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The Downstate blowout and other political oddities
Wednesday, Nov 3, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller * The winners write the history books, but one significant and overlooked development in Tuesday’s election was how poorly Gov. Pat Quinn did in Downstate counties. Quinn won just three: St. Clair, Jackson and Alexander. Four years ago, Rod Blagojevich won 27, including Will, which is sort of a hybrid. The only Downstate county that Quinn won which Blagojevich lost was Jackson, the home of Quinn’s running mate. Many of these counties are tiny, isolated southern Illinois areas. But they’ve been mostly reliably Democratic since Illinois became a state. All but one went Republican during the 1994 Republican wave, but they eventually reverted to form. Gallatin, however, was the only county in all of Illinois won by Dawn Clark Netsch in ‘94. Quinn just lost Gallatin by 12 points. Some of these counties are not so small, like Rock Island, Madison and Winnebago. That has to worry Democratic leaders. Anyway, Blagojevich won these counties four years ago and Quinn lost them yesterday. The percentages are Bill Brady vs. Quinn…
Losing Rock Island County is almost akin to losing Cook. Same with Madison. But those counties are changing. Their old-time party chairmen are gone and the remaining infrastructure is rotten. Lots of new folks continue to move into Madison, and they’re almost universally appalled at the way things are run there. Plus, how many times can you be called a national “hell hole” before it starts to grate on your nerves? * Here’s another electoral oddity. Green Party candidate Jeremy Karpen received 35% of the vote in a Latino district against state Rep. Toni Berrios. He was vastly outspent. Independent Forrest Claypool outspent Rep. Berrios’ father in a majority white county and got 32 percent of the vote. Of course, there were more people running in the assessor’s race, but it’s still a fun fact. * An un-fun fact. Check out the 2:10 mark of this video when Tony Peraica says of his loss yesterday “There will be a punishment to be paid for the election of my opponent.” Sheesh… I ignored this race mostly because my former intern Kevin Fanning handled the campaign for Peraica’s opponent. But, hey, when the man gets arrested the weekend before the election, it’s difficult to skip over the thing. * I have a question. With all the big Democratic wins in Cook County, what the heck happened here?… 
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- streeterville - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:19 pm:
congrats to kevin.
- A.B. - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:26 pm:
Tough question, but it appears that Patlak received more votes than Houlihan.
Sorry, had to do it…
That being said, there are a lot of races that have me baffled this time…like how does Walsh sneak past Bean, while the Illinois legislature has such a small change?
- Bluefish - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:27 pm:
Here’s an odd one - unless Orr’s site is wrong, the Speaker only got 55% of the vote versus his hand picked ghost opponent, AKA Patrick John Ryan. No wonder he was doing mailings.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:28 pm:
–Gallatin, however, was the only county in all of Illinois won by Dawn Clark Netsch in ‘94. Quinn just lost Gallatin by 12 points. –
I’d forgotten that Edgar won Cook County in ‘94. Brady just lost it by nearly half a million votes. There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:29 pm:
Bluefish, that’s just the suburban end.
- Shelbyville - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:29 pm:
I venture to say that a Republican candidate for governor, has never carried Shelby County, like Brady did.
It is hard to predict how many absentee votes are out there for Brady.
Illinois Gubernatorial race results
-Brady/Plummer (REP) 5630 votes
-Whitney/Crawford (GRN) 282 votes
-Quinn/Simon (DEM) 1815 votes
-Green/Rutledge (LIB) 78 votes
-Cohen/Swilley (IND) 360 votes
- Highland, IL - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:37 pm:
===Plus, how many times can you be called a national “hell hole” before it starts to grate on your nerves?== That’s from our wonderful friends at JUSTPAC
- Me - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:39 pm:
JUSTPAC…who just got it handed to them in the Kilbride race.
- Vote Quimby! - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:40 pm:
Plummer does live in Madison County…probably helps determine why that one flipped and therefore Hoffman got beat.
