The anti-Lauzen forces in Kendall county. With both Chris winning big in the primary and Hastert losing in his it demonstrated that Lazuen is still a significant force in Kendall and Kane counties.
The voters who stayed home are a great big bunch of losers. We get the government we deserve. If you can’t be bothered to take five minutes to cast a ballot, then stop complaining. Shut up and pay your taxes. I don’t want to hear about moaning from anyone who stayed home.
There are a lot of more creative answers I could give, but really, it has to be Todd Stroger. ending one of the politcal dynasties, leaving with historic low ratings and a punching bag for the media. He is the biggest loser because he had no where else to go and no ability to change his image without the bully pulpit.
North Shore democrats-Mark kirk and bob dold are a very strong top of the ticket and will likely make them 0-7 in trying to beat Mark kirk and steal the seat. Also having to explain why the only 3 gop u.s. senators in the last 30 years came from the north shore should be a painful event.
old guard republicans. John Porter was about as highly a thought of politician as you will ever find up here, same thing jim edgar. Their backing of coulson did nothing for her. Hastert also went nowhere and mckenna. eef.
media. This wasn’t the best covered campaign. There was virtually no coverage of the 10th race. Scott lee cohen is well known. none of them had brady surging. you could almost feel the coverage of people like rich samuels and susan kucska missing. They are spread too thin trying to constantly blog and there aren’t enough of them to the point where the depth is lacking now big time.
- Joe from Joliet - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:52 am:
DuPage County residents. Because of Jim Ryan and what’s-his-name, DuPage residents will not be able to say in 2011 that the governor of Illinois is one of them.
Another race lost, a reputation becoming more shaky then the rumors that were out there, and possibly making herself a “lame duck” in her current job. Who is going to endorse her next time with “jean-gate”, 2 failed races, and no particular base that will get her message out.
Sometimes you win when you lose, but this time, her loss is going to haunt her for quite some time.
Some good ones named already, but McKenna is at the top of the list. All that dough gone and nothing to show for it.
- X None of the Above - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:55 am:
The news media editorial boards, specifically Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, and Daily Herald.
These boards are biased by their own liberal political views, and lazy, incompetent and hypocritical in researching the resumes and voting records of candidates.
For more than a year most of them have been braying for a voter revolt and urging upheaval — and what happened?
Most of the status quo candidates were endorsed, making any recommendation by them a joke.
Democrats who are not machine-backed. Preckwinkle the exception to this, but still seems like CW is that the machine needs to be stronger in its involvement with elections.
I’d have to think Dan Hynes. His shot at Governor is over, with Lisa probably getting in next time. Also, he lost Cook County overwhelmingly. The combination of the two, what can he run for now?
For all the “help” he got from McKenna, should he have dropped out of the Guv race? Trying to guess what Matt Murphy got out of dropping to LG and then losing, is he better off, worse off, stayed the same? Can’t see the case for better, and teaming with McKenna isn’t endearing him with others who may have wanted Ryan or Dillard, so stayed the same is probably out … so, he has to be a loser, right? (puzzeled look)
The state’s voters, because the primary election was too early. It got lost in the holidays, vetting was compacted into too short a timeframe, and turnout was impacted by to-be-expected crappy early Feb weather. But most of all voters lost because it gave incumbant candidates an excuse for six weeks less of governing and problem solving while they were out fundraising, campaigning and politicking.
Madigan-his candidates in 36 and 37 lost. Weak and battered candidates emerged in 71 and 98. But most of all-he became the issue and obstructionist. Every governor forum or debate for both sides included the question-”how do you deal with mike madigan”. The mainstream media and voters are beginning to assign blame and madigan is at the top of the list. For maybe the first time, he will be an anchor on every dem candidate taking his support.
3 candidates (Dillard, Ryan, Schillerstrom) in the Governor’s race who all divided the vote enough to allow a downstater to sneak in. They couldn’t even get the Lt. Governor’s spot. Come to think of it, I can’t come up with 1 DuPager on the GOP ticket. Ouch!!
Is was pointed out with the “winners” so the flip side is “the former Lee A. Daniels” influence in the GOP House caucus, starting with Bassi and working the way back. The caucus is going to be more conservative in set-up, how much is going to be seen next JAN, but the LAD style reps are all but extinct.
Speaker Madigan for letting the SLC mess get out of hand. Once that guy went to the DH edit board and said he was going to spend 3 mil on the race, mjm should have been all over it.
The White House. Alexi is an all out nightmare for them…..they lose the President’s former seat.
Beth Coulson and Julie Hamos. Two exceptional legislators who weren’t able to translate that into exceptional campaigns.
Kirk Dillard….always on the wrong side of close races.
Matt Murphy….for not striking a very good deal with Mckenna and getting frozen out of most of those ads. And then failing to run his own campaign. There is no way he should lose to that kid. His once very promising career took a major hit.
Whoever did McKenna’s ads. Never has so much been wasted so badly (ok, maybe Gidwitz).
How could you ignore Scott Cohen? For a political neophyte, he had no idea what he was in for. He easily won his race after spending lots of his own money, but then the ceiling fell in on him.
- And I Approved This Message - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:07 am:
Scott Lee Cohen. In the public’s eye he went from affable, self made millionaire with a plan to create jobs to domestic abuser, prostitute hirer, steroid using dead-beat dad. And he was forced to resign after he won. Hard to beat that.
- Kane Conservative - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:07 am:
I think Edgar, but also Dillard. Edgar lost just about everything he invested in, and some of them by a wide margin-Sheahan/Nybo especially. But Dillard, if you go into his reports, seemed to really waste a lot of money and had bloated salaries. If he had reduced costs on his office and maybe some salary costs, plus cut a bit here and there, he has another $150K for TV, and that may well have been enough!
- Will County Woman - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:12 am:
lost credibility…
ABC-7 I Team and WGN-TV for beleiving the Quinn camp’s grossly exaggerated last-minute “Hynes knew in 2003″ claim on the Burr Oak matter, and running with those grossly exaggerated reports with doing due diligence and understanding that they were being manipulated for political purposes by the Quinn camp.
I guess now that he’s won, Quinn will be content to let the Burr Oak matter officially rest in peace now, and spare us Burr Oak families from being dragged through the mud any further for the sake of his political campaign/future?
Overall the just under 13 million Illinoisans are the big losers because we don’t have a Mitch Daniels or Paul Vallas type of intelligent, competent and trustworthy gubernatorial candidate heading into the November general election from which to chose.
If I can answer your question with a question, Rich, what is Andy McKenna’s political future now? He attempted to parlay his chairmanship into elected office (alienating others in the party as he did so), persuaded Murphy to run as a ticket with him, and spent a whole lot of money to try to buy the election. And he’s apparently lost to a guy who spent less than a tenth of it.
Obviously Andy’s in better shape than Blair Hull was in April of 2004, but does he have a political future in this state? If not, I’d say he’s a big loser coming out of primary day.
Andrew McKenna. I feel badly for anyone who thinks it is worthwhile to spend their own family’s money to seek a political office.
SLC’s political consultants. Maybe they are unknown anyplace else, but their reputation has been severely tarnished here on The CF Blog.
For once, I agree with Shore. 10th District Democrats picked Seals again, he isn’t going to do anything for them in November.
House Republicans - Their foolishness in the Rep. Sente race blew up on them.
Senator Terry Link - A County Democratic Party Chairman and Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor who supposedly had all the info on SLC and didn’t use it to help himself win.
Chicago Tribune - I don’t mind their endorsements and over the top screaming, I’m used to it by now, but they should bear some of the blame for the SLC fiasco. They had the info and didn’t run the story. I think they are losers accordingly.
McKenna tops the list. He’s tried before, and this time spent a boatload and came up wanting. Added to that, he got trashed pretty good over his shennanigans about the poll. Kind of lost twice.
Scott Lee Cohen is up there big time. Spent a boatload, got trashed in the media (rightly), won, and then still lost. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in the meeting with Madigan.
Adam A. Like a previous person put it, if he would have put his money in the Comptroller’s race, he would have won handily, would have a shot at the General election, and he probably could have accomplished most of what he wanted (transparency in spending) all by himself in the position, and then would have the ability to position himself later for a “bigger” race.
Side note to all the above - “Self Funders” lost big time.
It’s not quite the same, but Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski came in third in a three-way primary that started Sarah Palin on her path to national fame. Both elections were clearly referenda on the incumbents.
Teachers unions: Jumped in heavy for Hynes and now have to face the wrath of Quinn.
Tom Cross: Paired up with McKenna, lost an incumbent and expended a ton of late effort trying to shore up a candidate in Lake County for nothing. Pulled a dirty trick on Rep. Sente and got busted bigtime for it.
Todd Stroger: See previous commenters.
McKenna: In hock to his wife for $2 million. Second straight miserable finish. Oof.
Republican Governors Association: Wanted McKenna to run to stop Bill Brady. Oops.
McKenna’s TV guy: Loves to create ads that generate insider buzz - see AM’s “hair ad” for proof. Unfortunately, his candidates too often are losers. The sheep ad in California is his. Goofy.
47th Ward Regular Democratic Organization: The hacks can’t hack it no more. In fact, they haven’t been able to hack it for years. Ann Williams was the final nail in their pathetic coffin.
Political reporters: We screwed up. ‘Nuff said.
Chicago Tribune editorial board: Ah, the schadenfreude overfloweth.
Tea partiers: Expended way too much energy on a sure-fire loser in the US Senate race and ignored Adam A and others who might’ve had at least some chance. They are too easily distracted by bright, shiny objects.
Art Turner: Should’ve patched up that feud with Rickey Hendon a long time ago.
House members of both parties who tried to move up the ladder: Except for David Miller, nobody else won. The House system (Dem and GOP) pampers members to the point where they can’t do anything on their own.
Personal PAC: Lost a few legislative races and was embarrassed by its SLC endorsement. Not a huge loser, but still on the list.
Brien Sheahan: Got clobbered by Chris Nybo.
Jim Edgar: Dillard endorsement surely helped, but didn’t get him over the top. Endorsed Sheahan. Oops.
MJM and Lipinski organizations: Got whalloped but good by an 18th Ward homemaker. Ha!
Everybody who thought Jim Madigan could beat Sen. Heather Steans: Please.
Denny Hastert’s old group: The kid lost and Lauzen won.
I reserve the right to revise and extend my remarks.
