95 Comments - Walter Mitty - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:06 pm: Rauner… Because he is not Quinn. Sadly, that will be enough. - Pot calling kettle - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:07 pm: Very much a toss-up. Quinn: not liked, not respected, moving up as people learn more about Rauner. Rauner: not known, a blank slate takes on hopes as well as fears. Rutherford or Dillard would probably have been a slam dunk for the Republicans because they would have been able to pull lots of votes from the folks on the left who don’t like Quinn; Rauner scares alot of people who don’t like Quinn. - Team Sleep - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:08 pm: I truly have no idea. I voted the third option. - Peoria guy - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:09 pm: I think Quinn will win–though I would not bet any serious money on that. I think Quinn has the momentum and, in a close race, I always lean towards the Democrat in Illinois. - Big Muddy - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:11 pm: Baron Von Carhartt will be fitted for a new jacket that just says GOV across the back. Because of what Walter Mitty said @ 2:06. - Anonymous - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:11 pm: somehow, it’s just easy for me to imagine Rauner losing, then turning into a kind of local Donald Trump- aka someone with appeal to the wingnuts and a laughingstock to the rest. Future generations will say “You know that guy almost became governor?” - Roadbuilder - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:12 pm: Rauner…because I continue to be idealistic and believe every 4 years that the majority of voters in Illinois are not the mindless nubs they turn out to be each time (see Blogo re-election results). Maybe some day they’ll actually vote with their brains and choose someone that can get this state out of the toilet it’s turning into. - Darin - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:12 pm: Quinn will win. Voters are honestly afraid of Bruce Rauner and become more so with each passing day. I predict Quinn by 10% or more by election day. - walker - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:12 pm: Leaning Quinn ever so slightly. But the NRI thing might just be the pin in the grenade. - 47th Ward - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:13 pm: I haven’t a clue. At the risk of using a cliche, it will all boil down to turnout. If Quinn can get his voters to the polls, in numbers approaching 2012 Obama type turnout in Cook County, then he’s got a shot. If too many city voters stay home, then it’s Rauner’s race to lose. Sorry, I’m taking the cop out. I simply don’t have a feel yet for which of these two has an advantage right now. Ask me again in a month. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:13 pm: Voted “I haven’t clue” GOTV, NRI, Unions, Ads, the US Attorney, Slip and Sue, Debates, Polls, Oppo Research yet released… No feel right now above is just off the top of my head that is left that can have considerable sway in changing the outcome quicker than any Ads on their own could… So I know I haven’t a clue . - Carl Nyberg - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:14 pm: Pat Quinn wins because of many small reasons. Rauner made some key messaging mistakes. The early commercials saying voters should support Rauner b/c he’s a regular guy. Mistake. Quinn is more the regular guy. Rauner also conveys he doesn’t have much respect for the voters. What’s important to Rauner is money and power. Rauner is willing to pander, twist stuff and lie to bamboozle regular voters. Quinn great sins are that he’s hapless and more interested in showboating at a press conference. And Illinois just isn’t that friendly a state to rich people who buy offices. Peter Fitzgerald logged some time in legislature before running for US Senate. What’s Bruce Rauner done besides skim money from the state pensions? - Carl Nyberg - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:14 pm: Pat Quinn wins because of many small reasons. Rauner made some key messaging mistakes. The early commercials saying voters should support Rauner b/c he’s a regular guy. Mistake. Quinn is more the regular guy. Rauner also conveys he doesn’t have much respect for the voters. What’s important to Rauner is money and power. Rauner is willing to pander, twist stuff and lie to bamboozle regular voters. Quinn great sins are that he’s hapless and more interested in showboating at a press conference. And Illinois just isn’t that friendly a state to rich people who buy offices. Peter Fitzgerald logged some time in legislature before running for US Senate. What’s Bruce Rauner done besides skim money from the state pensions? - NewWestSuburbanGOP'er - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:16 pm: The unions will be gearing up and hitting the streets even harder as we get