- Peter - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:41 pm:
The Republican flip in Randolph County translated to other races as well; both the County Commissioner and Sheriff races featured GOPers who previously lost those elections emerging victorious. On the coattails of Brady? Odd.
- Segatari - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:43 pm:
Is it true that Quinn called a special session to start at 1pm tomorrow as it says on the General Assembly website? Or is this the regular fall veto session?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:44 pm:
This is a special
- George - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:44 pm:
Jay Hoffman will be back… in the immortal words of Linus:
“Just wait ’til next year, Charlie Brown. You’ll see! Next year at this same time, I’ll find the pumpkin patch that is real sincere and I’ll sit in that pumpkin patch until the Great Pumpkin appears. He’ll rise out of that pumpkin patch and he’ll fly through the air with his bag of toys. The Great Pumpkin will appear and I’ll be waiting for him! I’ll be there! I’ll be sitting there in that pumpkin patch and I’ll see the Great Pumpkin. Just wait and see, Charlie Brown. I’ll see the Great Pumpkin. I’ll SEE the Great Pumpkin! Just you wait, Charlie Brown. The Great Pumpkin will appear and I’ll be waiting for him… “
- Bluefish - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:50 pm:
My mistake.
- Him Say - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:50 pm:
Peraica just learned a valuable lesson: he who lives by the sword, get’s arrested and then loses.
- Frank - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:51 pm:
====* I have a question. With all the big Democratic wins in Cook County, what the heck happened here?…====
I think the that was the result of a spillover effect from the Assessor’s race. People in the suburbs were sick of the fighting between Berrios and Houlihan/Claypool. When you’re running with the last name Houlihan, you’re tied to him for better or worse. They decided to vote for an alternative. Look at the showing of the Republican in the Assessor’s race.
That 1st BOR district was drawn Republican back in 2000 anyway
- Louis Howe - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:51 pm:
Downstaters have more at stake with state government operations and therefore watch the news coverage with more personal interest. Blago/Quinn have been a disaster for downstate democrats, probably the result of bad karma for Blago’s 2002 Democratic Primary route of Vallas downstate.
Quinn is an albatross around the neck of democratic candidates downstate for at least the next four years.
- the Other Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:53 pm:
The BoR seat was originally drawn as a Republican seat — Houlihan was a surprise winner over Maureen Murphy. In hindsight, it’s not too surprising the seat would flip back to a Republican in a strong GOP year. In hindsight.
- Aaron - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:54 pm:
I don’t completely understand what happened to Houlihan. Didn’t think he was in that kind of trouble. Did he underestimate his race? Did the statewide races focus attention on getting Dems out in Wheeling or Des Plaines or Palos Heights? Definitely difficult to understand but so was the whole night.
- Dirt Digger - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:56 pm:
Frank that’s a very interesting point.
- Him Say - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 3:56 pm:
I just watched the Peraica video. I thought I was watching a skit from Saturday Night Live! When his son Marko enters the frame, hilarious!
- Secret Square - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:02 pm:
Sooo… Brady DID win all of the collar/suburban counties that allegedly would 1) decide the statewide races and 2) never vote for him because he was too far to the right. And he won them all by comfortable margins, too. Yet he still lost because even with population shifts to the collars, a strong enough vote in Cook County (at least for now) can still trump the entire rest of the state.
Ironic also that it’s Quinn, NOT Blago, who can truly claim to have been elected totally or almost totally, on the strength of Cook County votes alone.
- Mares eat oats - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:02 pm:
Rich - the senate is not in special session tomorrow. Specials are called only by (1) the gov or (2) jointly by the speaker and senate president. Tomorrow is just a regular session day for the senate. Not a special.
- Leatherneck - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:08 pm:
Mares eat oats,
But the next question (if tomorrow’s Senate session isn’t a special) is–will ANYTHING of substance be accomplished in the Senate tomorrow?
