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* My Crain’s Chicago Business column…
Many years ago, I asked House Speaker Michael Madigan why he didn’t play golf during his campaign golf outing fundraisers.
Madigan explained that he was a lousy golfer. He said he had this reputation of being a powerful man, so if political types saw him out there pathetically hacking away, people might start to get the idea that he wasn’t so formidable after all.
I use that story in a lot of my public speeches because it perfectly shows
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posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:24 am
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Madigan spent his time laboring, wasn’t born with a country club lifestyle
Comment by Rabid Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 4:28 am
Consider Calvin Coolidge in Native American headdress, Johnson pulling beagle up by the ears, Nixon walking alone on the beach with pant legs up - wearing wingtips. Images have an impact on perception of power. Mike understands this
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 5:36 am
Excellent insights into the Madigan reality and myth.
Myths require believers with reasons to believe.
Madigan’s propensity for working out of sight, is not to avoid public scrutiny of his power, but of it limits.
One of the ways Governors with government experience could work well with Madigan, was that they understood him as being perfectly honest when he said he didn’t have the votes. They understood the structural constraints upon him, without having to wonder.
Comment by walker Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 5:47 am
“He got the blame for the tax hike (because he’s the all-powerful Madigan)”
Well look at that. The theory that Governors always own disappearing before our very eyes. Dems don’t have the $$$ advantage that they used to so whitewashing the story isn’t possible anymore. For that Gov. Rauner, I’m thankful.
Sunshine is the best disinfectant.
Comment by Big Muddy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 7:28 am
++Sidenote++
Love the early AM posts Rich. Thank you! Will this be the new norm when the 100th GA is in session?
Comment by Big Muddy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 7:39 am
===Well look at that. The theory that Governors always own disappearing before our very eyes.===
(Rolls eyes)
While Rauner spent millions and millions and only talked about the “Madigan tax”, it was Rauner himself, when he was Candidate Rauner that called it the Quinn Tax…
Further… the millisecond Rauner signs the income tax increase, it will be the “Rauner Tax”
“Edgar Ramp”
“Quinn Tax”
“Ryan’ Illinois First”
The Executive owns.
What Rich’s article also seems to show is allowing yourself to be framed instead of be active “like Rauner” with millions spent during session saying nothing but… “I’m great”
Why does a governor spend $2 million to say “I’m workin’ for you!”? Because governors own…
#TaxHikeMike notwithstanding
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 7:46 am
===Madigan now golfs in public. His son learned to play and loved it, so Madigan took up the game as a way of spending time with his teenager. He’s apparently not half bad.===
Open invitation Speaker. If you take it, you’ll be the first.
To the Post,
Rich, great as always, but this time it’s telling the truth to Madigan that Rauner wants to seem truthful…
===Madigan’s veto-proof majority isn’t actually “real.” Yes, he has three-fifths of all House members, but some of them are extraordinarily tax-averse and others are so politically vulnerable that Madigan wouldn’t dare put them on an override vote of Rauner’s promised veto. Rauner knows this and he also fully understands Madigan’s reputation, so he smartly used the reputation Madigan constructed against the master builder.===
I think this is a “Goldberg”.
“What does that even mean?”
Richard Goldberg is my favorite as his complete “unhelping” in letters and mocking the GA was in totality never about governing but a continuation of Ooda Loops. What made Goldberg a favorite is the writing and thoughts were/are in complete proportion to how unhelpful they were governing.
Same here.
Rauner, with Goldberg and Company, kept this “super-majority” … falsehood… going, knowing full well it didn’t exist, making it impossible for trust to exist.
How does this tie in for me?
As Rich points out, Madigan can’t “seem” mortal, yet the counter is to show an existence of mortality. While not purposely going out of his way to BE all-powerful, Madigan wasn’t stopping it either.
The embarrassing (yes, embarrassing) thing going on now is the time wasted by Madigan never being out-front for all the “good” he did; SSM, Conceal-Carry, in the same session, just to have one for discussion, but by ignoring the “good”, the “bad” is easily there to pile on, as no response for “decades” allowed an “asset” (image of all-powerful) turn into Madigan’s biggest liability.
