What does everyone here think of IL Dem leader Mike Madigan?

As the leader of the party not as speaker of the house. Just would like to see what kind of opinion people here might have.
Thanks!
:kick:

Old time party hack trying to run a power play on the first Democratic governor in lo these many years instead of using a Dem sweep of all offices to fix the state's many problems. Lisa, on the other hand, seems pretty terrific.

Holding someone for a dog sniff is not a search? How did she keep a straight face. Of course a number of them didn't need convincing, I'm sure.

My answer will depend a LOT on if he is your Dad or not...

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Nah, Personally, I've never had any real issues with the man, however some of his staffers that I've run into in past elections have been complete assholes. The tendency they've had has been to march into the local area and just completely blow off every local campaign or long established relationship. Makes it hard to help in any way at all--even If you wanted to.

I've also seen them use some pretty unethical methods and have been lied to more than once by his people. I've seen them virtually isolate a candidate from the local party--then leave the candidate high and dry.

Madigan has sent his people in to work local primaries and they have REALLY made the races incredibly painful and divisive. I can think of more than one race they have been involved in that probably would have been much better off had his people NEVER been allowed in the county.

Now, I want to make it plain, that I do not hold him personally accountable for his people's actions. I do, however, feel that the scorched earth tactics they use are probably directed from above, and THAT reflects badly on him if the locals are pissed off.

It is important to remember that under his reign, the state of Illinois has seen some pretty good results for Dems statewide. You CAN'T take that away from him. He's "Da Man" for the IL Dem party and we have been winning...

Sorry--was that more info than you wanted? :)

Laura


On a personal note, I REALLY like Emil Jones' people. EVERY race I've seen them work and every campaign I've ever worked with them has been just wonderful!

What good is having Democrats control the Governorship and the Legislature if you aren't going to pass any major progressive legislation? I think that his desire to raise campaign cash may be keeping him from doing much in the way of a liberal agenda. Or maybe he genuinely is a more conservative Democrat.

I've also noticed every person I've seen work for Madigan for too long end up becoming cynical and losing all their idealism and principles. And not just in the normal way that political organizers become pragmatists and cynical. More like in a depressing, loss of all hope and becoming seriously stuck up kind of way.

Hack is a good word though. It seems to me that he is more interested in Mike Madigan then in the Democratic party. The whole idea of a central committee is not worth a damn when they only meet once a year, and cede all decisions to Madigan. I think we need to start paying attention to who we nominate and elect for state central committee, and put some progressives in there.

Those guys got buried by money and resources that somehow got put up against them...

I saw Madigan blow over $200,000 in cash and "resources" on a PRIMARY against a guy that had pissed him off. All Madigan had to do was stay out of a local primary, but he chose to piss away resources (AND the race, ultimately) just to make a point.

I am VERY serious when I say this: Be very careful about pissing him off in public. I am not afraid of him, per se, but I have seen what his people can, and will, do--it is ugly as sin. If you ever want to run for a seat in the Illinois House, you better consider kissing the ring.

Lest I leave you thinking all is lost, I also know a *few* folks who were able to run successful races in SPITE of pissing off Madigan. Part of the reason I mentioned Emil Jones' people in my original post in this thread is the fact that they GET it, and it is an alternative path to having to deal with Madigan if you are running in Illinois.

I agree that IDP is due for a leadership change, but if you are gonna go after "the King" you best be damn sure you have the guns in place to do it on the first try...


Laura

But did not do it. I knew I wasn't about to get any help for Madigin in the first place since I had an winnable district. What has me po'ed right now is the race up in Elgin. This is a races that came within 40 votes of unseating a Republican, despite being outspent by 10-1. How much help did Madigin provide? ZIP! I think I know why but have no proof.

I remember now!

You ARE a veteran of the Madigan wars--and I apologize for lecturing you on it...

Doesn't it just piss you off when the really good races are not "targeted" ones? I REALLY want to know who decides that one.

As for the Elgin race, I've not heard anything down here on it. If I do I'll let you know. I'll ask around and see what anyone knows on it too...

Laura

I saw no support for him from Madigan. Nolands a real nice guy; talked to me for quite a while one day while campaigning door to door. I can't believe it was so close.
Proof or not, what do you think went wrong?

why not? clearly the district was close enough for a Dem to win. Mike demonstrated with his vote totals last time against an incumbent he was a good candidate. Remember that Madigins support means not only campaign help from the speakers office. but it opens the flow of money from many other organizations that give money only to "targeted races". The rumor I heard, and I have no facts to back up, are that Madigin cut a deal to assure that another race would go uncontested, if no support was given to Mike.

in a number of other "allegedly"'s -- like trade-offs on Tribune endorsements,peace pacs on the NW side.

when the central committee only meets once a year and cedes decisions to MJM. I have been out of that loop for awhile, now, so I don't know if anything has changed recently. I can not forgive what was done to Penny Severns, even though I didn't support her in that primary race, or what was done to Miriam Santos. I believe there was complicity in those falls and that it was about clearing the decks for Lisa moving up (and a deal with Daley to get back at Miriam for Miriam going to Edgar over that pension board seat). I believe MJM's gift is his ability to see 1000 moves ahead, but that he has lost his moral compass in the belief that the ends justify the means. He needs a "leveler" but is only surrounded by sycophants.