You looking for an argument?

Paul Sassone
Paul Sassone

Paul Sassone

You’re a fair-minded person. Let me ask you: How many times a week should you have spaghetti for dinner?

We argue about this, my wife and I.

We argue about all kinds of silly stuff, from whose mother is the worse cook, to the artistic merit of Sergio Leone westerns, to how much is too much wire showing on the Christmas tree lights (no, it isn’t).

You doubtless have your own list of topics that spark verbal fireworks in your household.

Except politics. Politics probably isn’t on that list.

Married couples, or people who have been together a long time, don’t seem to argue politics. Even Ralph and Alice Kramden didn’t argue over politics.

For some reason, likes seem to be drawn to likes, politically speaking. Conservatives go with conservatives, liberals with liberals.

But there are exceptions. A glaring one is Illinois’ First Couple, Bruce and Diana Rauner.

Remember those TV commercials during the gubernatorial campaign? Mrs. Rauner — sweetly smiling like a post-Ice Capades Dorothy Hamill — would preface her pitch to vote for her husband by telling voters she was a “lifelong Democrat.”

I wondered then how a Democrat, lifelong or otherwise, could endorse a candidate with such conservative Republican views, spouse or no spouse.

Since the election, Gov. Rauner has more than lived up to his right-wing reputation. He has attacked labor unions, taken an axe to social programs and offered an anemic proposal to increase the minimum wage.

His every act and proposal is an outrage to Democrats.

As a lifelong Democrat, how does Mrs. Rauner square all this?

Do political spats mar the couple’s getaways to “Raunerosa,” or whatever they call their gigantic Wyoming ranch?

To find out, I filled out an Ask the Governor email asking how the First Couple deals with political differences. Maybe we all can learn something.

I received the following reply:

“Thank you for contacting the office of Gov. Bruce Rauner.

“Your correspondence has been received and will be reviewed. Depending on the nature of your correspondence, a representative from the Governor’s office may contact you.

“Again, thank you. Your thoughts and concerns are important to Governor Rauner.”

No representative from the Governor’s office has contacted me yet. If one does, I’ll be sure to let you know.

By the way, the answer is to the spaghetti question is…twice a week. Spaghetti should be served for dinner twice a week.

What? Are you taking my wife’s side?

You looking for an argument?