Six takeaways from the second Illinois governor’s debate: Today’s Juice, by Greg Hinz
So the not-so-great second gubernatorial debate of the 2022 general election is over. What really happened?
First of all, kudos to the moderators from WGN Channel 9, Micah Materre and Tahman Bradley, who did about as good of a job as possible at corralling Gov. J.B. Pritzker and GOP challenger Darren Bailey and getting them to actually answer questions.
As for the candidates and the actual debate here are six takeaways.
Takeaway 1
Bailey had a message. He undercut that message by repeatedly refusing to get specific, but even a casual viewer would get the gist: At a time when the economy is bumpy, taxes are high and the streets of Chicago and other cities are dangerous, Illinois needs a change. Good and simple.
Pritzker’s message was that things have improved on his watch, particularly with state finances, and that voters ought to stick with him. But “stick with me” is not much of a second-term agenda. In the closing weeks of the campaign, the governor might do well to spell out what a vote for him means, other than not electing Bailey.
Takeaway 2
Pritzker scored big with suburban moderates, particularly with his line that Bailey wants to “defund” schools. Pritzker’s remarks were a riff on Bailey’s statements to Crain’s editorial board that the state needs to cut funding for public grade and high schools.
Bailey said during the debate that he was referring to expensive bureaucratic mandates. But with Crain’s, he made it clear that he believes that downstate school systems should be able to focus on vocational programs, cutting way back on classes aimed at future engineers and architects and the like, because many downstate kids are headed to industrial or military jobs. I suspect a lot of voters will find that pretty sad.
Takeaway 3
Bailey’s best moment may have come when he dinged Pritzker’s fumbled rollout of marijuana dispensaries, almost all of which—until recently—had gone to white applicants rather than to Black and Latino entrepreneurs.
Pritzker blamed that outcome on lawsuits and, to an extent, he has a point. But the program should have been better designed from the get-go with the inevitable court challenges in mind, and the argument has salience.
Of course, Bailey immediately fumbled away his advantage with an ill-considered remark calling on Pritzker to “treat the Black people with respect, governor.” Even the moderator frowned at that one.
Takeaway 4
These guys really, really don’t like each other, though Bailey did congratulate Pritzker for being a snazzy dresser and Pritzker praised Bailey for marrying his high school sweetheart.
That was the only bit of comity in a 60-minute contest in which Bailey dubbed Pritzker “incompetent,” as well as disrespectful of Black voters. Pritzker countered that had Bailey’s COVID policies been in effect, “tens of thousands more people would have died.” Ouch!
Takeaway 5
I thought the debate over abortion was a draw, with Pritzker repeatedly making the argument that Bailey would roll back abortion rights and Bailey continuing to duck the issue by saying a Democratic Legislature wouldn’t let him. At this point, everyone who really cares about abortion rights, pro or con, knows who their champion is, so all the debating won’t change many minds.
Takeaway 6
The best unanswered questions of the evening: What does Pritzker really think of the performance of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx who, with Chief Judge Tim Evans, has given the repeal SAFE-T campaign much of its oomph?
And: Should he get the power, what would Bailey really do on social questions that are very important to many voters, be it abortion rights, same-sex marriage, legal cannabis sales or policies for transgender children?
The good news: No more debates.
Better news: The TV ads will end in just three more weeks.
