Gubernatorial cash flow for '18 election cycle creates gap bordering on obscene

Democratic gubernatorial hopeful J.B. Pritzker comes from a wealthy family (Hyatt Hotels, among other sources of income). He’s so wealthy that he can afford to put in at least $7 million of his own money into operating a campaign for higher office.
 

GRIFFIN: Trump bucks, w/o the ego?

Yet in light of the modern-day realities of electoral politics, that last sentence is sure to cause some people to snicker.

SEVEN MILLION??!? What a joke. What a pauper. Why doesn’t he just give up now?

Because let’s not forget that Pritzker, assuming he’s able to get the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor in the 2018 election cycle, would be running against incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner.

He being the guy who might as well have self-funded his 2014 election bid with his own personal wealth from having worked as a venture capitalist. And he being the guy who has said he can spend some $50 million of his own money on his ’18 re-election.

That figure became even more bloated this week when it became publicly known that Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, plans to put up some $20 million of his own money to support Rauner’s re-election desires.

THEORETICALLY, THAT MAKES the obscenely wealthy-in-his-own-right Pritzker the guy who’s going to get outspent by at least a 10-1 ratio.

Although it should be noted that much of the $50 million that Rauner plans to spend is money he will ration out to various campaigns of people wishing to serve in the Illinois General Assembly – provided they’re willing to pledge their loyalty to HIM!

Pritzker has $1 in his campaign fund ...

For that, from Rauner’s perspective, has been his biggest problem, and the reason why it can be argued he hasn’t accomplished a thing during his time thus far as governor. He has to work with a state Legislature of the opposition party – and the fact that Rauner came into office with such hostile intentions means they see nothing wrong with telling him to “stuff it” every time he spews his anti-organized labor rhetoric and tries to pass it off as “reforms.”

Rauner wants a stronger presence in the General Assembly of people inclined to back him – or even just to be hostile to the interests of the urban portion of this state that does comprise about two-thirds of Illinois’ population.

 

... for every $10 available to Rauner

GRIFFIN, WHO IS considered one of the most-wealthy people in the United States, and at the head of the pack in Illinois, certainly is someone sympathetic to the Rauner agenda.

Which most likely is the Griffin agenda that Rauner is doing the dirty work of trying to implement in Illinois state government.

The only real question is why doesn’t Griffin just run for office himself so he can try to push for these things? We’re seeing in Washington these days what happens when business-oriented people get in over their heads and try to “play” politics.

Then again, perhaps it isn’t fair to compare anybody to Donald Trump. His ego is so over-bloated that it likely would have taken him down no matter what!

PRITZKER, OF COURSE, is counting on the notion that so many people are repulsed by inactivity of Springfield these days and are willing to place the blame on Rauner. Thereby negating any financial advantage he might otherwise have – he and other Democrats would like to think that no one can “buy” political office.

GOV. PAWAR?: Not likely!

Except, of course, that perhaps Rauner is evidence that office can be “bought.” All I know is that it will be an ugly brawl for Illinois governor next year. The kind of people willing to put in money aren’t going to hesitate to use it to bash their opposition about willy-nilly.

And if it turns out that one of the other Dem gubernatorial dreamers winds up getting the nomination, they’re going to be so overwhelmingly spent. Although it could wind up that a “Gov. Ameya Pawar” could be a symbolic statement of substance over money.

Fat chance of that happening!

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