People's Pat on IL shutdown: "Chickens coming home to roost"

[smoltchanov]

^ Making conclusions 3 years ahead of election is a bad idea in ANY case (IMHO)

[Green Line]

^ Oh please. Stop beating a dead horse. Yes, unfortunately for the People, they threw out their champion. Lucky in 2018, they'll have a good chance to correct things.

July 2015: http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2015/PPP_Release_IL_72915.pdf

Nov 2014: http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2014/ILResults.pdf

Yes, such a "Champion", that people were/are leaving the state because it was just so wonderful with ever-higher taxes, soaring cost of living, a stagnant economy, ever-growing government and pension costs swallowing up any new revenues, and the inability for people to save as their tax bills went higher and higher (in some places, you'll pay $6,000 in taxes on a $75,000 plot of land. How are you supposed to save anything at that rate?).


I guess in 2020, when the Census probably will reveal more population loss for Chicago, Rahm Emanuel will be lauded on this forum as the "People's Rahm" or something. I love the city and the state, but please, Pat Quinn was a wimp when it came to standing up to Madigan and a pathetic Governor.

Agreed, nobody from Illinois is calling him a "champion" of the people, not even most Democrats.  He was one of the most unpopular governors in Illinois history, and most of the people who voted for him still didn't like him, they just hated Rauner even more.  You sound like the one beating a dead horse.

Look at that, Green Line is appointing himself the Voice of Illinois - and even Illinois Democrats at that!

The fact of the matter is that Pat Quinn was unpopular in this state, and Rauner is on track to be far more unpopular by the time he faces re-election in 2018.

When Quinn left office, his approval rating was 36%. Rauner's approval rating now, just ten months into his term? 37%.

Illinois is a state full of Democrats that didn't show up to vote last year (look at popular Durbin winning much more narrowly than expected). Many downstate Dems that did show up to vote jumped parties to protest Quinn, not to vote for Rauner.

The chickens will surely come home to roost in 2018, regardless of what the out-of-state Rs on Atlas are saying about what they think about Illinois' situation.

You keep saying that, but where are the polls to back it up?  The lastest PPP poll from late July has Rauners approval at 37/43 approve/disapprove.  Not great but not too bad considering the state govt. has been shut down for months.  PPP's final poll of the Illinois governor's race showed Pat Quinn at 31/54.  -6 vs -23... So how is he on track to be far more unpopular?

Also, turnout was about the same as 2010 and higher than 2006.  Hopefully you've got a lot of chickens hiding out somewhere!

Quinn took office in January of 2009, and Rass showed his approvals that August at 47/49 approval/disapproval. Rauner's approvals collapsed as soon as he got into office, falling below 40 as early as April of this year - just four months in.

2006 Blago and 2010 Quinn were far more popular than 2014 Quinn, and yet neither were popular. Pat Quinn will not be on the ballot in 2018. The Dems in 2018 will surely give their best candidate for 2018 (it is a disgrace to have a state like Illinois governed by a Pub), which will drive turnout and will prevent crossover seen in the last two cycles (and defection to Green in 2006).

A Madigan bid would wipe Rauner from politics for good. Frerichs would be strong as well.

You're making a lot of assumptions in there, and you must not have been alive before 2003.  Illinois had Republican governors for 26 years in a row before Blago took over.  Half of the statewide elected officials are Republicans, they just elected a Republican senator in 2010, and its a pretty good bet that the Illinois House of Reps would be majority Republican right now with a neutral map.  The state has no doubt trended Democratic in the past decade but its no Massachusetts or California

Its not a guaranteed Democratic pickup in 2018 by any means, and either way you're crazy to call the election three years out.

[smoltchanov]

You're making a lot of assumptions in there, and you must not have been alive before 2003.  Illinois had Republican governors for 26 years in a row before Blago took over.  Half of the statewide elected officials are Republicans, they just elected a Republican senator in 2010, and its a pretty good bet that the Illinois House of Reps would be majority Republican right now with a neutral map.  The state has no doubt trended Democratic in the past decade but its no Massachusetts or California

Its not a guaranteed Democratic pickup in 2018 by any means, and either way you're crazy to call the election three years out.

