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Madigan’s big downward slide
Thursday, Oct 21, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller * I told you yesterday that, at my request, Public Policy Polling tested House Speaker Michael Madigan’s favorables…
Oof. * Favorable ratings are different than job approval ratings, but take a look at these results from a Paul Simon Public Policy Institute poll taken September 8 through October 9, 2009…
Again, faves and job approves are different types of ratings, but it seems pretty clear to me that Madigan is on a downward spiral. No surprise, considering all the bad press he’s received and the mess this state is in. The Tribune has been calling for his head on an almost weekly basis for months, including yesterday…
Madigan is far better known than he used to be, and people don’t like what they’re seeing. * Let’s drill down into the PPP poll, shall we? Even his own party members don’t care for the guy…  This crosses racial lines as well…  What jumped out at me in the age crosstab is that the people who know about him the most like him less…  * And so it’s no surprise that an audience would react like this during a legislative candidates debate last night…
Although, they could’ve also booed because Rep. Fllider was insulting their intelligence. I don’t blame them. Still, notice how Flider - who’s getting a shipload of Madigan money this season - ran away from the Speaker as best he could. It’s no wonder that Madigan is spending money in his own district.
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- Aldyth - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 9:58 am:
It’s about time that the voters of Illinois come to realize who really runs Illinois. And it’s not a person that any of us outside of the 22nd District ever got to cast a vote for.
Then, the voters need to realize that it is the Representatives that we voted to send to Springfield who allowed this to happen.
We have met the enemy and it is us.
- Eugene - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 10:08 am:
Mike Madigan is a brilliant and disciplined political Entrepreneur. He’s made millions from leveraging political power which has helped in yielding a lucrative property tax appeals business. He’s done so many political favors for those in his district: he can’t be beat. We need term limits to limit the tyranny that Madigan’s district represents. Illinois is stagnating because the business climate is far from optimal. Madigan’s love for unions, high taxes, and trial lawyers is a luxury Illinois taxpayers can done longer afford.
- Greg B. - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 10:10 am:
I have a lot of respect for the Speaker and only partially blame him for the state’s mess. There are others who’ve done much more to damage the state. I guess that makes some kind establishment insider type, unh?
- Amalia - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 10:17 am:
oh, pobre Madigan. perhaps if Berrios is elected and Madigan
is not, or no longer Speaker, Berrios will give him a job.
Mike Madigan is like the undead. he has figured out a way to survive and thrive.
- Publius - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 10:41 am:
Rich, 538 has now moved the IL-17th to Leaning Republican for the first time
- We Todd Did - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 10:41 am:
An apple a day keeps the investigators away.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 10:45 am:
MH, use a different screen name or go away.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 10:46 am:
One good reason to vote GOP come November. At least for one term, OK? I don’t think that simply removing Madigan from his post as Speaker of the House will solve the problem, however. As has been stated here by learned posters, Madigan ammased his power due to the changes made in the house by none other than Pat Quinn. That along with district boundary issues secured much power in the hands of one person.
What would a new Speaker do once in office? Vote to change the rules to lesson his/her own newly acquired power? A politician acting to reduce their own power? Sounds like a fantasy to me.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 11:05 am:
He’s a powerful guy, no doubt, but he’s not all-powerful and he does not run the state like some supernatural warlord, despite the simplistic rantings of the Trib and Patrick Collins.
He sure didn’t run Blago and Emil Jones; nor George Ryan; nor Edgar and Pate. He’s a player at the table, but he doesn’t own the game.
He doesn’t get everything he wants, when he wants it. I’m sure he would have liked to have brought home to his constituents Joyce’s School Voucher plan last session. That was defeated in the House, despite a few GOP votes on board.
It took three years to round up GA approval for new Cominskey Park, although that was strongly backed by Big Jim, Mayor Washington and Madigan. They still had to stop the clock at 11:59 to get the final votes in the House.
And, despite 40-plus years in Springfield, the federales have never laid a glove on him.
