25 Comments - @MisterJayEm - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 8:48 am: “we’re apparently more like America than any other state” I’m pretty sure somebody should feel insulted by that comparison, I’m just not sure who… – MrJM - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 8:54 am: The President made this a point in his speech to the General Assembly Maybe what is most telling is with all this demographic and measurable information about Illinois being the most “American” state, why are we no longer a “bellwether” state politically? Our demographics are the standard but our political leanings are skewed? - Juvenal - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 8:55 am: @MisterJayEm: Everybody. Unfortunately, what this report shows is that economically, the people of Illinois are doing just about as well as the rest of America. It’s a call to end the panic-stricken demands for extreme action. - RNUG - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 8:58 am: == Our demographics are the standard but our political leanings are skewed? == Isn’t national politics just as messed up? - PublicServant - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 8:59 am: Thank God they don’t have a category for “Everyman Governor”. We’d have a big goose egg there… Just sayin. - Precinct Captain - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 8:59 am: Both NPR and The Washington Post have run articles saying as much in recent months. - RNUG - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:00 am: Interesting. They didn’t say they did any polling, but I do remember participating in a fairly recent online poll that collected pretty much the same information. - Evolver - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:00 am: Really…only 33% believe humans evolved; 34% say humans always existed in current form; 25% humans are do to God’s design….evolution and God’s design are not mutually exclusive; but c’mon..34% believe in current human form. - Educ - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:08 am: ===Maybe what is most telling is with all this demographic and measurable information about Illinois being the most “American” state, why are we no longer a “bellwether” state politically?=== The House is gerrymandered GOP on average nationwide, and the Senate leans toward small-state concerns rather than proportionality of representation by its very nature. In general, left-leaning groups — minorities, urban dwellers, the young — are structurally underrepresented at the national level. (Illinois is one of the few states where gerrymandering has a Democratic lean.) - Allen D - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:16 am: – PublicServant - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 8:59 am: Thank God they don’t have a category for “Everyman Governor”. We’d have a big goose egg there…– Personal Opinion there buddy, we would have to agree to disagree… I Believe in most of what GOV. Rauner is trying to do here in my state. - Niblets - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:22 am: Allen Sounds like Stockholm Syndrome. Sorry, I’ll be good now. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:27 am: - RNUG -, Probably, but looking at Ohio, let’s say, politically, and see the teetering, the “bellweather” effect Ohio has, what can we in Illinois say now makes us… “un-bellweatherable” - Educ - The House is gerrymandered GOP on average nationwide, and the Senate leans toward small-state concerns rather than proportionality of representation by its very nature. In general, left-leaning groups — minorities, urban dwellers, the young — are structurally underrepresented at the national level.=== I was referring to “bellweather” in the Predidential races. While your analysis seems swell, the “bellweather” reference I was referring to was meant to discuss the Presidential measure. Nationally. As a nation, Illinois is the most American and yet in Presidential politics we are no longer a bellweather? That’s interesting. - Allen D - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:33 am: – Niblets - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:22 am: Stockholm Syndrome – should pertain to anyone feeling beholden to Madigan… - Niblets - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:36 am: I despise Madigan. - Just Observing - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:39 am: I’ve always heard Peoria is considered one of the most representative cities in America. - Secret Square - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:43 am: “Illinois is the most American and yet in Presidential politics we are no longer a bellweather? That’s interesting” Other states in the top 10 on the list have lost their POTUS bellweather status in recent years. MO was a pretty accurate bellweather up to 2008 but has since gone red. NC and VA, formerly pretty reliably red, are now toss-ups. Some of these states (e.g. PA) are blue/toss up in terms of electoral vote but red or mixed in terms of gubernatorial and/or legislative control. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 9:46 am: My apologies, bellwether My “device” seems to think “weather” needs to be proper, and I just never looked over the “auto-incorrect”. Ugh. - siriusly - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 11:02 am: Juvenal - well said. We have problems we need to fix. But enough with the “end is near” screaming at the top of our lungs. We’re average - let’s celebrate! - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 11:04 am: WalletHub also released a report last week showing that Illinois has the second highest property taxes in the nation. - G'Kar - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 11:14 am: “Will it play in Peoria?” - Juvenal - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 11:54 am: === Illinois has the second highest property taxes in the nation === What WalletHub, Governor Rauner, and Republicans in general fail to mention is that property taxes are highest in GOP-controlled counties. http://www.tax-rates.org/propertytax.php?state=illinois - Qui Tam - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:23 pm: =- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 11:04 am: WalletHub also released a report last week showing that Illinois has the second highest property taxes in the nation.= By any measure we have the lowest service tax in the world. (-zero-) - Nick Danger - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:49 pm: Homogenillinoize…. not sure I like that. - Excessively Rabid - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:02 pm: Ryan, Blago, Quinn, Rauner…heck, yeah! Let us pick the president too! We’re smart, we can run things. - UG Economist - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:51 pm: Where do we fall on the Corruption Index compared with the rest of the nation? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.