+100. I would add that Downstate's voting (or, at least, voting in large parts of it) begins more and more resemble Alabama, and Rauner could be popular in suburbs, which value fiscal conservatism (but not social one). Yes, Madigan would, probably, be a favorite right now, but she refused to run many times, and may do it again. And in any case - a lot can happen in 2 years. For example - if Democrats win Presidency again in 2016, and Democratic president will be unpopular by 2018 (and almost all last peresidents were rather unpopular as of late) a third Republican midterm wave becomes a real possibility. But this is only one scenario)))

[RINO Tom]

So there are legions of people in Cook County who vote reflexively Democrat and "disapprove" of Gov. Rauner?  Congrats, I guess.  The state is still in terrible shape, and state Dems have blocked every SINGLE measure Rauner has tried to enact to try to fix things.  Congrats again, I guess.

Similar to Alabama Republicans and Kansas Republicans, there comes a point where partisanship doesn't have that much to do with it.  This state needs to try something different badly.

[Sumner 1868]

So there are legions of people in Cook County who vote reflexively Democrat and "disapprove" of Gov. Rauner?  Congrats, I guess.  The state is still in terrible shape, and state Dems have blocked every SINGLE measure Rauner has tried to enact to try to fix things.  Congrats again, I guess.

The Democratic legislature in IL is one of the worst out there. Democrats in MA and MD are much more willing to work with a Republican governor.

Hogan and Baker are relatively centrist. Rauner basically painted himself as Walker 2.0.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

So there are legions of people in Cook County who vote reflexively Democrat and "disapprove" of Gov. Rauner?  Congrats, I guess.  The state is still in terrible shape, and state Dems have blocked every SINGLE measure Rauner has tried to enact to try to fix things.  Congrats again, I guess.

The Democratic legislature in IL is one of the worst out there. Democrats in MA and MD are much more willing to work with a Republican governor.

Hogan and Baker are relatively centrist. Rauner basically painted himself as Walker 2.0.

He was very clear about what sort of governor he would be during his campaign. He was clear about his support for RTW and how he was going to reform the state and wasn't focused on popularity. IL knew what they were voting for. Rauner should get a chance to enact some of his platform and  just see how things work out. It can't be any worse than Quinn's policies, which kept an 18% underemployment rate solidly in place.

[ElectionsGuy]

Hopefully the Dems run on Pat Quinn's accomplishments compared to Rauner's. Rauner might be able to win re-election.

[YaBoyNY]

"Decent and humane state" is liberal speak for welfare state.

It's human speak for a welfare state, which isn't a bad thing.

[smoltchanov]

So there are legions of people in Cook County who vote reflexively Democrat and "disapprove" of Gov. Rauner?  Congrats, I guess.  The state is still in terrible shape, and state Dems have blocked every SINGLE measure Rauner has tried to enact to try to fix things.  Congrats again, I guess.

The Democratic legislature in IL is one of the worst out there. Democrats in MA and MD are much more willing to work with a Republican governor.

Hogan and Baker are relatively centrist. Rauner basically painted himself as Walker 2.0.

On economy - yes, and he said this from the very beginning. On social issues - no.

[YaBoyNY]

"Decent and humane state" is liberal speak for welfare state.

It's human speak for a welfare state, which isn't a bad thing.

It is when you intend to keep people on welfare permanently to keep the Dem votes coming.

lol this fantasy

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

"Decent and humane state" is liberal speak for welfare state.

It's human speak for a welfare state, which isn't a bad thing.

It is when you intend to keep people on welfare permanently to keep the Dem votes coming.

lol this fantasy

You do realize that there are people who vote democrat because they want to be lazy and get handouts, right? This doesn't constitute the entire democratic base, but it's not an insignificant part thereof.

[Mr. Illini]

So there are legions of people in Cook County who vote reflexively Democrat and "disapprove" of Gov. Rauner?  Congrats, I guess.  The state is still in terrible shape, and state Dems have blocked every SINGLE measure Rauner has tried to enact to try to fix things.  Congrats again, I guess.

