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* As we’ve already discussed, First Lady Diana Rauner was on the Big John and Ramblin Ray show this week. From the end of her segment…
JOHN HOWELL: You know famously you guys paid a lot of money for a grand champion steer at the State Fair this year, but I understand there is also something about a deer making social media rounds. What’s this about Bruce Rauner and a deer?
DIANA RAUNER: Well you know that Bruce is an outdoorsmen. He’s a hunter and a fisherman and he’s often out in the wilderness. This is actually a true story, he told our kids this story a couple of years ago. He was driving down the road with friends and a bunch of deer jumped out across the road. The last one to jump across the fence and run up the mountain. The last one sort of slipped in the shale and he didn’t make it over the fence. The deer jumped over the fence and was hanging on with its back legs on the back of the fence. Bruce pulled over with his friends. ‘We’ve gotta help this deer.’ You know, this deer is going to die hanging out, what a terrible way to die. So he pulled over and he, you know, he tried with his friends. You know the thing about deer is that deer got very strong back legs and sharp hooves. So you want to release the deer’s legs but you don’t want to get kicked in the face. And of course you gotta ask what kind of guy says ‘I gotta save a deer’ and then puts himself in that kind of jeopardy to save an animal.
HOWELL: How many pounds in the freezer after all this?
RAUNER: No, no. Actually, he got that deer loose and off it went.
HOWELL: Then he shot after it [laughter]
RAUNER: But here’s the thing. I think it is a metaphor for the state of Illinois. Right? You know, we might be that deer hanging on the fence. Let me tell you, Bruce has been kicked in the face a few times here. But guess what? He’s the kind of guy that says ‘this is something that has to get done’ and even when he gets kicked in the face he’s just the most persistent S.O.B. on the planet and he’ll stick with it.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:11 pm
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I wonder which costume he used for that story.
Comment by Fixer Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:15 pm
I suspect it’s more like Rauner’s leg is stuck on the “fence of no budget for three years” and Madigan pulls over and gives him a boost to get over and get going.
Madigan was like: “This is something I have to do.”
And he does. He did it. And Bruce runs away, runs up the big hill toward all his business buddies who are very happy to see him.
Comment by Macbeth Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:16 pm
“Like” who are these “friends”? Just asking for a friend…
Comment by MakePoliticsCoolAgain Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:16 pm
Except Rauner started shooting before he pretended to help.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:16 pm
They are some seriously arrogant people. Heroes in their own minds.
Comment by Reality Check Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:17 pm
Say what??
Comment by Flapdoodle Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:17 pm
“This is actually a true story, he told our kids this story a couple of years ago.”
Really? And yet, it works so well as a campaign metaphor. Go figure.
A little less story tellin’ and a lot more governin’ might have been the better way to go.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:18 pm
Women know their husbands. Mrs. Rauner once told my wife that he was very fixed in his goal to save Illinois from itself. This election, along with all the unkind words thrown at him is proving that.
I am surprised, although I shouldn’t be, at how badly the media treats him when compared to how they treated all the previous Governors that looted and pillaged the State of Illinois.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:19 pm
She doesn’t deny that he shot it…
But to the story - good lord. Pay no attention to all the pain and failure of the last several years because he tried to help this deer once?
Comment by Anonymiss Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:19 pm
Oh, please tell me which MOUNTAIN the deer ran up in Illinois since this is “actually a true story” as opposed to what we normally get from the governor.
Or is this a story from Montana that serves as a metaphor for Illinois?
And by chance did a child wander by and mistake Bruce for Mayor Daley, too?
And if Bruce had shown that kind of alleged compassion for human service providers, Diana Rauner’s group wouldn’t have had to sue him.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:20 pm
OH PLUUEEEZZ
Comment by Because I said so.... Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:21 pm
She does deny it. Sheesh.
But here’s my problem with the metaphor. The message here is that we’re all just helpless, witless, frightened deer kickin’ our determined and loving rescuer in the face.
What the heck is that?
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:25 pm
==I suspect it’s more like Rauner’s leg is stuck on the “fence of no budget for three years” and Madigan pulls over and gives him a boost to get over and get going.==
Sen. Radogno tried and got kicked…
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:27 pm
===how badly the media treats him when compared to how they treated all the previous Governors===
It’s way too early in the day to be that blind drunk. Go sleep it off.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:27 pm
This is the lady in charge of messagin’?
Comment by Langhorne Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:28 pm
What the heck is that?
A bloviating, condescending, and self-absorbed man explaining that his failure is not due to being wrong, but rather the people of Illinois not knowing what is best for them like Bruce does.
Comment by Ole' Nelson Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:29 pm
The thing that unnerves me about both Rauner’s is the attitude that we don’t appreciate all that Bruce is trying to do for us.
Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:31 pm
That is why he is always focused on improvin’ his messagin’. We must not be able to understand what he is trying to do. In his mind, there is no way that Illinois is flat out rejecting his agenda.