- tired of press - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:08 pm:
==Green Party candidate Jeremy Karpen received 35% of the vote in a Latino district against state Rep. Toni Berrios. He was vastly outspent.==
That was an odd dynamic. There was no real dissatisfaction with Rep. Berrios in the district. I spoke to several Karpen operatives and the most they could say is that she didn’t work hard enough to get a health care bill passed. But SHE CO-SPONSORED it, but they said she didn’t work hard enough besides that. They also mentioned that she wasn’t active enough in the community which is pretty hard to agree with. (I was surprised at how weak the arguments against her were.) Instead, the platform was that her dad was Joe Berrios. From this, they created an anti-machine politics upsurge of hipster/hippie/new yuppie types. But that’s Logan Square for you. A lot of lefty gentrifiers have moved in, but they are not engaged in politics, except to be rebellious on election day.
Obviously, I’m interested in, and committed to, independent politics and opposing the machine. But this didn’t work for me.
Karpen’s position statement is truly embarrassing and they have no critique of Berrios who is really quite good, in spite of who her father is. She is very involved in the community and has a bedrock of support here, so she won.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:11 pm:
You’re right mare. My brain is mush right now. Mongo need nap.
- Are Ya Kiddin' Me? - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:12 pm:
Did the BoR race have anything to do with MJM vs. Jim Houlihan?
Wasn’t BH a Jim Houlihan guy?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:14 pm:
SS,
Quinn got nearly 840,000 votes outside of Cook. His lead is 13,000 and change. He could not win solely on a big Cook County vote.
- Dirt Digger - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:16 pm:
tired of press that’s a little harsh. Karpen has run before yes, but he was also a Green and Greens have been known to be less than ironclad on the issues. This speaks to a lack of political structure and experience, not moral failure.
He did a lot with what he had, and frankly 35 percent is an impressive showing in that district (indeed, for a Green in any district).
- Secret Square - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:31 pm:
Word, that’s true, it would be greatly exaggerating to say that Quinn won ONLY because of Cook County. However, that would be CLOSER to the truth, on a county-by-county basis, for Quinn than it ever was for Blago.
- CircularFiringSquad - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:37 pm:
Houlihan was a victim of the failed anti-Madigan Trib campaign. Perhaps he opted to lie about cases, got roasted by the paper and then smeared in opponent’s ads.
Another IL journalism highlight.
- tired of press - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:38 pm:
Dirtdigger:
Eh well, that’s what happened. I want a third party. I fully support the Greens.
But, this guy wrote a pathetic position paper and didn’t have a single argument against the incumbent? So I should vote for him just because he wants her office?
Politics is a lot of work. Not just a one-liner.
The Greens need to figure that out.
- dupage progressive - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 4:47 pm:
I think “are ya kiddin’ me” might be on to something… Thought B.Houlihan is a JHoulihan/ Durbin guy. Maybe MJM didn’t like that on the board of review.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:00 pm:
On that Patlak/Houlihan race, Patlak was running radio ads in Chicago basically accusing Houlihan of being a ghost payroller… saying he parked his car in his taxpayer-paid parking space at the Board of Review and then went off to his full-time job at the Merc. It’s one of the few ads that really caught my attention, so maybe it resonated with some people. I’m sure the way the district is drawn and the whole Houlihan/Berrios/Claypool thing was probably in the mix as well.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:03 pm:
Pq up by 16k with 25 precincts left
- George - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:08 pm:
I think Quinn has put enough distance between himself and Brady to survive any new absentee or provisional ballots.
I predict a 25,000 vote margin in the end.
- ChrisChicago82-Independent - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:14 pm:
“Plus, how many times can you be called a national hell hole before it starts to grate on your nerves?”
Dont know. Cook County, Chicago, and Illinois in general seem to be putting up with the name calling just fine.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:16 pm:
Toni Berrios is packaged air. no surprise that the influx of yuppies in the district recognize that about her.
Patlak ran ads that attacked well. Houlihan did mailers. but, until we look at the numbers in the wards we cannot say completely the reasons. But, to Patlak someone may yet become a verb in the Madigan lexicon.
- Honest Abe - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:20 pm:
When Peraica challenged Todd Stroger for the post of President of the Cook County Board, he also was on the ballot for his spot as a commissioner. He won that race, but it was close. He almost lost his next race for township committeeman. The man never paid attention to these narrow margins and now it is time to say bye-bye.
