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Illinois

* Gov. Bruce Rauner in early July…

“I underestimated how much most of the standard media just doesn’t care about this and doesn’t understand and won’t send our message out. We’ve been too slow in creating our own media channels through social media and other outlets. We’re doing that now.”

* So, how did his first foray into live Facebook video chat go? The Tribune wasn’t impressed…

Gov. Bruce Rauner hosted his first Facebook Live session on Tuesday, fielding a series of carefully screened questions to once again make his case for everything from term limits for elected officials to lowering property taxes.

Wearing a navy blue jacket and a white shirt with an unbuttoned collar, Rauner spoke from inside his Capitol office, an attempt to appear as if he was having a casual conversation with those who submitted queries on his Facebook page.

The event had a scripted feel, however. Run by the governor’s office, the questions that made the cut weren’t exactly high inside fastballs. The first one came from a friendly Republican lawmaker about the governor’s plans to celebrate the state’s bicentennial in 2018. […]

The 30-minute public relations event ended a bit off-script. Rauner stared quietly at the camera for several seconds before a press aide’s face briefly flashed on screen as the stream cut off.

According to Facebook at 10:22 this morning, Rauner’s video had 12,882 views, even after pushing it for days on social media and convincing major media outlets throughout the state to preview the appearance.

By contrast, state Rep. Litesa Wallace popped up on Facebook without warning the other day and got 1,612 views on a live video about registering to vote.

* Petrella reports…

Nathan Carpenter, assistant director of convergent media at the Illinois State University School of Communication, said holding an event like this sends a signal that Rauner doesn’t feel his message is getting across to the public and that he’s not getting the kind of news coverage he’d like. […]

Because the questions were submitted ahead of time and screened by Rauner’s staff, it can prompt criticisms about the authenticity of the exchange, he said.

The purpose of live-streaming technology is “to feed off of the audience,” Carpenter said, but as Rauner responded to the pre-submitted questions, comments and questions posted in real time went unaddressed.

“In this case, it becomes just another broadcasting tool,” he said, “and if you run counter to people’s expectations with how the medium works or counter to what are the norms for the medium, you can really turn off and frustrate a lot of users.”

He played it very, very safe, which is how he usually does things in public. So, I wouldn’t get your hopes up for a gripping experience the next time he does one. I give him a ton of credit for his ability to stick to his talking points. But he needs a different schtick on Facebook if he is serious about creating his “own media channels.”

* Chicagoist…

In total, Bruce’s first foray into the world of Facebook Live wasn’t groundbreaking or even all that interesting. Rauner stuck to the same script he’s been pushing since his shake up express careened into the Capitol building in January 2015. It’s no secret he’s less than a fan of public institutions, infrastructure or unions, and the near-half hour he spent awkwardly looking into a cell-phone camera was just another opportunity for him to appear Millennial-minded while pushing policies better suited for our Gilded Age great-grandparents.

Even his last comments from a conveniently posed question about the most enjoyable thing he’s done as governor didn’t really make Rauner seem all that relatable. We already knew he loves to take selfies and play dress up as a biker—that’s part of a carefully crafted image. What we still don’t know is how he can sleep at night knowing a state starving for public resources continues to go hungry.

Oof.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:34 am

Comments

It was the Ishtar of Facebook Live events.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:41 am
He’s still trying to find a way to brainwash, er, communicate, to the public.

Comment by Sir Reel Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:41 am
*the standard media*

Please explain oh Wise One Brucie…specifically who and what this is.

Comment by Ryan Jackson Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:43 am
Live Facebook perfidy.

Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:46 am
MJM may have his sham hearings, but they ain’t got the reach of the Guv’s sham media (IPI, Proft “newspapers”, and now Facebook live).

Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:49 am
Bruce, I think your message is being sent out, but did you ever think that most Illinoisans don’t agree with that message?

Comment by G'Kar Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:49 am
===I underestimated how much most of the standard media just doesn’t care about this and doesn’t understand and won’t send our message out.===

Yeah, I guess having a personal friend controlling the Sun Times and the Trib isn’t everything, is it?

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:50 am
Is a farcical “documentary” also considered by the governor to be a means to get his message out?

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:52 am
These reviews are charitable from my vantage. It was nothing short of a train-wreck.

Comment by Deft Wing Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:54 am
===What we still don’t know is how he can sleep at night knowing a state starving for public resources continues to go hungry.===

Bruce Rauner does not care. As - @MisterJayEm - reminded us yesterday, it’s all good for Rauner. Rauner is running the planned game plan… and as happy as he can be.

Diana?

Diana lives a good “business decision” and getting $5 million from the Pritzkers, Diana is pleased “she” didn’t wreck The Ounce. Diana appears to care about Diana.

The Rauners sleep great.

To the Post,

If you are creating a persona to connect to people, you have no persona connecting with people.

The costumes are not an accident.

Not even close to accidental.