Comment by Ole' Nelson Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:31 pm
I remember one time when I helped a grizzer bear climb down a tree he was afraid to descend from…although it was many years ago and I might have the exact details somewhat mixed up…it might have been a unicorn…Puhlease…believe me?
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:32 pm
Yes, I remember it well. It was World Autism Day…
Comment by LizPhairTax Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:32 pm
“The message here is that we’re all just helpless, witless, frightened deer kickin’ our determined and loving rescuer in the face.”
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:32 pm
If only Rauner cares for the Quincy vest as he did for that deer. Of course, the Quincy vets were to weak from Legionnaires disease to kick Rauner in the face.
Comment by TominChicago Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:34 pm
Rich, I agree that “The message here is that we’re all just helpless, witless, frightened deer kickin’ our determined and loving rescuer in the face.” The second part of the message is the “rescuer” saved us now, but will happily shoot and kill us for fun at a later date. Its just sport to him.
Comment by City Guy Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:34 pm
Actually GovJunk hung State on fence and Madigan znd Some GOPies pulled off…good job
Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:35 pm
So, Dr. Rauner raises Bruce’s self-description of “persistent rascal” to “persistent S.O.B.”. How “folksy”. /s
Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:35 pm
So instead of finding some kind of, I don’t know, professional who might know how to do this w/o getting kicked in the face, he just jumps in and gets the deer loose.
And yes, I don’t know what professional I’d call either, but Google is my friend, even out in nature.
I’m not buying it. Except for the part about not asking anyone for help.
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:38 pm
“He’s the kind of guy that says ‘this is something that has to get done’ and even when he gets kicked in the face he’s just the most persistent S.O.B. on the planet and he’ll stick with it.”
When something fails miserably, don’t stop doing it.
I think SOB is a stand-alone description and doesn’t need a sentence around it.
Kicked in the face is what bullies say when people stand up to them.
Rauner is a lot nicer to deer than he is to the million or many thousands of people who lost social services because he’s a stubborn—I mean persistent—SOB.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:38 pm
When I’m wrong it’s always someone else’s fault?
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:39 pm
“Mrs. Rauner once told my wife that he was very fixed in his goal to save Illinois froqm itself.”
I for one am always leery of self-appointed saviours, but in this case my lack of faith has been rewarded given how absolutely incompetent Rauner has been in his first and hopefully only term.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:39 pm
Illinois is more like a shiny object in a hollow log. Rauner is a raccoon that’s reached in and grabbed us. But now he’s stuck and doesn’t have the sense to let go.
Comment by LakeviewJ Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:40 pm
–The message here is that we’re all just helpless, witless, frightened deer kickin’ our determined and loving rescuer in the face.
What the heck is that?–
Messiah Complex. They’ve been peddlin’ it since Day One: “only Bruce can save the state.”
And, of course, the only way to save it was burning it down.
Or a Katrina-like storm, as some would prefer.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:41 pm
The more Diane shows her true flim flam colors the better for JB. That Deer story was childish BS as usual.
Comment by DeseDemDose Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:44 pm
“This is actually a true story…”
Gamblers call that kind of language a ‘tell’.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:45 pm
==This is actually a true story,==
Even Diana knows Bruce constantly lies.
Comment by don the legend Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:45 pm
This whole episode would be embarrassing to the Rauner’s if they owned up to their failure. Something tells me that they have too much self-adoration to honestly reflect on all of the damage they have done to Illinois. As a result of their inability to admit failure, their narrative of the last four years will have to be that the helpless, witless, frightened voters of Illinois weren’t smart enough to go along with Bruce. The metaphor accurately reflects their dysfunction.
Comment by Ole' Nelson Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:45 pm
She is correct on the he’s “… he’s often out in the wilderness” point.
Comment by We'll See Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:46 pm
I’ve never met Bruce Rauner in my life.
Comment by The Deer Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:46 pm
It’s funny in a sad way that we are supposed to believe the story because he told it to his kids. Basically, “he doesn’t lie to his kids the way he lies to everyone else.”
An no thanks, Diana; I don’t think Illinois needs any more of your husband’s “help.”
Comment by Leslie K Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:49 pm
“Both Rauner’s is the attitude that we don’t appreciate all that Bruce is trying to do for us.”
Amen to that: only a fool believes a lie twice.
Comment by Annoyance Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:50 pm
Wouldn’t this be a great “dad’s home state” episode.
Comment by Northern pike Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:51 pm
And by “wilderness,” Diana Rauner means anything south of Jackson Street in Chicago.
Comment by GOPgal Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:58 pm
Dear Mrs. Rauner, was Bruce laughing when he told the story?
