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Rauner declines invite to debate Ives in Springfield next month

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Illinois

Governor Bruce Rauner’s campaign says thanks, but no thanks. The Rauner camp has declined an invitation from WMAY and the State Journal-Register to participate in a Republican primary debate against challenger Jeanne Ives next month.

The Ives campaign had agreed to take part, but without Rauner’s participation, the event has been canceled.

* Related…

* Jeanne Ives Wins Wheeling Township Republican Party Endorsement

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 1:27 pm

Comments

Run Jeanne. Run. Gonna send ya another $5.

Comment by blue dog dem Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 1:28 pm
Still have the number at 37.5…

Ives does more good for Rauner on the stump saying ridiculous things than in a debate holding Rauner accountable for a social agenda that an uber-left, costal limousine liberal Democrat only dreams to sign as a governor.

Rauner is smart here, politically.

No need to share a stage. Ives makes Rauner reasonable on the stump, not in debates.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 1:33 pm
He wants nothing to do with debates. I don’t believe he’ll debate the democratic candidate unless he is under extreme duress. His positions have just been cowardice with regard to running the executive branch. It just pains me to say this as the voters gave Illinois a lifeline out of the mess the Dems created here. But Rauner has screwed this opportunity up. Just so frustrated by this.

Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 1:33 pm
Governor Chicken

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 1:46 pm
Given that Rauner fumbled easy questions about Trump and Duke, his team should not let him near any reporter, much less a debate.

He’s just not up for it.

Moreover, even if he was a skilled debater, anything he says in a debate with Ives that would help him in a primary would do serious damage in a general.

There is just no upside.

Comment by Gooner Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 1:47 pm
I see what you mean OW, but wouldn’t Ives need to be more well known for that to be true? How many people outside of hard right republicans know about her? As we can see from this article, Rauner is trying to keep her from getting name recognition.

As of right now I would say this is hurting Rauner by continuing to lose support from the hard right.

Comment by ItsMillerTime Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 1:49 pm
I wouldn’t debate her either if I were him. She’d wipe the floor with him. He can’t think on his feet. And she’d have a field day whacking every answer he attempted to give by reminding him that he’s not in charge.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 1:51 pm
“I can’t debate her because Madigan” - Rauner, probably

Comment by ImNotTaylorSwift Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 1:52 pm
No way on this planet he should debate Jeannie Ives. One could argue that it would make him look reasonable by comparison but his political skills are failing him these days so he would probably screw it up.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:00 pm
I think Ives is going to beat Rauner. She gives people a reason to vote for her; Rauner gives little or no reason for people to vote for him. The 1 million people who voted for Trump and Cruz in the ‘16 Pres primary will put her over the top.

Comment by DarkHorse Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:01 pm
==I see what you mean OW, but wouldn’t Ives need to be more well known for that to be true?==

Yes, I think so. He can’t “pivot off of her” because no one knows what she’s saying and he only gets in the news for ruining nursing homes and failing to know if David Duke is racist.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:02 pm
We’re 70 days out… in a GOP Primary, a one-on-one Primary, Rauner only needs to pivot when the free press picks up on Ives’ ridiculousness as needed, not as required.

I don’t think she wins, “today”, but the “over” could get some play if conservatives turn out to get Ives at 40%, or 2 in 5 GOP voters protest Rauner, not its still a 20 point loss.

Rauner just needs to catalog Ives’ goofiness, and when the time comes and it makes sense to comment on Ives, they do it.

Tough, “today”, seeing Rauner below 60% in a Primary.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:08 pm
Wheeling GOPers did go with Ives over Rauner. But then for the House they stuck with Corrigan, the “regular Republican” sponsored by Durkin, over Miller, the Proft “insurgent” who endorsed Ives.

I read this as a specific rejection of Rauner as a viable candidate, rather than a move toward the ideology of Proft and Ives.

Comment by walker Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:11 pm
In terms of debating Rauner makes Gary Forby look like Winston Churchill.

Comment by Saluki Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:12 pm
Expected. He doesn’t want to help raise her name recognition, no matter how chicken it makes him look (like Foghorn Leghorn-size chicken).

Plus, she’d pound lumps on his head. Whatever you think of Ives, she knows her own mind. Rauner falls off his tricycle if he’s nudged just a little bit off script.

Ives had a decent-size rally at Daley Plaza the other day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWY19CsyO0Y

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:14 pm
===Ives had a decent-size rally at Daley Plaza the other day.===

She got a little help from Cardinal Cupich on that one. Lol. He brought a few hundred folks with him from Holy Name.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:28 pm
This is like the Monty Python skit from Holy Grail.
It’s just silly little bunny rabbit.
Run away Run away

Comment by DuPage Bard Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:50 pm
ILGOP is your primary rigged for Rauner, did he buy your silence

Comment by Rabid Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:50 pm
**Ives had a decent-size rally at Daley Plaza the other day.**

Yea… she spoke to a decent amount of people. But that wasn’t an Ives rally. That was a March for Life rally that she spoke at.

Comment by JoeMaddon Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:52 pm
One thought about Ives making sweeping statements: Her campaign is trying to generate earned media coverage because it cannot compete in terms of paid media. That is not necessarily a bad strategy if the candidate’s comments resonate with the likely GOP primary voters.

In counties like Cook, only the hard core Republicans declare themselves in the primary. The centrists and moderates usually stay home or cast Democratic ballots. These voters will turn out in November.

Comment by Practical Politics Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:59 pm
–But that wasn’t an Ives rally. That was a March for Life rally that she spoke at.–

And those who would go outside on a winter’s day for such a rally — do you think they’ll be motivated to vote? For whom?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:28 pm
Waiting for the Cook County GOP press release from Sean Morrison and Aaron Del Mar dismissing the Wheeling Township Republicans as merely a “club” and alleging that the vote was rigged for Ives.

Comment by Not Holding My Breath Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 5:45 pm
bruce rauner thanks but no thanks, his new campaign slogan.

Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 9:32 am