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* This is going to be an excruciatingly long campaign if both sides are gonna do this to each other. From the RGA…

J.B. Pritzker Already Being Called A “Damaged” Candidate By Progressives
Illinois Democrat gubernatorial candidate and heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune J.B. Pritzker is already facing resistance from progressive voters following a brutal primary during which Democrats correctly labeled Pritzker a crooked, establishment insider.

In the weeks leading up to this week’s primary, Pritzker was called “the poster child for pay-to-play” politics by Chris Kennedy, who also accused Pritzker of using “the language of racists” on FBI wiretapped calls with Rod Blagojevich. Daniel Biss, the far-left candidate, even went to far as to say that “electing J.B. Pritzker governor is literally the worst thing we could possibly do.”

Now, left-wing news sites are voicing resistance to J.B. Pritzker, calling him a “damaged” candidate who has no qualifications for office but his bank account.

The left-wing news site Mic writes, “In the end Kennedy and Biss spit the anti-Pritzker vote handing the billionaire an easy victory.”

“Now, Illinois Democrats will be facing off against an incumbent Republican governor with a damaged establishment candidate in Pritzker, whose only major selling point thus far has been his ability to self-finance his own campaign.”

Liberals and conservatives alike know that J.B. Pritzker is a member of the crooked establishment in Illinois that can’t be trusted to hold power any longer.

They’ve based this breathless press release on an obscure website with a story written by somebody who may have never been to Illinois and includes this line in his “analysis”…

Outside Illinois’s 3rd Congressional District, progressive victories were also nowhere to be found

Oh, yeah? Tell that to Chuy Garcia and Clem Balanoff.

And, yes, I’m a little grumpy today.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:29 am

Comments

Toni Preckwinkle was a progressive victory. You could argue that Degnen and Johnson were progressive wins too. Villivalam? Check.

If Pritzker is damaged, Rauner’s campaign is mortally wounded.

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:35 am
Mic reaches 70 million people per month, according to their leadership.

Wouldn’t call that an obscure website.

Comment by Ole General Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:36 am
Uhhh someone should tell that author about: Ram, Fritz, Chuy, Ortiz, Raoul (over Quinn, at least), and so many others I’m sure I’m missing

Comment by Uhhhh Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:36 am
I propose a Capitolfax ban on DGA and RGA press releases unless they are actually news worthy — like previewing a new advertising buy. Otherwise, both outfits are good for nothing except knee-jerk, hyperbolic spin.

Comment by Roman Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:37 am
This is going to be an excruciatingly long campaign. Full stop.

Not sure why the RGA even bothers on the Rauner race though. You’d think they’d see what damaged goods he is and cut their losses. Although maybe this is what that looks like with them phoning in spin efforts on his behalf.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:37 am
Here is what they said tuesday night. So, as my grandpa would have said, these boys are about a half a bubble off-center.

“Governor Rauner is in strong shape, he should win easily tomorrow night,” Jon Thompson, the Communications Director for the Republican Governors Association (RGA) said.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:38 am
==Now, Illinois Democrats will be facing off against an incumbent Republican governor with a damaged establishment candidate in Pritzker, whose only major selling point thus far has been his ability to self-finance his own campaign.==

Facing a Governor with an approval rating just about a gnat with no record to speak of and who has also self-financed a campaign.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:39 am
We are grumpy too, Rich. The thought of having to see, hear, or read negative misleading campaign ads from now to November causes our heads and hearts to ache. There is no reason for campaigns to last this long. We aren’t getting our news by Pony Express. Candidates can go from one end of the state to another in a few hours. We already know they aren’t going to tell us any real goals or information in the campaign.

Comment by Thoughts Matter Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:40 am
Tell me about it, the subforum for Chicago on Reddit you had people acting like we just nominated Al Capone for Governor. There’s a post on there titled “Question: Who the hell is actually voting for J.B. Pritzker and how does he have so much momentum?”

progressives live in a bubble, especially younger ones. And I say this as a young progressive.

Comment by ThisIsTheEnd Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:41 am
“Why the RGA even bothers”

Press releases are pretty low cost things.

Comment by Fav human Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:43 am
A statewide candidate who swept 98 of 102 counties? I’ll bet Rauner would love to be that “damaged”.

I do like the idea that someone had yesterday, that for every $1 that Rauner throws into negative advertising, Pritzger would publicly donate $1 to a deserving charity rather than spend on counter-attacking. It would probably never be considered, but if it worked, would be talked about for generations.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:45 am
Toni Preckwinkle a progressive victory? stop yourself. the only thing that cleanses her is that Berrios is gone. she’s become a hack.

Comment by Amalia Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:45 am
I’m more than a little grumpy at the purity progressives, the tea party of the left, who make false equivalences because of money. Pritzker and Rauner are nowhere near the same, policy-wise. I know Pritzker has never been a governor or office-holder, but in no way do I see him being a Rauner-type, right wing fiscal governor.

How dense can some of these people be? I think many are privileged and have no idea about the struggle for union rights came about, for example. They would throw everything away because a Pritzker is a billionaire and somehow not a progressive.

