52 Comments - Alfred - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:22 pm: Negative because why would it be positive - Steve - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:27 pm: It’s a net negative for the people of Illinois because of the financial mess and other reforms that have been thwarted by Mike Madigan. Also, the corruption and #metoo stories in the media linked to Madigan are now a net negative. - Ok - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:28 pm: He is in office, but is he in “power?” I think that is what we will have to see. - My New Handle - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:28 pm: Without knowing what an alternate Illinois universe looks like or how that universe might function, there is no definitive answer to that question. - Bruce (no not him) - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:31 pm: I think it is really neither. The republicans have done a good job painting Madigan as the root of all evil, but in reality, he is no worse that any other politician. (feeling rather negative of all politics today) - Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:31 pm: Net positive. Just the experience vacuum will be a killer for a lot of things for whoever next takes up the main residence in 300. - So_Ill - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:40 pm: The Guv is totally right on this one. He got his agenda through with flying colors. I don’t think it really matters who the speakers is as long as he’s getting things passed. - Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:42 pm: Net negative, outside of the Springfield/Chicago political echo chamber, MJM is an national example of political corruption. JB called MJM “whoever” no better example of being condemned with faint praise. Some leader. - Been There - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:42 pm: Definitely a net positive. Of course there are many downsides but as Pritzker said much of his agenda was passed. And there is no doubt that labor would be much much weaker now if he wasn’t there during the Rauner years. I’m not saying a few of the members couldn’t make great speakers in the future but I always think its better to stick with who and what you know. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:42 pm: Continues? Probably a net negative. If Madigan leaves, it’s a net negative to Raunerites. Madigan right now, purely politically, is at his zenith in seats and Democratic state power. Once Madigan does leave, the shallow and hollow Raunerites, already at the weakest the former GOP has been since 1983. It’s indeed a net loss, politically, with Madigan gone going forward. The Raunerites are bereft of anything to build a party. The Dems? Governor? Illinois? Probably a net positive. With all the Madigan baggage, the movie, IPI, the phony reformist… look how much was done *with* MJM and Pritzker. Imagine no Madigan…. 74, 40, all the statewides… no Madigan… it’s like folks are forgetting Madigan as bad as it may seem, so much got done, agendas achieved, legislation passed, even labor unified. Yep. I’m being overtly pragmatic, political, and measured to both. I answered the question as I framed it. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:47 pm: === the phony reformist=== * Raunerites who held Illinois hostage. For clarification - nadia - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 2:52 pm: Positive. Experience, stopping Rauner’s agenda, shepherding JB’s agenda through the House and his ability to work with reasonable Republicans are reasons for a positive answer. And who is the Dem in the House who could successfully replace him at this time? - Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 3:07 pm: It’s a net negative going forward, if only for the distractions from getting positive things done for the state, and the need to turn the page and clean up some of the current messes. - A Guy - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 3:12 pm: This is really a better question for June/July. He’s definitely a net positive in some places, but that is narrowing with the drip, drip, drip. If it continues and more of these shoes drop, he’ll go to net negative and pretty quickly gross negative in too many places. For now, at the very least, he’s net positive, but steering a leaky boat. - Thomas Paine - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 3:12 pm: Net positive. Illinois is now an overwhelmingly Democratic state. The Governor, The Mayor and The Speaker all keep each other in check and prevent any one institution from becoming too powerful. That’s more important now than ever since we have a governor who is a billionaire. - Yep - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 3:13 pm: How could it be negative he’s only been in the G.A. since 1971. Give him more time he’ll fix it..some day. - Lester Holt’s Mustache - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 3:26 pm: Net negative, if you believe democratic policy is better for the state than republican policy. Since current Illinois republican policy for years has only consisted of “Mike Madigan is bad”, we’ll assume democratic policy is better for this discussion. Dems currently have a supermajority in both