closer to the election. Rauner has no GOTV strategy. He cannot articulate his plans for the future of Illinois because he has nothing but slogans and slick ads portraying him as the common man. I will be voting for Quinn, as will all my friends and family members. - Carl Nyberg - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:17 pm: Of course the biggest factor that will let Quinn through in spite of his negatives is the partisan tilt of Illinois. I also think the failure of Bill Brady to win despite being up in the polls means that people will write-off Rauner if he’s neck-and-neck in the final week. - lake county democrat - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:17 pm: Quinn, because 1) Labor is turning out - so much so they almost chose Rauner in the GOP primary, 2) the pension crisis/budget pain is still mostly in the future and 3) saps like me are willing to withstand the abuse the Madigan-controlled party gives in order to keep the GOP from shooting the puppy (i.e., big cuts to programs to help the needy). - Precinct Captain - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:18 pm: Quinn by 50,000 votes. - Snucka - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:18 pm: Quinn 48 Rauner 47 Grimm 5 - Big Joe - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:18 pm: I voted Rauner because too many people just want anyone different than the status quo. Too many voters will cast their vote because they don’t take the time to research each candidate. They simply will vote because of all the promises Rauner has made on the multitude of TV spots that are on all the time. - A guy... - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:19 pm: Bruce Rauner wins. But it will be close, right down to the wire. People just have had enough of Pat Quinn and their pride is hurt every time Illinois is mentioned and leads to a discussion on deep corruption. Feel free to discount my vote. I’m not pretending to be unbiased. I do hope he wins, but objectively I believe he’ll win as well. - Darin - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:20 pm: I agree NewWest. Quinn is going to do very well with Republican voters this time around. - Carl Nyberg - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:24 pm: Wouldn’t it be amusing if Quinn won by those 60,000 fraudulent votes in Chicago that Oberweis is looking for? - Western Ave. Doug - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:26 pm: I say Rauner with 48% of the vote. I base this on the polling in the swing congressional districts and the fact Quinn is a really bad leader and is Pat Quinn. - Carl Nyberg - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:26 pm: “I’m so mad about corrupt politicians, I’m going to elected a corrupt businessman Governor. That’ll show the political class!” If somebody wants to poke the political class in the eye, Chad Grimm is a better vote than Rauner. - Stones - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:26 pm: Close race. I voted Rauner the previous time this question was posted . I think the trend currently breaks PQ but I still think Rauner may have a run in him. If the R’s can’t pick off PQ in this political environment they may as well just give it up. - A guy... - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:27 pm: ===Darin - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:20 pm: I agree NewWest. Quinn is going to do very well with Republican voters this time around.=== BS. Never has. Won’t this time. Never will. That’s perhaps the most inane thing I’ve seen here in a long time. And dude, that’s saying something. - Anon. - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:27 pm: I chose Quinn. Rauner’s only chance seems to be the NRI and other investigations, but I doubt any of them will turn up anything more than “ho-hum, that’s what all politicians in Illinois do” before the election, while Rauner’s sins that are turning up every day are not viewed as everyday occurences and will be more telling. The real answer is, “Not the people of Illinois.” - OldSmoky2 - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:28 pm: I’m leaning Quinn. He really seems to have hired an A team to run his campaign, while Rauner, for all his money, either hasn’t done that or hasn’t given his team enough substance to do much beyond attacking Quinn and badmouthing Illinois. I agree with others who say that Rutherford (and maybe Dillard, too) would be making it a more difficult race for Quinn. - D.P.Gumby - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:29 pm: The luckiest man in the world will continue that trend…who knew. Despite all his money, Brucie just has not maximized all his golden opportunities. - tsavo - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:29 pm: I voted Rauner. There are a tremendous amount of retirees who are really angry about SB1313 and SB1. Even though SB1313 was tossed by the