- tired of press - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:32 pm:
Amalia–
No matter what you think about her, the yuppies did not “recognize” anything about her. They hadn’t met her and didn’t even have single complaint about her.
I met her and worked with her a very little bit. She was exceptionally attentive and independent in her thinking which is why the complaints about her dad don’t wash with me. I have no problem with her.
Anyone voting against Lisa Madigan because of her father?
Anyway, have you met Karpen?
- Amalia - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:32 pm:
Kevin: congratulations and thank you. you must have some idea, but you really need to know, many staffers in the departments of Cook County who are smart and committed to doing good things have suffered under the idiotic, unwarranted wrath of Peraica. His defeat was cheered loudly, and you are thanked heartily.
here’s what many want to know…..will his mug shot be published on line (as it was here) in some official way as he did to employees of cook county? his rants in meetings are legendary.
- LincolnLounger - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:39 pm:
The one thing that may unite Democrats and many Republicans today is the demise of Tony Peraica.
Don’t let the door hit ya . . . .
- Kevin Fanning - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:47 pm:
Thank you all for your nice comments. It was a fun race and I loved every second of it.
- Old Timer Dem - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:49 pm:
Frank has it right. Houlihan won initially because people thought they were voting for the Assessor Houlihan. Conversely, they voted against him this time because of disenchantment with Assessor Houlihan. Add the big Repub wave in the northwest suburbs, Bye, bye Houlihan. He was kind of a stuffed shirt also who always looked like he was in outer space. Not the politician his late father was.
- 17th Blue Dog Dem - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:51 pm:
“Losing Rock Island County is almost akin to losing Cook.”
Is it possible that Phil Hare took Alexi and Quinn down with him in Rock Island County? It is unfathomable that the Dems lost all three of these races in Rock Island County. I just can’t help but think it’s possible Hare was so incredibly disliked that some folks decided to vote “R” next to the top-of-the-ballot races in addition to the US House race.
- Old Timer Dem - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:55 pm:
Kevin, you going to be chief of staff for Topolski? 5 or 6 jobs in the budget that serve at the pleasure of the new commissioner.
- Old Timer Dem - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 5:57 pm:
Maybe Chief Wolf.
- Old Timer Dem - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 6:02 pm:
Brendan Houlihan was initially slated and supported by the old Jeremiah Joyce operatives not MJM.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 6:05 pm:
17th, it was probably a culmination of things. That stupid pay raise by the county board set off a gigantic spark there.
- Former Downstater - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 6:28 pm:
RI Co. Dems have been coasting for a long time. Most of them thought things would always be like they had been, strong D. But they didn’t realize how much work it was to keep it that way. With John G. and Lane Evans no longer involved, it’s a whole new world there.
- Pioneer P. - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 6:43 pm:
Re: Houlihan. It was drawn as a Republican district. The city Dems always had beef with him (Madigan and Chairman “Vote Dem” Berrios backed a Republican against him four years ago, didn’t do jack to help him keep the job this time around either) and he probably could not make up for the votes he lost in the suburbs without 80 percent support in relatively small city, i.e. 19th Ward, portion of the district. Just my best guesses.
Brendan is a good independent Dem which bit him bigtime. He seemed to get all the bad Dem pub without and of the organizational help that kept everyone around save Walker. He got caught in the tide without a Madigan liferaft.
Bonus: *The Trib endorsed Patlak without even interviewing the candidates (Shocker!).
- Old Timer Dem - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 7:14 pm:
Madigan and Berrios didn’t support Houlihan originally because he was recruited by the Joyce operatives. Many of the these same guys supported Claypool this time over Berrios.
- KPF's Dad - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 8:01 pm:
Kevin you cannot imagine how proud I am of you, your work ethic, passion and integrity. You Rock!
- In the Sticks - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 8:03 pm:
Illinois is a big state, with one dominant city. It is difficult to have a vibrant, lively, economically healthy state if most of that is focused in one city, a few counties.
