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Nationally, Illinois is an unpopular, polarizing state
Thursday, Feb 23, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller * Apparently, we don’t just hate ourselves here in Illinois. The country takes a dim view of us as well, according to a series of Public Policy Polling surveys…
The one positive, if you could call it that, is that more people were “Not sure” (52 percent) about Illinois than those other states. * Indiana scored 31 percent favorable, 12 percent unfavorable and 57 percent not sure. 38 percent viewed Michigan favorably, while 21 percent viewed it unfavorably and 40 percent were unsure. 40 percent had a favorable view of Wisconsin, with 17 percent seeing it as unfavorable and 42 percent unsure. * The crosstabs show that the kids kinda dig us, though…  * But check out the partisan difference…  * Ideology…  * Whites and blacks are also opposites…  * Gender…  Discuss.
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- Dirt Digger - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:15 am:
40-16 for Oklahoma??
Nuh uh.
- Shock & Awww(e) - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:17 am:
We have the lowest “favorable” ratings in the U.S.?
We’re #1! Stuff it, haters!
Wait… you mean it doesn’t work like that?
- Random - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:18 am:
I have to think that Obama being from Illinois and conservative talk radio that keeps mentioning the Chicago machine has to have brought up the negatives.
- Objective Dem - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:18 am:
No big surprise here. We have 3 ex-govs who took vacations compliments of the Feds. One of the rating services has us 49th with respect to our financial solvency. Illinois has work to do. Hope the Gov and the Leaders are up to it.
- AlphaBettor - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:25 am:
Actually, we’re the fifth most popular state, because we’re fifth in population. And California is the most popular state. People can say whatever they want in a phone survey, but where they choose to live shows their real feelings about a place. Eat that, Hawaii.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:33 am:
–Americans generally have a favorable view of most states. Only five are in negative territory, led by California (27% favorable and 44% unfavorable), Illinois (19-29), New Jersey (25-32), Mississippi (22-28), and Utah (24-27). –
That’s quite a diverse crew, to say the least, lol. Seriously, what’s not to like about Utah (unless you’re an anti-Mormon bigot, I guess)?
I doubt if most Americans follow their own states’ budgets, so I don’t Illinois fiscal problems are an issue.
My guess is that it’s a combination of Obama-haters, the disrepute brought on by the Ryan/Blago convictions, plus Blago’s insufferable roadshow prior to trial.
People like Alabama and Arkansas more than California and New Jersey? Takes all kinds, I guess.
- Secret Square - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:38 am:
I guess women love us, and fish (especially Asian carp) fear us
- Shock & Awww(e) - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:38 am:
word makes a good point. Why the hate on Utah, lol?
- Secret Square - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:42 am:
“Why the hate on Utah?”
Probably from people who remember (unfavorably) Donny and Marie Osmond and think everyone in Utah is like that.
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:43 am:
Yeah, everyone hates Duke too until your kid gets offered a scholarship to go there.
Maybe a good spray-on tan and wardrobe will make us more popular. Is there a state nose job in the budget? Maybe if we put out on the first date we’d be more popular. That’s what Indiana and Wisconsin keep saying.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:46 am:
I lived in Utah for two years when I was a teenager. It was a great place to live. It’s a gorgeous, clean state. But it is a bit tough to buy booze. I know lots of Mormons and cannot fathom why some people hate them so much. It’s really weird.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:49 am:
I’ve been in most states and found very good times and people in every one.
All have their issues, of course, but that’s just part of the human condition.
Having said that, I’ve made the Chicago-Denver drive many times over the years, and the charms of Nebraska are starting to wear thin.
- Secret Square - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:49 am:
“People can say whatever they want in a phone survey, but where they choose to live shows their real feelings about a place.”
Unless they were born there, or came there strictly due to family obligations (e.g. a spouse or parent changed jobs or was transferred) and cannot afford to move elsewhere at this time.
I suspect lots of people live in states/cities they don’t really like simply because they have other obligations that take precedence. If those obligations are removed (kids grow up and leave home, elderly parents pass away, they or their spouse retires, etc.) they can and will go elsewhere.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:49 am:
I like Illinois and am glad to have been born here. I lived here all of my life. I like Illinois better now, because this is a relative haven from the political strife across our northern border. I used to go to other states for vacations or day trips, but now instead of going to Wisconsin, I will stay in this state and spend my money here.
My friend and I drove around parts of northern Indiana in December, and we drove around Goshen, Elkhart, South Bend and Michigan City. While I certainly do not mean to offend Indiana people, I would not relocate there, no matter what the taxes are. I saw a lot of malls and not much diversity. I’ll stay in Chicago for now, where my neighborhood and work area have great restaurants: Mexican, Chinese, Greek, Polish, Puerto Rican, Middle Eastern, etc.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:50 am:
–But it is a bit tough to buy booze.–
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
- Small Town Liberal - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 11:54 am:
- the charms of Nebraska are starting to wear thin. -
Try riding across Kansas on a motorcycle. I never thought I’d come close to falling asleep on two wheels.
