# Commute Blagojevich's sentence? What is Trump thinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 1, 2018, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275 "2018-06-01T18:38:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/21 "2018-06-01T21:15:25Z")
How about the obvious: Bruce Rauner, Republican, is running for reelection as governor of Illinois. Most of his ads are trying to tie JB Pritzker, the Democrat to Blago. A Blago out of prison could be an asset to the Rauner campaign. Rauner is deeply unpopular and, as of now, would be trounced by Pritzker ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/22 "2018-06-01T21:26:36Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > How about the obvious: Bruce Rauner, Republican, is running for reelection as governor of Illinois. Most of his ads are trying to tie JB Pritzker, the Democrat to Blago. A Blago out of prison could be an asset to the Rauner campaign. > > Rauner is deeply unpopular and, as of now, would be trounced by Pritzker So Trump frees Blago to remind Illinois voters that Democrats are corrupt? Seems like it would be more effective to double his sentence. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/23 "2018-06-01T21:32:32Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > How about the obvious: Bruce Rauner, Republican, is running for reelection as governor of Illinois. Most of his ads are trying to tie JB Pritzker, the Democrat to Blago. A Blago out of prison could be an asset to the Rauner campaign. > > Rauner is deeply unpopular and, as of now, would be trounced by Pritzker > [@Akaj](#): > > So Trump frees Blago to remind Illinois voters that Democrats are corrupt? Seems like it would be more effective to double his sentence. I doubt if Trump is playing 3-Dimensional Chess, but he can’t double anyone’s sentence either. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/24 "2018-06-01T21:44:28Z")
Trump might be right on the Stewart thing, the prosecution and conviction were pretty perverse. No idea who this Blagojevich is. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/25 "2018-06-01T21:48:43Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I doubt if Trump is playing 3-Dimensional Chess, but he can’t double anyone’s sentence either. Well I know that. Just sayin’, if you want to send a message that Democrats are corrupt, why free one who’s in prison on corruption charges? It would be more effective to highlight his guilt. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/26 "2018-06-01T21:52:28Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Trump might be right on the Stewart thing, the prosecution and conviction were pretty perverse. > No idea who this Blagojevich is. He’s the latest in a long list of IL politicians to end up in jail. It’s kind of a rite of passage for them. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/27 "2018-06-01T22:44:04Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > It makes me wonder if he’s got a particular and important person in mind who he really wants to pardon. I’m thinking he’s got a particular and important person in mind who he really wants Mike Pence to pardon if things go downhill. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/28 "2018-06-02T12:45:09Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > No idea who this Blagojevich is. Former governor of Illinois, impeached and removed by the state legislature for getting caught planning to sell a Senate appointment to the highest bidder. For Trump it’s (A) Appealing to tribe, er, “party loyalists”, (B) Signaling to his own co-conspirators that he’s got their backs if Mueller comes after them, (C) Showing who’s boss. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/29 "2018-06-02T13:33:58Z")
[He said:](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-illinois-governor-blagojevich-trump-20180531-story.html) > [@](#): > > “I’ll tell you another one … there’s another one that I’m thinking about. Rod Blagojevich,” Trump said, according to a pool report. “Eighteen (sic) years in jail for being stupid and saying things that every other politician, you know that many other politicians say.” > > “And if you look at what he said, he said something to the effect like, ‘What do I get?’ … Stupid thing to say. But he’s sort of saying … he’s gonna make a U.S. senator, which is a very big deal,” Trump said. “If you read his statement, it was a foolish statement. There was a lot of bravado. … Plenty of other politicians have said a lot worse. He shouldn’t have been put in jail.” I wonder why on earth Donald Trump thinks it’s a bad idea to jail politicians for having loose lips about their unfair dealings. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/30 "2018-06-02T16:13:12Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Trump might be right on the Stewart thing, the prosecution and conviction were pretty perverse. > No idea who this Blagojevich is. Don’t you have to be 18 to be here? Seriously, you don’t remember the Gov of Ill trying to sell Obamas seat, getting caught and going to the pen? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/31 "2018-06-02T16:51:25Z")
Only if you live in the US. Not every Doper does. \*\*AK84 \*\*does not. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/32 "2018-06-02T19:33:24Z")
Besides, you don’t have to be 18 to be here. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/33 "2018-06-02T19:41:28Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Former governor of Illinois, impeached and removed by the state legislature for getting caught planning to sell a Senate appointment to the highest bidder. And, then, [convicted on federal charges of conspiracy and extortion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Blagojevich_corruption_charges), and sentenced to 14 years in prison (of which he’s served six so far). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/34 "2018-06-02T19:55:42Z")
Also, for those of you not from Illinois, or not as familiar with Blago: He’s the son-in-law of Richard Mell, who was an extremely powerful Chicago alderman, and who was Blagojevich’s sponsor when he got into politics. Blagojevich managed to get elected governor in 2002, when the outgoing governor (George Ryan) had his own cloud of scandal around him. The Republican candidate that fall was Jim Ryan, and there was, undoubtedly, some confusion over that, which may have helped Blago. Blagojevich was an unpopular governor – from the start of his tenure, there were rumors of corruption and scandal, and he also just came across as a pompous, extremely self-important ass. By the time of his first re-election campaign, he was already being investigated by the state Attorney General, but managed to get re-elected anyway. In the wake of Obama’s election as President, Blagojevich, as governor, had the responsibility of naming a replacement for Obama’s U.S. Senate seat. Blago and his wife were living an extremely extravagant lifestyle, and were clearly looking for anything they could find to make money; Blago was caught on wiretaps trying to get the best deal he could for himself from suitors who wanted the Senate seat. ---
**Author:** ![Textual\_Innuendo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@Textual\_Innuendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Textual_Innuendo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275/35 "2018-06-03T12:28:43Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Also, for those of you not from Illinois, or not as familiar with Blago: Thanks for the synopsis, I appreciated that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commute-blagojevichs-sentence-what-is-trump-thinking/815275.md?page=1)