101 Comments - yes - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:38 pm: Easiest vote I’ll ever make is for JB next year. GOP will almost certainly nominate a psycho, but JB has been great. Did not vote for him in the primary, did not have super high hopes. He’s gone above and beyond in every sense, when is the last time we had a Governor this good? It’s been decades probably. He’s great, he’s got a heart, and he’s getting stuff done. - DuPage Dad - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:41 pm: I would as I believe that JB, while not perfect (nor is any politician), has shown leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and has made great strides to put Illinois back into fiscal sanity. There is likely no scenario in which we are in the top 5 nationally for state fiscal health, but it cannot be argued in good faith that he and his team have not made good progress on that front. Oh, and why would we want Gov. Bailey or Rabine? - Merica - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:41 pm: he successfully created a legal recreational cannabis market. that does it for me - WestBurbs - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:41 pm: I would vote for JB primarily because of how he has handled Covid (which is also informed by how I think his likely opponents would handle it). I also supported his (failed) Fair Tax and his reproductive rights position. But putting Covid aside, I’m not convinced that JB is different from any other run of the mill Left/Center smart Dem - it was his Covid positioning and presentation that really swung me to the JB camp. Smart, calm, cautious. Not to say perfect (particularly in hindsight) but as good or better than any other Gov in the country. To me, that is the true measure of a politician (and, frankly, anybody) - how they react to an unexpected true emergency. - Ashland Adam - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:49 pm: What’s benefitted me/my family? - Covid-19 response - Funding services that care for people - general common sense, reasonableness - competent stewardship Why vote for his re-election? - all of the above ps. A few concerns w some policy appointments, decisions, but oh well - you can’t have it all. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:49 pm: No scenario we are on the top 5 in fiscal health? JB and his team have made great progress? Legal cannabis does have a way of distorting reality which does work in the Governor’s favor https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thetelegraph.com/news/amp/Report-Illinois-pension-debt-tops-300-billion-16001427.php - H-W - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:49 pm: I would vote to re-elect. I would do so because he has taken on the hardest of all tasks - taking a stand against allowing individuals pure ego freedom to assert their wills, when their individual actions would likely cause physical harm to others. Governing on behalf of the commons is the core requisite for governing. - Grandson of Man - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:51 pm: There’s no one I’d want to re-elect more right now than JB. But that’s largely because of Democratic super-majorities in the GA. Asking for a second term is highlighting accomplishments in the first term that give reason to keep the person for a second term. There are many of those, like better financial outlook and management, climate bill, capital bill, proper state budgets, minimum wage hike, marijuana legalization. Now with national infrastructure bill signing that JB will attend, that’s a lot of good stuff. - Anyone Remember - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:51 pm: Vote for re-election. “Positive reasons” Improvement in finances; progressive legislation (marijuana, sports betting, repeal of PNA); the break from the Madigan / McClain era. “Negative reasons” For supporting Rauner / Trump, the Illinois GOP needs to spend decades in the political wilderness. And felt that way BEFORE the COVID shenanigans. - DissapointedVoter - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:53 pm: JB has made me proud to say I’m from IL whenever visiting other states - Demoralized - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:53 pm: LP We all know you aren’t voting for him under any circumstances. Just state that and move on instead of offering your usual idiotic question statements. To the post . . . I will be voting for his re-election for a couple of reasons. The first is his Covid response. He has had to make many tough decisions and I believe, for the most part, he has made the right decisions. Second, he’s managed to put the state in a much better financial position and has been successful at helping to undo the disaster fiscal state that the previous Governor left us in. And, as a side note, the current Republican field leaves something to be desired. They haven’t managed to find anyone yet who I believe has a snowball’s chance in heck of winning. Kooks all of them. - Ares - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:54 pm: JB is the most competent Governor we have had in 20 years. Yes, I will vote for him in an instant. - slow down - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:54 pm: I’ll happily support JB because he has returned competency to Illinois government. From dealing with covid based on science to making steady progress on the state’s fiscal health. Anything after Rauner’s scorched earth approach to