- Knee Jerk - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 12:01 pm:
Here’s one guess about the “not sure” - that they are not sure which state Illinois is. Born and raised here but lived in a southern state for a while, many who knew I came from Illinois thought I was from Indiana or Chicago.
- Shock & Awww(e) - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 12:14 pm:
On tomorrow’s Capitol Fax: “How to build a still”
- Cook County Commoner - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 12:18 pm:
Not surprising. Illinois is now mentioned more often in national print media, especially when articles discuss national issues such as housing, employment and government employee pension costs. Illinois is often mentioned as one of the states whose negative progress in these areas lags the national trend. Once upon a time, Illinois and Chicago in particular received a passing chortle due to their mob related past, but all the positives overwhelmed that era’s notoriety. Now the bad news keeps coming, and it is more noticed because this is the President’s home state.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
Interesting on the past few polls published on this site. When you break out the male/female, the males are always more negative and crankier!
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 12:27 pm:
===the males are always more negative and crankier! ===
That’s true of every poll ever taken I think.
I was recently admonished by a member of the female persuasion to watch my “tone.” Too cranky and negative, apparently. lol
- mark walker - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 12:30 pm:
Aren’t polls great? Another measure of peoples’ interest in Illinois are the actual searches for residential real estate listings, on line from-of-staters, where Illinois actually is highest in the nation. Of course the nay-sayers will say they took one look at the house prices and backed off. LOL
- mark walker - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 12:40 pm:
“from out-of-staters” above
- Just Observing - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 12:42 pm:
Like others have mentioned, I think Obama being from Illinois is what really is driving this — especially when looking at the crosstabs the GOP hate for Illinois far outpaces the Dem hate.
- Shore - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 12:45 pm:
the people that like Illinois don’t really like Illinois, they’re 20 and 30 something young white collar professionals who like flying into chicago for a weekend going out to nice restaurants and bars, maybe seeing a cubs game or museum and then leaving. I doubt most of them ever leave cook county.
- Stones - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 12:56 pm:
-I lived in Utah for two years when I was a teenager. It was a great place to live. It’s a gorgeous, clean state. But it is a bit tough to buy booze. I know lots of Mormons and cannot fathom why some people hate them so much. It’s really weird.-
One comment about Mormons….I have run into a few on cruise vacations and they are among the wildest folks I have come across. Almost like the kid who didn’t drink in HS and then goes away to college. It was kind of weird but the few that I have run across really let it rip when they have the opportunity.
- Cheryl44 - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 1:11 pm:
==what’s not to like about Utah==
There’s nothing there to like or dislike, IMO. There’s just nothing there. And it’s hard to get a drink.
- CircularFiringSquad - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 1:11 pm:
Looks likes the wing nuts and GOPies ( which is really the same thing) hate us so we are pretty good shape
- Mom - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 1:17 pm:
Geography isn’t my strong suit, but I’m pretty sure Chicago is still part of Illinois.
Mitchell and Brown didn’t get their bill passed, did they?
- D.P. Gumby - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 1:34 pm:
It’s hard to fathom that states like the “challenged” states of Alabama, West Virginia, Arkansas, Kansas are more “likable” given their serious cultural limitations. Makes one wonder what the standard was.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 23, 12 @ 2:16 pm:
–the people that like Illinois don’t really like Illinois, they’re 20 and 30 something young white collar professionals who like flying into chicago for a weekend going out to nice restaurants and bars, maybe seeing a cubs game or museum and then leaving.–
There’s not as much of that as you might think. Most tourism measures are based on overnight hotel stays. When it comes to domestic, for-pleasure tourism, the great majority of Chicago tourists are drivers from a 300-mile radius, the majority from Illinois.
Chicago and Illinois aren’t a big for-pleasure tourist attraction for international visitors like Florida, New York and California.
Most international visitors to Chicago are from Mexico and Eastern Europe visiting family. There’s a small number of Route 66 and Blues fans from the UK and Germany (Germans loves to roar their motorcycles down the Mother Road).
Illinois is hard to market as a destination. Florida has sun. California has sun, the ocean and decades of marketing through Hollywood. New York is the capital of the free world.
Illinois’ drivers are Chicago, Blues, Lincoln, the Mississippi and Route 66. Hard to find a common theme there, as is evident from IBOTs tourism spots.
The Big Kahuna for tourism dollars is business travel, driven by O’Hare and McCormick Place. Those visitors spend a lot of money.
Here’s how for-pleasure tourism breaks down. The surprise is domestic tourism in Texas. I suspect a lot of that is in-state tourism, folks going for weekends to one of the big cities (as happens in Chicago).
http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news//4018083.html