“hardline conservative”
Trump fixed it for you
Your time has passed
You are 35% and we’re coming for you in a big blue wave
Nice article, all accurate, and Rauner certainly sucks as a governor. One thing not included is how Rauner got off to his start as governor by refusing to make a budget deal with Democrats who controlled the legislature unless they went along with his ultra pro-business, anti-union agenda. Illinois was without a budget for 2 years until Republicans finally turned on him and made a deal with Democrats. In the meantime, contractors, utilities and Medicaid providers weren’t paid; social service agencies shut down; state universities laid off hundreds of professors and workers; state workers had to pay for their own medical care since the state insurance plan wasn’t funded properly and doctors didn’t want to wait for payment; and Rauner’s rich friends purchased the debt these entities held against the state for 50 cents on the dollar, only to get paid the full amount plus interest after budgets finally were negotiated.
Let’s hope Rauner loses the primary to the nutjob right winger Ives. She would get demolished in November by at least 20 points.
Rauner is utterly incompetent. I must confess to voting for him in 2014 over the awful Governor Quinn. I now deeply regret doing so, and many other Illinoisians are in my camp.
Thanks, Rick, for that background. I did not realize the state went without a budget for TWO years. Hope someone has asked Ms. Hardliner if she would repeat that nonsense. IMO, that governorship needs to Democratic!
*go
Excellent summary.
I would add he tried to buy the Republicans in the lege by bankrolling the IL-GOP during the 2016 election cycle.
Its just such a shame when uber-billionaires can’t get along to jointly rape and pillage the common man. This internecine fighting may actually distract from putting their boots on the neck of the taxpayers choking them of opportunity and a decent wage.
Rauner hasn’t even been campaigning or advertising Down State. This is a very telling sign. There have been plenty of negative ads against Republicans by other Republican candidates, but the billionaire Governor seems to have given up on the farmers and middle class families in the heartland.
Maybe he just doesn’t want to be associated with the Russian Mafia any longer? Neither do Reagan Democrats?
The same thing is going on in MO right across the river. Grietens is a carpetbagger brought in by the Kochs who bought the seat right out from under Parsons and the MO RNC. There has been no love won by his Brownback economic plans, dubious methods and arrogance since taking office.
Plus there is that juicy revenge porn trial that developed out of nowhere to the delight of the rabble. Rauner has his own scandal waiting to be revealed if he stays? There is no longer any honor or respect among Republicans and billionaire corporate raiders? .
Enough with the billionaires and “businessmen.” They’re not running for office; they’re buying one. They have no clue about public service or how government works. Case in point: KY Gov. Matt Bevin, who just guaranteed his 2019 loss by publicly calling teachers selfish and ignorant.
Let’s have some genuine public servants with 20 years of political and bureaucratic experience on the local school board and in state government.
Those are the only ones really qualified for higher office.
Thanks! I confess to knowing next to nothing about Illinois and all I hear about is when a Dem Governor is corrupt again…I’ll have to keep an eye out!
Corruption in the Illinois Governorship is bipartisan.
I think Republicans know neither Rauner or Ives stand a chance no matter who wins the Democratic nomination. IMO they figure they’ll vote for the candidate who represents their resentment, racism and sexism loudly just like they did nationally with Trump in 2016. If they can’t win they might as well give the finger to the rest of the state with Ives as they go down in flames.
Not to worry. The ultra wealthy white male candidates alternate with merely wealthy white males who come from the military. They know what serving the public means, so give them all a free pass. Konichiwa.
in a dogfight with hardline conservative Illinois state Rep. Jeanne Ives ®, who has risen from gadfly status
That’s one hell of a phrase. Dogfighting a gadfly.
Ouch. Great heads up on him.
Good analysis of what’s going on on the GOP side of the fence here, but your analysis of the Dems is superficial, to say the least. Yes, “JB” (what’s his real name, for God’s sake?? what’s wrong with “Pritzker” one may ask) …JB is almost sure to win, but the biggest news is State Sen. Daniel Biss, whom you ignored almost completely. Biss is a thoughtful progressive, and has realistic policies for the budget, education, and social welfare - just not politically realistic. Biggest problems in the primary: He alienated AFSCME and CTU with his support for a fiscally-prudent but politically centrist-right pension constraint, and his luck with running mates isn’t good, to say the least (Illinois only just adopted Gov/Lt.Gov single ticket voting, so we’re not used to that). He has a chance to best Kennedy, will give JB a run for his money (pun intended)…but would lose to Rauner in the unlikely event he bests JB. Biss’ baggage in a battle with Rauner include that he’s a math PhD (intellectual effete snob!), from a prominent family of classical musicians (ditto!) and Jewish (insert offensive epithet here) - a fatal combination in the deep red.
Bottom line: I voted for Biss now, knowing I’ll likely be holding my nose and voting for JB in the general election.