ISC, retirees are still angry over SB1. The various public employee unions are pushing Quinn with their active employees, but those already retired feel a betrayal by Quinn. Retirees do not know what Rauner will do to us, but we do know what Quinn already did to us. SB1 is worse than the deal pensioners got from bankrupt Detroit. - AFSCME Steward - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:30 pm: Quinn wins. Rauner has done a poor job of making a case that he can do better than Quinn. Additionally, the almost daily reports of newly uncovered shenigans by Rauner lead companies are catching on. I think there are plenty of “Vince Rauner” voters out there. We have called them Raunerbots on this blog. They really can’t explain why they support Rauner, but they vote for him anyway. The problem for Bruce Rauner is that there aren’t enough people willing to vote for his “little brother” to pull it out. Unless he suddenly does a better job of making a case for himself, “shaking up Springfield” isn’t going to cut it. How are you going to shake up Springfield? What are you going to cut? How are you going to expand spending and also cut taxes? Unhe comes up with answers to these questions and those about his business practices, he’s toast. - Illannoyed - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:30 pm: This kind of post with its poll question is catnip for partisans. Nothing wrong with the question, but it’s going to get people frothing at the mouth. I can hear someone at both campaigns saying “make sure we get people to click for our guy!” Too funny! I imagine that Rich is sitting back with a cold beverage and grinning. - Darin - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:31 pm: A Guy- I think many Republicans as they’ve gotten to know Bruce Rauner are more comfortable with Pat Quinn as the “Evil they Know” They understand what will occur after the election and while many don’t agree with it, it doesn’t elicit the fear and anxiety that Bruce Rauner brings. Just wait for the results, I’m confident that I’m right. I’m a pretty loyal GOP guy. - Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:32 pm: I voted Quinn because obviously, he is the best governor in our lifetimes… balanced budget, pensions funded, natural disasters overcome. Can’t see any reason why anyone would not want Pat Quinn as their governor. While that is a little tongue in cheek, I really think he is a good governor when you take a broad look at what he has had to deal with. Jim Edgar got to govern during outstanding times for the nation, and still didn’t fund the pensions. And I am really getting sick of these miserable people downing Illinois as a “toilet.” I am proud of my state. Illinois is a fine place to live. It is so sad that all of the negative nancies have to be miserable and just want to elect a governor that will destroy the state. - lucky - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:33 pm: always better to be lucky than most things in life, and the MOST unpopular governor in the United States has a better than a 50-50 chance of being re elected. I say that is a true example of luck. Thus, Quinn wins! - James formerly from Wrigley - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:34 pm: Rauner, because the people that don’t like either will simply not show up and that will hurt Quinn. Also Pat Quinn is not going to get 90%+ again in 12 Chicago wards: 6-9; 17, 21-22; 24, 28-29, 34, and 37. - Republicans did what!!!! - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:39 pm: It is unbeilable that the Republican moderates in the collar counties nominated Rauner. Those “right wing nut” republicans in downstate voted heavily for the moderate Dillard. Dillard would have won 4 years ago by at least 100,000 votes…. this year by over half a million votes. Rauner still might win… flip a coin. Thanks “thinking” republicans of Dupage!!! - Wensicia - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:42 pm: I’ll say Quinn. Rauner’s flip-flops and negatives are piling up. He blew off Republicans to attract women and Democrats, while scaring the union supported labor into running back to support Quinn. He’s losing support, the edge he needs to win. - Western Ave. Doug - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:43 pm: Hey Willy, in case you are missing Ole Slip and Sue, a friend sent me this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLyu8ha99_Q - Nony - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:44 pm: It’s going to be close, no doubt, but I’m putting Bruce over the top. If they’re smart, I’m sure they have a lot of hits to Quinn in their pocket that they’ve been waiting to release with the NRI issue coming back up. And I think people are underestimating his ground game. Anything they have would be a significant improvement on past republican efforts. - LinebackerII - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:44 