That’s on Madigan’s Press Shop. I’ll check their Facebook for a response..
Who knows… maybe during golf we can talk…
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 8:03 am
A very good article, Rich. Insightful and spot on. Name your opponent’s greatest strength and turn it into a weakness - that’s politics. Madigan does have too much power, and he isn’t trying to distance himself from that because he believes that on balance it’s better to have that reputation than to be perceived as somehow weak. So, he has to take the shots that come with the “King Madigan” title he proudly wears.
Comment by phocion Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 8:04 am
==He rarely allows anyone to know his motives or his ultimate goals, but he eventually gets whatever it is he wants.==
I’ve used that tactic myself to great success at times. If you play your cards that close to the vest any victory can be legitimately construed as getting exactly what you wanted. It’s how successful politics is played, never laying all of your cards on the table, so you can manage the expectations. The Gov would be smart to learn this tactic but I doubt he ever will.
Comment by Gruntled University Employee Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 8:08 am
Beyond that, Madigan has allowed himself to be turned into a cartoon super-villain in the media, letting virtually every attack go unchallenged and set in stone.
Just a basic, straightforward political p.r. operation could mitigated his severe negatives. Why that wasn’t always in place is beyond me.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 8:29 am
Meh.
Madigan will work it out. No other choice. Trump helps.
Comment by Bobby Catalpa Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:07 am
From Rich’s column: “So why is Madigan, this incredibly powerful man, wrecking the state?”
*****
When I read the column yesterday, this sentence stood out. Substitute Madigan for Rauner, and you get the same question. Instead of golf, I’ll use a Driver’s Ed analogy- which “student” is doing a better job negotiating the overall course? Who knows how to better use the brake and accelerator so pedestrians aren’t hit? Will the legacy of Illinois be “Because Madigan”, or “In Spite of Rauner”?
Comment by Anon221 Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:07 am
Humorous.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:11 am
Rich: I would love to read your Crain’s article, but all my money goes to my CapFax subscription
Comment by Agricola Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:18 am
So much for forthrightness, huh.
Comment by Winnin' Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:20 am
===He dug in to protect the unions and trial lawyers, his most reliable base of support.===
How true. And this was the Rauner miscalculation - he thought wedge between the unions and social services, Madigan would choose social services, thus allowing the busting of unions.
Comment by Robert the Bruce Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:33 am
How will Madigan “work it out”?
Just catering to his special interests will not fix Illinois problems.
The only thing that will fix Illinois problems is convincing employers to move here or if the employers that are here expand their operations.
This will grow tax revenue so we can take care of the vulnerable and pay for the other obligations of state government. By refusing any reforms that would bring our workers comp and legal environment closer to average, Madigan is dealing in the extreme.
Madigan is the one with the “personal agenda”.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:35 am
OW,
Roll your eyes all you want. Expect more of this as you continue to remain rigid in an ever-changing and reshaping political landscape in Illinois. We ll know you are not a fan of Rauner or hi$ way$ but he is upending politics in Illinois. I say for the better and you say for the worse but changing it is.
Comment by Big Muddy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:36 am
RtB - I don’t think Rauner did any calculating at all.
I think he just assumed that he would get want he wanted because he always had. Or maybe he would get his reforms in exchange for a tax hike. He assumed that Democrats like raising taxes and that is really what they wanted.
Comment by siriusly Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:36 am
Did Crains have to pay full price for this rehash? Hope someone asks a refund if they did.
We think the point of this epistle is to claim all the anti Madigan spending is causing problems — it isn’t, but we will need to til 11-8 to confirm.
The BigBrain/Trump anchor is gettin’ harded to handle for the down ballot GOPies, And they are just realizin’ they have zero fundraisin’ once past the 1%ers and the mailing list of the zero depth think tank at IPI. They provide a hefty chunk but little to build on when they bored with this effort to create West Indiana and move on to the next 1%er fling.
The issues cited by Mr/Ms OW are used on a regular basis, but reminding the general public is helpful.
Oh and he still does golf at the outing.