Lazy thinkers are always looking for one good guy/bad guy. On the national level, the simpletons blame either W or Obama for all that’s bad in the country (curiously, they never give them credit for the many good things).
Life is rarely that cut-and-tried. Kind of complicated.
- Been There - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 11:25 am:
===What would a new Speaker do once in office? Vote to change the rules to lesson his/her own newly acquired power? A politician acting to reduce their own power? Sounds like a fantasy to me.===
Cullerton promised he would be less heavy handed than Emil. Definitely was true, at least for the first cycle. But the longer anyone is in the more they learn to get their way. I don’t begrudge them for that. That is what a strong leader and politician does. That is how they get to where they are.
I also think wordslingers assessment is a good one. Madigan doesn’t have a magic wand to pass any bill he wants. But I think the perception problems over the last few years have come, not from passing controversial bills, but just the opposite: stopping bills from even coming up for a vote on the floor.
- jim - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 11:29 am:
The Democrats’ line on Madigan is that they haven’t decided who’ll they support for speaker because they don’t know who’s running.
Good thing Madigan isn’t accountable to anyone. He really could care less about his popularity or lack of it.
- "Old Timer Dem" - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 11:44 am:
Do not think for a minute that Madigan is not concerned about his popularity. He understands that for the first time in his career, he is the main issue in all his targeted districts. His game plans have always been effective because he has been able to fly under the radar. He is struggling with his unpopularity both personally and politically.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 11:45 am:
I’m a Republican. But for any of you who have really been paying attention rather than sharpening up partisan talking points, I can only say thank God he has been there for the past 8 years. Where we might be now without him is hard to imagine.
- OswegoDem - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 11:53 am:
Illinois state government has huge structural financial problems that will need to be dealt with next year by dramatic change. Madigan gets this and will not stand in the way of being a part of the solution as his LAST act.
So is it better to have him stay as speaker to help craft the change? I have mixed feelings and I understand the appeal of the clean break.
Madigan is the most pragmatic person in Illinois politics. I think it best for whomever is elected Governor and the GA to think this trough strategically.
- Siwash - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 12:16 pm:
Yeah, this is a reasonable analysis. I think the more you know about Mike Madigan, the less respect he gets and the more you find serious questions popping up.
- MOON - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 12:20 pm:
STEVE SCHNORF
I fully agree with your evaluation of the situation.
I would remind others that it was Madigan who took on Blago. Remember, it was Cross, Jones, and Watson who were ready to sell out to Blago for a Capitol Bill. These guys only interest was what was in it for them. If Madigan did not stand in their way Blago would of had BILLIONS of DOLLARS to waste on whatever he wanted.
I could give example after example of positions Madigan took that in the long run benefitted this State. The Speaker is far from perfect, but he is a fair and well reasoned person. You may not like his politics, but never question his ethics. In Springfield his ethical behavior stands head and shoulders above the others.
- Get Him Out - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 12:20 pm:
Now. Never before have I seen such power wielded by a position that has no business having it. Vote this guy out. Set term limits. Find a way. End the Madigan dictatorship. Illinois has suffered enough. He is to blame for the position we are in. More people need to know that. This guy calls all the shots. Not most. All. It has to end. I wish him all the best in his next career but I cannot wait for the day when the people of this fine state finally make him go away from state government.
- the Patriot - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 12:51 pm:
Poll is irrelevant. He can’t be beat in his district and no one in the statehouse will stand up to him. As long has he can look right in the eye of the people and admit to violating the law knowing the AG is his daughter, he will run this state.
Fact is he wholeheartedly supported Blago twice and would only yeild to calls for impeachment after the feds were involved. He swung Chicago for Ryan because he knew Ryan was more controllable than Poshard.
Madigan is worse than Rod. Rod only wants to help himself and did not care about helping or hurting anyone else. Madigan has decided to blow up this entire state, including not supporting the candidate from the party he is Chairman of because it will be better for him and his daughter in the future.