The Democratic legislature in IL is one of the worst out there. Democrats in MA and MD are much more willing to work with a Republican governor.

Hogan and Baker are relatively centrist. Rauner basically painted himself as Walker 2.0.

On economy - yes, and he said this from the very beginning. On social issues - no.

It doesn't matter. They aren't voting on gay marriage or abortion. None of the "massive changes" that the right wingers are talking about on this thread (humorous since Rauner let the temporary tax hike expire, adding to our biggest problem - debt) are social issues. They are economic ones, and his policies are not compatible with the wishes of Illinois voters. If they were, we wouldn't have just voted for him over Quinn (a clear anti-Quinn election), we would vote for a Republican legislature (rather than a Democratic supermajority).

[YaBoyNY]

"Decent and humane state" is liberal speak for welfare state.

It's human speak for a welfare state, which isn't a bad thing.

It is when you intend to keep people on welfare permanently to keep the Dem votes coming.

lol this fantasy

You do realize that there are people who vote democrat because they want to be lazy and get handouts, right? This doesn't constitute the entire democratic base, but it's not an insignificant part thereof.

Unless you can prove to me it's not an insignificant part of it, then they're an insignificant part of it.

[smoltchanov]

So there are legions of people in Cook County who vote reflexively Democrat and "disapprove" of Gov. Rauner?  Congrats, I guess.  The state is still in terrible shape, and state Dems have blocked every SINGLE measure Rauner has tried to enact to try to fix things.  Congrats again, I guess.

The Democratic legislature in IL is one of the worst out there. Democrats in MA and MD are much more willing to work with a Republican governor.

Hogan and Baker are relatively centrist. Rauner basically painted himself as Walker 2.0.

On economy - yes, and he said this from the very beginning. On social issues - no.

It doesn't matter. They aren't voting on gay marriage or abortion. None of the "massive changes" that the right wingers are talking about on this thread (humorous since Rauner let the temporary tax hike expire, adding to our biggest problem - debt) are social issues. They are economic ones, and his policies are not compatible with the wishes of Illinois voters. If they were, we wouldn't have just voted for him over Quinn (a clear anti-Quinn election), we would vote for a Republican legislature (rather than a Democratic supermajority).

We  will see 3 years from now. And argument about legislature is a weak one: legislature in Illinois is SO gerrymandered that it would withstand the strongest feasible Republican wave and still elect Democratic majority...

[Bakersfield Uber Alles]

Where did that nickname come from?

Not sure, but I found a few articles that might shed some light:

http://abc7chicago.com/politics/gov-quinn-wants-to-be-peoples-candidate/224380/

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-05-25/news/ct-met-quinn-governors-mansion-20100525_1_executive-mansion-live-pat-quinn

[Mr. Illini]

So there are legions of people in Cook County who vote reflexively Democrat and "disapprove" of Gov. Rauner?  Congrats, I guess.  The state is still in terrible shape, and state Dems have blocked every SINGLE measure Rauner has tried to enact to try to fix things.  Congrats again, I guess.

The Democratic legislature in IL is one of the worst out there. Democrats in MA and MD are much more willing to work with a Republican governor.

Hogan and Baker are relatively centrist. Rauner basically painted himself as Walker 2.0.

On economy - yes, and he said this from the very beginning. On social issues - no.

It doesn't matter. They aren't voting on gay marriage or abortion. None of the "massive changes" that the right wingers are talking about on this thread (humorous since Rauner let the temporary tax hike expire, adding to our biggest problem - debt) are social issues. They are economic ones, and his policies are not compatible with the wishes of Illinois voters. If they were, we wouldn't have just voted for him over Quinn (a clear anti-Quinn election), we would vote for a Republican legislature (rather than a Democratic supermajority).

We  will see 3 years from now. And argument about legislature is a weak one: legislature in Illinois is SO gerrymandered that it would withstand the strongest feasible Republican wave and still elect Democratic majority...

