DISQUS

Anonymous · 8 months ago

$1.1 Million in 28 days? Holy crap!! That should scare the bejesus out of everyone looking to run for that office.

Rocket · 8 months ago

WOW. I agree with Rich, very impressive! What happens when he actually announces? What happens when he puts his own millions into the race? What happens when Durbin and Obama host events?
Alexi is UNC....unbeatable!

bored now · 8 months ago

i personally doubt that burris' name will be on the ballot. he keeps throwing out this mythical $400,000 in debts he needs to repay -- i don't think there's ever been an accounting of what it is actually for -- and it feels like he will raise money for that without actually getting in the race...

cynically anonymous · 8 months ago

Maybe people like having Lisa as AG and want to keep her there for another term while the housecleaning gets done.

Stop the Madness · 8 months ago

Alexi raised $1.1 million in March? Wasn't that the same month that Illinois' bond rating slid from AA to AA-minus? That will cost Illinois taxpayers millions of dollars.

Shouldn't Alexi be doing the job he was elected to do? I don't see how this makes him look good. He's just another self-dealing hack who has demonstrated no ability to manage the public trust.

Rich Miller · 8 months ago

=== Shouldn’t Alexi be doing the job he was elected to do? ===

How, exactly, could Giannoulias have prevented that lowered bond rating?

We're not idiots here. Don't try to pull stuff like that, please.

Niles Township · 8 months ago

Rich,

With just a little snark...I thought "online polls mean nothing." Apparently Lisa's folks cared enough to "out" their hopes and you cared enough to post about it. Enjoy the week.

Lakefront Liberal · 8 months ago

A friend went to one of his fundraisers and said she didn't recognize anyone there. An unusual thing if you are someone who tends to go to political fundraisers.

Rich Miller · 8 months ago

Good point, NT, but when the candidates try to Freep an online poll, then it does mean "something." lol

Niles Township · 8 months ago

Does it mean anything more when the the attempts to Freep the poll seem to be failing?

Rich Miller · 8 months ago

I dont' know if it means anything more, but it's surely a whole lot more entertaining. :)

Chicago Cynic · 8 months ago

Yea, that Lisa result was pretty surprising. Don't know what it means but would love to see real polling about her in that race. Maybe we've all overestimated her appeal for the top job...or people's resistance to having her in the top job and her step-dad as speaker.

Rich Miller · 8 months ago

CC, she's adopted. That makes MJM her father, not her stepfather. Try to avoid stuff like that here, please. Thanks.

Chicago Cynic · 8 months ago

Well technically, he's both her father and her stepfather, but yes I take your point.

Ghost · 8 months ago

CC, or it means someone opposed to her has been voting over and over and over....

Taxman · 8 months ago

Congrats to Alexi. That he is Barack's friend is surely helping him.

On the other hand... I dont see much enthusiasm for Lisa Madigan out there. Well, other than people that are afraid to NOT support her because of her father - Speaker Madigan. I think there is a wave out there demanding new, young voices and not the same tired political names that keep popping up (Madigan, Hynes, Daley,).

Its also frustrating for me that my past contributions I made to DPI in the past went to fund her AG campaign and only select Madigan approved candidates. No money for Dem grassroots efforts in the county or for other statewide elected officials. Arent we supposed to be helping ALL democrats and not the Speakers daughter and select House candidates? I apologize in advance for my venting.

However, it is surprising that she could not muster votes on an online tribune poll that she is obvioulsy trying to sway her way. No organization? I bet the kids over at DPI got a new assignment today!

It always amazes me how much pols care about these stupid online polls anyway...

VanillaMan · 8 months ago

How much weight will Lisa Madigan give the results of this poll?

If Blagojevich could raise almost 30 million for his re-election, and was Illinois' worst governor - what does a 1 million dollar month mean for Giannoulais? Obviously, fundraising amounts have little correlationship to the quality of the candidate.

wordslinger · 8 months ago

--I think there is a wave out there demanding new, young voices and not the same tired political names that keep popping up (Madigan, Hynes, Daley,).--

That would certainly be a departure from the American experience.