- 42nd Ward - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 12:56 pm:
Considering that State spending has gone up 30% in those 8 years, with insufficient matching revenues and a sharply worsening pension crisis, I thnk we could have done just fine without him.
This “indispensable” image is nonsense Daley and Madigan have been enjoying for years.
- Levois - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 1:07 pm:
I will give props to Mike Madigan for standing in the way of Blago.
- wustl - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 1:36 pm:
Mike is here for at least the next four years. Then it might be time for him to retire and let Lisa run for governor against Bill Brady.
- Chicago Dem - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 1:42 pm:
Madigan has become a wealthy man leveraging his political power. His tax appeals business is of course the most obvious example, but the “Madigan Rules” investigative series in the Tribune reveals other ways he intertwines official and private actions.
In addition, Madigan has been the one constant in the 30 years of disastrous “sweeteners” for special interests in the pension system, buying votes and campaign cash but slowly bankrupting the state.
He should be the official poster boy for Term Limits.
- reformer - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 1:53 pm:
Term limits for all state officials would require a constitutional amendment, which is not in the cards.
A limit on leadership terms might be feasible. I remember when Tom Cross promised a voluntary 10-year leadership term limit. It was quietly cancelled last year.
- Reddbyrd - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 1:58 pm:
Actually the Tribune series proved the tax business was done without special or improper action. They looked through 20,000 files and found nothing improper.
- MOON - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 2:03 pm:
REDDBYRD
Since when does the facts get in the way of unfounded and biased statements and opinions.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 3:25 pm:
If Blagojevich’s policy positions did threaten holding the majority in the House, Mr. Madigan would not have been as strident in opposing the former governor. His priority is a Democratic majority. Those who believe the Speaker opposed Blagojevich for the good of the state are, in my opinion, kidding themselves.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 3:43 pm:
Should read “policy position did not threaten. . .” Sorry.
- dupage progressive - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 4:18 pm:
thank you steve schnorf for your posting - couldn’t agree more.
and to all of you who hope and pray for your chance on the cap fax blog for your chance to bash MJM, you really need to find someone else to blame for this mess & everything else you’d like to pin on the speaker. It’s old & you need to move on from whatever slight you perceived from the speaker in your political life. seriously.
- Bill - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 5:22 pm:
I can’t understand why people buy this stuff about Maddie being some sort of saviour. Why should one guy from a small Rep district have complete control over every bill ever introduced. With more fair and democratic rules maybe he wouldn’t be so dangerous. The way it is now we have no choice but to hope that the clean as a whistle myth is true. When was the last time any bill Madigan opposed was even let out of committee let alone debated and passed? Never. The guy has had total control for 3 decades so he has to be more responsible for this mess than anyone else.
We will be just fine without him if he ever leaves. Just like we will survive without Daley. No one person should have complete control of the process. Look where that has gotten us so far.
- Reddbyrd - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 6:17 pm:
Bill:
Can you share with us some examples of great bills that never passed?
we remember in recent years
$1 billion in electric rate relief plus cheaper power purchasing that saved billions more
Reform of RTA/CTA
Reforms at McPier,Nursing homes, payday loans, ethics and campaign (which the Blaggo ignored) and the early, actually first in the nation effort to control predatory lending (which Blaggo canceled for the predators)
Just rattle off a few of those monumental measures we did not see
BTW, the House rules are based on the rules created by Pate and Daniels
All these choices folks clamor for are largely imaginary or the pets of small cliques, but we are ready to see what we are missing.
- anon - Thursday, Oct 21, 10 @ 10:47 pm:
Patriot 12:51, do your research. Blagojevich was not even on Madigan’s 13th ward sample ballot in Blago’s first run for governor. Not exactly the big supporter you say he is. I hardly think anyone can seriously believe Madigan ever wholehartedly supported Rod. Madigan was the only leader who stood up to Rod. It’s unfortunate his popularity has been affected by such newspapers like the Tribune who seem to write a story about him every day. What a joke.