We need economic hubs throughout the state, so not everyone graduates from college and goes somewhere else. Everyone in Illinois can’t live in Chicago and make a good living and have a decent lifestyle.
There is no thought by anyone in the legislature or constitutional offices about how to promote that kind of economic activity throughout the state. The focus is always on what kind of $$$$ can I get for programs/relatives/friends in my district. Those downstate residents felt that their regions are not important to Quinn, and voted accordingly.
- dr. reason a. goodwin - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 8:11 pm:
There are a lot of NRA voters here in southern Illinois. Brady picked up considerable support based purely on the concealed carry issue.
- Phil - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 8:18 pm:
Kevin did a great job and I am excited to see a Republican incumbent lose.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 8:20 pm:
–There is no thought by anyone in the legislature or constitutional offices about how to promote that kind of economic activity throughout the state. –
I’m not following you. The state didn’t create the economy in the Chicago metro. It was private enterprise.
That economic activity results in more resources available to the rest of the state, certainly in the areas of transportation and schools. Some great state universities outside the Chicago metro, too.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 8:46 pm:
Brady did not work Cook. He tried to win without it. That doesn’t work.
Why? Because Brady was afraid of being unable to defend his political positions beyond the economy. He doesn’t understand Chicago. He spoke another language and didn’t care to learn how to speak the language of the Nanny State liberals. Brady doesn’t respect those positions, and so he didn’t feel like dealing with them. Brady ignored Cook. He didn’t want to get into anyone’s face and defend himself. The polls showed him that he did not have to do it, and he didn’t want to do it anyway.
So, he thought he could win without Cook, leaving it wide open for no one else but Quinn. It was open season. Quinn had no competition.
Both candidates sucked in uniting Illinois. Quinn didn’t give a fig about anything outside Chicagoland, and Brady didn’t give a hoot about Chicago. They ran two seperate campaigns. They were from two different states. The bottom line was that there were more votes in Cook than not in Cook.
Now - what if Quinn lost? What would we be saying then?
We would look at these same figures and say the same thing, wouldn’t we?
This race was a tie because neither candidate competed agsinst one another. They played seperate games in seperate states.
- Just Sayin' - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 8:57 pm:
Great analysis Vanilla and spot on in my opinion.
- Illinois is dying - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 8:57 pm:
I weep for a state that was once a center for innovation and commerce. Our neighbors have begun their recoveries and aren’t burdened by our massive debts. They will steal our jobs just like they have stolen our high school athletes. Fortunately the Madigan machine has survived the tea party tidal wave. But at what future cost?
At least we have our powerful unions.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 9:05 pm:
Brady dropped many millions of dollars on Chicago TV, so he didn’t exactly ignore Cook.
For those hung up on counties, Cook was Brady’s best, providing him 394,000 votes, nearly a quarter million more than he got in DuPage.
Still, Brady outpolled Keats, who did nothing, by only 40,000 in Cook.
It’s crazy that the state GOP can’t maintain a basic party structure in Cook, especially in the current political environment. There’s more growth potential there for statewide GOP candidates than anywhere in the state.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 9:13 pm:
–They will steal our jobs just like they have stolen our high school athletes. –
I think there are some strawberries missing, too.
Illinois has the fifth largest economy among the 50 states, far bigger than any of our “neighbors.”
- reformer - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 9:30 pm:
Brendon Houlihan is part of the 3-member Board of Review. Many of the brickbats aimed at Commissioner Berrios also apply to Houlihan, such as accepting contributions from tax attorneys. Houlihan ran as a reformer four years ago, but it doesn’t appear that the Board has improved.
- Ray del Camino - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 9:43 pm:
Something else about Downstate (sorry to say), but if the national narrative about a referendum on Obama has any validity, rural Illinois really hates the guy. And racial overtones (undertones?) are definitely part of the story. Our long Downstate Democratic history has never included a black President against whom to react.
- FillB - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 9:52 pm:
“I think there are some strawberries missing, too.”