Without a doubt the biggest losers of the day were the trade unions. They poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Dan Hynes and O’Brien for Cook County Board President and were beaten badly. In the Governor’s race they have to explain why they funded a ficious attack campaign against a governor that signed a $30 billion capital bill. Now they have a lot of work to do to repair the damage they have done.
Dorothy Brown. Now everybody knows what the lawyers know — that she runs a bad office. She went from having that job as long as she wants it to being a longshot to holding it next time around. When your final numbers are within a point of Todd Stroger, you have major problems.
I never took McKenna seriously (what has he ever won?) so I don’t consider him much of a loser. What did he have that he lost, other than some cash? He went from a former party chair who can’t win an election to a former party chair who can’t win an election.
Quinn. Remember when Jim Ryan won a close primary fight after he began with a large lead an seemed unstoppable? His campaign never recovered and his base continued to ponder if they nominated the wrong guy. I predict that Quinn’s narrow win over Hynes will play out in a similar way. Dems will continue to wonder throughout a difficult Summer and Fall if they nominated the wrong guy. That quiet doubt effects everything from the size of the checks written, the grass roots efforts to voter turnout of the candidate’s base. Long, drawn out and painful.
- Third Generation Chicago Native - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:28 am:
McKenna/Murphy
They flooded Chicago radio and local TV with Ads constantley for months, and did not come close.
Stroger, worst loss for an incumbent, not even close with or close to the second place winner.
If it has to be a candidate, it’s Ryan. He should’ve won, he had the name recognition, and the experience, but a pitifully unenergetic campaign and a downright horrible concession speech has to make him the biggest loser candidate in Illinois.
If I make a broader pick and go for an institution, it’s the media. The media failed utterly and miserably by not doing their jobs and reporting on the Lt. Governor’s race or investigating Cohen until AFTER the election was held. Say what you want about voter apathy and low turn out, you can’t expect the public to dig through every candidate’s backstory if the media can’t even do their job and do that.
- billy pilgrim - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:34 am:
MJM had his worst primary season. Lost big races in Brosnahan and McCarthy seats.
I guess there are two schools of thought–i thought cross was a winner for not dumping tons of cash into primary battles for seats that were going to remain republican.
Rich, I agree with your observation that Tom Cross caught one in the solar plexus. Facing questions that he does not know how to handicap races, his support of McKenna, a candidate that had burned many bridges, was a gamble. Also the loss of Hastert will also undermine the percieved power of Cross. For big contributors in Illinois, the head of the house or senate caucus weighs very, very big. A perception that he jumps in the wrong races does not inspire one to entrust him with big bucks to get people elected around the state. Big contributors are likely to handicap races themselves instead of trusting Cross with their money.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:41 am:
Moderate Republicans: Dillard, Bassi, Coulson, Jim Ryan and most of all Jim Edgar.
Editorial Boards: You can probably count the number of combined editorial board endorsements that Alexi, Brady, Quinn, Cohen and Plummer got on your fingers. More proof that voters 1) Don’t read newspapers and 2)If they do, generally don’t give them much weight.
David Hoffman: Not only gambled big and lost big on the U.S. Senate race, but lost 35 of 50 wards in Chicago, only breaking 50 percent in seven of them. With the municipal elections right around the corner and his personal wealth depleted, is hopes of running for Mayor look dim indeed.
Todd Stroger: After finishing dead last, Stroger learned the hard way that the voters he thought he was fighting for didn’t see it that way.
The primary shows that being a member of the state general assembly does not mean much when running for higher office, especially in urban areas. Murphy, Hamos and Coulson are some examples.
- Stupid Human Tricks - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:43 am:
Terry Link- lost to Hendon, Castillo, Boland. No explanation necessary.
Biggest losers are anti-taxers everywhere, including most spectacularly the extremist editorial boards of the Tribune, Daily Herald and Belleville News Democrat.
Finally tally from the gov primary was 1.2 million votes (71%) for candidates who acknowledge the need for more revenue, less than 500,000 (29%) for anti-taxers.
Clearly a landslide, blowout, avalanche for the voices of reason in this state, and a humiliation of the head-in-the-sand anti-tax crowd.
Combined with a statewide win for the chief sponsor of HB 174 and the re-election of several Cook commissioners who supported the county sales tax increase, no more proof is needed that the “tax revolt” is a figment of the imagination of totally out-of-touch Trib Tower occupants.
Jacob Meister spent more than a million bucks to buy 16,000 votes. Oof.
- Joe from Joliet - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:48 am:
…it’s Ryan. He should’ve won…
Ryan took a poll and found out some people know his name. Based on that, he thought he could be governor. So he gets in way late with no money, no organization and a fleeting acquaintance with the issues. If someone never had a chance to win, that someone cannot be a big loser.
The SLC political consultant - I believe it was Phil Molfese - now has a HUGE millstone around his neck. Who’d want to hire him after this debacle? But then again, he did talk the man out of a lot of money and did win a primary in a tough year. Not sure if that makes him a winner or a loser.
I don’t think Hoffman’s a loser. I think he did what obama did in 2000, thought that his education and reformer mentality would do it and that people would be smart enough to just get it.
There’s a great story about obama’s senate race in 2003 where his aide, basically tells him to dress like they do downstate and to lose the pretense. Hoffman might consider that next time. There aren’t a lot of blue collar guys in east winnetka, but Hoffman if he wants to move up I think learned he needs to realize that’s his party, not just highly educated folks.
I also disagree on editorial boards. The tribune endorsement was a big win for dold, as a lot of republicans on the north shore, particularly older ones still consider that a good thing in races like the 10th where candidates aren’t as well known.
siriusly, thank you but I’ll try to revert to form.
“I reserve the right to revise and extend my remarks. ”
Rich, don’t make yourself sound like an attorney - we think higher of you than that.
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:06 pm:
This will seem over the top, but hear me out: Illinois Citizens. Because there was such awful turnout and, Preckwinkle’s almost-by-default election aside, no mandate for reform, and the post-fall election prospect of either a weak Dem guv or a gridlocked state governor, chances for improving the attractiveness of this state to businesses doesn’t look good.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:07 pm:
The biggest loser was Stroger but I don’t think he cares so he doesn’t count. I mean, did he spend any money on commercials. Someone told me he bought a million in bonds with his campaign fund.
I’d have to go with Dan Hynes just because of the high profile of the race and because he came so close. Although I keep hearing Quinn was the machine candidate, Hynes had plenty of regular dem gears working with wards like the 11th, 13th, 38th, 45th, trade unions, teachers unions, and lots more covert help. Hynes was as much or more machine backed as Quinn with much of the Governor’s support coming from reformers like Jan Schakowsky and too many others to list. Not your usual machine crowd.
I was actually hoping Hynes would take the Lt. spot because I think he owes the party for causing all this chaos but that is another discussion.
I assume his next step is to one of the hooked in Irish law firms to make a few million until he decides where his next challenge lies.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:19 pm:
Scott Lee Cohen’s family, ex-wife, and ex-GF. They were put through the wringer, had some very personal details of their lives put in front of everyone, and hadn’t asked for any of that unwanted attention.
- Moving to Oklahoma - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:24 pm:
Andy McKenna:
A 2 million dollar campaign that tried to paint him as an outsider. Getting called on the carpet for contribution violations, exposed for running a self promoting poll with party dollars, alienating a large part of the republican party, establishment people and voters alike.
In the short term:
The republican party. Without a candidate for gov to get behind fund raising will be difficult. Kirk Dillard is more than 1/2 million dollars in debt to his campaign fund and Bill Brady has very little money. No ones fault, but a protracted battle for that candidacy negates what should be positive traction for republicans.
The biggest loser has to be whoever ran Dillard’s campaign. They missed a huge opportunity there. I’m sure one of the same old retred’s was Dillard’s campaign manager. Could he have run a less effective campaign? Does anyone know who the campaign manager was?
Hynes: Lost and said “never again” after launching an unnecessary all-out multi-million-dollar negative attack ad campaign on his own party’s Gov., who is navigating the state out of nearly impossible crises. Hynes claimed to be the man with a plan, which was really a way-down-the-road illusion (like GOP’s ‘no new taxes’ lie.) Thought money, negativity and organization was enough to beat one of the state’s most under-estimated campaigners. Gets to wonder forever where just one more vote per precinct coulda woulda shoulda been. Did exit gracefully, though.
Other losers:
Murphy: Talked a lot and enjoyed being on TV. Started for Gov. Dropped to Lt. Gov. and then lost to “an unknown.” Just, wow!
Dillard: Should’ve been able to win it, though might still luck out. GOP continues to defeat itself from the inside out. Dillard was GOP’s better hope.
Scott Lee Cohen: Too much information. Waaayyy too much information. SLC - Don’t listen to any more political consultants. Go private ASAP.
Terry Link: Says he KNEW about SLC, still came in last, and is still blaming others? Whatever.
PS: MJ Madigan isn’t a loser. He seems, whether we like it or not, to have only two outcomes: I win; you lose.
[Name withheld], Republican Candidate for DuPage County Board Chairman, tops my list.
Why?
Because Peter LaBarbera and creepy allies dragged her through six inches of muck — Rich described it as “a new low” — and she ultimately lost her race.
Ouch.
– MrJM
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:58 pm:
Rich:
Re Edgar: Brady won both Coles County, where Edgar grew up, and Champaign County, where Edgar now lives.
- Last Place Link - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:58 pm:
Only one that hasn’t been said. All those endorsement for Terry Link and he finished last place. Maybe the IL AFL-CIO should give some thought about not making poorly considered endorsements that it has no intention of backing up.
I agree with Phinny-if Hynes ever runs again, he should let someone else pick the race…his choices just cost him his career in public life- despite his connections
The biggest “losers” were the 75% of registered voters who decided to stay home just because of a little snow. How does anyone think anything will change in Springfield when so few people turn up to vote?
The second biggest loser was all of us for being saddled with such an early primary that was nothing more than an incumbent protection act. Did any incumbent in the General Assembly from Chicago, who was challenged for re-election, lose on Feb. 2?
Todd Stroger - went from being the County Board President to finishing dead last in his primary.
Jim Ryan - started out with the best name recognition and a lead in the polls and then blew it.
Jacob Meister - blew a million dollars of his own money only to drop out 48 hours before election day.
Jim Madigan - for not having a compelling argument about why Heather Steans should not be re-elected and then losing to her two to one.
Hughes - couldn’t ride the tea party wave to defeat the ultimate moderate Republican in the GOP primary.
