What's The Reason for Blagojevich's Unpopularity?

[BamaLefty]

A Dem governor in a very blue state has a -12% approval rating. Why?

http://surveyusa.com/50State2005/50StateGovernorApproval1005SortbyState.htm

[rosesaylavee]

1. He balanced the budget and cut spending to do so.

Which needed to be done no matter who got in office. But the real answer is in the statewide subtleties which are:

His family won't live in Springfield - he doesn't want to take his daughter out of school in the south suburbs. (I don't blame him as I didn't like living there when I had to either.)

He has had a very public fight with his father-in-law who is a bigwig in Chicago politics. Daddy accused him publically of unethical behavior.

He is a big Elvis fan - which is why he wears his hair that way.

And, he is cocky as hell.

Not sure if I will vote for him again. I will wait to see who is running before I make that call.

[Walt Starr]

2. A lot of it has to do with his current scandals

He's on the brink of being a major target of Fitzgerald's.

The best hope for the Dems to hold onto this office is for Lisa Madigan to challenge him in the primary.

[tritsofme]

4. Mike Madigan has already agreed to be co-chair of Blago's reelection

committee.

There will be no serious primary challenge, and I fear it will be to our detriment.

[Walt Starr]

5. Then there will be a REpublican Governor once again in Illinois

Blago won't be re-elected with his numbers in the toilet.

[Rich Hunt]

15. oh god help us

I think the alternative is bad enough that people will come to their senses.

[Norquist Nemesis]

16. Yep. Heard on this morning's news Topinka's gonna run

The RNC has promised to match the Dems dollar for dollar if she gets the nomination. With Blago's problems, we're back to a GOP Gov. :( :( :(

[Walt Starr]

17. I guarantee, Topinka will win if she gets the nomination

Teh only thing we've got going for us now is the fact that Topinka is pro-chice so she will alienate the whacko base of the Republican party.

[DanCa]

19. I ll bet you a steak dinner on that. :D Blago in a squeaker.

Remember Corrine Wood. Topinka is going to get hammered by the rwing nut jobs.

[Walt Starr]

21. The Reichwingnuts are split

you've got three Reichwingnuts in the reace to a single Topinka in the sane wing of the party.

If she survives the primaries, she'll probably win.

[DanCa]

23. Well you see i know the mentality of the wing nuts

If Topinka wins they'll stay at home and poubt.

[DanCa]

24. Is Joe Birkett running because believe it or not I think he's the threat.

Joe Birkett is the one man where I do see Blago having problems.

[Walt Starr]

25. Doubtful. The Cult of Bush denies them the ability to do that

All that has to happen is an RNC talking point say, "get out and vote for Topinka." and BAM, it's a sin not to in the Cult of Bush.

[DanCa]

8. One intangible is the theocratic base of the gop though.

One I dont trust polls, never have never will. And I firmly believe that when the general election comes around IL dems will rally around blago. The only way for the rethugs too win in il is too point an anti choice moderate and that will allienate the rethug base into staying home. Likewise if a hard core candidate right candidate was choosen. Remember the Corine Wood and Ryan debates? The gop primairy will tear up whatever advantage the rethugs have.

[DanCa]

3. Blago has stood up to the right wing base of the gop.

He has stopped the pharmicist for life crap.
He has been in the forefront of stem cell research.
He is trying to give kids accesse to health care.


- no wonder why so many people hate him :sarcasam:

Besides the Il gop has no one to run against him so it's the standard slash and burn tactics. Topinka, please the gop prolifers will eat her alive in the primaires.

[mopinko]

6. good question

because dems are good, honest people, and deep down are repelled by power. they hate compromise. they hate to see their leaders do it.
he is mopping up from decades of thug parties, especially ryan's largess to make people look the other way from his scandals. he's got nothing but hard choices.
i, personally, was never very happy to see someone connected to the old chicago machine in the mansion. but i kinda like the guy. he is a wonk, who seems to be about the business of doing things right. if he has a primary fight, i will think about it. but in the general, i won't have any trouble voting for him.
but just like daley, who i have grown to really love, it is hard to be good enough when you are a dem. dems get crucified for misdemeanors while thugs get away with murder. we will ALL be better off when we figure out when we figure out how this works, and stop it.

[DanCa]

7. Can i use that in my sig

"Dems get crucified for misdeamonrs while the rethugs get away with murder? I like that one . :toast:

[mopinko]

10. help yourself

maybe someone can find the cure.

[stevebreeze]

9. some of the cuts were to union jobs...unrelenting negative press

especially in the Trib.

[Chicago Democrat]

11. He's corrupt and he's going down...

Fed hiring corruption probe apparently they have tapes.

He's a corrupt machine, mob affiliated, beaver faced rat bastard, that's what!

[Walt Starr]

13. It's going to be awfully hard to vote for the man

The only way I'll vote for him will probably be if they put up a total reichwingnut on the GOP side.

Sorta like that Louisiana governor's race that Duke ran in where the slogan was "Vote for the crook instead of the racist."

[laylah]

12. From personal

experience, he is a liar and a fraud. He ignores corruption in different branches (IDOC, for one) even when provided with irrefutable evidence. How's that for starters? That man can evoke almost as much disgust and rage in me as the *dumbass in DC.

Jenn

[Kitka]

22. You know, I read and hear this a lot

But no one gives me specifics. In what way is he a liar and a fraud? What makes you think he ignores corruption? I'm seriously asking. I hate to think I'm defending a man who is a liar and a fraud but I've seen nothing to tell me that.

[davsand]

14. He hasn't delivered up the jobs that Dem demand.

Let's be REALLY frank here. Blag has not kept the rank and file dems happy because he didn't clean house and boot all the legacy GOP job holders in state government. Additionally, Blag has cut bloated budgets and a few needed jobs--thus he's seen as a really bad Dem by more than a few.

We have a long and "cherished" history in this state of unabashed cronyism and influence peddling. Blag is getting some heat for his policies in hiring (actually policies put in place by guys who work FOR Blag, but that is for another day...) Other than his cuts of union jobs, I really don't see anything too terrible that Blag has done other than his failure to provide jobs. Maybe I've lived here too long, but this IS how it goes.

Dems here in Illinois are incredibly quick to form a circular firing squad, and frankly, we have some good people like Durbin and Obama in office--yet I hear THEM get nailed at every turn for not being quite liberal enough. I have NO idea how Big Dick flourished for so long in Chicago given how impure HE was--and lord knows HE was a master at Illinois style politics.

Something the polling data doesn't show is the number of GOP rank and file that will probably vote for Blag if the IL GOP goes into another self destruct mode like they did with Alan Keyes' Senate race. People can say they won't vote for Blag gain, but I damn sure hope that none of our DUers are even considering a vote for the Milk Nazi or anyone of his ilk...

Blag may not be as pure as you like, but he's OUR toad, and by gawd, I'll take him over a GOP wingnut any day.

Just my two cents.


Laura

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

18. Laura, I agree with what you said about Blago 100%.

I don't understand how anyone calling themselves a Democrat in Illinois would even begin to think about voting for any Gooper, Judy Barr Topinka included, for governor.

Blago has gotten nothing but bad press especially from the Chicago Tribune and we all know who they always support. Quite frankly, until someone, including Pat Fitzgerald, can come up with the so-called goods on Blago, he's got my vote.

[barb162]

20. The pugs will trash any Democrat for anything and everything

just like they did with Clinton. I like him. But if he's not the candidate and Madigan is, I will vote for her. I like her too.