Rauner’s connection to people in 2014? “He’s not Quinn. Pat Quinn failed”

Rare was it that Rauner, out of costume, has little in common with the “unwashed”, the “some class”… and little respect for us too.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:54 am
- I give him a ton of credit for his ability to stick to his talking points. -

Why? Any question you ask he just responds that we need reforms and that’s supposed to be admirable?

Comment by Daniel Plainview Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:55 am
===and that’s supposed to be admirable?===

It’s a mechanics thing. Most people can’t do it.

Just because somebody asks a question doesn’t mean you have to answer it, no matter how many times they ask. Most people can’t do that. Rauner can.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:56 am
The “standard media” doesn’t send his message out? That’s nonsense.

The governor has about a half-dozen shallow talking points that he’s repeated and that have been reported constantly since he took office.

His problem is that he can’t logically or factually expand on those buzz words to justify and sell his actions and agenda.

There’s no there, there. We would have seen it by now.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:58 am
===That’s nonsense.===

Agreed.

Watch his recent interviews on Chicago morning TV shows. Pure softball questions and no stepping on his message.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:59 am
The governor overpromised and underdelivered.
But that’s is the theme of the Rauner administration.

Let’s boil it down.
He went on FaceBook to announce he was expanding state government and then spent the rest of the time criticizing how big and expensive government is.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:59 am
The purposefully weird Tweets filling up the hashtag were more entertaining and somehow more informative.

Comment by WSJ Paywall Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:59 am
===Just because somebody asks a question doesn’t mean you have to answer it, no matter how many times they ask. Most people can’t do that. Rauner can.===

And that is why if you are susceptible to hard sales tactics like the “Joe Verde” method, you are far more likely to buy his shtick. As a salesman, as he claims to be, you are supposed to ask ‘yes’ questions and deflect when questions are asked of you.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:03 am
Want to relate to Millenials? fund higher ed and map grants.

Comment by burbanite Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:08 am
The live comments were as priceless as the live event was worthless. Seriously entertaining. I hope the gov keeps it up.

Comment by Dome Gnome Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:16 am
It’s called FACEBOOK Bruce - not TWO-FACED BOOK!

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:17 am
It’s called FACEBOOK Bruce - not WASTE BOOK!

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:19 am
It’s called FACEBOOK Bruce - not FAKE BOOK!

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:21 am
“It’s a mechanics thing. Most people can’t do it.” Marco Rubio got slammed hard for doing it.

Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:22 am
How does he sleep at night? The guy made $13,000 during the half hour he was on Facebook. Buys a lot of pillows.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:26 am
It was low comedy at best.

Comment by Flynn's mom Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:29 am
Bruce -you’ve just did to Facebook what you did with Harleys and cigars - please don’t do Twitter shots of you wearing a Speedo with your biker vest, or I’ll have to quit doing that too.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:34 am
“*the standard media*

Please explain oh Wise One Brucie…specifically who and what this is.”

It’s media not owned by IPI.

Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:36 am
That scripted farce of a Facebook event won’t give you any information about what the citizens (who are also your bosses) want. All it was was a disguised campaign ad. The campaign is over, Quinn lost; you’re supposed to be governing, not campaigning. At the rate you’re going, even Quinn could beat you in 2018.

Here’s some free advice to the Governor:

Illinois citizens have heard your sales pitch; most of them aren’t buying it. You need to shut up and listen to somebody other than your wine club members or other 1.4% businessmen. Actually listen to the citizens … and then act on their desires. The thing citizens want is competence and they aren’t seeing.

If you took the time to listen, here is what you would hear:

1) You said there was mismanagement and waste; fix it … and we mean real waste like insider dealing and sweetheart contracts, not your preconceived notion that union jobs are wasteful.

2) You’re supposed to be a successful financier. Good, use those skills to get the pension debt restructured (ie, change the Edgar Ramp).

3) You said you supported more spending for education, not less. So just do it.

4) Figure out a real balanced budget and, if it needs revenue, be a man, step up, explain it to the public in simple math (not … because Madigan), and put your party’s votes on it.

Gov. Rauner, read the above list; repay as needed until you UNDERSTAND it. The real irony here is you’ve appointed some good people to run the agencies, and you’re getting some good results even with the self-imposed budget limitations. But you’d never know it because of the budget impasseand union nonsense.

Signed: a GOP member who won’t be voting GOP on any state level office … except for Sam McCann.

PS: the coerced choice Cullerton pension bill will be ruled unconstitutional by the IL SC. The court has been clear so quit wasting time on it; just arrange a way to pay the bill.

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:38 am
== I give him a ton of credit for his ability to stick to his talking points. ==

Maybe. But what else has he got after spouting the same lines for over 2 years? What exactly has he ACCIOMPLISHED in IL and for its residents? Mostly Nada except for driving IL further in the hole.

== Oof ==

? Sounds about right from here. Some are finally getting it.

Comment by sal-says Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:39 am
The fact that the “standard media” (sans the Trib editorial board) doesn’t want to be his propaganda mouthpiece is a good thing. The reaction to Rauner’s message isn’t coming from the media, it’s coming from the people of this state. There’s nothing about Rauner that’s authentic and that’s becoming more apparent each and every day.