We're not the only ones that have dynasties in this country, of course. Adamses, Roosevelts, Tafts, Byrds, Harrisons, Browns, Lees, Longs, Talmadges, Kennedys, Bushes, Dodds, Fishes... the list is endless.

Heck, there's been a Frelinghuysen holding office in or from New Jersey since the Revolution.

Remember the advice, Richard J. gave Adlai III? "Don't change your name."

Taxman · 8 months ago

Wordslinger:

This is a departure from the american experience. Agreed. The name didnt work out so well for Hillary Clinton did it? Need I also cite the backlash for politicians passing along their seats to sons/wives? Stroger? Hannig?

My opinion isnt scientific. Im strictly basing this off of what I hear about the Madigans in political circles. People feel her father has too much power. He uses the IL Dem Party to elect his daughter and approved House candidates - not to build the party or help Dems across the board.

Chicago Cynic · 8 months ago

VM,

It doesn't speak to a candidates qualifications, but the ability to raise money is the ticket to entry in a run for public office whether we like it or not. It doesn't mean you're going to win (Blair Hull, Jack Ryan, etc), but it does mean you get taken seriously.

Morton · 8 months ago

Amazing all that money Alexi raised. Haven't been this impressed with fundraising totals since.....Rod Blagojevich.

Cosmic Charlie · 8 months ago

Very impressive Alexi.

wordslinger · 8 months ago

--A friend went to one of his fundraisers and said she didn’t recognize anyone there. An unusual thing if you are someone who tends to go to political fundraisers.--

I take it your friend's not Greek!

Anonymous · 8 months ago

The way you raise money is as important has how much you raise. Should Giannoulias run, last week he said became the first Illinois candidate for U.S. Senate to refuse corporate PAC and Washington lobbyist money. Let's see how PAC man/lobbyist chum Mark Kirk deals with that.

Rocket · 8 months ago

The GOP should focus on winning a few state constitutional offices and forget about the Senate seat. Kirk should be gearing up to run for governor. Madigan v. Kirk is a race I would love to watch!

George · 8 months ago

The poll Lisa has to worry about more is that one a few months back that showed her with 0% support among African Americans. Now, I think that was for the Senate seat, but there might be something transferable...

Shore · 8 months ago

The woman replacing Hillary in New York just raised $2.3 million over 2 months so saying this is huge is well, out of context. Considering that the two guys fighting for the U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota have been raising $3 million a month since December, and again, that's Minnesota don't ya know, it's really not that impressive.

Also in fairness to Mark Kirk, since there are a few Republicans in this state and most people don't know the man yet, it would be fair to start linking to major national stories about him like this-especially since it tamps down a lot of the wrong ideas on this blog that he won't be good for conservatives. Note the weekly standard is THE conservative mag in the nation.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Ar...

Lamballe · 8 months ago

How will Madigan run for president in 2016 without a term as governor of IL between now and then? To quote a story in the Illinois Times a few weeks ago, "Lisa Madigan: Hat. Ring. Now."

Rich Miller · 8 months ago

===The woman replacing Hillary in New York just raised $2.3 million over 2 months so saying this is huge is well, out of context.===

She's an incumbent. He hasn't even announced yet and is fending off the Daley's.

Shore · 8 months ago

And she's a pro-gun anti-immigration upstate new york conservative in a state party that is anti-gun, pro-immigration and city based. She's also unlike Alexi, never run statewide, and was never a part of the most successful national political fundraising campaign of all time.

This blog is one of the few that just does facts and no bull, so no reason not to cover major national stories like that on Kirk, that are informative and at the very least shed light on a man who is still a Congressman here if not a future U.S. Senator.

Every other comment on this blog about Kirk is he's pro-abort and therefore not acceptable to conservatives that article ends that notion.

The Mayor · 8 months ago

;) YASOU Patrioti! FYI, there is more where that came from! GO ALEXI!

Captain Flume · 8 months ago

The money you raise, the more favors need to be repaid. I wonder when we start seeing the campaign signs with phonetic spellings of Giannoulias?