CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Blind Faith — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:29:09 -0000

Voters who follow politicians vote Blue. The voters who follow policies and economics will vote Red.

But then Rod was elected twice.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:02:26 -0000

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What worries me is that people keep saying this, keep warning that some bend on each side is required or all will lose, but nothing is changing...at all.
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I'd argue that people are looking at this from the wrong perspective.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Bubs — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:50:25 -0000

These numbers reflect the fact that the Illinois GOP has not given the electorate (meaning that part of the electorate that will even listen to them) a whole lot to like in the last few elections, crowded by the fiscally conservative image of the Speaker's Democratic Party (well sold to the public, but check the actual numbers), and the grossly, not to say criminally overfunded telegenics of Blagojevich.

But things are so bad today in Springfield and across Illinois that voters just might be willing to take another look. A unified campaign behind a common set of policies aimed at sound fiscal government, aimed at capturing votes in the Center, might make deep inroads into these numbers.

Of course, that could be quite a hurdle in the current Illinois GOP. Many in the Conservative wing find greater power in destruction rather than construction, and will follow their need for self-importance right over the electoral cliff.

What worries me is that people keep saying this, keep warning that some bend on each side is required or all will lose, but nothing is changing . . . at all.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:48:27 -0000

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Has anyone else had the sense for weeks now that Proft is only in this to whine about Dillard?
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No. I'm pretty certain that he's in it to win--unless there's someone coming up from behind that we don't know about yet.

And, Crain's is probably right.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

VanillaMan — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:08:54 -0000

Sigh!

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Red — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:07:13 -0000

More data needs to be provided. I'd like to see it broken down more - a specific number for Lean Democratic and Lean Republican. Also would nice to see trends over the next several months as we lead up to the primary. And it wouldn't hurt to show how the President's approval ratting in the states they select.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

I'm Just Saying — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:06:08 -0000

Well John, If you want to see Poll Numbers from July 2009, I suggest you pay for them...... Call your buddy Rod McCollugh, I'm sure he's not too busy.......

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Six Degrees of Separation — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:52:16 -0000

VM,

OK, more correctly, as a reader digesting your comments, I took away that "11 of 12 million IL voters living north of I-80 and east of I-39" are, on balance, a little left of "liberal Democratic", being only washed out by the smidgen of 1 million downstate voters who are, on balance, more conservative, making IL a "liberal Democratic state.

Which I find a tad bit simplistic, even if the overall trend is toward the left.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

John Bambenek — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:27:50 -0000

We have what, 6 months to the primary?? We don't need to press the panic button on not having the one single candidate BEFORE petitions start to be circulating.

Hell, what is the primary for if not for the party to figure out its nominee? You know, if its such an issue, stop having primaries that have to be paid for by taxpayers who aren't part of either party and could care less about the internecine squabbling.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Ghost — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:11:44 -0000

mmm this just begs a lede a like: "Illinois blue up!"

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

VanillaMan — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:47:59 -0000

You didnâ€™t explicity state it, but you inferred it.

No, you assumed what I didn't write. I believe that voters are capable of making their own decisions, regardless where they live. I believe that just because a political party wins an election, they didn't win all the votes. Chicagoland isn't Cuba.

So, I won't infer what I don't believe.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

wordslinger — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:31:37 -0000

--The map is pretty clear, the gop establishment from moderates like lahood that change teams, and conservatives like hastert that betrayed the party have got to go.--

Interesting strategy. How does that get one to a winning plurality?

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Thomas Westgard — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:24:58 -0000

Democratic party discipline is so lax that I am thoroughly confident in party leaders to squander any preexisting gain there might have been. I will be taking nothing for granted in this race.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Shore — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:21:38 -0000

The map is pretty clear, the gop establishment from moderates like lahood that change teams, and conservatives like hastert that betrayed the party have got to go. It sickens me that young ethan with only a dad secured gig in the white house and bereft of any ideas is running for congress. If I was a republican in that area I'd tell him to run for state rep, show me that he's not going to be a big spender like his dad or defender of mark foleys and then run.

