Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: Ives will announce exploratory committee this week
Next Post: Sticking to the script
Posted in:
* Ouch…
Gov. Bruce Rauner kicked off his re-election bid Monday with a campaign video featuring the Republican politician clad in a helmet and black leather motorcycle gear, riding his Harley-Davidson alone past a sometimes-desolate landscape of urban, rural and suburban Illinois.
The lonely ride may serve as a metaphor for the former private equity investor as he tries for a follow-up to a first term that became a tempestuous test of his ability to institute his business-driven agenda, symbolized by a historic, two-year state budget impasse.
Gone are the people who helped Rauner become a Republican governor in a Democratic state a few years ago. They were purged in a summer shake-up, only to see their replacements mostly purged weeks later.
Gone, too, are many socially conservative rank-and-file Republican lawmakers, who had benefited from Rauner bringing to bear his personal wealth in rebuilding a long-in-the-wilderness GOP. Angered most recently by Rauner’s signature on a bill expanding taxpayer-subsidized abortions, they are looking to field a challenger to him while discounting the importance of his campaign checkbook.
Gone as well is the ability of Rauner to portray himself as a fresh outsider, a newcomer to the political scene who pledged to work with all parties, use his business skills amid a boast that he had been “successful at everything I’ve done.”
* Greg Hinz has some unanswered questions…
Has the word “compromise” been restored to your personal dictionary?
As the governor correctly points out, the state still has financial woes, and homeowners statewide are still looking for some property tax relief. The state also needs a new infrastructure funding plan, a deal to sell the Thompson Center, and whatever tweaks to public sector pensions that the Illinois Supreme Court will allow. Getting any of that means working with Speaker Madigan, like it or not. Calling him a corrupt career politician every 20 seconds won’t expedite that process.
How will the next term be different from the first one, in which the state’s credit rating went down the toilet and its job creation machinery ground to a near halt? In other words, if voters give you a second chance, sir, what are you going to give them beyond another four years of scorched-earth political warfare?
* Check out the 20-second mark of this WGN TV report…
* The Sun-Times went with a lighter angle…
Is Harley-ridin’ Gov. Bruce Rauner “smoke and lightnin’?”
Or smoke and mirrors?
Rauner rides his 2008 Ultra Classic Harley Davidson across the state in an online campaign video to announce his re-election bid. […]
“I know his bike. He’s a rider,” said Dan Harper, of A.B.A.T.E. Illinois, which stands for A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education. Harper, who has ridden with Rauner, said the governor also passes some biker muster because before he became governor he regularly went to Sturgis, South Dakota, for the famous annual biker rally. […]
The Ultra Classic is among Harley’s best-sellers and it’s used for normal daily riding, or longer trips, according to Larry Bozek of Chi-Town Harley Davidson. The video features a peek at Rauner’s mileage —30,000 — which Bozek called “pretty good.” Bozek said the average Ultra Classic rider puts about 5,000 to 6,000 miles on the bike a year.
* He also made a stop in Pontiac…
On the same day he formally announced his intent to run for a second term as governor of Illinois, Bruce Rauner stopped in Pontiac to tout legislative accomplishments, including a police recruitment bill that had its origin in the city.
The Republican governor, whose approval rating took body blows in the midst of the state budget crisis, said that smaller communities like Pontiac were the “backbone of America” and that he was proud of the parts of school funding formula reform he fought for, claiming it helps places like Livingston County.
During the gathering, Rauner presented certificates honoring two bills. The first, House Bill 305, allows police departments to interview and hire students at four-year schools but have not completed their degrees.
The second, HB 3469, per the bill’s description, reinforces that “a vehicle operated by a fire chief, a chief of police of a municipality, a sheriff of a county, or a chief emergency medical services officer may be equipped with a siren, whistle, or bell capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 500 feet.”
Groundbreaking stuff right there.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:20 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: Ives will announce exploratory committee this week
Next Post: Sticking to the script
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
“Harley Ridin’ Man-o-the-peeps Venture Capitalists, the backbone of Illinois”, said one may only.
Comment by Undiscovered country Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:31 am
===The lonely ride may serve as a metaphor for the former private equity investor as he tries for a follow-up to a first term that became a tempestuous test of his ability to institute his business-driven agenda, symbolized by a historic, two-year state budget impasse.===
I thought it, never typed it, glad someone did, and wish I did type it too.
In that rollout ad, Rauner makes clear that “politicians” are the problem on his lonely ride, and “winning and losing” is big with Raunerites but compromise and getting more done with compromise… and 60… and 30… and capping it off with a Rauner signature… Nope.
No, it’s Madigan.
Rauner is a failed governor in ways he touts why we Illinoisans should re-elect him. The video, while an “A-” for its pro-ported audience, the Rauner base, it won’t move the 63% disapproval, and Rauner looks more inept with border governors all but saying…
“Rauner can’t stop Madugan. Thank you Bruce for letting Madigan succeed”
This is the ball game as Rauner tries all his phony…
===BAIER: So what would be different in a second term?===
That is it.
Will someone see and use…
“Skyhook, in reverse”?
That would stop Rauner with his silliness here and in this rollout.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:31 am
I had to explain to my dad the other day why I won’t be voting for Rauner: a tripled bill backlog, starving higher education, constantly shuffling members of his administration, a 33% tax increase, and subsidizing abortion. He’s a one-term governor and I will not be sad to see him go next year.