Scott Lee Cohen - spent two million of his own money only to be forced to resign from the ticket when his all to public scandals finally surfaced after he won.
The press - for failing to cover many elections at all and for failing to uncover the SLC scandals, which were a matter of public record.
The Trib and Suntimes editorial boards for failing to make endorsements until after early voting started (and making endorsements for GA seats with barely a week to go before election day).
People who consider themselves “high information” voters because they use media for their information just found out that they are the same as “no and low information” voters because of the media. Basically the media just told them, “We have no need to report because we already decided for you.”
Madigan-the guy has been taking some hits in the press for the mismanagemebt in the state, now glaring mismanagement in his own party only emboldens his critics. Watch a strong independent streak developing within the democrat state central committee.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:20 pm:
the former Kendall County GOP apparatus headed by Dallas Ingemusson. His son lost the primary for Kendall County State’s Attorney last cycle, now Ethan Hastert goes down, and Tom Cross’s endorsement of Andy McKenna was a loser also.
the far left north shore Dem posse of Jan Schakowsky, hubby Bob Creamer and Ald. Joe Moore got a gut shot with Julie Hamos going down.
Brien Sheahan (DuPage Co. Bd member running for retiring Rep Biggins seat, 41st).
Brien certainly did not get along with Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom; and I don’t think it was much fun for either of them. Ironically, had he not run for the GA, he could have sat quietly and Bob would have moved on. Brien could have continued positioning himself as a rising future Board leader.
Unfortunately, Brien couldn’t resist the opporunity to swim in a bigger sea, and he threw in his hat for the GA. And he lost big time to relative newcomer Chris Nybo.
But Sheahan’s loss doesn’t just end there! In running against Nybo, Sheahan put himself in the opposition of Cronin, as Nybo once managed Cronin’s Senate campaign. Well, as the primaries turned out, Cronin will be the DuPage County Chair. So much for Brien’s chances of rising under a new county leader. And since Sheahan’s name has been pretty well disparaged all around Elmhurst, he now has a significantly lower chance of re-election to the DuPage County Board.
I think in Brien’s case, he really, really lost a lot for losing. He may have just completely crashed his plane.
- Tenth District Dems: Went with a soon to be three time looser with no real job in the last six years and a reputation for ridiculous stunts (e.g., his little gas station controversy), over an experienced legislator (who granted has her own share of problems) who would have had a decent size multi-demographical base of support.
The 14th District: Either way you slice it. While Hultgren is clearly more representative of the districts values, it is very unclear if he will be able to build a large enough bi-partisan coalition and get the Republican vote out enough to take out a non-representative MC. Ethan Hastert could have done the above and would have been an MC, that like his father (regardless of any nasty comments anyone may have to say about him) represented the districts and been a powerful and well known voice in DC for the residents of the district.
“Only Andy McKenna”: All that money and another third place finish…I think this election took too much out of him and this is his swansong. Regardless of what some have to say about him, in the end he is a good man, but I think public life just really isn’t going to be his thing anymore…although I personally wish him well in his future endeavors, whatever they may be.
Jacob Mester: God, that’s a head scratcher. One million+ just to end up polling with 1% of the vote and dropping out. At least he didn’t end up spending two million and was forced to drop out, Oh SLC…we hardly knew ye.
Art Turner’s campaign staff and consultants: For losing to SLC and personally not ending his campaign before it started with only one of the facts about his tepid personal life (its even more pathetic if nobody knew about these events prior to Feb. 2nd.)
The early primary? It was supposed to be good for machines, incumbents, and establishment candidates.
Seems that there is enough evidence to show that didn’t really work. One can hope the pain is deep enough on both sides to move it to May/June, a decent month….
===The 14th District: … While Hultgren is clearly more representative of the districts values, ….. Ethan Hastert…like his father (regardless of any nasty comments anyone may have to say about him) represented the districts and been a powerful and well known voice in DC for the residents of the district.===
I live in Kendall, I live in the district, and guess what the mantra was against Ethan;
“The Kid ain’t the Old Man”
76 pcts in all of Kendall County, Ethan wins the Kendall County by 300 total votes, 4 votes per pct. Kendall County’s “native son” couldn’t even run his base well. Both Boyd and Ethan “are not their dads”, the 14CD…IS better off with someone with a record, not a DNA lottery winner, and when you take voters for granted, especially if you are doubling taking them for granted because of your Dad … so the 14CD would be a winner, not a loser.
Didn’t Edgar endorse Mark Kirk?, and early, and wasn’t he responsible for getting him into the race. Soo, Edgar was responsible for putting the best R candidate for the US senate in place to square off with the white house in a race, that all eyes will be watching. If I am a republican, I am a thankful for a Jim Edgar!!!
The people of illinois continue to lose because we continue to elect people who dont serveour best interests and listen to the media..
Even on this post..Please explain how you can call Preckwinkle an independent when she was financed by the DALEYS????????Its just like callinf Claypool who was the Mayor’s chief for 8 years a reformer !!!!! Why doesnt the media report these very open connections????
So-called “Political Reporters”……Forget about the Lt Gov fiasco..the political reporters at the Trib, Sun Times and WLS are just plain uninformed. And we all suffer. Thank goodness for Carol Marin and Rich Miller. But they have relatively small audiences. The flock of folks who left the Trib for that NYTimes venture are OK — but basically the vast majority of Illinois voters had LITTLE or NO coverage of any of these races until the last 2 weeks. No one is watching the cookie jar…This is happening everywhere in the USA and we are all gonna suffer. It’s a sad day for our democracy. We need a smart, active, aggressive press corps.
Daley and Madigan. They have completely botched the Cohen disaster and are going to have to face the real possibility that a downstater will be Governor. Say what you want about Brady, he only has to beat Pat Quinn. Neither Madigan or Daley have been excited about Quinn since day one.
Somehow, the most powerful two men in IL politics have left themselves with a lackluster Democrat verses a downstate Republican(provided Brady wins).
If I am Pat Quinn I feel like a real loser. My leadership does not want me, and if I win the election, I am going to be lambasted from the opposing party and my own leadership for the next 4 years. If you can look at the mess Madigan has orchestrated and not believe he is the loser here you have some problems.
Unsolicited advise for Pat Quinn, phone it in buddy. Lose the election, write a book about IL politics and the real truth about Blago. You can still be one of the few IL governors in the last 30 years not to be indicted and get out with a million dollar book deal.
Live answer polls were a big loser. They were not even close to being accurate. Big expensive pollsters like those used by the Tribune and campaigns (McGlaughlin & Associated, etc) lost to new polling firms using automated calls.
Clearly, a winner was XPS and automated polling. Nobody believed their results but their final polls which were shared with various newspapers and Cap Fax showed the following:
Daley and Madigan. They have completely botched the Cohen disaster and are going to have to face the real possibility that a downstater will be Governor. Say what you want about Brady, he only has to beat Pat Quinn. Neither Madigan or Daley have been excited about Quinn since day one.
Somehow, the most powerful two men in IL politics have left themselves with a lackluster Democrat verses a downstate Republican(provided Brady wins).
If I am Pat Quinn I feel like a real loser. My leadership does not want me, and if I win the election, I am going to be lambasted from the opposing party and my own leadership for the next 4 years. If you can look at the mess Madigan has orchestrated and not believe he is the loser here you have some problems.
Unsolicited advise for Pat Quinn, phone it in buddy. Lose the election, write a book about IL politics and the real truth about Blago. You can still be one of the few IL governors in the last 30 years not to be indicted and get out with a million dollar book deal.
===MJM and Lipinski organizations: Got whalloped but good by an 18th Ward homemaker. Ha!===
====Without a doubt the biggest losers of the day were the trade unions.===
Kelly Burke and her family did a great job of winning Brosnahan’s old seat. More than Madigan and the 23rd ward taking it on the chin in that race it was the labor unions. A lot of “Madigan guys” are the trade unions. They took their direct orders from their union heads. Madigan was in deep for Maceileo but I wouldn’t call it all in. The unions pretty much supplied the bodies and money there. Madigan the tactical support. I would also call Madigans help with Dan Burke a major win for him. That would have been a worse defeat than losing an open seat to Kelly Burke. I expect Kelly to be a lot like Tom Dart was in Springfield. Since she, like Dart, didn’t need the speakers help she can be more independent. But she is also smart enough to know there is no sense being a pain in the butt to the speaker if she wants to get things accomplished. Not a major loss for the speaker. Losing to a GOP candidate is what you call a major loss.
Quinn wasted a ton of good will and nearly got beat by a guy who was a long shot at best a month from the election. Quinn may never recover.
The Democratic Party will spend months wondering if they nominated the right guy for Governor and living through the Cohen nightmare. If anything, the Cohen nightmare has a lot of people grumbling.
Jim Edgar used up a lot of his good will for Dillard and showed that he just doesn’t have the clout to do it anymore.
- LincolnLounger - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:23 pm:
Jack Roeser and his political yapping dog, Doug Ibendahl. Although an ideological twin, Roeser and Carpentersville black helicopter crowd burned their bridges with Brady the last election by their scorched earth tactics accusing Brady of being a JBT plant. This time, they savaged Mark Kirk, sponsored Jim Dodge in a pathetic attempt to topple JBT, and Roeser invested heavily in the teachers’ union fave Kirk Dillard — despite the fact that Roeser leads the drumbeat against teachers unions.
Roeser will invest $$ with Brady in an attempt to get back in their good graces, but it won’t work. Meanwhile, Roeser is out another $250K, Kirk rolled to a huge victory, Dodge finished dead last, and Roeser’s last remaining shreds of credibility are destroyed.
Gene Schulter was a major loser last Tuesday. His flank is wide open for a challenge from anyone, especially a woman. He was all in for Farley and got it handed to him by an unknown right in his backyard. That smarts.
- Middle of the Road - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:46 pm:
–Illinois Republicans: for not electing Dillard…probably the only GOP candidate electable in the fall.
–Matt Murphy: for both losing to a newcomer and being exposed to fellow Republicans as a trial lawyer.
–Civil Justice League: for backing Murphy.
–Tom Cross: he backed the wrong horse–again. And if he or his minions had anything to do with that scorched-earth campaign that McKenna ran, he vaults to the top of the list.
–Chicago Tribune: putting the rumor of impartiality to rest.
–GOP voters: still think that a single vote doesn’t count? Ask Dillard.
My remaining faith in Ddmocracy.
How does “Gwen Drake”, without running a campaign that anybody noticed, get 22% of the vote?