Asking for a friend.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 12:59 pm
For some reason this reminds me of the tale Rauner told about staking out a bullfrog at a pond on his grandfather’s Wisconsin farm when he was a boy. Waited all day and was finally able to ambush and capture it. Said he let it go too. This man is a treasure. Don’t know why he even has an opponent.
Comment by Chris P. Bacon Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:05 pm
Also reminds me of that scene in the movie ‘Primary Colors’: “So who are the doves?”
Comment by Chris P. Bacon Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:08 pm
I thought she was gonna tell that old joke.
“So there were these guys dressed like cowboys, and they find a deer stuck in the fence..”
Comment by Shark Sandwich Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:15 pm
So Madigan is a centaur?
Comment by XDNR Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:24 pm
“he’s often out in the wilderness”
Understatement of the century.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:25 pm
I was with him when it happened.
We were out by one of his houses, searching for dinner because the Rauners didn’t have enough money to fill their kitchen with food. We were smoking a couple of Rocky Patels because we were so hungry.
Suddenly the Lord saw fit to supply us in our need with venison manna. The deer leaped before us like winged angels. But one little fella got caught on the barbed wire fence.
I wanted to get the deer, but Bruce stopped me. “The Lord doesn’t want us to eat this metaphor”, he said between puffs. “God is sending us a signal.”
So we got it’s mom instead.
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:30 pm
==he’s often out in the wilderness==
Yer tellin’ me, lady.
Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:33 pm
Damn, Cubs in ‘16, great minds thing alike, and so do we.
Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:34 pm
Wondering if he had the $18 watch on also?
Comment by low level Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:38 pm
I think the campaign messages here may have been mixed up. Shouldn’t the “save the deer” story have been utilized in the Chicago/suburbs area and the “shoot the deer” story in the central and southern parts of the state?
Comment by Earnest Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:39 pm
==This is actually a true story,==
Have you ever believed a story that started with that predicate? It’s a blazing neon sign announcing “the following is BS.”
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:39 pm
Arsenal,
With an assist from Di. She set it right on the tee…
Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:43 pm
C’mon people, cut the First Lady some slack here. I would bet each and everyone of us on this blog has embellished certain parts of a story at some point for entertainment purposes. I mean would you prefer she told the true story, where the deer is Evelyn and instead of being stuck on a fence she slipped and fell on the floor?
Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:45 pm
===everyone of us on this blog has embellished certain parts of a story===
I, for one, believe her story. It’s not her story that gets to me, it’s her metaphor.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:51 pm
Y’all just need to focus on what we can control in Illinois.
Focus is a good thing.
Focus, you commenters.
FOCUS
Comment by Under Influenced.... Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 1:57 pm
116 years ago, Teddy Roosevelt attained noble notoriety for “assisting” an old bear tied to a tree by refusing to shoot it.
Times being what they are, I don’t believe Bruce can expect the same glory.
The Rauner story may have had a chance of passing the smell test if not for the history of whoppers and tall tales from his quarter.
Comment by Stumpy's bunker Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 2:06 pm
Delving further into this metaphor thing from a Raunerite perspective, it seems that the fence is Mike Madigan, and the defensive thrashings of the deer are the resistance of Illinois voters who don’t know what’s best for them.
Comment by Stumpy's bunker Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 2:21 pm
“==This is actually a true story,==” I saw Bob Newhart in concert once, and he said exactly the same thing several times during his act.
But more to the point, was the fence’s name “Michael?”
Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 2:27 pm
and that deer’s name?
Mark Janus
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 2:33 pm
He is always, always the victim, isn’t he? My G*d, I cannot take any more of this couple. Go away.
Comment by pawn Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 3:27 pm
This is one creepy savior complex. Especially given how they believe that private charity should take the place of government services. And given just who gets hurt when government services get chopped apart. “We don’t need a ham, we need a raise,” my old man would always say after the factory Christmas party.
Comment by Albany Park Patriot Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 5:22 pm
When I hear “To be honest …” or “this is actually a true story…”
I start checking pockets for wallet, keys, and cell phone.
Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 6:09 pm
I thought the story was going to end:
“He would have killed the deer, but JB took his gun away.”
Comment by Keyrock Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 9:44 pm
“He’s just the most persistent S.O.B. on the planet and he’ll stick with it.”
I’m surprised she admitted her husband is “the most persistent S.O.B. on the planet”. That actually makes him a bad governor.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 10:27 pm
The staff tried to see if the deer’s predicament could be blamed on a previous administration.
Then they went tot he defult and said Madigan and Property taxes and no terms limits are what made the deer run.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 19, 18 @ 10:56 pm
Diana has high esteem for her mother-in-law
Comment by Rabid Thursday, Sep 20, 18 @ 4:28 am
“…so Bruce called DeerIT, and they said they could have bids out to rescue the deer in six months or so. Gosh, this is such a metaphor for my husband’s administration (chuckles to herself)…”
Comment by revvedup Thursday, Sep 20, 18 @ 6:03 am