governing would have been an improvement, but JB has consistently risen to what are historically objectively difficult challenges. - Blue Dog - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:54 pm: Probably won’t for JB, but it depends who he runs against. My reason for voting against is because of his far left, socialist, progressive leanings. - Rabid - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:56 pm: repealed prohibition for the betterment of the state, does not bad mouth the state - SWIL_Voter - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:58 pm: It’s a low bar, but hands down he’s been far and away the best Governor since I’ve been alive. Legal weed, cleared the backlog of bills, CEJA, credit upgrades, raised the minimum wage, each by themselves would probably earn him my vote - Hamlet on the Potomac - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:58 pm: I would never vote for Pritzker, simply because he is on the opposite end of the political spectrum from me. He is anti 2nd amendment, pro-abortion, doesn’t respect parents, police, or anything that remotely represents traditional values. - up2now - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 1:59 pm: He is, at least, competent. I remember the disaster that was Rauner and I fear the disaster that would be Darren Bailey. - SWIL_Voter - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:01 pm: == far left, socialist, progressive leanings== The billionaire socialist. Please untether your brain from Facebook, it’s causing critical damage - Been There - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:03 pm: I pretty much agree with what Grandson of Man posted. Some of positions were too far left for me such as the PNA act but the GA passed it so that is not all on him. Actually that is one attribute that I like about his administration. He fights for what he wants but he does end up compromises - Ron Burgundy - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:04 pm: I would vote to re-elect for several reasons. He hasn’t been spectacular, but he has been competent and has done a fairly good job on COVID, which is the main issue. Perhaps overly cautious at times, but acting in good faith. He has been steady at the helm despite a largely absent GA. The other main reason is the current alternatives to him being presented. You can’t beat somebody with nobody, and our choices? Ha, no. - Give Me A Break - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:05 pm: He brought stability to the state budget, provided much needed support for human service providers and most importantly, steered Illinois state government through a global pandemic that no one saw coming or had a blueprint for getting through. - sal-says - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:06 pm: Re-elect. Why ? Competitors like Bailey. And then, there’s folks like DeVore. - What's in a name? - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:11 pm: It’s an easy vote to re-elect. He is a man of character and while I may not agree with every single thing he does I have no doubt he is doing what he thinks is best for the State. When was the last time we had a governor like that? - Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:11 pm: Easy yes. I judge him based on the progress made contrasted to that of his predecessor. Illinois is better off in almost every category since JB took office. So I would not trust a Republican, any Republican, to be governor. Probably won’t trust a Republican to be governor for a long time. There was just too much destruction, versus the somewhat steady hand and competence of JB. - OneMan - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:12 pm: At this point. Why I would: I have yet to see a declared Republican who is really an option. I generally approve of his COVID response. Why I wouldn’t Basically weaseled his way out of doing a fair map after making a commitment to do so. Think his general attitude of a more activist government at times is overreach. I think opposition government (Dem control of one branch, GOP of the other) might not be a bad idea with folks who cooperated some would be a better general idea. - Occasionally Moderated - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:12 pm: Will vote for. Improved credit rating and making full pension payment are significant to me. Not having a budget during the previous administration was unforgivable. I don’t agree with 100% of what the Gov has done. But I agree with more of it than I disagree with and I’m already sure I can’t do better with my former party. - Benjamin - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:15 pm: Re-elect. He’s been steady during the COVID-19 emergency, has improved the state’s fiscal health, has largely avoided scandal, and has generally provided competent day-to-day governnance. I’m also looking forward to the improvements to the state parks coming from the previous capital bill, delayed for obvious reasons. Realistically, the Republicans can’t nominate anyone who can beat that for me. - Candy Dogood - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:18 pm: Pritzker gets my vote. There’s a lot of good reasons to vote for the Governor, but mine will always boil down to Governor Pritzker thinks that all of the people are people. Until the GOP nominates a candidate that also seems to think that all of the people are people instead of suggesting that some folks aren’t really people I