Exclusive: Bill Daley drops bid for Illinois governor

[Eugene]

Source: Chicago Tribune

Exclusive: Bill Daley drops bid for Illinois governor

By Rick Pearson
Tribune reporter
7:00 p.m. CDT, September 16, 2013

Bill Daley abruptly ended his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor today, telling the Tribune that 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.”

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

[frazzled]

1. Well, ain't that somethin'

I loved this line:

he maintained he was not dropping the race out of fear of losing but because of the potential for winning it.

What, he thought being governor of this state was going to be a walk in the park, dinner parties and such? ... and then he realized what a rat's nest of fights and work it was going to be and decided maybe he'd prefer to, I don't know, consult a few days a week at a law firm or bank?

Sheesh. Well, I wasn't going to vote for him anyway. Yes, Quinn is weak, but I kind of like the guy.

[former9thward]

5. Quinn brought all his problems on himself.

Back in the 70s he was behind an initiative that reduced the size of the legislature by 2/3s. IL used to have a legislature where every district in the state had to have at least one member of each party. This meant that even in totally Republican areas there would be a Democrat representing people. Back then the legislature was full of independents and thinking people. Since Quinn's initiative passed the legislature is a shell of its former self. All the power rests with just Speaker Madigan and the Senate president. Now Quinn can't get anything done as a result. He is sleeping in the bed he made.

[Paulie]

2. So now we won't have a primary with our incumbent Gov

That's a win right there. Let Dillard or Dold or Oberweiss spend a few million bashing each other instead.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

3. Good. nt

[Mr.Turnip]

4. Well that was certainly unexpected.

Pat Quinn must have sacrificed his soul to some sort of luck god at one point in his life, watch as the Republicans once again nominate someone super right-wing and out of the Illinois mainstream and turn a winnable election for them into another loss. Bonus points if its Bill Brady again.