More than 1 in 5 voted for a pretty name.
I agree with Lincoln…those crazy kids in camp carpentersville can’t be happy with those primary results. Dillard pulls a doublecross on them and saddles up to the teachers, only to lose at the end. Kirk rolls to victory. JBT beats their boy Dodge 3/1, winning every township and every county by huge margins. Bill Kelly even bested them. Ouch! They still have Jason Plummer and Randy Hultgren….until November that is.
Biggest Loser: Pat Brady & Tom Cross(Couldn’t stay on the sidelines but lined up with another political loser “insider” Andy McKenna-However, Tom & Pat definitely achieved “insider” status with Illinois Republican members by doing so).
Big Loser: Jack Roeser (lost all credibility with conservatives by huge last minute financial backing of political panderer Kirk Dillard).
It would be interesting to see what each vote actually cost each of the Dem & GOP gubernatorial candidates. McKenna had to have spent a wad of money for each vote that he received relative to Bill Brady.
The MAJOR LOSE goes to anyone thinking of exorcizing they’re democratic rights, if the Mansion stays “Blue”, my guess is more than one version of the “Map” is already drawn. I hope Pat Brady has a way to vent his emotions after watching yet another embarassing performance by the GOP from House Leadership(thats respectfull)my candidates need money and I dont have infrastructure, to “hey lets all run for Governor. But I’ll bet the election day partys where full of name brands and great finger food, then off to the slopes and the islands! HEE
===47th Ward Regular Democratic Organization: The hacks can’t hack it no more. In fact, they haven’t been able to hack it for years. Ann Williams was the final nail in their pathetic coffin.===
While I completely agree with the sentiment, the fact remains that Mean Gene carried his ward for Farley. You’re absoultely right though, about this lazy relic being ripe for a challenge. He’s backed too many losers over the years and has completely lost touch with Democrats in the 47th.
He carried the ward by a very slim margin. He should have carried his hand picked guy easily in his ward that he has been in charge of since the early 70’s. That is not a good mix for the future. Times change I don’t have the same disdain you have 47th ward for the man, actually I think he does a damn good job as alderman. Just surprised with the numbers.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 4:10 pm:
Wordslinger:
Re: Hoffman for Mayor
It could be the David Hoffman for Mayor group launched on FB on Election Night, before 11 p.m.
It could be the Tribunester Eric Zorn’s blog the day after the election saying “Arguably, or at least so I argued, Chicago needs a good-government corruption buster more than the U.S. Senate…If Chicago is ready for a change…Hoffman is well positioned to start now waging a 12-month campaign aimed at persuading the voters that he’s the one to effect that change.”
Or it could be this Sun-Times article from last Friday, where Hoffman was asked about plans to run for Mayor and declined to rule it out:
One of the big losers of the night is Hoffman, because Alexi could have been beat. Media is also a big loser for not printing the Cohen stories earlier. I don’t understand all the talk about Hoffman for mayor. When he was the city’s inspector general we hardly heard from him. But now he is fit to be mayor? Are we that desperate?
Been There, you are sorely mistaken if you don’t think Madigan was “all in”. I urge you to take a look at Macellaio’s D-2. Madigan was more than “all in”.
–If Chicago is ready for a change…Hoffman is well positioned to start now waging a 12-month campaign aimed at persuading the voters that he’s the one to effect that change.”–
To borrow from Paddy Bauler, who thinks Chicago is ready for reform? Is there a great demand for it that I missed?
Chicago is still a place a hustler can make a buck. They’re coming from all over the world to do so. Get in a cab, go to a restaurant, stay in a hotel, you know what I mean.
The Daley Brand is at a one of its lower points, but I’ll need a lot more convincing that anyone can beat him. Where’s Hoffman’s base? Yeah, I thought so.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 4:47 pm:
Word,
Hoffman’s base is the anybody but Daley crowd and it is substantial.
Lots of losers on the campaign side. I can’t add much to that discussion.
For those who chose not to vote, they are losers w/a big L on your forehead. No more important election day has been seen in this state in a generation and the turnout was less than 1/3 of registered voters.
Pathetic.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 5:10 pm:
Phineas -
Even Hoffman’s supporters recognize that in a multi-candidate race, he doesn’t make it into the run-off election.
Daley’s job approval sucks, at 35%, but that’s still enough to get him into the run-off.
Everyone expects Dart to run, with the backing of alot of reformers, alot of organized labor, and alot of money.
An African American candidate is likely…Meeks? Maybe.
The Biggest Losers were Brien Sheehan and Mike Manzo and Tony Peraica. There humiliating loss to Chris Nybo, showed that neither of these three cry babies have any support.
Manzo(who was in the race to split the vote for Sheehan) tried to smear Nybo, so as to help Sheehan, but failed miserably.
The big winners were Nybo’s campaign chief’s Don Sloan(Proviso Township Trustee ) and Tom Robbins, who planned the strategy for Nybo’s victory magnificantly!
One name I haven’t seen is Berrios - To almost lose to Shaw was a shocker for me. If there were nearly anyone worth voting for on the ballot with a viable campaign, we coulda said bye-bye to him. I realize that’s a lotta should, coulda, wouldas … Instead he’ll be yet another drag on the party until someone or something removes him from office.
“”Please explain how you can call Preckwinkle an independent when she was financed by the DALEYS????????”"
* Coulson’s career is likely over, which makes her a bigger loser than, say, Dillard or Murphy.
* Bassi’s career also comes to an inglorious end.
* Ditto for former Palatine Twp GOP Committeeman Gary Skoien.
Biggest losers in the Illinois primary were trade and teachers unions who spent hundreds of thousands on Dan Hynes. These same unions –esp teachers—-also spent hundreds of thousands against the yes vote for a constitutional convention in Nov 2008. They –in a drunken frenzy— spent $1.5 million against $150,000 to defeat any chance to reform the public pension system in a citizens convention to be held in 2010. Hynes was never for con con and never for reforming the pension system —even for the new comers. Quinn supported a con con and urged pension reform in face of the teachers and trade union campaign finance tsunami. Glad not to be paying any more H.E.R.E. union dues as a union bartender getting through college.
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner. His candidate for Judge got wholloped in Kane County. His State Rep. got beat by a no body Jennifer Laesch, and 2 of his incumbant County Board members lost their primaries, and one is holding on by 12 votes.
Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole: Had sycophantic press, long-time party credentials, and name perfect for bumper stickers; but couldn’t raise any money, had no message, and got fewer votes than downstate Senate candidate Lowry, who had less money and no press relations. Maybe should try private sector employment.
Rich you are 6 years late pronouncing the death of the 47th Ward regular Democratic Organization. They went defunct with the retirement of Ed Kelly in 2004. You just hearing about tha now?
The 47th Ward REGULAR Democratic Organization has been defunct since 2004. Therefore it follows that the “hacks” can’t hack it because they don’t exist. Don’t let the FACTS get in the way of any personal bias you may have.
- John Bambenek - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:42 am:
The Tribune for losing all credibility w/ both their endorsements and for knowing about SLC and sitting on it in such a transparent way.
- OneMan - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:48 am:
The anti-Lauzen forces in Kendall county. With both Chris winning big in the primary and Hastert losing in his it demonstrated that Lazuen is still a significant force in Kendall and Kane counties.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:51 am:
The voters who stayed home are a great big bunch of losers. We get the government we deserve. If you can’t be bothered to take five minutes to cast a ballot, then stop complaining. Shut up and pay your taxes. I don’t want to hear about moaning from anyone who stayed home.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:51 am:
There are a lot of more creative answers I could give, but really, it has to be Todd Stroger. ending one of the politcal dynasties, leaving with historic low ratings and a punching bag for the media. He is the biggest loser because he had no where else to go and no ability to change his image without the bully pulpit.
- shore - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:52 am:
North Shore democrats-Mark kirk and bob dold are a very strong top of the ticket and will likely make them 0-7 in trying to beat Mark kirk and steal the seat. Also having to explain why the only 3 gop u.s. senators in the last 30 years came from the north shore should be a painful event.
old guard republicans. John Porter was about as highly a thought of politician as you will ever find up here, same thing jim edgar. Their backing of coulson did nothing for her. Hastert also went nowhere and mckenna. eef.
media. This wasn’t the best covered campaign. There was virtually no coverage of the 10th race. Scott lee cohen is well known. none of them had brady surging. you could almost feel the coverage of people like rich samuels and susan kucska missing. They are spread too thin trying to constantly blog and there aren’t enough of them to the point where the depth is lacking now big time.
- Joe from Joliet - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:52 am:
DuPage County residents. Because of Jim Ryan and what’s-his-name, DuPage residents will not be able to say in 2011 that the governor of Illinois is one of them.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:53 am:
Dorothy Brown is the biggest loser.
Another race lost, a reputation becoming more shaky then the rumors that were out there, and possibly making herself a “lame duck” in her current job. Who is going to endorse her next time with “jean-gate”, 2 failed races, and no particular base that will get her message out.
Sometimes you win when you lose, but this time, her loss is going to haunt her for quite some time.
- Dirt Digger - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:53 am:
Quantitatively speaking, Todd Stroger. I’m not sure there is a precedent for an incumbent coming out dead last in a four way race.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:54 am:
Some good ones named already, but McKenna is at the top of the list. All that dough gone and nothing to show for it.
- X None of the Above - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:55 am:
The news media editorial boards, specifically Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, and Daily Herald.
These boards are biased by their own liberal political views, and lazy, incompetent and hypocritical in researching the resumes and voting records of candidates.
For more than a year most of them have been braying for a voter revolt and urging upheaval — and what happened?
Most of the status quo candidates were endorsed, making any recommendation by them a joke.
- Robert - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:57 am:
Democrats who are not machine-backed. Preckwinkle the exception to this, but still seems like CW is that the machine needs to be stronger in its involvement with elections.
- Anon - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:57 am:
I’d have to think Dan Hynes. His shot at Governor is over, with Lisa probably getting in next time. Also, he lost Cook County overwhelmingly. The combination of the two, what can he run for now?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:59 am:
Matt Murphy(?)
For all the “help” he got from McKenna, should he have dropped out of the Guv race? Trying to guess what Matt Murphy got out of dropping to LG and then losing, is he better off, worse off, stayed the same? Can’t see the case for better, and teaming with McKenna isn’t endearing him with others who may have wanted Ryan or Dillard, so stayed the same is probably out … so, he has to be a loser, right? (puzzeled look)
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:59 am:
===Preckwinkle the exception to this===
You missed Chuy Garcia and Kelly Burke.