I actually respect straight-shooting conservatives more than bratty purity progressives, who want to break the system if they don’t get their way.

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:46 am
This guy cites Anthony Clark’s inability to unseat Danny Davis as another sign of trouble for progressives. He clearly does not understand Illinois politics.

Comment by Montrose Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:47 am
==“Question: Who the hell is actually voting for J.B. Pritzker and how does he have so much momentum?”==

They should probably actually try to answer that question.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:49 am
We have this to look forward to the next 7 months…Ugh.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:52 am
–Mic reaches 70 million people per month, according to their leadership.–

Well, if they say so. The U.S. population over 18 is about 250 million. They’re “reaching” every one out of three or four a month?

Ever heard of them before today?

Somehow, the “analysis” misses the point that Pritzker actually won the primary by getting many more votes.

These DC committees have to generate a work product to protect their phony-balony jobs. We’re not talking the A-Team, in most cases.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:52 am
To be fair, Splinter, a Gawker affiliated site who is just to the left of the socialists, said the same thing when complaining about Lipinski and Pritzker wins.

Seems like Rep. Lipinski was on to something when he called progressives the “Tea Party of the Left.”

https://splinternews.com/this-was-always-going-to-be-hard-1823943104

Comment by ChrisB Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:54 am
Ugh, why did I read that article?

The biggest progressive victory in Cook County was defeating Berrios. Full stop.

That race was far more important for implementing actual progressive changes for actual people than any individual congressional seat will ever be able to bring.

And using other challengers for Congressional seats to make your point is completely baffling. It only makes sense if you think that either Danny Davis or Mike Quigley are insufficiently progressive. You can make an argument that maybe it is time for Davis to retire, but that has more to do with allowing younger democrats to move up the ranks than anything involving his voting record.

And on the Governor’s race, all three of the leading candidates were pretty progressive. The policy differences were relatively minor and largely on niche issues. The race was much more about form over substance, and who could be in the best position to defeat Governor Rauner. A very large plurality of democratic voters, including many progressives, decided that the candidate with the bottomless war chest was best positioned for the challenge. So it goes.

Comment by Juice Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:58 am
Old lefty here who doesn’t have a problem voting for Pritzker. I can’t say I’m thrilled about another wealthy businessman but he’s the guy who is going to beat Rauner. That’s what matters.

Comment by Cheryl44 Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 10:10 am
No need for spin or nuances anymore.

2014 - Failed Quinn fired.
2018 - Super-failed Rauner fired.
2022 - We’ll see if Pritzker gets fired.

We keep doing this until things get better. Save your breath politi-junkies. It’s all about either making things better, or being replaced.

Save your breath. Few are listening.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 10:22 am
The author’s twitter bio reads, “New-York-based Idaho native.”

‘Nuff said.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 10:26 am
is AP Joyce the flip side of Dennis Byrne?

Comment by Amalia Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 10:53 am
New candidate Ann Gillespie for Senate 27, was first, last, and always carried by We The People - Mt Prospect, (grassroots formed after the Women’s March), despite a few more-established Dems jumping on their rollicking bandwagon.

Comment by walker Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 10:58 am
RGA put an unreal spin on an already unrealistic spun article…Kennedy/Biss supporters aren’t voting for Rauner, bottom line. Wouldn’t be surprised if the Pritzker campaign has a progressive turnout operation that Biss is involved in. And there’s a ton of progressive victories that happened, including Berrios loss, and the Chuy slate– I would even say that the loss of Al Riley and Carrie Austin in the State Central Committee are little talked about progressive victories as well (I don’t know about the others outside Chicago)

Comment by ILDemVoter Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 11:07 am
There’s a pretty big difference between Pritzker and Lipinski. There were legitimate reasons to vote against Pritzker but his platform is solidly on the left. Writers conflating the two just serves Lipinski’s interests when it comes to painting his primary challenge as some sort of left-wing Tea Party.

Comment by Nacho Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 11:08 am
I’m with Roman. Ban both of the ‘GAs news releases unless they have something real to say.

Comment by Soccermom Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 11:16 am
Prekwinkle = Stroger

hardly progressive

Comment by Ron Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 11:54 am
I voted Kennedy and am voting for Rauner.

Comment by Ron Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 11:56 am
=== Prekwinkle = Stroger ===

On what issues is she not progressive?
Unlike Stroger, Preckwinkle is seen as competent (by editorial boards) and won re-election by a landslide.

Comment by anon2 Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 12:21 pm
Response to ILDemVoter

Al Riley won re-election as State Central Committeeman for the 2nd District with 66% of the vote? It is the 16th time the people have re-elected him to 5 different offices? That’s progressive.

Comment by Democratic Voter in the Southland Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 12:22 pm
What else can they do? They are starting the game in checkmate.

Comment by Signal and Noise Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 12:26 pm
Wish it had been Kennedy; will be voting Rauner. I’m an independent, but cannot stomach J.B. It is going to be a long 8 months.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 12:53 pm
Demoralized — You are insulting gnats.

Comment by Soccermom Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 2:45 pm
By releasing this the RGA is showing it’s hand. They will try to get progressives to stay home. It’s the only way they can win.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 3:05 pm