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Don’t hold your breath

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Thumbs down to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s halfhearted Facebook live chat Tuesday. Social media platforms are giving our elected officials unique opportunities to reach constituents directly, without the filter of the traditional media. Officials can say anything they want, directly to the people they serve. If done well, officials can become more transparent, and interact with their constituents. If not done well, the attempts come off as disingenuous. Rauner attempted the former, and ended up closer to the latter. He went live on Tuesday afternoon with pre-selected questions that had been screened by his staff. That’s not exactly taking full advantage of the Facebook live platform. The live experience can create a real-time exchange between the person making the video and the people watching. Rauner missed the mark on this one. We hope to see him having real-time conversations when he uses social media in the future.

Apparently, nobody on that editorial board has ever attended a Bruce Rauner press conference. The governor doesn’t get to choose his questions at those events, but he almost always finds a way to turn the subject back to his talking points.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 9:43 am

Comments

===he almost always finds a way to turn the subject back to his talking points.===

Get better, and don’t let him…

Comment by PublicServant Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 9:50 am
Such a missed opportunity for Gov. Rauner. He can use platforms like these in a way that the Speaker won’t and other electeds won’t get noticed for Because…Madigan! and make himself way more accessible. Tell a joke. Be self-deprecating. Take a tough question, show some humility and say you want to do better. He would have been praised for that.

Comment by Curious Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 9:51 am
Rauner should appear with Zack Galifianakis on Between Two Ferns. That could be fun. They both have lost a lot of weight lately…

Comment by IllinoisBoi Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 10:28 am
He’s taken a page from Boris Epstein’s book.

Comment by The Fool On The Hill Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 10:40 am
Governor Rauner: “I’m still better at Facebook than Sandack is”.

Comment by SAP Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 11:12 am
The real questions were harsh and in many cases downright rude/hilarious. Obviously, the press shop expected it and prescreened. Cheap, tone deaf, and inauthentic, as always.

The expectations are different when using social media for messaging. Pre-screening the questions for a live social media event for the public created a paradox and everyone saw right through it.

Comment by Politix Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 11:21 am
Once again, Rauner exposed to Illinoisans that he and his staff have absolutely no plans beyond the plan they imagined working. His discomfort and insecurity to think beyond a prepared, pre-chewed, moral of BS, knee-caps him, and leaves us watching a gasping governor unprepared to display any spontaneity or honesty.

No Plan B. Gee, where have we seen this administration ever have any plans beyond their Lincolnshiresque nirvanas?

Facebook requires confidence. It requires a real face. One with ideas and leadership behind it. One that can handle criticism and bombastic questions.

The guy is the governor - when is he going to act like one?

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 11:40 am
He really needs to bone up on his Facebook performance

Comment by Rabid Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 4:19 pm