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* UPDATED x1 - Pritzker agrees * McCann wants to be included in debates

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* Press release…

Conservative Party candidate Sam McCann and running mate Aaron Merreighn formally joined the race for Illinois Governor today after the deadline for objections to his nominating petitions passed with no objections filed. McCann submitted more than 60,000 signatures, far surpassing the requirement of 25,000. He immediately called for debates to be scheduled.

McCann issued the following statement:

Conservative and Republican voters clearly showed their dissatisfaction with Bruce Rauner during the primary and those same voters put their hope in our campaign during the petition process. After a brief internal review of my petitions, Bruce Rauner’s paid staffers surely saw that attempting to put these petitions’ validity into question would be fruitless.

I am proud to be on the ballot in the General Election. Voters will now have an option to protect them from the Rauner-Madigan liberal agenda that brought us publicly-funded abortions and a sanctuary state. I am ready to lead the charge to rebuild Illinois together.

With Illinois’ future at stake, I call on Bruce Rauner, J.B. Pritzker and Kash Jackson to join me to schedule debates on these and other issues of critical importance to voters across the state.

*** UPDATE *** I’ve asked the Pritzker and Rauner campaigns for a response.

Galia Slayen from the Pritzker campaign…

After Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership, JB will highlight his plans to get Illinois back on track and our campaign welcomes other voices to the stage that know we need change in Illinois.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 9:16 am

Comments

–I’ve asked the Pritzker and Rauner campaigns for a response.–

My crystal ball says:

Pritzker: Yes, please.

Rauner: Absolutely not.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 9:19 am
Every candidate that legally qualifies to be on the ballot should be involved in any debates so voters can make an informed decision.

Comment by Voter Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 9:53 am
Get to 5% in polling, you get a microphone and podium.

McCann may get 5% in the end, but get 5% in polling to get in the stage.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 9:54 am
Get to 5% in polling, you get a microphone and podium.

McCann may get 5% in the end, but get 5% in polling to get in the stage

-The petition process qualifies him a podium.. Not Joe’s poll.

Comment by Real Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 9:58 am
===The petition process qualifies him a podium.. Not Joe’s poll.===

According to you.

My benchmark is always 5%… you can’t poll 5%, you don’t get a microphone and podium.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:00 am
“- Real - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 9:58 am:

Get to 5% in polling, you get a microphone and podium.

McCann may get 5% in the end, but get 5% in polling to get in the stage

-The petition process qualifies him a podium.. Not Joe’s poll.”

Willy is right. Traditionally, the threshold for inclusion is 5% in a published poll. Given how negative this campaign is going to get, that’s possible.

Comment by Anon0091 Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:02 am
OW: how about a slight modification? Everyone eligible for the ballot allowed at podium for first debate. If they don’t pill at 5% or higher after that they do not get invited to remaining debates.

That is more than fair to you and the voters IMO.

Comment by unclesam Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:03 am
===Everyone eligible for the ballot allowed at podium for first debate. If they don’t pill at 5% or higher after that they do not get invited to remaining debates.===

I could agree.

But then 3 or more debates must be agreed to then as well.

Having someone polling at 3%, probably getting 6% in the end… they’re making noise.

The 6% is spoiler territory anyway. Show me you are taken seriously.

How’s that?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:07 am
I have a feeling JB may feel differently about welcoming other voices to the stage if the other voice is a Green party candidate.

Comment by Just Observing Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:15 am
OW, McCann could absolutely blow his 5%. Simply by showing up. I could care less. If I were Rauner, I’d insist on having all of them there. Libertarian guy too. More this is muddled, the more it works to his advantage. This sure ain’t gonna be a beauty contest, that’s for sure.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:16 am
Ofcourse McCann should be included in the debates. He is on the ballot and voters will consider him. This is a democracy and he should not be excluded by some ‘private’ poll of some sponsoring entity. Let the voters decide.

Comment by Professor Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:16 am
The more people in the race, better for incumbents, generally. More people attacking an incumbent on a stage, not a great look. Big difference.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:20 am
McCann’s special interest funded, ironically named, “Conservative Party” does not deserve special treatment.

I’m all for including more voices in the debates, but that should start with the Libertarian Party who has been growing and fighting for this issue since McCann first started pretending to be a Republican.

Comment by Phil King Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:22 am
OW, McCann could absolutely blow his 5%. Simply by showing up. I could care less. If I were Rauner, I’d insist on having all of them there. Libertarian guy too. More this is muddled, the more it works to his advantage. This sure ain’t gonna be a beauty contest, that’s for sure.

-Yeah, it worked to Rauner’s disadvantage by showing up to a debate with Ive’s so not sure why you think Rauner is now the great debater.

Comment by Real Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:22 am
I think all the candidates are master debaters and should be allowed to participate.

In fairness to JB, there should be a step stool behind his podium so he can see over the top. Otherwise he would be disadvantaged.

Any truth to the rumor that Rauner has requested that rather than standing on stage, all debate participants will be required to sit on toilets during the debates?

Happy 4th everyone, and as my Uncle Lefty says, leave the fireworks to the professionals.

Comment by SSL Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:34 am
Pritzker brings his billions, McCann brings his debt, and Rauner brings his toilet.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:37 am
==-Yeah, it worked to Rauner’s disadvantage by showing up to a debate with Ive’s so not sure why you think Rauner is now the great debater.==

Uh, Real, you just made my point. One feisty opponent is a problem. 3? McCann will shoot at everyone. The Libertarian will do what Libertarians always do. And JB…yeah, he won’t make you forget Bobby Kennedy. There are no great debaters in this lot. The more there are, the better for Rauner. This is a show no one will be motivated to steal. More like a Cockfight.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 10:53 am
And what about the Libertarian candidate?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 11:02 am
Heck the good folks here all think Rauner deserves a podium. Haven’t we learned all there is to know about him? Yeah…maybe that’s snark.

Comment by MATT VERNAU Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 11:07 am
=The more there are, the better for Rauner. =

Unless everyone focuses on Rauner, but he is not the font runner right now so that is unlikely.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 11:19 am
==Unless everyone focuses on Rauner, but he is not the font runner right now so that is unlikely.==

The next time Sam goes after JB with any gusto might be the first, so at least 2 people will keep the focus on Rauner. Kash will probably try to complain about everyone and “the system”, but it’s going to be easy enough to wrong-foot him, too.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 11:42 am
=The more there are, the better for Rauner. =

I don’t see how. Rauner’s trailing and McCann is a right-of-center option.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 11:46 am
==I don’t see how. Rauner’s trailing and McCann is a right-of-center option.==

It helps if you see everything as good news for Rauner.

But in general, yes, big messy debates don’t help the guy who needs a game-changer.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:05 pm
You just have to walk out of the debate in the same or better shape that you walked into it in. After the debate with Ives, it’s hard to imagine he could hurt himself worse than that. Magically…his video team found a way to use some of that. They’ll be ready again.

This debate is a great case for “tape delay”. That’s how thrilling I think it will be.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 2:42 pm
A guy

I must say you think everything is good news for Rauner. Can’t take you serious.

Comment by Real Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 3:08 pm