That almost resulted a mouthful of Tripel Karmeliet all over my screen.
Do you think the businesses and residents are still marshaling on our borders awaiting a Brady concession, or have they slunk back to their free market utopias?
PS. The Indiana economy? Potemkin village.
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 10:34 pm:
What was wrong with those counties four years ago that they voted for Blago then when he was a much worse governor for Downstate than Quinn (who didn’t seem so dismissive of staying at the mansion, reopened the state parks and wasn’t constantly threatening to close Downstate prisons, for example)?
I think in 2006 it was that it was a Democratic year while this year it’s a very Republican year in every other part of the Midwest except Cook County. Or maybe these are just the sort of Blue Dog Democrats who fall in love with things like Blago’s no tax increase pledge even when its not fiscally responsible?
As a liberal, it is baffling and troubling to try to puzzle together how Democrats could win EVERY Big Ten state for president in 2008 and will just barely cling to one (or two) governor’s offices after the 2010 cycle. I hope the party bigwigs quickly try to figure out how quickly it could all fall apart for Democrats in the not-Chicago Midwest since a Midwesterner took the White House and even went the extra mile to pass a Midwestern bailout to the car companies propping up GM and Chrysler and the cash for clunkers deal.
Social issues may be enough to keep the Dems in power on the coasts, but in the not-Chicago Midwest the voters are gonna vote their pocketbooks first and foremost and people are hurting everywhere and even in union-heavy traditionally Dem river/rust belt towns they haven’t heard or seen enough from the state and national Dems about how they’re going to help Main Street to stay true to the Dem party.
I fail to see how Republican proposals will help these folks out, but I guess they fail to see how Democratic proposals in recent years have helped them out so far.
- #43 - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 10:36 pm:
That Brady did better 25 counties better downstate than Judy Baar Topinka isn’t all that notable. He’s from Bloomington. She’s from North Riverside. He based his entire campaign on motivating a downstate base. She hoped for the collars. 2010 and 2006 were completely different races. All things considered, Pat Quinn showed a surprising amount of strength here.
- Far Northsider - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 11:13 pm:
@Illinois is dying - Do you have any stats to back up what you are saying? I haven’t seen jobs thriving in W Indiana or W Iowa or……Jobs don’t get “stolen”. They get created by having a well educated, flexible workforce. If we want better jobs, not just more jobs, we have to improve our education system.
- just sayin' - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 11:13 pm:
Patlak is a decent guy and likable. Good candidate. Not surprised he won.
Contrast Peraica in that video. Like most everything he does, he should have stopped half way in. He’s his own worst enemy. At the end he starts whining about the negativity and attacks in the race. This from a guy caught red-handed destroying his opponent’s property. Who does that?
- Far Northsider - Wednesday, Nov 3, 10 @ 11:16 pm:
Sorry - W Iowa should be E Iowa.
- Marty - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 12:24 am:
I think the Dems have to feel real good about all this–in as hostile a national environment as they’re ever likely to see, they won strong majorities in both Houses of the GA and held the governorship with a very weak candidate.
If you figure the strong GOP trend was worth about 4-5%, and adjusted accordingly, how many counties would Quinn have carried?
- tired of baseless slander - Friday, Nov 5, 10 @ 12:42 pm:
Look, tired of press, First of all, *You talked to many of Karpens canvassers.* Isn’t that statement in and of itself an accomplishment? His volunteers were throughout the community and they spent time asking folks what they thought was important and talking about what they wanted in government and in their state rep. Little time was spent trash talking Berrios.
She is not popular in the district. She is mostly invisible. Karpen came with a message that representatives should be more than just “there”, but involved. Now, if you talk to neighborhood groups she is very unpopular. Her inaction is unpopular. Her source of funding is unpopular. Her vote for the voucher bill, support of weak healthcare legislation and support of/by the gambling industry is unpopular.
The bedrock of support she has in some places is real. However, the reason she won has more to do with voter habit– to vote dem, than her performance as a state rep.
I have yet to meet an enthusiastic Toni volunteer, even at her events.