Internal Show Dems in Trouble in IL-2

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Not that I'm saying I believe this poll, but what was the PVI of the old Rostenkowski district when he lost it?

10.9

The IL-2 has a PVI of about 33.1, though it's probably higher after the 2008 election.

[JoeyJoeJoe]

  You Know, I almost feel sorry for the people in Il-2.

  First they had Gus Savage, who got in trouble for sexual harrassment, and played the race card whenever someone confronted him.  "It's the Jews fault" basically.

  Then they had Mel Reynolds, a promissing Oxford graduate, who wound up in club fed for having sex with an underage campaign worker.

  Now they have Jesse Jackson Jr, who was in my opinion fairly decent until he sold his soul to Rod Blagojevich in an attempt to land a higher office.

  Quite frankly Bozo the Clown would do a better job representing that district than the last 3 reps they have had in there.  It also shows the big downfall when one party controls politics in an area for an extended period of time.  The representative may be a total screw up, but come hell or high water people are still going to vote for that screw-up as long as he is the candidate of their party.

Ill_Ind

DId actual clown Ray Wardingly run here, or in the 1st?

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Illinois' ridiculous primary date doesn't help either. That's quite incumbent-friendly.

Except in 1992, of course.

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Alan Dixon lost his Senate primary to Mosely-Braun, basically because of the Thomas vote.  A bunch of other incumbents lost, several due to redistricting.  The DoJ approved a map that created a new Hispanic seat, as well as pairing three sets of Democrats together.  The 1992 plan threw Dan Rostenkowski and Frank Annunzio together, as well as Marty Russo and William Lipinski and Glenn Poshard and Terry Bruce.  Annunzio, then chair of the House Administration Committee, retired, and I think that both Russo and Bruce lost the primaries.  In addition, Gus Savage and Charlie Hayes both lost their primaries to Reynolds and Bobby Rush respectively.  Hayes lost because he had something like 700 overdrafts with the House Bank.  Also, John Cox in the 16th district, who had gotten elected when Lynn Martin ran for Senate against Paul Simon in 1990 (she got crushed) lost to Don Manzullo.  Overall, that's six incumbents who lost and one who retired because he couldn't win.