pm: Quinn - because the D’s WILL it out the vote in the county that counts. - Mittuns - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:45 pm: Results will be Grimm for Rauner. Quinn by ~50k. - Secret Square - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:45 pm: I say Quinn, by 5% or less, simply because the “devil you know” beats the one you don’t. It worked for Blago in 2006, so it will probably work again this time around. - Grandson of Man - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:47 pm: I picked Quinn because I have faith that enough Illinoisans are up on the issues than just the “Vinces” who are mindlessly frustrated and want to lash out. Illinois has undoubtedly improved, though not at the rate that people may want (same with the nation in general). The unemployment rate decreased. We had a period of better fiscal responsibility with the income tax increase. We have Medicaid expansion, MMJ and SSM. I believe that enough people will get this, especially in light of the opponent and his policy ideas and business practices. That’s just my opinion. I can tell you that my union dislikes Rauner, as do many of the members. We shall see if the help make the difference. - Frenchie Mendoza - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:47 pm: 49 Quinn 48 Rauner 3 Grimm - Louis Howe - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:48 pm: 47th Ward has it about right. Quinn is going to get killed downstate which still will be around 38% of the total votes cast. Quinn will get less than 35% of that vote. Chicago turnout will make or break Quinn. - Tasty Grouper - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:50 pm: Rauner 47 Quinn 45 Grimm 8 45 is Quinn’s ceiling. If Grimm cant make double digits (by pulling support from Rauner) Quinn loses. - Locka - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:50 pm: Rauner is going to win this. He has a lead in suburban cook by the latest poll in the trib. Quinn has to win cook by a large margin and he is losing in suburban cook. He won last election by a wide margin for suburban cook and is now down in the burbs for cook. suburban cook is a factor in giving quinn large numbers for cook and right now he is trailing a key district for cook - Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:50 pm: Top of the Eighth inning. Quinn has a two-run lead and home field advantage. But he is also facing the heart of the Rauner line-up. I wouldn’t leave the stadium early. This game is far from over. - Anonymous Retiree - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:52 pm: Rauner over Quinn. Any momentum Quinn might have will stop dead next week when the NRI hearings start again - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:52 pm: - Western Ave. Doug -, Well she’s trying. To talk about being the child of immigrants, and not getting podium time at an event on immigration speaks all the needs to be said. I guess to add to my comment above, controlled turnout, not just turnout will be a strong factor, we will see who controls their true Pluses better. - Anonymoiis - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:52 pm: Both candidates are stuck in the neighborhood of 40. That’s a lot of undecideds a month out, which is typically a bad sign for the incumbent, which is why I still see it breaking for Rauner. - Anonymous - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:53 pm: Lots of folks whistling pass the graveyard on here. Wishful thinking being expressed verbally, hoping it’s gonna be so. As the prognosticators have said, its a toss up now. The Quinnsters knows he loses in a “anybody but Quinn” race. But as long as they can keep making Rauner out to be Satan in human form, they have a chance. And that well established GOTV force….it may be enough. - Tommydanger - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:53 pm: Voted Quinn. Quinn is the guy I’m mad at. Rauner is the guy I’m scared of. I’ll take ‘mad at’ guy over scary guy this election. Despite all the bad things happening in this state and the social moderate, ’successful’ business man promising nearly everything to everyone finds himself up by only a few points by his own polling, then it says less about how blue a state Illinois is (see also JBT and Tom Cross) then it speaks to how much folks distrust Rauner. The only reason to vote for Bruce is the hope that he’ll unload Illinois’ pension obligations onto a shell company owned by a wheel chaired bound graphic artist. - Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:55 pm: ===The only reason to vote for Bruce is the hope that he’ll unload Illinois’ pension obligations onto a shell company owned by a wheel chaired bound graphic artist. === You may have just made up my mind for me. lol Best comment of the week. - The Captain - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:55 pm: “Rauner is going to win this. He