prism of PPC Rauner, and going after Pat Quinn wherever and whenever.

As these 3 talk “RINO” and Bruce Rauner rails on anyone who is the flavor of the moment to shield his hypocricy, Pat Quinn, Lisa Madigan, Jesse White, Sheila Simon, Mike Frerichs …they are raising money, preparing the narrative, building field operations for ALL Dems, and preparing …

…to line up, look across the line of scrimage and say to the ILGOP, “We are going to run the ball now, sweeping … try to stop it” …but can we?

Someone “tackle” these Dopey campaigns and TELL them, “Focus on the Pivot to Rauner, Quinn did and it took out a Daley, and it solidified Quinn, we need to do that!”

…Unless you like to raise TWO dollars for every dollar QUINN needs to take any of you out.

I would be disappointed, but when things, SADLY…turn as you expect, disappointed is not the correct term.

Angry … is the “Right” term.

Do better, or don’t do at all…

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 10:56 am
OMG, first we had RINOs, now we have DINOs.

“I don’t know why anyone would consider Emmanuel to be any more of a Democrat than Bill Daley is.”

Comment by AFSCME Steward Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:05 am
I would really like Brady to define exactly what constitutes a real Republican. If I meet one, how will I know if they are the danger to America RINO we all fear, or if they are the real GOP. Is there a blood oath to take ? A Breathylizer ? A multiple choice or essay test ? A secret handshake ?

Let’s look at history:

Ronald Regan, the super hero of today’s GOP was once a Democrat.

Dwight Eisenhower chose the GOP as his party to run for President. Both parties courted him to be their candidate.

Were these guys RINOs ?

If the GOP wants to win the fall election, the RINO nonsense needs to stop. If it doesn’t, whoever wins the I’m not a RINO contest will lose in the fall. Illinois is not South Carolina.

“According to Brady, both Rauner and Dillard have so-called RINO problems to overcome”

Comment by AFSCME Steward Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:13 am
There would be plenty of crossing over for the candidates who truly want to give Illinois a legitimate GOP by resolving to push through cannabis legislation in our state that is LESS restrictive than either Colorado or Washington state: no personal grow limits; no quantity buy/sell limits; taxed like alcohol and tobacco, NOT at 4 times the current alcohol or tobacco tax rates.

A GOP that supports cannabis users and the LGBT community has a fine chance of regaining governorship and majorities in this state instead of maintaining itself as a GOP in name only.

Comment by Hans Sanity Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:14 am
===There would be plenty of crossing over for the candidates===

That just doesn’t happen much in Illinois.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:15 am
i agree w OW and others, daleys dropout was the perfect time to characterize Q w a string of negatives. but they would rather throw sand at each other than say something for the voters to thing about. i repeat–talk to the voters–your primary voters, the other sides primary voters, general election voters. the voters.

instead, brady is so self delusional, it is funny. how many R primary voters really give a damn about dillards O ad? not very many, and not very many are likely to base their (anti-dillard) on that.

dillard is busy telling us rauner is bad bec of his closeness to rahm, and brady peaked in his ‘10 loss. that may be true, but it doesnt give anyone a reason to vote FOR dillard.

i hate to say it, but rutherford has been the smartest strategically in this exchange. he keeps telling people he is the most electable, and as the others get tiresome, he is the last guy asking for a date to the prom. he just might get it.

Comment by langhorne Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:19 am
“That just doesn’t happen much in Illinois.”

This one might be different though. A few factors:

1) Other than judges, not many contested races on the Dem side;

2) A lot of Dems who really don’t like Quinn; and

3) If Rutherford continues to act like a moderate, fed up Dems feel like they have a real alternative on the other ballot.

Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:23 am
–instead, brady is so self delusional, it is funny. how many R primary voters really give a damn about dillards O ad? not very many, and not very many are likely to base their (anti-dillard) on that.–

I wouldn’t bet on it.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:26 am
- Skeeter -,

Who is going to ID these Dems, vote them in a way to have an impact, and have the COURAGE to court in Chicago and Cook specifically, in this Dopey climate, the Dems TO cross over as an overt strategy, including GOTV of identified Dems to pull GOP ballots.

Odds are, sadly today, I have no clue if any of the 4 can control their own turnout of Pluses in a GOTV, with or without adding crossover Dems, which is a snall window that history has shown.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:27 am
@Will Caskey: “…there’s no great groundswell of Democrats looking to cross ballots.”

First of all, come downstate. The polling clearly indicates nobody was happy with the Dem choices BEFORE Daley pulled out, and PQ’s approval rating is abysmal. I suppose semantics could be the key to your point, but it doesn’t seem to me that there’s any enthusiasm on either side right now.