chambers and all the constitutional offices. Kevin Quinn, Tim Mapes, ComEd, Mike McClain‘s emails, one thing after another, stories that all tie back to Madigan in some way, can only drag down the party and its policies going forward. Considering they have nowhere to go but down anyway, it’d probably be impossible to prove. Any losses on the dem side will be accredited to having such a large majority to begin with, i.e., “It wasn’t the fault of Madigan or anyone else, total control of state government is just unsustainable”. - Just Me - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 3:30 pm: Net positive. Without him an extreme liberal would be Speaker and he/she would pass extreme liberal bills. Madigan is smart enough to know that if you over reach on liberal policies you do real damage. He just *just enough* to keep his caucus happy. - Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 3:37 pm: Net zero. The positives (he keeps people on taks and can get stuff done efficiently) are counter-acted by the negatives (it’s hard to get him to let new/innovative/important stuff move forward). He often chooses to do nothing in order to avoid the possible consequence of potentially, maybe losing a seat to the Republicans. - ahh - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 3:46 pm: Pritzker didn’t say the “M” word. Interesting. Net negative. He’s been there too long and hasn’t been the best “gardener.” A lot of weeds popping up, lately. - Closing loopholes - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 3:59 pm: Net negative. We talk a lot about “that’s the way things are done here,” but a large part of that is *because* of MJM. Yeah, him not being the Speaker would change the dynamic, but I think we’re not thinking of how it could change things for the better. - VerySmallRocks - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:01 pm: The Cult of Trump has no moral argument to make about Madigan, as bad and out of date as he is. As to the Democrats, all in due time. Amusing how reactionaries who favor separation of power between different bodies demand activism from Pritzker. - Upon Further Review - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:05 pm: Negative, as his name is synonymous with corruption with most of the electorate regardless of political affiliation. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:09 pm: === his name is synonymous with corruption with most of the electorate regardless of political affiliation.=== While true, Democrats are at their most powerful after $130 million making things “synonymous” It would be a net positive if Madigan left. Pragmatically, how much, politically, better can Dems get here in Illinois? This is a great QOTD. With respect. - Upon Further Review - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:10 pm: Also, the “who can possibly replace him?” card is overplayed and weak with almost all leaders. Everyone is replaceable. The next woman or man will take the reins, make it their own, and if they are smart, be themselves. It is the lesson we teach our children. If one is afraid of change . . . . .they were born in the wrong era. - R A T - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:17 pm: Negative because it got Rauner elected and ruined the GOP in Illinois (until it was ruined nationally of course). - Rutro - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:19 pm: Negative, dems don’t need him anymore, Rauner’s off to Italy, thanks though, also don’t complain, you did fine - Blake - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:21 pm: Just me hit on something nobody seems to talk about. Illinois’ next house speaker will likely be much more progressive. - Driving a car - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:21 pm: Regardless of my thoughts on him right now, like OW points out the question says “continues” His time, I think, is up. It’s time for a new leader from a new era — for better or worse - Collinsville Kevin - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:28 pm: Negative. Just like Pelosi, Schumer, Biden et al he needs to be put out to pasture. - bogey golfer - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:48 pm: Net negative. He looked the other way when his “boys” behaved in a morally corrupt manner. He is not doing himself or his party any good staying. - Can I have some more porridge - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:52 pm: Neutral. He needs a little more before he goes. It’s hard to throw the guy out into the cold mean streets of Springfield knowing that he has few more years before he turns 80. - SSL - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 5:15 pm: The guy created and sustained the very culture the governor railed against yesterday, and rightfully so. So it’s a bigtime negative. - Pundent - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 5:25 pm: Well if and when Republicans are able to get elected simply by saying Madigan it will be a net negative. But they certainly tried that last go-round and it only made him stronger. There’s a lot of speculation on what Madigan knew, should have known, did or should have done. But we’ve seen this before. And each time there were plenty of people who claimed “this