- Responsa - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:00 am:
The state’s voters, because the primary election was too early. It got lost in the holidays, vetting was compacted into too short a timeframe, and turnout was impacted by to-be-expected crappy early Feb weather. But most of all voters lost because it gave incumbant candidates an excuse for six weeks less of governing and problem solving while they were out fundraising, campaigning and politicking.
- easy - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:01 am:
Madigan-his candidates in 36 and 37 lost. Weak and battered candidates emerged in 71 and 98. But most of all-he became the issue and obstructionist. Every governor forum or debate for both sides included the question-”how do you deal with mike madigan”. The mainstream media and voters are beginning to assign blame and madigan is at the top of the list. For maybe the first time, he will be an anchor on every dem candidate taking his support.
- train111 - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:02 am:
DuPage County GOP
3 candidates (Dillard, Ryan, Schillerstrom) in the Governor’s race who all divided the vote enough to allow a downstater to sneak in. They couldn’t even get the Lt. Governor’s spot. Come to think of it, I can’t come up with 1 DuPager on the GOP ticket. Ouch!!
train111
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:03 am:
Is was pointed out with the “winners” so the flip side is “the former Lee A. Daniels” influence in the GOP House caucus, starting with Bassi and working the way back. The caucus is going to be more conservative in set-up, how much is going to be seen next JAN, but the LAD style reps are all but extinct.
- just sayin' - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:03 am:
On the GOP side, McKenna obviously.
But also Jim Edgar. Nearly every campaign where he got involved was a loser. And yes, I’m counting Dillard who I don’t think will make up the ground.
Also Adam A. Close to a million bucks for 14%. Half that spent for a lower level race and he would be a nominiee right now.
On the Dem side, the vetting committee.
- raising kane - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:03 am:
Lots of good choices here….these are my top tier:
Speaker Madigan for letting the SLC mess get out of hand. Once that guy went to the DH edit board and said he was going to spend 3 mil on the race, mjm should have been all over it.
The White House. Alexi is an all out nightmare for them…..they lose the President’s former seat.
Beth Coulson and Julie Hamos. Two exceptional legislators who weren’t able to translate that into exceptional campaigns.
Kirk Dillard….always on the wrong side of close races.
Matt Murphy….for not striking a very good deal with Mckenna and getting frozen out of most of those ads. And then failing to run his own campaign. There is no way he should lose to that kid. His once very promising career took a major hit.
Whoever did McKenna’s ads. Never has so much been wasted so badly (ok, maybe Gidwitz).
- Robert - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:04 am:
===You missed Chuy Garcia and Kelly Burke.===
oops, did I ever. I confess I hadn’t even realized that Garcia won - wow. oops - i am quite wrong.
- Madame Defarge - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:04 am:
Tom Cross, back a loser hoping for Fund Raising help down the road. That aint happening now. Probably wouldn’t have if McKenna won either.
- tubbfan - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:06 am:
How could you ignore Scott Cohen? For a political neophyte, he had no idea what he was in for. He easily won his race after spending lots of his own money, but then the ceiling fell in on him.
- And I Approved This Message - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:07 am:
Scott Lee Cohen. In the public’s eye he went from affable, self made millionaire with a plan to create jobs to domestic abuser, prostitute hirer, steroid using dead-beat dad. And he was forced to resign after he won. Hard to beat that.
- Kane Conservative - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:07 am:
I think Edgar, but also Dillard. Edgar lost just about everything he invested in, and some of them by a wide margin-Sheahan/Nybo especially. But Dillard, if you go into his reports, seemed to really waste a lot of money and had bloated salaries. If he had reduced costs on his office and maybe some salary costs, plus cut a bit here and there, he has another $150K for TV, and that may well have been enough!
- Will County Woman - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:12 am:
lost credibility…
ABC-7 I Team and WGN-TV for beleiving the Quinn camp’s grossly exaggerated last-minute “Hynes knew in 2003″ claim on the Burr Oak matter, and running with those grossly exaggerated reports with doing due diligence and understanding that they were being manipulated for political purposes by the Quinn camp.
I guess now that he’s won, Quinn will be content to let the Burr Oak matter officially rest in peace now, and spare us Burr Oak families from being dragged through the mud any further for the sake of his political campaign/future?
Overall the just under 13 million Illinoisans are the big losers because we don’t have a Mitch Daniels or Paul Vallas type of intelligent, competent and trustworthy gubernatorial candidate heading into the November general election from which to chose.
:(
- Boone Logan Square - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:15 am:
If I can answer your question with a question, Rich, what is Andy McKenna’s political future now? He attempted to parlay his chairmanship into elected office (alienating others in the party as he did so), persuaded Murphy to run as a ticket with him, and spent a whole lot of money to try to buy the election. And he’s apparently lost to a guy who spent less than a tenth of it.
Obviously Andy’s in better shape than Blair Hull was in April of 2004, but does he have a political future in this state? If not, I’d say he’s a big loser coming out of primary day.
- siriusly - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:17 am:
Andrew McKenna. I feel badly for anyone who thinks it is worthwhile to spend their own family’s money to seek a political office.
SLC’s political consultants. Maybe they are unknown anyplace else, but their reputation has been severely tarnished here on The CF Blog.
For once, I agree with Shore. 10th District Democrats picked Seals again, he isn’t going to do anything for them in November.
House Republicans - Their foolishness in the Rep. Sente race blew up on them.
Senator Terry Link - A County Democratic Party Chairman and Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor who supposedly had all the info on SLC and didn’t use it to help himself win.
Chicago Tribune - I don’t mind their endorsements and over the top screaming, I’m used to it by now, but they should bear some of the blame for the SLC fiasco. They had the info and didn’t run the story. I think they are losers accordingly.
- trafficmatt - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:17 am:
TOO many choices, Rich.
Some good posts already.
McKenna tops the list. He’s tried before, and this time spent a boatload and came up wanting. Added to that, he got trashed pretty good over his shennanigans about the poll. Kind of lost twice.
Scott Lee Cohen is up there big time. Spent a boatload, got trashed in the media (rightly), won, and then still lost. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in the meeting with Madigan.
Adam A. Like a previous person put it, if he would have put his money in the Comptroller’s race, he would have won handily, would have a shot at the General election, and he probably could have accomplished most of what he wanted (transparency in spending) all by himself in the position, and then would have the ability to position himself later for a “bigger” race.
Side note to all the above - “Self Funders” lost big time.
- Boone Logan Square - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:17 am:
>
It’s not quite the same, but Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski came in third in a three-way primary that started Sarah Palin on her path to national fame. Both elections were clearly referenda on the incumbents.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:19 am:
Teachers unions: Jumped in heavy for Hynes and now have to face the wrath of Quinn.
Tom Cross: Paired up with McKenna, lost an incumbent and expended a ton of late effort trying to shore up a candidate in Lake County for nothing. Pulled a dirty trick on Rep. Sente and got busted bigtime for it.
Todd Stroger: See previous commenters.
McKenna: In hock to his wife for $2 million. Second straight miserable finish. Oof.
Republican Governors Association: Wanted McKenna to run to stop Bill Brady. Oops.
McKenna’s TV guy: Loves to create ads that generate insider buzz - see AM’s “hair ad” for proof. Unfortunately, his candidates too often are losers. The sheep ad in California is his. Goofy.
47th Ward Regular Democratic Organization: The hacks can’t hack it no more. In fact, they haven’t been able to hack it for years. Ann Williams was the final nail in their pathetic coffin.
Political reporters: We screwed up. ‘Nuff said.
Chicago Tribune editorial board: Ah, the schadenfreude overfloweth.
Tea partiers: Expended way too much energy on a sure-fire loser in the US Senate race and ignored Adam A and others who might’ve had at least some chance. They are too easily distracted by bright, shiny objects.
Art Turner: Should’ve patched up that feud with Rickey Hendon a long time ago.
House members of both parties who tried to move up the ladder: Except for David Miller, nobody else won. The House system (Dem and GOP) pampers members to the point where they can’t do anything on their own.
Personal PAC: Lost a few legislative races and was embarrassed by its SLC endorsement. Not a huge loser, but still on the list.
Brien Sheahan: Got clobbered by Chris Nybo.
Jim Edgar: Dillard endorsement surely helped, but didn’t get him over the top. Endorsed Sheahan. Oops.
MJM and Lipinski organizations: Got whalloped but good by an 18th Ward homemaker. Ha!
Everybody who thought Jim Madigan could beat Sen. Heather Steans: Please.
Denny Hastert’s old group: The kid lost and Lauzen won.
I reserve the right to revise and extend my remarks.
- siriusly - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:20 am:
Oswego Willy - I already forgot about Dorothy Brown. She’s not even yesterday’s news, she’s yesterday’s toast.
I agree OW - she is a major loser and her day is done
- Chiguy - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:20 am:
Without a doubt the biggest losers of the day were the trade unions. They poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Dan Hynes and O’Brien for Cook County Board President and were beaten badly. In the Governor’s race they have to explain why they funded a ficious attack campaign against a governor that signed a $30 billion capital bill. Now they have a lot of work to do to repair the damage they have done.
- ANON - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:24 am:
Cross/HRO for support of McKenna, loss of Bassi and other foolish tricks in DEM primary.
- Out There - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:25 am:
Maybe you should have put the answers to the question upside down like on the cartoon page.
- siriusly - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:26 am:
Rich Miller said “… The House system (Dem and GOP) pampers members to the point where they can’t do anything on their own. ” - Oh Snap!
I agree with you, and Miller barely pulled it out. I was expecting him to win by more than a couple of points..
- OdysseusVL - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:26 am:
Dorothy Brown. Now everybody knows what the lawyers know — that she runs a bad office. She went from having that job as long as she wants it to being a longshot to holding it next time around. When your final numbers are within a point of Todd Stroger, you have major problems.
I never took McKenna seriously (what has he ever won?) so I don’t consider him much of a loser. What did he have that he lost, other than some cash? He went from a former party chair who can’t win an election to a former party chair who can’t win an election.
- Cousin Ralph - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:27 am:
Quinn. Remember when Jim Ryan won a close primary fight after he began with a large lead an seemed unstoppable? His campaign never recovered and his base continued to ponder if they nominated the wrong guy. I predict that Quinn’s narrow win over Hynes will play out in a similar way. Dems will continue to wonder throughout a difficult Summer and Fall if they nominated the wrong guy. That quiet doubt effects everything from the size of the checks written, the grass roots efforts to voter turnout of the candidate’s base. Long, drawn out and painful.