will not be supporting any of their candidates. - Chicago Cynic - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:18 pm: Easiest. Vote. Ever. Having a governor who consistently does the right thing is kind of a different experience for me. But his Covid leadership in the face of so much adversity is really something else. There was no playbook - just a tsunami of death heading our way. He took Covid on with a seriousness of purpose and communicated consistently and clearly to the public. As I said, easiest vote ever. - Leap Day William - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:19 pm: == I would never vote for Pritzker, simply because he is on the opposite end of the political spectrum from me. He is anti 2nd amendment, pro-abortion, doesn’t respect parents, police, or anything that remotely represents traditional values. == It’s amazing to me how JB is demonstrably not any of those things, but that doesn’t stop people from projecting a boogeyman where one doesn’t exist. For me, this is an easy vote to re-elect. He was at the bottom of my list in the Dem primary and I voted for him primarily because he was “not Rauner”, and I’ve never been happier in my life to be proven wrong about a candidate for office. - Blue to the Bone - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:22 pm: I won’t hesitate to vote to reelect J.B. for several reasons, the top one being he is taking climate change seriously. It’s something that shouldn’t be politicized because it will affect everyone over the next decade or two. His determination to get the energy bill passed was heroic. - Too cute by half - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:23 pm: Still waiting on his press secretary to apologize for accusing the entire general assembly of corruption when we asked them to make IDES reachable in any way. I have a feeling I’m going to continue waiting, but I’ll be here nonetheless, reminded that we aren’t getting double-salaries while we worked non-stop to help people get the benefits they needed to not starve. Yep, guess that makes us the bad guy. - Galway Bay - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:23 pm: He’s on tape with Rod saying Jesse White would be the “least offensive” to replace President elect Obama. He didn’t even know what the duties of the Treasurers office were. Ripped toilets out of his own mansion for a tax break—a billionaire doing that? The Covid response with our retired citizens. IDES response? Back track on redrawing of map promise? His first major goal was to raise income tax? Agreeing to repeal PNA? I have voted for plenty of D’s in my day. Jesse, Lisa, Bill Clinton, Durbin. But JB? No way - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:25 pm: === He’s on tape with Rod saying Jesse White would be the “least offensive” to replace President elect Obama.=== Asked. Answered. Won by 15+ points. If that is your thought, he will never win you over, he’s moved on from you. - West Side the Best Side - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:27 pm: You have to consider who would run against him. So far everyone is a loony in their own individual ways. - Panther Pride - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:31 pm: Yes. Short answer: for many of the reasons the campaign email listed. Long answer: like others have mentioned, I didn’t support him in the primary but have been blown away with what’s he’s been able to accomplish. It really feels like Illinois is righting the ship in a lot of ways, and that deserves to be rewarded. Plus, the alternative is a non-starter. - Skeptic - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:35 pm: - COVID Response - Progress on the fiscal front - New AFSCME contract - Build Illinois And lest a good dog whistle go unchallenged, you’ll probably not find anyone who is “pro-abortion”. The term is “pro-choice.” - Blue Dog - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:37 pm: ….he’s taking climate change seriously.. Indeed. I see hundreds of trucks per day, loaded with coal being taken to the river,offloaded into a barge that uses 3 gallons of diesel per mile, and shipped to China. Now that’s a leader. - Jibba - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:39 pm: No question in my mind I vote to reelect. No sane/viable/sensible Republican is in the race. I agree with most of his performance, and don’t feel like I’m going to wake up to a loony surprise every day like the past 4 years. His covid leadership alone merits reelection. His mistakes seem to be from inexperience rather than hubris or lack of values, but he needs to learn from them and get better. - SuburbanRepublican - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:45 pm: If it’s a choice between JB and Darren Bailey, the Governor gets my vote despite strongly opposing him in 2018 and disagreeing with many of his policies. Darren Bailey will be a disaster for the GOP. We can do so much better than him. I hope that a candidate emerges that I would be proud to vote for against JB. But if things continue like they are now, I’d reluctantly vote for JB. - Huh? - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:47 pm: I will vote for JB because he has the “D” for Democrat after his name. There isn’t anyone with a “R” after their name who is worthy of shading my doorway. - Glengarry - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:51 pm: The legal weed and that’s enough for me. - Abe Froman - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:52 pm: If the GOP nominates a sensible person, (i.e. Younkin in Virginia), I think it will be harder for JB than one might assume reading this post. Crime is up, the tax burden is high, the state economy has been sluggish relative to others, population growth is negative, our credit rating is still very poor, etc. I understand that he inherited many of these problems, but he hasn’t done much do to improve any of them. The credit situation I suppose is better now, but that is largely because of the Federal Government’s largesse. - Annonin' - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:53 pm: Despite several huge failing which we know he regrets if Griffy is all in — whatever that means — it is JB and Me in’22 - thunderspirit - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:54 pm: I would vote to re-elect. Part of it is his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of it is those who are vying to run against him. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:55 pm: ===The credit situation I suppose is better now, but that is largely because of the Federal Government’s largesse.=== … and yet revenues exceeded expectations. Hmm. - LakeCo - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:57 pm: Hamlet, would you be so kind as to articulate “traditional values” for us? I want to make sure I understand what you’re saying… Will vote for JB easy. I thank God so many times during this pandemic that I live here under his leadership instead of, say, Florida… - Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:57 pm: I’m never gonna vote for the party that supports an insurrection and the overthrow of a duly elected President. The rhetoric they spew just makes it all the more easier to vote against them - 47th Ward - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 2:57 pm: Yes, because as I told you all last week, I’m an Establishment Liberal. And so is JB. - Realist - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:01 pm: The Biden bailout lets him continue to kick the can on pensions, even as he continues to add to pension liabilities for Chicago, while catering to labor. Good politics, bad governance. We need a governor willing to do what’s hard and right–for the future of the state, not the political future of Mr. Pritzker. - Wow - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:04 pm: I will not vote for a 2nd term for JB.. I probably also won’t vote for whoever the R’s put up.. I’ll leave that spot blank. Pritzker way too far to the left for me. - After Genesis - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:06 pm: There’s a lot of reasons to vote out JB. 1) Illinois has very high gas taxes. 2) JB has done nothing on the cost side of the public pension problem. 3) JB thinks it’s alright to mask kids for the foreseeable future. 4) JB doesn’t have a plan to raise minority reading and math scores. 4) JB is pro-crime/no bail. 5) JB is a bad health image for Illinois. - SaulGoodman - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:09 pm: Realist - what does that even mean? What would you like JB to magically do on pensions? - Demoralized - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:09 pm: ==lets him continue to kick the can on pensions== He’s paying the full payment required. Not sure what else he should be doing unless you’re one of those “cut pensions for current employees” dolts. - Annonin' - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:13 pm: Speakin’ of “all in” will Griffy dump any this… In 2019, the hedge fund billionaire, Kenneth C. Griffin, founder of the Chicago-based investment firm Citadel, dropped $238 million on a four-floor penthouse in Manhattan, a property the Wall Street Journal deemed “America’s most expensive house.” The enormous sum paid for that piece of real estate is but one example of the kind of big transactions Griffin is known to undertake. He often drops quite a bit of cash on major artworks, too: In 2020, he spent $100 million on Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1982 painting Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump, which he then quickly displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he is a longtime trustee. - Steve Rogers - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:24 pm: Will vote to re-elect. Signs budgets. Bill backlog down to normal timeframes. Improved credit ratings. State seems to be moving in the right direction for a change. All that said, there’s no way I can see myself voting for any one of the current Rs running. - Know It All - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:24 pm: Unless the GOP puts up a reasonable candidate to make me rethink the options, this one won’t be hard. Except for the maps, JB did everything he promised. I’d typically prefer to vote against the party in power, but it’s just impossible to vote against competence in government. Would be interesting to see him try to govern with a GOP-controlled House or Senate though. - Anon - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:32 pm: Easiest vote ever. I may go old school and vote for him multiple times. Actually, given the cliff the GOP has jumped off, I probably shouldn’t even say that as a joke anymore. - Shytown - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:32 pm: Covid response. The guy literally saved thousands of lives. - Skeptic - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:45 pm: “2) JB