I agree with merrion, it's an awful field of gop candidates and it's better for the party to lose again statewide next year than have what we had with hastert in congress which is awful republicans ruining it so that when good ones come along they don't get the time of day from voters.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Dan Can't — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:21:01 -0000

Cicero Dan has obviously undertaken conservatorship of the Blagojevich playbook - slash, burn, ridicule. Memo to Dan - we are tired of Blagojevich methods.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Six Degrees of Separation — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:01:36 -0000

VM,

You didn't explicity state it, but you inferred it. However, IMHO the northern/NW burbs have been "moderate" for a long time (think John Porter, Mark Kirk, etc.) when the ILGOP was in a more successful mode, it's just that D moderates have made inroads with these same voters, and they are not 100% political polar opposites of the people they replaced.

I don't think we are that much in disagreement here, except that there are more "downstate" voters than you gave credit for in your original post.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

VanillaMan — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:46:41 -0000

Second, you canâ€™t assume all of NE IL is solid D, just like you canâ€™t assume all downstate is solid R (Madison/St. Clair counties and the college towns).

I repeat - Illinois has been a Democratic state since the northern suburban counties of Illinois went moderate, tipping the state towards the biggest voter block, Chicagoland.

I didn't say anything about NE Illinois being politically solid either way. With the majority of voters in NE Illinois, and the suburbs no longer voting majority conservative, NE Illinois, along with it's majority, is making Illinois trend Democrat and liberal. See? Nothing about NE Illinois being solid Democrat. Didn't write that, did I?

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Yellow Dog — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:24:18 -0000

=== Several little-known conservatives are preparing to challenge him, and almost every one of them is making a huge deal out of the fact that Mr. Kirk was one of only eight GOP House members to vote in favor of President Obamaâ€™s proposed cap-and-trade carbon tax. ===

Expect them to make much more of the fact that Kirk has been endorsed in the past by The Sierra Club and the National Abortion Rights Action League, and supports tougher gun control laws.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

TTL, III — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:37:15 -0000

DemLifer - You think Julie Hamos beats Giannoulias in a primary?? Have you ever seen Hamos work a room? Or, more appropriately, not work a room? Or give a speech?

That's the funniest thing I've read all morning. Thank you.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Shore — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:31:40 -0000

1. Good pull on gallup. Andy McKenna, you're fired.
2. Kirk's district voted for obama 61-38, which means Kirk will face same situation he faced in district where his messages and vision worked, although Alexi's campaign will probably be more comptenant than dan's was.
3. Small time conservatives hitting Kirk isn't a bad thing, it can make him look moderate.
4. What does it say about how strong that dem support is that true democrats like jan schakowsky are too afraid to take on kirk?
5. Crain's is very pro-Kirk, he's their ideal politician.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

DemLifer — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:14:25 -0000

The best thing Mark Kirk may have going for him in the general election is Alexi Giannoulias. Kirk will outshine Giannoulias when it comes to the issues and our voters usually get that. Besides, the treasurer has his baggage and the voters are tiring of questionable backgrounds from both parties.

Julie Hamos, on the other hand, can stifle Kirk on the issues and gives the Democrats the best chance to retain the seat. Come on Julie, pack your carpetbag, leave the Tenth District to its citizens and serve your state. Otherwise, the Democrats may have to kiss that 60 seat majority good bye.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

John Ruberry — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:12:20 -0000

I'd like to see poll numbers from July, 2009.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

Six Degrees of Separation — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:57:09 -0000

With 11 of the 12 million Illinoians living north of I-80 and east of I-39, Illinois is a liberal Democrat state.

One, it's more like 9 million living north of I-80 and east of I-39, going by 2008 Census county estimates, even if you throw all counties touched by I-80 and I-39 as "in", which they aren't. Second, you can't assume all of NE IL is solid D, just like you can't assume all downstate is solid R (Madison/St. Clair counties and the college towns).

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

VanillaMan — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:45:37 -0000

FDR was president for so long, I deliberately chose Hoover so that the timeline would be between 1928-1932 instead of between 1932-1945.

Re: Gallup has Illinois solidly “blue”

wordslinger — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:36:19 -0000

--The rest of the state is normal.--

From simple minds...