- Third Generation Chicago Native - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:28 am:
McKenna/Murphy
They flooded Chicago radio and local TV with Ads constantley for months, and did not come close.
Stroger, worst loss for an incumbent, not even close with or close to the second place winner.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:31 am:
Scott Lee Cohen.
He won. Now he is already lost. Within a week. Talk about hoping you don’t get what you wish for.
- TJ - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:31 am:
If it has to be a candidate, it’s Ryan. He should’ve won, he had the name recognition, and the experience, but a pitifully unenergetic campaign and a downright horrible concession speech has to make him the biggest loser candidate in Illinois.
If I make a broader pick and go for an institution, it’s the media. The media failed utterly and miserably by not doing their jobs and reporting on the Lt. Governor’s race or investigating Cohen until AFTER the election was held. Say what you want about voter apathy and low turn out, you can’t expect the public to dig through every candidate’s backstory if the media can’t even do their job and do that.
- billy pilgrim - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:34 am:
MJM had his worst primary season. Lost big races in Brosnahan and McCarthy seats.
I guess there are two schools of thought–i thought cross was a winner for not dumping tons of cash into primary battles for seats that were going to remain republican.
- Cousin Ralph - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:38 am:
Rich, I agree with your observation that Tom Cross caught one in the solar plexus. Facing questions that he does not know how to handicap races, his support of McKenna, a candidate that had burned many bridges, was a gamble. Also the loss of Hastert will also undermine the percieved power of Cross. For big contributors in Illinois, the head of the house or senate caucus weighs very, very big. A perception that he jumps in the wrong races does not inspire one to entrust him with big bucks to get people elected around the state. Big contributors are likely to handicap races themselves instead of trusting Cross with their money.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:41 am:
Moderate Republicans: Dillard, Bassi, Coulson, Jim Ryan and most of all Jim Edgar.
Editorial Boards: You can probably count the number of combined editorial board endorsements that Alexi, Brady, Quinn, Cohen and Plummer got on your fingers. More proof that voters 1) Don’t read newspapers and 2)If they do, generally don’t give them much weight.
David Hoffman: Not only gambled big and lost big on the U.S. Senate race, but lost 35 of 50 wards in Chicago, only breaking 50 percent in seven of them. With the municipal elections right around the corner and his personal wealth depleted, is hopes of running for Mayor look dim indeed.
Todd Stroger: After finishing dead last, Stroger learned the hard way that the voters he thought he was fighting for didn’t see it that way.
- BradyismyMan - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:41 am:
Losers are the chicago media market that dismissed Brady, along with every poll taken that had Bill only getting half of the vote that he got.
One winner was definitely skype though.
- UI Chancellor - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:42 am:
The primary shows that being a member of the state general assembly does not mean much when running for higher office, especially in urban areas. Murphy, Hamos and Coulson are some examples.
- Stupid Human Tricks - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:43 am:
Terry Link- lost to Hendon, Castillo, Boland. No explanation necessary.
- Reality Check - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:43 am:
Biggest losers are anti-taxers everywhere, including most spectacularly the extremist editorial boards of the Tribune, Daily Herald and Belleville News Democrat.
Finally tally from the gov primary was 1.2 million votes (71%) for candidates who acknowledge the need for more revenue, less than 500,000 (29%) for anti-taxers.
Clearly a landslide, blowout, avalanche for the voices of reason in this state, and a humiliation of the head-in-the-sand anti-tax crowd.
Combined with a statewide win for the chief sponsor of HB 174 and the re-election of several Cook commissioners who supported the county sales tax increase, no more proof is needed that the “tax revolt” is a figment of the imagination of totally out-of-touch Trib Tower occupants.
- Don't forget - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:47 am:
Jacob Meister spent more than a million bucks to buy 16,000 votes. Oof.
- Joe from Joliet - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:48 am:
…it’s Ryan. He should’ve won…
Ryan took a poll and found out some people know his name. Based on that, he thought he could be governor. So he gets in way late with no money, no organization and a fleeting acquaintance with the issues. If someone never had a chance to win, that someone cannot be a big loser.
- Anon Sequitor - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:50 am:
The SLC political consultant - I believe it was Phil Molfese - now has a HUGE millstone around his neck. Who’d want to hire him after this debacle? But then again, he did talk the man out of a lot of money and did win a primary in a tough year. Not sure if that makes him a winner or a loser.
- shore - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:54 am:
I don’t think Hoffman’s a loser. I think he did what obama did in 2000, thought that his education and reformer mentality would do it and that people would be smart enough to just get it.
There’s a great story about obama’s senate race in 2003 where his aide, basically tells him to dress like they do downstate and to lose the pretense. Hoffman might consider that next time. There aren’t a lot of blue collar guys in east winnetka, but Hoffman if he wants to move up I think learned he needs to realize that’s his party, not just highly educated folks.
I also disagree on editorial boards. The tribune endorsement was a big win for dold, as a lot of republicans on the north shore, particularly older ones still consider that a good thing in races like the 10th where candidates aren’t as well known.
siriusly, thank you but I’ll try to revert to form.
- trafficmatt - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 11:56 am:
“I reserve the right to revise and extend my remarks. ”
Rich, don’t make yourself sound like an attorney - we think higher of you than that.
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:06 pm:
This will seem over the top, but hear me out: Illinois Citizens. Because there was such awful turnout and, Preckwinkle’s almost-by-default election aside, no mandate for reform, and the post-fall election prospect of either a weak Dem guv or a gridlocked state governor, chances for improving the attractiveness of this state to businesses doesn’t look good.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:07 pm:
The biggest loser was Stroger but I don’t think he cares so he doesn’t count. I mean, did he spend any money on commercials. Someone told me he bought a million in bonds with his campaign fund.
I’d have to go with Dan Hynes just because of the high profile of the race and because he came so close. Although I keep hearing Quinn was the machine candidate, Hynes had plenty of regular dem gears working with wards like the 11th, 13th, 38th, 45th, trade unions, teachers unions, and lots more covert help. Hynes was as much or more machine backed as Quinn with much of the Governor’s support coming from reformers like Jan Schakowsky and too many others to list. Not your usual machine crowd.
I was actually hoping Hynes would take the Lt. spot because I think he owes the party for causing all this chaos but that is another discussion.
I assume his next step is to one of the hooked in Irish law firms to make a few million until he decides where his next challenge lies.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:19 pm:
Scott Lee Cohen’s family, ex-wife, and ex-GF. They were put through the wringer, had some very personal details of their lives put in front of everyone, and hadn’t asked for any of that unwanted attention.
- Moving to Oklahoma - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:24 pm:
Andy McKenna:
A 2 million dollar campaign that tried to paint him as an outsider. Getting called on the carpet for contribution violations, exposed for running a self promoting poll with party dollars, alienating a large part of the republican party, establishment people and voters alike.
In the short term:
The republican party. Without a candidate for gov to get behind fund raising will be difficult. Kirk Dillard is more than 1/2 million dollars in debt to his campaign fund and Bill Brady has very little money. No ones fault, but a protracted battle for that candidacy negates what should be positive traction for republicans.
- Dillard Fan - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:32 pm:
The biggest loser has to be whoever ran Dillard’s campaign. They missed a huge opportunity there. I’m sure one of the same old retred’s was Dillard’s campaign manager. Could he have run a less effective campaign? Does anyone know who the campaign manager was?
- Dem in Denim - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:34 pm:
Hynes: Lost and said “never again” after launching an unnecessary all-out multi-million-dollar negative attack ad campaign on his own party’s Gov., who is navigating the state out of nearly impossible crises. Hynes claimed to be the man with a plan, which was really a way-down-the-road illusion (like GOP’s ‘no new taxes’ lie.) Thought money, negativity and organization was enough to beat one of the state’s most under-estimated campaigners. Gets to wonder forever where just one more vote per precinct coulda woulda shoulda been. Did exit gracefully, though.
Other losers:
Murphy: Talked a lot and enjoyed being on TV. Started for Gov. Dropped to Lt. Gov. and then lost to “an unknown.” Just, wow!
Dillard: Should’ve been able to win it, though might still luck out. GOP continues to defeat itself from the inside out. Dillard was GOP’s better hope.
Scott Lee Cohen: Too much information. Waaayyy too much information. SLC - Don’t listen to any more political consultants. Go private ASAP.
Terry Link: Says he KNEW about SLC, still came in last, and is still blaming others? Whatever.
PS: MJ Madigan isn’t a loser. He seems, whether we like it or not, to have only two outcomes: I win; you lose.
- Anon - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:48 pm:
The people who want to vote in the primary but are scared to because they have to declare a political party.
- MrJM - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:54 pm:
“Who were the biggest losers on primary day?”
[Name withheld], Republican Candidate for DuPage County Board Chairman, tops my list.
Why?
Because Peter LaBarbera and creepy allies dragged her through six inches of muck — Rich described it as “a new low” — and she ultimately lost her race.
Ouch.
– MrJM
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:58 pm:
Rich:
Re Edgar: Brady won both Coles County, where Edgar grew up, and Champaign County, where Edgar now lives.
- Last Place Link - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 12:58 pm:
Only one that hasn’t been said. All those endorsement for Terry Link and he finished last place. Maybe the IL AFL-CIO should give some thought about not making poorly considered endorsements that it has no intention of backing up.
- Loop Lady - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:02 pm:
I agree with Phinny-if Hynes ever runs again, he should let someone else pick the race…his choices just cost him his career in public life- despite his connections
- LouisXIV - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:05 pm:
The biggest “losers” were the 75% of registered voters who decided to stay home just because of a little snow. How does anyone think anything will change in Springfield when so few people turn up to vote?
The second biggest loser was all of us for being saddled with such an early primary that was nothing more than an incumbent protection act. Did any incumbent in the General Assembly from Chicago, who was challenged for re-election, lose on Feb. 2?
Todd Stroger - went from being the County Board President to finishing dead last in his primary.
Jim Ryan - started out with the best name recognition and a lead in the polls and then blew it.
Jacob Meister - blew a million dollars of his own money only to drop out 48 hours before election day.
Jim Madigan - for not having a compelling argument about why Heather Steans should not be re-elected and then losing to her two to one.
Hughes - couldn’t ride the tea party wave to defeat the ultimate moderate Republican in the GOP primary.
