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My favorite photo of the season

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Illinois

* I held my quadrennial pre-election party in Chicago over the weekend. I always invite a couple of dozen or so campaign types to have drinks and break bread the Saturday before election day. I’ve been doing this since 2002 and have never seen one argument.

This year was, I think, the best one. I even convinced the campaign managers for the Bruce Rauner and JB Pritzker campaigns to pose together for a photo. On the left is Betsy Ankney with the Rauner campaign. On the right is Anne Caprara with the Pritzker campaign…

A profile of the two accomplished women is here.

What some of these folks discover at my party is how much alike they all are. It takes a special type of person to run campaigns or flak for them, so most are cut from the same cloth. They may be on opposite sides, but they have lots of things in common.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 10:38 am

Comments

Not sure “Campaign Manager for Rauner Reelection Campaign 2018″ is something I’d want on my resume.

With all due respect to Ms. Ankney. And I mean that, both these people deserve recognition for their effort and ability.

Comment by AlfondoGonz Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 10:40 am
Thanks for doing that.

Comment by Exit 59 Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 10:41 am
It’s a fraternity.

It takes special type people to do incredible things. Glad Rich does this, a good thing to remember how people are quite similar, and not too different in this business.

Congratulations to them both. Best of luck too.

OW

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 10:44 am
Thanks for doing this, Rich.
There aren’t many/any folks who can bring the warring tribes together in Illinois.

Comment by Scott Fawell's Cellmate Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 10:45 am
Good on them. Folks like that have more in common than they don’t.

–Not sure “Campaign Manager for Rauner Reelection Campaign 2018″ is something I’d want on my resume.–

I dunno. Like practicing law, you work with the client you have. Sometimes the deck is stacked against you. Even if things turn out like most expect, I doubt anyone will be holding this Pritzker campaign out as masterful. Far from it. Sometimes cash covers up your issues.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 10:57 am
And neither of them is smoking a cigar in a back room somewhere. Nice to see!

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:00 am
Way to go, Rich

Comment by Molly Maguire Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:05 am
This is reminiscent of the “four horsewomen of the Apocalypse” photo you ran during the Blago administration, by half. LOL. Good to see a moment of levity in these times.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:37 am
(stands)(applauds)

Comment by Name Withheld Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:39 am
Oh I agree Ron. It’s the nature of this campaign that I would not want to be associated with. Think “Unholy Union.”

Comment by AlfondoGonz Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:54 am
Back in the day, I had many good friends across the aisle and after an election we would always share war stories over some adult beverages. I thought those days were gone. Glad to see they haven’t gone completely.

However, I must admit that as a campaign manager if I had ever caught one of my workers going to a bi-partisan pre-election weekend Saturday event with no voters present, I would have been steamed.

Comment by Suburbanon Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:57 am
This isn’t really that unusual. Still, it’s an interesting sit down before an election. I’ve done many either on or very soon after election day. Operatives are professionals and treat each other as such. That they fight tooth and nail during the campaign cycle, they do hold one another in high respect.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:04 pm
Does this Oswego guy have Aspergers? I notice he repeats exactly what Miller writes in all his never-ending comments.

Comment by Pro-X Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:28 pm
- Pro-X -

Are you diagnosing from your laptop?

That’s fun.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:33 pm
Congrats to both. Nice moment to capture - thanks

Comment by doofusguy Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:39 pm
It’s nice that they get along, after all they are in the two-party system together. You probably won’t see a pick of them with a third or fourth party.

Comment by Duopoly Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:46 pm
One thing that may matter- it is usually not personal between campaign staffers. meaning, the insults and accusations are thrown at candidates.

I have yet to lose a friend because of political beliefs. We can disagree and still work together. That was always something I loved about America.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 1:12 pm
used to be a couple of old white guys. Like to see young intelligent, hard working ladies at the front of the crowd!

Comment by flea Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 2:13 pm
They look very happy. Rich’s drinks, or the fact that it’s almost Wednesday?

Comment by JoanP Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 2:28 pm
That’s a great photo. Anna has been a joy this cycle with her tweets. Ankney has not had the public profile, but it is great to see the two of them as this closes out.

Now, Illinois needs a woman Governor.

Comment by Archpundit Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 3:55 pm
Drop weapons, semi-embrace, smile. A worthy photo, Rich. Peace in the valley before the action resumes.

Reminds me of opposing forces, between assaults and barrages, meeting each other halfway between trenches in WWI to exchange Christmas pleasantries.

Comment by Stumpy's bunker Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 6:28 pm
Archpundit, our first female gov should have been JBT. Illinois would be a different place today.

Sorry if I’m being Mr. Obvious here. She was one of my all time favorites.

Comment by Freezeup Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 10:07 pm
Looks like the story from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where the guys think they make the decisions, but it is really the women running things. I love it.

Comment by Jerry Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 9:08 am