No one disagrees that Republican governor candidate Bruce Rauner has been financially successful in the private equity business.

But an important issue looming over his candidacy is whether he should take responsibility for things that went wrong at the companies his firm created, bought and sold - as Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn says he should.

Faced with questions about legal problems and bankruptcies, Rauner often distances himself or says he acted to correct problems. He says it "didn't happen much out of 400 companies."

Whether Rauner is responsible also divides those who've worked in or study the private equity industry.

The answer may depend on whether he served directly on the board that oversaw each of the companies, and, if he didn't, how much one would expect him to know.