Comment by Romeo Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:31 am
In addition to this mediocre press, it was also pretty abbreviated. Just that video and some Chicago media.
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:32 am
From the Sun-Times article:
“Rauner rides his 2008 Ultra Classic Harley Davidson across the state in an online campaign video to announce his re-election bid.”
“The video features a peek at Rauner’s mileage —30,000 — which Bozek called ‘pretty good.’ Bozek said the average Ultra Classic rider puts about 5,000 to 6,000 miles on the bike a year.
OK… Rauner the Biker Dude wants people to believe he is the only Rebel With A Cause…
If he’s owned that Harley since 2008, that’s not even 5,000 miles per year. So it’s disingenuous at best that this is how Rauner travels the State of Illinois to “connect” with people.
BTW- the side-by-side of Rauner in full Biker Dude cos and Scott Walker on Illinois Working Together yesterday was priceless.
https://twitter.com/IllinoisWorking/status/922452864517197824
Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:34 am
==The video, while an “A-” for its pro-ported audience, the Rauner base, it won’t move the 63% disapproval==
Perhaps it was intended as more of a “primary” ad, a needed step for a governor with deep base problems.
But there’s an opportunity cost with all things, and every thing he has to expend mending fences on the right (most notably, the time he has to spend), is that much he can’t expend courting the winning margin voters.
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:42 am
== BAIER: So what would be different in a second term? ==
Well, as low as Rauner has driven the State down, he has a slim chance to be better next time. But would you trust him to do any better?
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:43 am
===Perhaps it was intended as more of a “primary” ad===
Yep. And that makes it a good ad. Even after all the internal party strife, some neighboring Republicans are still standing with him in an attempt to get the conversation back on Madigan and off of him.
===that much he can’t expend courting the winning margin voters===
I’d agree if this was October of 2018 and he had to depend on others for his campaign cash. But the election is over 12 months away and he has tons of money.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:45 am
=== ===The video, while an “A-” for its pro-ported audience, the Rauner base, it won’t move the 63% disapproval==
Perhaps it was intended as more of a “primary” ad, a needed step for a governor with deep base problems===
Rauner needs to keep what he has, and secure them for March and stop the leaking of oil, and get back Republicans while being underwater in approval.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:51 am
He should’ve used the GEICO money man, showering money on advertisers, GOP legislators, and campaign staffers.
http://tinyurl.com/ycau8ax9
Comment by Jocko Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:53 am
==Yep. And that makes it a good ad. Even after all the internal party strife, some neighboring Republicans are still standing with him in an attempt to get the conversation back on Madigan and off of him.==
It’s OK, but Governors from other states have no profile here, except maybe Walker. Thus, them vouching for Rauner doesn’t mean much.
==I’d agree if this was October of 2018 and he had to depend on others for his campaign cash. But the election is over 12 months away and he has tons of money.==
Absolutely, but, as I’d said before, one of his big advantages was *not* having a primary, he could focus all his energy on tearing down the Dems. If that’s gone now, he can surely still win, but it’s nonetheless an opportunity lost.
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:56 am
==Rauner needs to keep what he has, and secure them for March and stop the leaking of oil, and get back Republicans while being underwater in approval.==
A tall task.
But $150 million is a tall stack of bills, too.
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:57 am
Given the lackluster media coverage, looks like Bruce and Diana need to keep workin’ on that messagin’
Comment by Whatever Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:59 am
All I saw was what he’ll have plenty of time doing beginning February 2019.
There is no footage of Emily-Dickinson-on-a-motorcycle hanging with the fllks who brought him.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 11:05 am
Not being a motorcycle guy I can’t speak to it too much, but the demo for Harley-Davidson enthusiasts seems to be (in central Illinois anyway) white males age 45-65 which is right in his wheelhouse. Although I’m curious as to whether the fact that he makes a huge deal out of this “Biker Governor” schtick makes any difference to voters who also ride motorcycles. Are any of the commenters here Harley guys or gals? Does the fact that he rides too make you want to vote for him any more than you already did? Or does he come off as a phony?
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 11:19 am
Woof, that’s some waxing elegiac from Pearson. More like a whiskey toast at a wake than an account of a campaign rollout. You can almost hear “The Pogues” on the jukebox.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 11:20 am
Harley = Union. Rauner= Scab
Comment by DeseDemDose Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 11:28 am
I think I had a different reaction to the video than a lot of folks. To me it seemed like he was again acting as if he hasn’t been governor the past three years. No accomplishments meant all he could say was “I’m going to fight.” But voters only want a fighter if the person can win the fight and all Rauner has done is lose. I know I’m biased, but it just seemed like empty rhetoric at a time when we have real problems.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 11:29 am
I’m sorry, but the ad doesn’t go far enough. It’s not enough that he is in biker dude regalia. He needs to hop off the bike and start singin YMCA… Now that would be something!
Comment by Triple fat Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 11:49 am
I’m a Harley rider and Republican. I did not vote for Rauner last time and will not vote for him in the future. I agree with OW’s assessment of Rauner, we let a fox in the hen house! Rauner is a phony. I wasn’t a fan of Madigan before Rauner. Now, I am grateful Madigan is who and where he is to slow down and/ or prevent Rauner’s constant attempts to cause pain and destruction to the state of Illinois and it’s people.
Comment by ILooked Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 12:18 pm
Oops. I thought my first post was blocked due to an exclamation point. Sorry.
Comment by Triple fat Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 12:45 pm
Is this “Idiocracy II”?
Comment by Chicago 20 Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 5:07 pm