Exclusive: Bill Daley drops bid for governor

[hue]

Source: Chicago Tribune

Bill Daley abruptly ended his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor Monday, saying a lifetime in politics had not prepared him for the “enormity” of his first run for office and the challenge of leading the state through difficult times.

Daley, a member of two White House administrations, a presidential campaign manager and the son and brother of two former Chicago mayors, dropped out of the race less than four months after declaring his political resume gave him the best credentials to replace Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn.

“One of the things I always thought in my career that I wanted to do, I thought I would be able to have that opportunity, I hoped, would be to run for office. And even though you're around it for a long time, you really don't get a sense of the enormity of it until you get into it,” Daley told the Tribune.

“But the last six weeks or so have been really tough on me, struggling with this. Is this really me? Is this really what I want to spend my next five to nine years doing? And is this the best thing for me to do at this stage of my life?” he said. “I've come to the conclusion that this isn't the best thing for me.”

Daley's stunning decision to drop out of the race could give Quinn a virtually free shot at winning nomination for re-election in March. But with the primary filing deadline in early December, he said some other Democrat should step forward to challenge Quinn's bid for a second elected term.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-bill-daley-governors-race-20130916,0,17259.story

[hobbit709]

1. a long time ago a friend of mine said he was considering running for office sometime.

My response was "Not only do we know about the skeletons in your closet, we ARE the skeletons in your closet."

[Sienna86]

2. Hmmm. What skeleton(s)?

Interesting.

[jessie04]

3. Run Rahm Run

lol

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. It's *tragic*. Mr Daley and his family have given so much.

OK... I get points for saying that with a straight face.

[LiberalFighter]

5. So he is not willing to make personal sacrifices for the good of the state?

[former9thward]

6. Interesting decision.

Daley would have easily beat Quinn in the primary. Quinn is very unpopular. There must be something else behind this decision.

[mopinko]

7. you underestimate the downstaters.

daley would have had a very, very tall order getting anyone south of I80 to vote for him. a democrat is one thing, a daley quite another. a daley that served in the obama administration? his chances were really very thin.

[former9thward]

8. In the Democratic primary he does not need south of I-80 votes.

The numbers are simply not there. He was backed by not only the Daley-Emanuel machine but the Madigans also. He would have easily won.

[mopinko]

9. he would never have won the general.

is what i am saying.

[former9thward]

10. He was the only candidate who might have won.

Yesterday Daley predicted Quinn will lose to whoever the Republicans nominate. I think that's right. Quinn is dead meat in the general.

[mopinko]

11. yeah, i don't hold out a lot of hope for him.

unless the illinois gop nominates someone who drools and play pocket pool onstage.
oh, wait...

[Mr.Turnip]

12. Probably but that was the case last election too.

Quinn is not exactly who I would want us to be running in Illinois (though I do prefer him over Daley) but if like in the last election the Republicans nominate a crazy teabagger he could squeak it out once again,

[former9thward]

13. Possibly.

But Quinn is starting to get old to Illinois voters. We'll see.