The idea that without the gerrymander, Illinois would ever elect a Republican legislature is a claim that ought to be backed up by the both of you, looking at the 2:1 advantage as is (including supermajority).

As for RINO Tom, the pity play for Rauner is humorous. Legislature has denied all of his attempts at reform because he isn't willing to work with them. He came with a supermajority Democratic legislature and put Right-To-Work on the docket #2 - number one was ensuring that the temporary income tax hike would expire, a Democratic measure to raise Illinois' income tax from one of the lower in the country and raise revenue to attack the deficit.

He's no Jim Edgar, that is for damn sure.

[RINO Tom]

So there are legions of people in Cook County who vote reflexively Democrat and "disapprove" of Gov. Rauner?  Congrats, I guess.  The state is still in terrible shape, and state Dems have blocked every SINGLE measure Rauner has tried to enact to try to fix things.  Congrats again, I guess.

The Democratic legislature in IL is one of the worst out there. Democrats in MA and MD are much more willing to work with a Republican governor.

Hogan and Baker are relatively centrist. Rauner basically painted himself as Walker 2.0.

On economy - yes, and he said this from the very beginning. On social issues - no.

It doesn't matter. They aren't voting on gay marriage or abortion. None of the "massive changes" that the right wingers are talking about on this thread (humorous since Rauner let the temporary tax hike expire, adding to our biggest problem - debt) are social issues. They are economic ones, and his policies are not compatible with the wishes of Illinois voters. If they were, we wouldn't have just voted for him over Quinn (a clear anti-Quinn election), we would vote for a Republican legislature (rather than a Democratic supermajority).

We  will see 3 years from now. And argument about legislature is a weak one: legislature in Illinois is SO gerrymandered that it would withstand the strongest feasible Republican wave and still elect Democratic majority...

The idea that without the gerrymander, Illinois would ever elect a Republican legislature is a claim that ought to be backed up by the both of you, looking at the 2:1 advantage as is (including supermajority).

As for RINO Tom, the pity play for Rauner is humorous. Legislature has denied all of his attempts at reform because he isn't willing to work with them. He came with a supermajority Democratic legislature and put Right-To-Work on the docket #2 - number one was ensuring that the temporary income tax hike would expire, a Democratic measure to raise Illinois' income tax from one of the lower in the country and raise revenue to attack the deficit.

He's no Jim Edgar, that is for damn sure.

And Jim Edgar was no [insert Republican that's now out of office] to those folks.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Oh my God this thread is still going??

As for RINO Tom, the pity play for Rauner is humorous. Legislature has denied all of his attempts at reform because he isn't willing to work with them. He came with a supermajority Democratic legislature and put Right-To-Work on the docket #2 - number one was ensuring that the temporary income tax hike would expire, a Democratic measure to raise Illinois' income tax from one of the lower in the country and raise revenue to attack the deficit.

You do realize that the income tax hike expired 12 days before Rauner was sworn in, when the Democrats could easily have simply renewed it right with their supermajority and all? And even now, they can do whatever they want (including pass their own budget, and renew the tax hike) without Rauner, right? What's stopping them? Politics: the Democrats know the backlash if they do that.

And maybe facts continue to escape you, but that income tax hike raise $30 billion from 2011 - 2014, or about $7.8 billion per year, yet the pension liability rose from $83 billion to over $100 billion during the same time frame, the general debt grew by several billion as well, and the billions in unpaid bills barely decreased, remember that?

And strangely enough, that coincided with stubbornly high unemployment (even as the national rate fell), businesses leaving for states like North Carolina, Texas, Oregon, and Washington state (oh look, there goes the tax base to pay for all your pet programs), and in 2014 Illinois lost population for the first time since the 1980s, when the state was suffering from deindustrialization.

Austerity isn't just spending cuts. Raising taxes on all income earners and on all businesses was a surefire way to drive the state economy in the ground. If you wanted a progressive tax, you should've made it that way, instead of a huge increase on even the middle and working class, on top of soaring local property taxes to fund more pensions.