Scott Lee Cohen - spent two million of his own money only to be forced to resign from the ticket when his all to public scandals finally surfaced after he won.
The press - for failing to cover many elections at all and for failing to uncover the SLC scandals, which were a matter of public record.
The Trib and Suntimes editorial boards for failing to make endorsements until after early voting started (and making endorsements for GA seats with barely a week to go before election day).
- Anon - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:05 pm:
The media lost big.
People who consider themselves “high information” voters because they use media for their information just found out that they are the same as “no and low information” voters because of the media. Basically the media just told them, “We have no need to report because we already decided for you.”
- TO - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:12 pm:
Madigan-the guy has been taking some hits in the press for the mismanagemebt in the state, now glaring mismanagement in his own party only emboldens his critics. Watch a strong independent streak developing within the democrat state central committee.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:20 pm:
the former Kendall County GOP apparatus headed by Dallas Ingemusson. His son lost the primary for Kendall County State’s Attorney last cycle, now Ethan Hastert goes down, and Tom Cross’s endorsement of Andy McKenna was a loser also.
the far left north shore Dem posse of Jan Schakowsky, hubby Bob Creamer and Ald. Joe Moore got a gut shot with Julie Hamos going down.
- Keep Smiling - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:27 pm:
Brien Sheahan (DuPage Co. Bd member running for retiring Rep Biggins seat, 41st).
Brien certainly did not get along with Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom; and I don’t think it was much fun for either of them. Ironically, had he not run for the GA, he could have sat quietly and Bob would have moved on. Brien could have continued positioning himself as a rising future Board leader.
Unfortunately, Brien couldn’t resist the opporunity to swim in a bigger sea, and he threw in his hat for the GA. And he lost big time to relative newcomer Chris Nybo.
But Sheahan’s loss doesn’t just end there! In running against Nybo, Sheahan put himself in the opposition of Cronin, as Nybo once managed Cronin’s Senate campaign. Well, as the primaries turned out, Cronin will be the DuPage County Chair. So much for Brien’s chances of rising under a new county leader. And since Sheahan’s name has been pretty well disparaged all around Elmhurst, he now has a significantly lower chance of re-election to the DuPage County Board.
I think in Brien’s case, he really, really lost a lot for losing. He may have just completely crashed his plane.
- TW - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:30 pm:
- Tenth District Dems: Went with a soon to be three time looser with no real job in the last six years and a reputation for ridiculous stunts (e.g., his little gas station controversy), over an experienced legislator (who granted has her own share of problems) who would have had a decent size multi-demographical base of support.
The 14th District: Either way you slice it. While Hultgren is clearly more representative of the districts values, it is very unclear if he will be able to build a large enough bi-partisan coalition and get the Republican vote out enough to take out a non-representative MC. Ethan Hastert could have done the above and would have been an MC, that like his father (regardless of any nasty comments anyone may have to say about him) represented the districts and been a powerful and well known voice in DC for the residents of the district.
“Only Andy McKenna”: All that money and another third place finish…I think this election took too much out of him and this is his swansong. Regardless of what some have to say about him, in the end he is a good man, but I think public life just really isn’t going to be his thing anymore…although I personally wish him well in his future endeavors, whatever they may be.
Jacob Mester: God, that’s a head scratcher. One million+ just to end up polling with 1% of the vote and dropping out. At least he didn’t end up spending two million and was forced to drop out, Oh SLC…we hardly knew ye.
Art Turner’s campaign staff and consultants: For losing to SLC and personally not ending his campaign before it started with only one of the facts about his tepid personal life (its even more pathetic if nobody knew about these events prior to Feb. 2nd.)
- Pat Collins - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:41 pm:
The early primary? It was supposed to be good for machines, incumbents, and establishment candidates.
Seems that there is enough evidence to show that didn’t really work. One can hope the pain is deep enough on both sides to move it to May/June, a decent month….
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:43 pm:
===The 14th District: … While Hultgren is clearly more representative of the districts values, ….. Ethan Hastert…like his father (regardless of any nasty comments anyone may have to say about him) represented the districts and been a powerful and well known voice in DC for the residents of the district.===
I live in Kendall, I live in the district, and guess what the mantra was against Ethan;
“The Kid ain’t the Old Man”
76 pcts in all of Kendall County, Ethan wins the Kendall County by 300 total votes, 4 votes per pct. Kendall County’s “native son” couldn’t even run his base well. Both Boyd and Ethan “are not their dads”, the 14CD…IS better off with someone with a record, not a DNA lottery winner, and when you take voters for granted, especially if you are doubling taking them for granted because of your Dad … so the 14CD would be a winner, not a loser.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:44 pm:
PC, it’ll never be May or June. Incumbent legislators don’t want to face voters during the end of session or right after it ends.
- FJ - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:51 pm:
Didn’t Edgar endorse Mark Kirk?, and early, and wasn’t he responsible for getting him into the race. Soo, Edgar was responsible for putting the best R candidate for the US senate in place to square off with the white house in a race, that all eyes will be watching. If I am a republican, I am a thankful for a Jim Edgar!!!
- Pat Collins - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 1:57 pm:
But I’d like to walk petitions and hand out stuff then
- blackdem - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:01 pm:
The people of illinois continue to lose because we continue to elect people who dont serveour best interests and listen to the media..
Even on this post..Please explain how you can call Preckwinkle an independent when she was financed by the DALEYS????????Its just like callinf Claypool who was the Mayor’s chief for 8 years a reformer !!!!! Why doesnt the media report these very open connections????
- Chicago Kid - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:04 pm:
So-called “Political Reporters”……Forget about the Lt Gov fiasco..the political reporters at the Trib, Sun Times and WLS are just plain uninformed. And we all suffer. Thank goodness for Carol Marin and Rich Miller. But they have relatively small audiences. The flock of folks who left the Trib for that NYTimes venture are OK — but basically the vast majority of Illinois voters had LITTLE or NO coverage of any of these races until the last 2 weeks. No one is watching the cookie jar…This is happening everywhere in the USA and we are all gonna suffer. It’s a sad day for our democracy. We need a smart, active, aggressive press corps.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:05 pm:
Daley and Madigan. They have completely botched the Cohen disaster and are going to have to face the real possibility that a downstater will be Governor. Say what you want about Brady, he only has to beat Pat Quinn. Neither Madigan or Daley have been excited about Quinn since day one.
Somehow, the most powerful two men in IL politics have left themselves with a lackluster Democrat verses a downstate Republican(provided Brady wins).
If I am Pat Quinn I feel like a real loser. My leadership does not want me, and if I win the election, I am going to be lambasted from the opposing party and my own leadership for the next 4 years. If you can look at the mess Madigan has orchestrated and not believe he is the loser here you have some problems.
Unsolicited advise for Pat Quinn, phone it in buddy. Lose the election, write a book about IL politics and the real truth about Blago. You can still be one of the few IL governors in the last 30 years not to be indicted and get out with a million dollar book deal.
- Bob S - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:06 pm:
Live answer polls were a big loser. They were not even close to being accurate. Big expensive pollsters like those used by the Tribune and campaigns (McGlaughlin & Associated, etc) lost to new polling firms using automated calls.
Clearly, a winner was XPS and automated polling. Nobody believed their results but their final polls which were shared with various newspapers and Cap Fax showed the following:
1. Brady and Dillard within 1/2 of 1 percent.
2. Plummer beating Murphy
3. Bassi losing to Morrison
4. Quinn defeating Hynes
- the Patriot - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:06 pm:
Daley and Madigan. They have completely botched the Cohen disaster and are going to have to face the real possibility that a downstater will be Governor. Say what you want about Brady, he only has to beat Pat Quinn. Neither Madigan or Daley have been excited about Quinn since day one.
Somehow, the most powerful two men in IL politics have left themselves with a lackluster Democrat verses a downstate Republican(provided Brady wins).
If I am Pat Quinn I feel like a real loser. My leadership does not want me, and if I win the election, I am going to be lambasted from the opposing party and my own leadership for the next 4 years. If you can look at the mess Madigan has orchestrated and not believe he is the loser here you have some problems.
Unsolicited advise for Pat Quinn, phone it in buddy. Lose the election, write a book about IL politics and the real truth about Blago. You can still be one of the few IL governors in the last 30 years not to be indicted and get out with a million dollar book deal.
- todd - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:11 pm:
terry o’brien? but, in the end he’ll be glad he didn’t get that job.
- Been There - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:14 pm:
===MJM and Lipinski organizations: Got whalloped but good by an 18th Ward homemaker. Ha!===
====Without a doubt the biggest losers of the day were the trade unions.===
Kelly Burke and her family did a great job of winning Brosnahan’s old seat. More than Madigan and the 23rd ward taking it on the chin in that race it was the labor unions. A lot of “Madigan guys” are the trade unions. They took their direct orders from their union heads. Madigan was in deep for Maceileo but I wouldn’t call it all in. The unions pretty much supplied the bodies and money there. Madigan the tactical support. I would also call Madigans help with Dan Burke a major win for him. That would have been a worse defeat than losing an open seat to Kelly Burke. I expect Kelly to be a lot like Tom Dart was in Springfield. Since she, like Dart, didn’t need the speakers help she can be more independent. But she is also smart enough to know there is no sense being a pain in the butt to the speaker if she wants to get things accomplished. Not a major loss for the speaker. Losing to a GOP candidate is what you call a major loss.
- anon - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:23 pm:
Pat Quinn, Democratic Party, Jim Edgar…
Quinn wasted a ton of good will and nearly got beat by a guy who was a long shot at best a month from the election. Quinn may never recover.
The Democratic Party will spend months wondering if they nominated the right guy for Governor and living through the Cohen nightmare. If anything, the Cohen nightmare has a lot of people grumbling.
Jim Edgar used up a lot of his good will for Dillard and showed that he just doesn’t have the clout to do it anymore.
- LincolnLounger - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:23 pm:
Jack Roeser and his political yapping dog, Doug Ibendahl. Although an ideological twin, Roeser and Carpentersville black helicopter crowd burned their bridges with Brady the last election by their scorched earth tactics accusing Brady of being a JBT plant. This time, they savaged Mark Kirk, sponsored Jim Dodge in a pathetic attempt to topple JBT, and Roeser invested heavily in the teachers’ union fave Kirk Dillard — despite the fact that Roeser leads the drumbeat against teachers unions.