has a lead in suburban cook by the latest poll in the trib. Quinn has to win cook by a large margin and he is losing in suburban cook. He won last election by a wide margin for suburban cook and is now down in the burbs for cook. suburban cook is a factor in giving quinn large numbers for cook and right now he is trailing a key district for cook” Uh, the Trib poll had Quinn leading in suburban Cook 55% - 32%. - Jerry Hubbard - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:56 pm: Darin, what planet do you live on? A 10 point spread? Whoever the winner will be, I keep seeing it within 3.5 points. Voted for Rauner, and not just because I want him to win. He is doing things to earn votes that Bill Brady never did. Despite how some of you like to minimize the LG candidates’ abilities, Evelyn Sanguinetti is excellent on the trail. Unless Dems come in to secretly fund Grimm, we likely won’t have a third party candidate with money (a la Scott Lee Cohen) to take a heap of votes out of Bruce’s tally. Hell, Grimm may get as many Democrat votes as Republican ones. What’s Quinn doing? Not talking about his failed record. Plus, he won’t be able to replicate another NRI program, and if he tries, well, more evidence for any upcoming federal investigation. And who knows what Shaw’s testimony will be… - Casual observer - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:58 pm: I was leaning anybody but Quinn for probably 2 years now. Lately I’m leaning anybody but Rauner. I don’t think I’m alone. I voted Quinn mainly because I think all those Union members who pulled an R ballot for the primary and voted for Dillard were sending a message to Rauner….we’ll be back. Unions will make the difference in turnout and that’s bad for Bruce. - not so simple - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:58 pm: George Dunn had his mistress on the payroll and living in forest preserve owned house and Chicago voters shrugged. NRI will not approach that and Quinn will win. - Keyser Soze - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:59 pm: It’s a contest between Homer Simpson and Mr. Burns, a difficult choice. Both are presently covered in mud. One senses that voters would pick Genghis Khan if they thought he would fix the God-awful Illinois economy. Yet, neither Simpson or Burns has articulated how they would expand the Illinois tax base, which is the only realistic way the State can climb out of its current hole. The first one to figure that out will win. - THEGUN - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:02 pm: Rauner ….please…. - DuPage Bard - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:02 pm: I voted - I haven’t a clue. Mainly because there is still a ton of time left on the clock and no one has a clear path to victory. Plus momentum keeps shifting almost on an hourly basis. - Anon. - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:06 pm: ==This game is far from over. == YDD, thanks for ruining by Friday afternoon mellow. - Skeptic - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:07 pm: I know who I want, but then I picked the Bears over the Bills. - dupage dan - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:09 pm: I haven’t a clue. Surprised to see Rauner edging Quinn by 246 votes to 204 @ 3pm. I no longer have a land line so don’t get the robo calls. I had caller id so never actually listened to the calls. Have stated my displeasure for both candidates. Nothing has changed. Quinn is a closer - Rauner should have been in a much better position this late in the game. Will the hearings coming up have an impact. I. Have. Not. A. Clue. - Phil King - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:10 pm: Rauner wins with 48%. (45% Quinn, 7% Grimm.) Early polls are rarely wrong and Rauner came out of the gates with a huge lead. Quinn’s strategy of going hard negative will bring back some Dems that were crossing over and it will scare a lot of independents into staying home, but it won’t be enough to overcome his record of abject failure in running the state. - East Central Illinois - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:11 pm: Tommydanger is right on track. I think Quinn will win. He is the devil that we know. Rauner is the devil that we don’t know. And more to the point we know how Madigan and Cullerton can deal and work over Quinn; with Rauner it will be blood all over Illinois. I don’t want either Quinn or Rauner to win, but I think Quinn will just slightly. - Sir Reel - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:11 pm: I don’t know. Both candidates have so many negatives that it could depend upon the last ad seen. - Frenchie Mendoza - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:15 pm: Another Friday 3pm cash dump by Vince Rauner. It’s like clockwork. these cash dumps. Come Friday afternoon, Vince gives himself more money. - OneMan - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:17 