Pat Quinn was a abject failure of a Governor. A coward who couldn't stand up to Madigan when their interests clashed (as most Democratic state legislators have been/still are), and completely mismanaged the state's finances and economy to make them even worse.

Yeah, keep blaming Rauner for that, or whatever nonsense it is you keep spouting off in this thread.


I remember last year when one of the first polls showed Quinn leading, you started acting like a huge prick (as well as the other Democratic avatars for the race, and others) and getting all cocky. Remember how well that went for you? Yet here, you are, still cocky and arrogant as ever, and now with a side of butthurt.

Your guy lost. Get over it.


EDIT - I found the posts! Remember on election night, when Quinn was red-in-the-face completely humiliated and refused to concede even though he was demolished across the state? Yeah, that was great

No wonder you like Quinn so much, you both sound just like this right now:

Get used to Governor Rauner for the next 3 or 7 years.

Do you need a tissue?

Maybe take a lesson in humility while you're at it

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

As far as the supermajority thing goes, it's right at the bare minimum in terms of being a supermajority in the house (not sure about the Senate). So if even one house Democrat votes no or abstain on something Madigan wants, Rauner can veto the bill. So this is just going to be 4 years of stalemate until the Democrats get over their loss and compromise.

[Green Line]

So there are legions of people in Cook County who vote reflexively Democrat and "disapprove" of Gov. Rauner?  Congrats, I guess.  The state is still in terrible shape, and state Dems have blocked every SINGLE measure Rauner has tried to enact to try to fix things.  Congrats again, I guess.

The Democratic legislature in IL is one of the worst out there. Democrats in MA and MD are much more willing to work with a Republican governor.

Hogan and Baker are relatively centrist. Rauner basically painted himself as Walker 2.0.

On economy - yes, and he said this from the very beginning. On social issues - no.

It doesn't matter. They aren't voting on gay marriage or abortion. None of the "massive changes" that the right wingers are talking about on this thread (humorous since Rauner let the temporary tax hike expire, adding to our biggest problem - debt) are social issues. They are economic ones, and his policies are not compatible with the wishes of Illinois voters. If they were, we wouldn't have just voted for him over Quinn (a clear anti-Quinn election), we would vote for a Republican legislature (rather than a Democratic supermajority).

We  will see 3 years from now. And argument about legislature is a weak one: legislature in Illinois is SO gerrymandered that it would withstand the strongest feasible Republican wave and still elect Democratic majority...

The idea that without the gerrymander, Illinois would ever elect a Republican legislature is a claim that ought to be backed up by the both of you, looking at the 2:1 advantage as is (including supermajority).

As for RINO Tom, the pity play for Rauner is humorous. Legislature has denied all of his attempts at reform because he isn't willing to work with them. He came with a supermajority Democratic legislature and put Right-To-Work on the docket #2 - number one was ensuring that the temporary income tax hike would expire, a Democratic measure to raise Illinois' income tax from one of the lower in the country and raise revenue to attack the deficit.

He's no Jim Edgar, that is for damn sure.

The popular vote in the Illinois House of Representatives was 50-49 democratic and that was with FOURTY democrats getting 100% due to running unopposed, yet somehow the democrats got a supermajority. Hmm.. Its safe to say the republicans would have won the chamber with a fair map.  Every single thing you say has been refuted by a 30 second google search. You gotta try harder

[Sumner 1868]

I feel the attitudes on this thread by posters on both sides would be different if, let's say, a Democratic governor's attempts at a public statewide health care program were blocked by a GOP legislature.

[smoltchanov]

I feel the attitudes on this thread by posters on both sides would be different if, let's say, a Democratic governor's attempts at a public statewide health care program were blocked by a GOP legislature.

My would be the same. Don't like hyperpartisan idiots in BOTH parties..

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

This is why checks and balances are a bad idea

[Green Line]

This is why checks and balances are a bad idea

Yes. We must abolish the Illinois general assembly. Only then will illinois recover

[Xing]

Yeah, I agree. IL's democratic legislature is trying to make sure Rauner won't get reelected.

Yeah, I mean, Republicans never do anything like this, especially not at the national level.