Comment by LincolnLounger Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:30 am
I could see public employee unions waging an anti-Rauner campaign. Good way to whack Rauner and Emanuel at the same time.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:31 am
With few exceptions — Judy? Rutherford? — the “pluses” haven’t been enough to win statewide or at the top of the ticket for a decade or so, but early as it is in the campaign, the other candidates still aren’t as good at making Rutherford look good than either the AG or brother Bill were for Pat Quinn.

Comment by Hans Sanity Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:34 am
- wordslinger -,

One of the things I thought about when Daley announced he was dropping out.

Which campaign of the 3 could get that organized, and have the juice behind them to get overt Union support, or even better covert Union support, but organized so well, that an untapped voting bloc that the “4″ are not looking at rains down a boatload of “Pluses” beyond the GOP voter universe?

No to Brady … attacking Rauner, duh …

Rutherford or Dillard?

They have that “Card” to play?

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:35 am
The big question here is who do the union folks vote for in the primary? Dillard or Rutherford

Comment by foster brooks Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:37 am
Willie, I don’t know that there has to be any relationship with another GOP candidate.

Just get your PACS to go negative on Rauner.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:37 am
- wordslinger -,

Agreed. Throwing a “Rauner” back at Rauner …

I guess I was looking at it beyond the “air attack” and adding to the voting universe for someone to build a winning total.

But you are on it, - wordslinger -, on point for sure.

Someone. Anyone.

The word needs to “air assult” and the “3 ‘ahem’ Amigos” are not going to be in the “defining” business with the cash they have on hand.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:42 am
Just wondering when Mr. Dillard took classes from Mr. Madigan in how to address people…?

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:46 am
Perhaps it is because I’m an insider, but I sort of wish Rutherford had something other than “I got more votes last time.” Maybe he has good polling data that I don’t have, but I always thought voters liked to look forward, not backward.

Comment by Just Me Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 11:58 am
All Daley did on the GOP Gov race was make the Crystal Ball more blurry. He’s out of the conversation now, as is the whole D race. The next election pits these 4 guys against each other. Gotta win the next game first. There are competing philosophies at work here. Only one of them has enough $ to buy a lot of chat time now. Rutherford is hanging on to his dough until this becomes a 4-6 week race. He’s just got to stay within striking distance. This is just starting to get interesting. Give them this- they’re all working hard.

Comment by A guy... Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 12:11 pm
“Coverage follows conflict” is exactly right and all of the conflict is on the GOP side. That is why I think Daley’s withdrawal hurts the Republicans.

One thing that could help the GOP is a credible candidate for Senate. I don’t think there is anyone who could beat Durbin, but having a spirited race there next fall would bring in some national money and energize a lot of rank and file GOP voters who pay more attention to national issues.

If I was Bruce Rauner or any of the Governor candidates, I’d want a strong challenger at the top of my ticket.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 12:32 pm
Quick Quiz: What politician said he wanted to shake up Springfield, is an advocate of term limits, attacks members of his own party, will ensure another 4 years of gridlock and is a Democrat?? Is it Pat Quinn?? Is it Bruce Rauner?? Answer: All of the above!!

Comment by Veritas Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 1:20 pm
== a strong challenger at the top of the ticket ==

I heard Joe Walsh float his name for the Senate nomination. If he was at the top of the ticket, what would that do for or to the rest of the ticket?

Comment by reformer Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 1:22 pm
Reformer, Walsh has also said he’s not a Republican, so there’s that. He’s definitely a wild card if he gets in the Senate race, but he could easily energize both sides. I doubt somebody like Rauner would want to be too closely associated with him though. Walsh is a loose cannon and is just as likely to attack Rauner as Durbin on any given issue.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 1:42 pm
–I doubt somebody like Rauner would want to be too closely associated with him though.–

Walsh would be an easy fix for Rauner.

Just set him up as an executive director of a PAC or “think tank” with a salary — in D.C.

Just about any twice-a-month salary would do, I imagine.

Here that, Joe? Why didn’t you think of that? I’ll take a 10% finder’s fee.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 2:02 pm
=== I could see public employee unions waging an anti-Rauner campaign. Good way to whack Rauner and Emanuel at the same time. ===

The problem for the public employee unions is that all gubernatorial candidates have drunk the pension reduction Koolaid and other anti-public employee positions - granted Rauner is the worst. I don’t think they will respond with a strategy until the general election nominees have been chosen.

Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 2:56 pm
The Republican candidates may campaign against Rutherford by reminding people about the Bright Start College Savings Program.

Comment by Ruby Wednesday, Sep 18, 13 @ 8:29 pm