Comment by pundent Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:43 am
==I give him a ton of credit for his ability to stick to his talking points.==

That’s fine, so long as he loses credit for sticking to his talking points to evade direct questions. This event was just another way to insulate himself from addressing the fact that his ideas are not as popular as he thinks they should be. It’s not a problem of whether his messages are reaching people, it’s that people don’t like what he says.

Comment by SinkingShip Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:44 am
“The near-half hour he spent awkwardly looking into a cell-phone camera was just another opportunity for him to appear Millennial-minded while pushing policies better suited for our Gilded Age great-grandparents.”

Good stuff, that.

Comment by IllinoisBoi Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:10 pm
Spontaneity is not his strong point. Without a new script he is hurt by such events. “Stay on point” appears to be his only game plan.

Comment by illinoised Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:11 pm
==I give him a ton of credit for his ability to stick to his talking points.==
At a management seminar I attended (when I was in the public sector), there was a session devoted to dealing with the media and to respond to any ‘gotcha’ question by returning to the established talking point. Rauner’s fault is he is stiff and devoid of any real personality. If he came off as personable his mantra of term limits and job creation might be more positively received. As is, it’s the same old same old.

Comment by Bogey Golfer Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:21 pm
Just remembered Dana Carvey imitating George Bush (41) on SNL….”stay the course, thousand points of light, stay the course.”

Comment by Bogey Golfer Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:24 pm
RNUG +1

I’ll be leaving a couple of races blank. Tim Butler and Bill Brady have not even write-in opponents. Wish there was a ‘no confidence’ checkbox for people running unopposed.

i have not yet officially reregisteref as an Imdeoendent rather than a Republican.

Comment by Thoughts Matter Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:24 pm
Rauner is failing and thinks it is the fault of corrupted cynics. He can’t fathom that he is to blame.

He could be the worst listener ever.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:38 pm
Did anyone notice the comments in his Facebook page as this was happening? Scorching.

What is unbelievable to me is how Rauner gets a free pass on the 3,000 shooting victims, more than 500 dead, in Chicago this year. He has barely acknowledged it! Instead he gets the luxury of playing around on FB and traveling around the state prattling on about term limits.

Comment by Politix Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:44 pm
- pundent - +1
I still think Rauner would have been better served to leverage a Bi-Centennial Committee appointment for OW for a Cameo on the season premiere of “Dad’s Home State”! /s (Of course.)

Comment by WhoKnew Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:49 pm
I blame Mike Madigan and the Facebook he controls.

Comment by OpenBook Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:50 pm
In other news, here’s a program the governor might want to consider enrolling in …

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/09/21/program-teaches-boys-how-to-tie-ties-prepares-them-for-successful-future/

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 1:01 pm
I am still kicking myself for spending a half hour listening ti the exact same pablum, catch phrases, simplistic and almost sophomoric answers to softball questions. I only have myself to blame!

Comment by illini Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 1:10 pm
My hope is that sticking to talking points and offering no substance will ultimately wear thin with voters. Many must have voted for Rauner to offer pragmatic, responsible and humane solutions to our state, not crashing the government because of an ideological war.

Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 1:22 pm
===Watch his recent interviews on Chicago morning TV shows. Pure softball questions and no stepping on his message.===

They look forward to lots of revenue from all the campaign ads Rauner pays for. They were probably surprised and delighted with Rauner’s new practice of buying “Because Madigan” ads during budget negotiations. Usually political ads stop after an election is over, but Rauner has changed that, running attack ads all the time. I wonder how much he will spend after the election as the half year budget approaches the end of the track.

Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 1:59 pm
== What is unbelievable to me is how Rauner gets a free pass on the 3,000 shooting victims, more than 500 dead, in Chicago this year. He has barely acknowledged it! ==

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has an article by Jason Stein and Mary Spicuzza titled: “Gov. Scott Walker to send $4.5 million more to Milwaukee”.

Absolutely NO fan of WI’s Walker, BUT read the article. Gov. Ruiner: Have YOU done ANYTHING for Chicago regarding redevelopment and reducing violence. No? Yeah, I thought so. A year and a half and you & your SuperStarts are still pondering? Marvelous.

Comment by sal-says Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 2:22 pm
1. It was a half hour Rauner Informercial somewhat poorly produced (lighting, unsure of end time, bouncing fiery balls across the screen).
2. One piece of real news- Bicenntenial Committee and new hire.
3. At least he didn’t have a new hotel to waste 20 minutes talking about.
4. It wasn’t on a Friday!

(Pick one or all four for snark!)

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 2:47 pm
- Most people can’t do that. Rauner can. -

It may be a talent, but not one I’d admire.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 4:02 pm
===e already knew he loves to take selfies and play dress up as a biker—that’s part of a carefully crafted image===

LOL.

Comment by Boone's is Back Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 5:06 pm