pm: No idea… Sorry, just think this is one where October is going to be huge and the weather may actually have a real impact. - Fayette County - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:18 pm: People will decide to go with the devil they know and Quinn pulls it out by 1%. He will get blown out downstate but Chicago will have a good enough get out the vote drive to push Quinn past Rauner. - Mason born - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:24 pm: NO Clue. I see this as the start of the 4th quarter. Rauner had the first half (march-August)sewed up thought he could play prevent defense second half. Quinn used the third quarter to take the lead and is up by 1 but there is a lot of Game to be played. Who ever plays the hardest and avoids catastrophic injuries takes it. - OneMan - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:30 pm: Also OW since you seem to know who I am if you see me at the Crosstown Classic say hi…. - Jimbo - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:41 pm: Checked for other tweets, but it looks like the tweeter must have gotten a huge backlash. The account’s deleted. Keep it classy guys. - vole - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:42 pm: People ain’t got much power in the plutocracy in DC so why support it at home? Quinn’l “win” the default race of two default candidates by default. And so we muddle sideways. - downstate commissioner - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:46 pm: voted Quinn-like an earlier poster said, was “anybody but Quinn, now anybody but Rauner” Rauner will be fighting with everybody (he’s already said that he will fight Mike Madigan; anybody remember how that turned out?) Better the devil we know… - my two cents - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:00 pm: Quinn by a nose. Unpalatable double-speak Rauner; ballot initiatives; union GOTV and women will make the difference. - Hotel Ibiza - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:00 pm: Rahm will deliver Chicago and Cook county to Rauner. Rauner is a great business man, Rauner more than ever can make Illinois respectable again. Quinn guarantees Illinois more of the same - stagnant, corruption and ignorance. - East Central Illinois - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:03 pm: - Hotel Ibiza - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:00 pm: Rahm will deliver Chicago and Cook county to Rauner. Rauner is a great business man, Rauner more than ever can make Illinois respectable again. Quinn guarantees Illinois more of the same - stagnant, corruption and ignorance. How does “Rauner” and “respectable” even fit in the same sentence? - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:05 pm: ===Also OW since you seem to know who I am if you see me at the Crosstown Classic say hi….=== It crosses my mind many times. It’s me, not you, honest, no snark. When you least suspect, Bud. Dress warm too - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:13 pm: ===Rahm will deliver Chicago and Cook county to Rauner. Rauner is a great business man, Rauner more than ever can make Illinois respectable again.=== Do you have to “cut and paste” this or does it come pre-packaged in a set? Rahm has his own troubles. Going against his former boss and his wife, overtly and/or covertly ain’t solving those problems. - Grandson of Man - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:19 pm: Another problem I see for Rauner is that he’s not thrashing Quinn now in the polls. Quinn is leading in two of the last three polls (counting the one day GOP poll). How can that be, with such an unpopular politician as Quinn? Is that not an uncomfortable place to be, tied with an unpopular incumbent and watching your huge leads disappear? - Jeanne Dough - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:21 pm: “Quinn is the guy I’m mad at. Rauner is the guy I’m scared of.” This sums it up well. Because of the pension debacle, public employees/retirees are a fluid group this year, and Dillard had us at hello. Rauner? A different story. I’m not a one-issue voter, but I can’t vote for someone who views public servants with contempt. I think Quinn will squeak through. - Toure's Latte - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:21 pm: No clue. I had Rauner clobbering a clueless Quinn, then Quinn’s campaign shifted gears-OFA ramping up maybe? A bad trun with the NRI could result in a Rauner ad carpet bombing his way back. Sadly, it may depend who is better at character assassination at this point. - Responsa - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:21 pm: “Anybody but Quinn” sounds good to a lot of people all across the state. I just don’t know how the Rauner –Grimm thing is going to shake out. - Hotel Ibiza - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:24 pm: Rauner will be declared the winner by 8:00 PM. on November 4, 