time its different.” And yet he remains in position and only seems to grow stronger. So in that sense it would seem that he has been a net positive. Whether that continues to be the case remains to be seen. - theCardinal - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 5:31 pm: Net Negative. Illinnois needs a reputation boost (and has for some time IMO) Think of all the garbage we have endured the past 15 years, scandal after scandle, budget fiasco etc aways wondering whats next in the race for the basement. - Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 6:24 pm: Net positive. Madigan has been the whipping boy and he gets things done. Comparing Madigan to someone else who may or may not be able to get things done is a futile exercise. - DQCardsFan - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 6:32 pm: Negative. Madigan embraces and is empowered by a halcyon system of corrupt government based on party and prestige over public service. The sooner he and his cronies are gone, the more likely it will be that Illinois government can make the hard but politically unpalatable decisions that need to be made in order to check our slow descent into financial disaster. Madigan’s ship has sailed. - Anyone Remember - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 7:40 pm: theCardinal- The legacy of the Sangamon County GOP would be worse than Madigan. - @misterjayem - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 8:00 pm: Might have different answers for in the short-term vs. in the long-term – MrJM - BigJoe - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 8:42 pm: Has everyone forgotten how many REPUBLICAN governors this state has had over the past 30 years? - Gregg - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 8:51 pm: Madigan has been Illinois House speaker for 35 years, and his OK is needed for any bill to reach the House floor. That is too much power for too long for any one person. And we need term limits - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:27 pm: MJM will cost the Governor his landmark goal - the graduated tax. Sixty percent is not an easy threshold and shaving a few points could cost them. - Enviro - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 10:42 pm: Madigan helped pass much of Pritzker’s agenda. Net positive. - Flapdoodle - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 11:20 pm: Some friends and I considered this question at length this evening, assisted by a variety of beverages. Our conclusion was that Madigan is the ultimate pragmatist, doing what can be done and not wasting political capital on lost causes. Given that Illinois is in serious need of pragmatic (as opposed to ideological) leadership, Madigan has been a net positive for the state. Whether that continues to be so is an open question. - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 11:37 pm: Do 95% of you honestly believe Illinois better off after 35 years of Speaker Madigan’s leadership? What do these people have all wrong? https://capitolfax.com/2019/03/20/simon-poll-pritzker-job-approval-2-trump-20-durbin-10-cullerton-11-madigan-51/ - Rabid - Thursday, Jan 16, 20 @ 7:03 am: Positive one half of one third of the government gets his power from the people’s choice of elected representatives . The people have spoken - CookR - Thursday, Jan 16, 20 @ 7:05 am: It is amazing to me how many on this page consider the Speaker a net positive, going forward. His type of governance, while it does get some stuff done, is the old school power-brokering that leaves way too much room for (actually encourages) the kind of stuff that we are seeing in headlines today, with the people in power treating others and the state as a means to their end. It is like this state has Stockholm Syndrome. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 16, 20 @ 7:52 am: === It is like this state has Stockholm Syndrome.=== … and yet, if you look at all Gov. Pritzker accomplished legislatively, agree with *any* of it or not, President Cullerton, Speaker Madigan, 40, 74… they got a lot done. You may not like it…. Now, going forward, that really is the question. - 17% Solution - Thursday, Jan 16, 20 @ 8:09 am: “It is like this state has Stockholm Syndrome.” Because how dare those Illinoisans know what works for them and what doesn’t work for them. - Ccapilla - Thursday, Jan 16, 20 @ 8:17 am: This is spectacular. First, a great question with some really good responses. But at 4:17pm yesterday, we crossed the Rubicon. Apparently a GOP governor being elected (and the blame for things not working out under said gov) has fallen squarely into “Because Madigan” territory. That’s phenomenal. - Last Bull Moose - Thursday, Jan 16, 20 @ 8:50 am: If he takes the second seat and supports JB’s agenda, he will be a plus. If he pushes another agenda, then a negative. My understanding is the failed changes to pensions after Quinn put in Tier 2 were driven by Madigan. That cost Quinn the election to Rauner. - lincoln's beard - Thursday, Jan 16, 20 @ 10:43 am: Net negative. He has no substantive political agenda other than maintaining power and rewarding his friends. He’s long stood in the way of his own party actually governing. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.