Roeser will invest $$ with Brady in an attempt to get back in their good graces, but it won’t work. Meanwhile, Roeser is out another $250K, Kirk rolled to a huge victory, Dodge finished dead last, and Roeser’s last remaining shreds of credibility are destroyed.
- Quiet Sage - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:27 pm:
Democracy in Illinois–It was failing already and the SLC debacle has put it on life support.
- phil sanders - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:44 pm:
Gene Schulter was a major loser last Tuesday. His flank is wide open for a challenge from anyone, especially a woman. He was all in for Farley and got it handed to him by an unknown right in his backyard. That smarts.
- Middle of the Road - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:46 pm:
–Illinois Republicans: for not electing Dillard…probably the only GOP candidate electable in the fall.
–Matt Murphy: for both losing to a newcomer and being exposed to fellow Republicans as a trial lawyer.
–Civil Justice League: for backing Murphy.
–Tom Cross: he backed the wrong horse–again. And if he or his minions had anything to do with that scorched-earth campaign that McKenna ran, he vaults to the top of the list.
–Chicago Tribune: putting the rumor of impartiality to rest.
–GOP voters: still think that a single vote doesn’t count? Ask Dillard.
- OdysseusVL - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 2:49 pm:
My remaining faith in Ddmocracy.
How does “Gwen Drake”, without running a campaign that anybody noticed, get 22% of the vote?
More than 1 in 5 voted for a pretty name.
- raising kane - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 3:01 pm:
I agree with Lincoln…those crazy kids in camp carpentersville can’t be happy with those primary results. Dillard pulls a doublecross on them and saddles up to the teachers, only to lose at the end. Kirk rolls to victory. JBT beats their boy Dodge 3/1, winning every township and every county by huge margins. Bill Kelly even bested them. Ouch! They still have Jason Plummer and Randy Hultgren….until November that is.
- Potted Plant - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 3:02 pm:
Biggest Loser: Ethan (& Denny Hastert)
Biggest Winner: Hultgren (& Chris Lauzen)
Biggest Loser: Pat Brady & Tom Cross(Couldn’t stay on the sidelines but lined up with another political loser “insider” Andy McKenna-However, Tom & Pat definitely achieved “insider” status with Illinois Republican members by doing so).
Big Loser: Jack Roeser (lost all credibility with conservatives by huge last minute financial backing of political panderer Kirk Dillard).
It would be interesting to see what each vote actually cost each of the Dem & GOP gubernatorial candidates. McKenna had to have spent a wad of money for each vote that he received relative to Bill Brady.
- bwana - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 3:02 pm:
The MAJOR LOSE goes to anyone thinking of exorcizing they’re democratic rights, if the Mansion stays “Blue”, my guess is more than one version of the “Map” is already drawn. I hope Pat Brady has a way to vent his emotions after watching yet another embarassing performance by the GOP from House Leadership(thats respectfull)my candidates need money and I dont have infrastructure, to “hey lets all run for Governor. But I’ll bet the election day partys where full of name brands and great finger food, then off to the slopes and the islands! HEE
- JonShibleyFan - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 3:07 pm:
Easy, TW, on the three-time “looser” stuff.
There’s a reason we have elections.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 3:12 pm:
===I live in Kendall, I live in the district, and guess what the mantra was against Ethan;
“The Kid ain’t the Old Man”===
Sorry, that was me … full disclosure
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 3:17 pm:
This is slightly off topic, but I’ve seen it pop up here and on many threads:
Where does this talk about Hoffman challenging Daley come from?
How do you go from losing to Alexi for the Senate (in the city, as well as statewide) to challenging Daley for mayor?
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 3:29 pm:
===47th Ward Regular Democratic Organization: The hacks can’t hack it no more. In fact, they haven’t been able to hack it for years. Ann Williams was the final nail in their pathetic coffin.===
While I completely agree with the sentiment, the fact remains that Mean Gene carried his ward for Farley. You’re absoultely right though, about this lazy relic being ripe for a challenge. He’s backed too many losers over the years and has completely lost touch with Democrats in the 47th.
I’ll be backing any credible challenger in 2011.
- phil sanders - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 3:56 pm:
He carried the ward by a very slim margin. He should have carried his hand picked guy easily in his ward that he has been in charge of since the early 70’s. That is not a good mix for the future. Times change I don’t have the same disdain you have 47th ward for the man, actually I think he does a damn good job as alderman. Just surprised with the numbers.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 4:10 pm:
Wordslinger:
Re: Hoffman for Mayor
It could be the David Hoffman for Mayor group launched on FB on Election Night, before 11 p.m.
It could be the Tribunester Eric Zorn’s blog the day after the election saying “Arguably, or at least so I argued, Chicago needs a good-government corruption buster more than the U.S. Senate…If Chicago is ready for a change…Hoffman is well positioned to start now waging a 12-month campaign aimed at persuading the voters that he’s the one to effect that change.”
Or it could be this Sun-Times article from last Friday, where Hoffman was asked about plans to run for Mayor and declined to rule it out:
http://tinyurl.com/ygpr8vt
YDD
- Capfax reader - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 4:22 pm:
One of the big losers of the night is Hoffman, because Alexi could have been beat. Media is also a big loser for not printing the Cohen stories earlier. I don’t understand all the talk about Hoffman for mayor. When he was the city’s inspector general we hardly heard from him. But now he is fit to be mayor? Are we that desperate?
- Knome Sane - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 4:38 pm:
Been There, you are sorely mistaken if you don’t think Madigan was “all in”. I urge you to take a look at Macellaio’s D-2. Madigan was more than “all in”.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 4:44 pm:
–If Chicago is ready for a change…Hoffman is well positioned to start now waging a 12-month campaign aimed at persuading the voters that he’s the one to effect that change.”–
To borrow from Paddy Bauler, who thinks Chicago is ready for reform? Is there a great demand for it that I missed?
Chicago is still a place a hustler can make a buck. They’re coming from all over the world to do so. Get in a cab, go to a restaurant, stay in a hotel, you know what I mean.
The Daley Brand is at a one of its lower points, but I’ll need a lot more convincing that anyone can beat him. Where’s Hoffman’s base? Yeah, I thought so.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 4:47 pm:
Word,
Hoffman’s base is the anybody but Daley crowd and it is substantial.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 4:50 pm:
Lots of losers on the campaign side. I can’t add much to that discussion.
For those who chose not to vote, they are losers w/a big L on your forehead. No more important election day has been seen in this state in a generation and the turnout was less than 1/3 of registered voters.
Pathetic.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 5:10 pm:
Phineas -
Even Hoffman’s supporters recognize that in a multi-candidate race, he doesn’t make it into the run-off election.
Daley’s job approval sucks, at 35%, but that’s still enough to get him into the run-off.
Everyone expects Dart to run, with the backing of alot of reformers, alot of organized labor, and alot of money.
An African American candidate is likely…Meeks? Maybe.
Where does that leave Hoffman? Fourth place.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 5:22 pm:
–Hoffman’s base is the anybody but Daley crowd and it is substantial.–
Show me.
- sal-says - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 6:19 pm:
102 comments to date.
I’m sure that this has been said, but:
The biggest losers are IL taxpayers and citizens.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 6:35 pm:
Matt Murphy-hitched his horse to the money train and lost to an unknown kid.
The people of IL, look at what choices we have left..snark
- GOP - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 6:48 pm:
The Biggest Losers were Brien Sheehan and Mike Manzo and Tony Peraica. There humiliating loss to Chris Nybo, showed that neither of these three cry babies have any support.
Manzo(who was in the race to split the vote for Sheehan) tried to smear Nybo, so as to help Sheehan, but failed miserably.
The big winners were Nybo’s campaign chief’s Don Sloan(Proviso Township Trustee ) and Tom Robbins, who planned the strategy for Nybo’s victory magnificantly!
- Joe - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 6:56 pm:
Mike Manzo: Got clobbered by Chris Nyboo and a few years ago by Ron Serpico.
- Harper - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 8:44 pm:
Matt Murphy lost a ton of credibility. Even with all of McKenna’s money he lost to a 27 year old.
- P. - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 9:05 pm:
One name I haven’t seen is Berrios - To almost lose to Shaw was a shocker for me. If there were nearly anyone worth voting for on the ballot with a viable campaign, we coulda said bye-bye to him. I realize that’s a lotta should, coulda, wouldas … Instead he’ll be yet another drag on the party until someone or something removes him from office.
“”Please explain how you can call Preckwinkle an independent when she was financed by the DALEYS????????”"
What?
- Reformer - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 9:51 pm:
* Coulson’s career is likely over, which makes her a bigger loser than, say, Dillard or Murphy.
* Bassi’s career also comes to an inglorious end.
* Ditto for former Palatine Twp GOP Committeeman Gary Skoien.
- Andy - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:20 pm:
Biggest losers in the Illinois primary were trade and teachers unions who spent hundreds of thousands on Dan Hynes. These same unions –esp teachers—-also spent hundreds of thousands against the yes vote for a constitutional convention in Nov 2008. They –in a drunken frenzy— spent $1.5 million against $150,000 to defeat any chance to reform the public pension system in a citizens convention to be held in 2010. Hynes was never for con con and never for reforming the pension system —even for the new comers. Quinn supported a con con and urged pension reform in face of the teachers and trade union campaign finance tsunami. Glad not to be paying any more H.E.R.E. union dues as a union bartender getting through college.
- PinkGirl - Thursday, Feb 11, 10 @ 10:21 pm:
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner. His candidate for Judge got wholloped in Kane County. His State Rep. got beat by a no body Jennifer Laesch, and 2 of his incumbant County Board members lost their primaries, and one is holding on by 12 votes.
- Downstate Repub - Saturday, Feb 13, 10 @ 10:53 am:
Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole: Had sycophantic press, long-time party credentials, and name perfect for bumper stickers; but couldn’t raise any money, had no message, and got fewer votes than downstate Senate candidate Lowry, who had less money and no press relations. Maybe should try private sector employment.
- g man - Saturday, Feb 13, 10 @ 2:52 pm:
Rich you are 6 years late pronouncing the death of the 47th Ward regular Democratic Organization. They went defunct with the retirement of Ed Kelly in 2004. You just hearing about tha now?
- g man - Sunday, Feb 14, 10 @ 3:20 pm:
The 47th Ward REGULAR Democratic Organization has been defunct since 2004. Therefore it follows that the “hacks” can’t hack it because they don’t exist. Don’t let the FACTS get in the way of any personal bias you may have.