Comment by Annonin' Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:40 am
It occurs to me we might want to see how the election shakes out before suggesting that Madigan is a victim of his own carefully crafted reputation. I would suggest that if the Governor hurls $50 gazillion at Madigan and the party he leads, and makes little headway, then perhaps that might actually add to Madigan’s preferred narrative.
Comment by ILPundit Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:40 am
–”So why is Madigan, this incredibly powerful man, wrecking the state?” –
Because he has to “win” and beat Rauner … at any cost. Period. #Fact
Comment by Deft Wing Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:40 am
==Because he has to “win” and beat Rauner … at any cost. Period. ==
The same can be said of the Governor. This is a battle and both men want to win and they don’t care about the cost. Please don’t pretend it falls only on one man because don’t so is nothing more than hyper-partisan babble.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:44 am
“doing so” not “don’t so”
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:45 am
==Madigan is the one with the “personal agenda”.==
Oh please. They both have agendas.
== I say for the better ==
I’d hate to see what change for the worse looks like for you if you think we are in any way, shape or form better off right now.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:46 am
- Big Muddy -
It’s not about me.
Governors own.
If 4 individuals, none Illinois Republicans, controlling the ILGOP is “good”, that’s embarrassing too.
Diana Rauner changing the Republicans?
Ken Griffin? Wisconsin’s own Richard Uihlein?
You’re rooting… for that?
That’s Raunerism, not Republican ideals, and getting this back to Madigan’s failure to understand this changing landscape, Rauner has unified all of Labor with Madigan as I couldn’t foresee. Even Democrats seem to say “I disagree with Madigan often, but I can’t support Rauner’s lack of governing.”
If Madigan continues to ignore his own image and refuses to “take the stage” for the positive, Rauner will continue #TaxHikeMike and all the ills… until the “Rauner Tax” is signed, until a state university is closed by Gov. Rauner, and Rauner adds years to his “no signed budget” streak.
Now an active Madigan press shop would pounce on it.
They refuse to do so(?)
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:48 am
Better question, what do bruce and mike want Illinois to look like in ten years? Do they plan on being here (or at least holding office in ten years). If they started with that question their answer is probably similar, now they should work back on how to get there. Screw winning and dealing in the extreme, we don’t care, Fix it.
Comment by ? Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:49 am
Big Muddy - he’s only changing who is winning.
He’s not changing the system at all. He’s only making it less democratic and less Democratic.
Comment by siriusly Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:50 am
- Annonin’ -
With respect,
At some point, the conversation needs to be in the offensive side of the argument, not the defensive side of the discussion.
I’ve never been invited to play in the Speaker’s golf outing. Sounds like it would be a Hoot. There’s always next year…
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:53 am
Rich wrote:”So Madigan did all he could do. He dug in to protect the unions and trial lawyers, his most reliable base of support.”
It is amazing that so many of his supporters here can’t see this simple truth.
Comment by Striketoo Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:58 am
Annonin’, your guy has an approval rating of 21%.
That took years of, um….. p.r. image-building to achieve.
Who are you blaming for that?
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 9:59 am
–This will grow tax revenue so we can take care of the vulnerable and pay for the other obligations of state government.–
That’s a total lie for two reasons.
1) Rauners first proposed budget slashes social service spending through the bone, not to the bone, through it. Look it up.
2) We are not growing revenue by growing the economy. Intersect Illinois is cutting deals to stop income from even getting into the coffers in the first place. EDGE and other programs keep it from even coming in. Remember 215,000,000 in 2015. How many, how much could we have funded with that money? A lot!
So no, don’t peddle that lie about growing the economy to fund social services.
Comment by Honeybear Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 10:03 am
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/poll-chicago-voters-disapprove-of-rauner-madigan-/1380819/
Madigan is at 13% approval - Rauner is at 32% approval
Dispproval is 65% for Madigan- 55% for Rauner
Approval of the GA is at 10%. I am stunned it is that high
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 10:07 am
Anonymous was me. Honeybear if unemployment goes down so does spending on some social services. Look it up
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 10:16 am
===…if unemployment goes down so does spending on some social services. Look it up===
Is your Google broke?