2014. All the naysayers can address him has Governor Elect Bruce Rauner. Big change is on the horizon, Illinois will become the Come Back Kid. Everyone have a nice weekend. - Under Further Review - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:26 pm: Interestingly, Izzy, who prefers Pee Wee Herman, did not say anything about voting for Quinn. This is a difficult vote as it is all about which candidate do voters dislike less in comparison to the other choice. I have heard Republicans tell me that they dislike or do not trust Rauner and I have heard Democrats tell me that we cannot afford another term with Quinn. There is going to be some ticket splitting for sure. - James Madison - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:33 pm: Quinn. And yes, I’m a Republican. Here are just a few reasons why: 1. Republican are more excited about getting Quinn out office then electing their guy. 2. Republicans got shiny object syndrome with BR. They saw a rich business guy that could pay his own way. What they got was a first time candidate that didn’t get vetted like he should. What really bothers me is how quick the BR campaign sends a response to a Quinn statement about his bad business scandals. They also are way too long and read like his general counsel wrote it. They need to keep those short and always say something about the positive things he has done. Rich, I’d like to know how quick you get those when Quinn brings up a potential scandal. 3. Horrible message. “Anti-Quinn” isn’t good enough. A lot of people like the devil they know vs. the devil they don’t. BR needs a better story about what jobs he created and how he will create more. If it’s being said, it’s certainly not loud enough. - JS Mill - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:39 pm: Quinn, by the slimmest margin ever. Why? We know his negatives. Every day a new negative is revealed about Rauner and it is hurting him. He is not the white knight. @Hotel Ibiza- loosen the cap, it is cutting off the circulation.Kansas, dude. Peace Out - what if... - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:39 pm: Voted Rauner. By November 4th…. we will have a case of Ebola in Chicago and city turnout will be way down…..Rauner wins by 5 to 10 percent. - vibes - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:42 pm: So far, PQ has run the better campaign and has a track record of closing strong. Have been disappointed at bumbling Rauner campaign, I thought money could buy better, - MrJM - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:57 pm: My heart voted Quinn because I believe in the Democratic/union GOTV operation. But my brain says I can’t possibly have a clue. – MrJM - Mighty M. Mouse - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 9:15 pm: About a half hour after Rich posted this thread there were 210 votes, 112 for Quinn (53%), 69 for Rauner (33%), and 29 for I haven’t a clue (14%). After a little less than 4 hours there was a sharp reversal, with Quinn having 437 votes (42%), Rauner with 471 votes (45%), and I haven’t a clue with 142 votes (14%). Then I compared the votes of those who explained their votes in the comments. At the half hour mark I counted 12 comments voting for Quinn (52%), 6 comments for voting Rauner (26%), and 5 comments voting for I haven’t a clue (14%). But after nearly 4 hours Quinn was still up having 35 votes (47%), Rauner having 21 votes (28%), and I haven’t a clue having 18 votes (24%). For some dramatic and mysterious reason the unexplained votes experienced a sharp reversal, going from favoring Quinn over Rauner, 53% to 33%, after a half an hour, to then a few hours later having Rauner take the lead over Quinn, 45% to 42%. Yet inexplicably(?), the explained votes in the comments remained consistent, going from favoring Quinn over Rauner 52% to 26% after a half hour, to Quinn still leading Rauner 47% to 28% a few hours later when I counted the second time. So the unexplained votes made a sharp turn, while the explained votes remained substantially consistent. What a surprising, statistically unlikely divergence! Somebody should notify Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.~ Or maybe there’s a logical explanation — chicanery! - Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 10:49 pm: ===Yet inexplicably(?), the explained votes in the comments remained consistent, going from favoring Quinn over Rauner 52% to 26% after a half hour, to Quinn still leading Rauner 47% to 28% a few hours later when I counted the second time. === LOL Take it easy. It’s just an online poll. - jake - Sunday, Oct 5, 14 @ 1:57 pm: It has taken me until Sunday to vote, by which time the vote is 44% Quin, 43% Rauner, and 13% for not having a clue. Of course, the fact that the other votes are so evenly divided means that 100% of us don’t have a clue, but only 13% are admitting it. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.