If you want to make the case, cite
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 11:02 am
OW enroll in a basic economics class, obviously if unemployment goes down, it creates upward pressure on wages (supply and demand). With a lot of competition for labor the price of labor goes up.
People with rising wages use less social services
The policies of this state have chased good paying manufacturing jobs away to our neighboring states and caused those displaced workers to use more social services.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 11:22 am
No, - Lucky Pierre -
You said “look it up”
Very well, look it up, get back to us with that cite…
Thanks.
You want to make the point, make it.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 11:27 am
https://capitolfax.com/2016/09/02/todays-number-304000-jobs/
Pretty good discussion here OW, you even commented on it. Madigan and the Democrats are choosing trial lawyers over good paying manufacturing jobs. Resisting any reforms at all costs. Because of this our unemployment remains stubbornly high and our recover one of the weakest in the US.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 11:58 am
Nice piece Rich- liked the golf analogy
Comment by Boone's is Back Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 12:17 pm
–Madigan and the Democrats are choosing trial lawyers over good paying manufacturing jobs–
LOL, want to show your work on that?
Or is that where you landed on your “Jump to Conclusions Mat” this morning?
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 12:19 pm
===… if unemployment goes down so does spending on some social services. Look it up===
- Lucky Pierre -
You didn’t answer this.
Please cite.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 12:20 pm
=== - Honeybear - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 10:03 am:
1) Rauners first proposed budget slashes social service spending through the bone, not to the bone, through it. Look it up. ===
Is your Google broke?
If you want to make the case, cite
How’d I do, OW?
Comment by Cadillac Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 12:32 pm
Listen the Greg Baise - Head of the Illinois Manufacturing Association speech at the City Club Wordslinger and get back to me with all of the things our state has done to make our manufacturing more competitive with our neighboring states.
Our trial lawyers aren’t complaining
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 12:35 pm
- Cadillac -
Rauner also vetoed all social service spending, so there’s that too.
Rauner only signed K-12 funding…
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 12:37 pm
=== - Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 12:37 pm:
- Cadillac -
Rauner also vetoed all social service spending, so there’s that too.
Rauner only signed K-12 funding… ===
Cite or it didn’t happen (see how stupid this is?).
Comment by Cadillac Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 12:46 pm
- Cadillac -
===Rauner also vetoed all social service spending, so there’s that too.
Rauner only signed K-12 funding… ===
Cite… With governor’s rationale
http://ow.ly/8nv4305gvbB
How’s that?
To the Post,
Madigan isn’t pointing things out on the offensive side of the ball, but playing defense with what has worked ok the past, and now there’s Madigan with his numbers…
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:17 pm
==Madigan and the Democrats are choosing trial lawyers==
You get that out of a campaign commercial?
==Resisting any reforms at all ==
Nobody is resisting “any” reforms. They are just resisting Rauner’s “reforms”.
You all or nothing people are something else.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:17 pm
Have you ever heard a trial lawyer address the City Club for a half hour detailing their grievances against Springfield power brokers?
Nobody is resisting reforms? Perhaps you can list some of the reforms the Speaker or Senate President have proposed since Rauner was elected.
There have been zero reforms passed
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:37 pm
I really like this column. I respect the Speaker. It never occurred to me that he understands the limits of his political position. He’s a really smart man.
Comment by Levois Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:23 pm
Nice column. As usual some insights that most of us don’t have. My only comment is that Mr. Madigan tends to take the longer view on issues than most others. Governor demanded quick dismantling of statutes and programs with long histories.
Mr. Madigan intends to play the entire 18 holes. The Governor and others seem to want to call it a day after (maybe) nine holes.
Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:32 pm
==There have been zero reforms passed==
Yeah, because they can’t agree among themselves as to what those should be. So stop already with the “it’s all Madigan and Culltetons” fault stuff. They are ALL to blame. Madigan, Cullerton AND the Governor.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:53 pm
==Have you ever heard a trial lawyer address the City Club for a half hour detailing their grievances against Springfield power brokers?==
Still campaign commercials I see.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:54 pm