has done nothing on the cost side of the public pension problem.” And what exactly do you expect him to do? If you have a plan that’s both legal and Constitutional, then you should be running for Governor. - Club J - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:46 pm: YES—-If I could!! When Governor Pritzker beat Rauner he had a full plate of mess to clean up. Then we got hit with the pandemic. Can you just imagine what things would have been like with Rauner sitting in the Governor’s seat? Governor Pritzker took the Bull by the horns and has lead Illinois through this terrible situation. The Governor has shown true leadership while being shot at from all directions from his critics. Those critics who have shown no leadership. Just lip service. - Not A Happy Place - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:53 pm: I am grateful for the actions the governor and his staff took during COVID. I genuinely believe they saves thousands of lives and protected front line workers. I appreciate that he supports Democratic policies and wants to make the state a better place. However, this administration is not good at what they were elected to do. They do not know how to implement or administer the laws. Nearly every agency is falling apart at the seams because the staff is over regulating or under regulating, or overwhelmed or under prepared. There is no desire to fix the problems or address agencies shortcomings. - Arsenal - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:56 pm: Happily voting to re-elect JB Pritzker. He has real successes in office- the capitol bill, minimum wage, legalized weed, the energy bill. - City Zen - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:56 pm: No. Too much rubber stamping to tell how effective he would have been otherwise. Plus the obvious structural deficits in the Fair Tax were too big to overlook. No inflation indexing when we’re now facing our highest inflation in three decades? Big miss. That said, I’ll be leaving it blank if the Republicans don’t field a viable candidate. Repubs have to earn my vote with some new ideas. Being “Not JB” isn’t enough. - JoanP - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 3:59 pm: I’d vote to re-elect. He did, and is doing, a good job handling the COVID crisis, and that’s something he couldn’t have seen coming, which says a lot. I don’t agree with all his positions, but I agree with him more often than not. (I’ve always said, the only way I’ll ever agree 100% with a candidate is to run for office myself, and that’s not happening.) And look at the alternatives. Worse than Rauner. - lake county democrat - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:02 pm: I would vote for the liar (promised not to sign a partisan-drawn map) because I favor a government that supports a robust safety net and protects *real* civil rights. The current GOP not only is an enemy to those goals, they’re an enemy to democracy itself, making the lie about gerrymandering a bit easier to overlook in context. - Scott - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:05 pm: When Rauner was governor, I was constantly in danger of losing my job (I work at a state higher-ed institution that went through 3 rounds of layoffs during the Rauner administration). Thankfully I survived, and in the time that Pritzker has been governor, that has not been a worry for me. That, in addition to his approach to COVID and the recent Climate/Jobs act that was passed, are the biggest reasons why I’d absolutely vote for him again. - Amalia - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:15 pm: vote to re-elect. he surprised me. thought he was some arrogant rich kid and instead found an empathetic get it done guy, covid work especially benefits all of us. impressed by his staff too. - Lt Guv - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:20 pm: Those who throw the word “socialist” around usually have the least understanding of the meaning of the word. - filmmaker prof - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:21 pm: He has, and continues to handle the challenges of covid like a mature adult, never getting sucked into the easy politics of it. I’m a big fan of JB and will enthusiastically support him. - jpf - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:21 pm: Obviously, I’m in the minority, but I’ll pass on Gov Pritzker. People continue to leave, electoral maps are gerrymandered to benefit one party rule, new state of IL employees should be put on a defined contribution plan as opposed to the defined benefit plan that has massive unfunded pension liabilities, his push for the grad tax that thankfully failed, Illinois being the only state east of the Mississippi River that still has a mask mandate are among the reasons for me. If he had initiated term limits to be voted by the voters of Illinois, I could have been persuaded to change my mind. We need term limits oh so badly. - Bruce( no not him) - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:22 pm: I voted for him once, and will continue to vote for him. - Demoralized - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:24 pm: ==We need term limits oh so badly.== You’re about to exercise your desire for a term limit to vote against him. So, we already have term limits. - Anonymous - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:27 pm: No. Veterans Home deaths after railing on Rauner. Lied about Fair Maps. Unemployment insurance debacle. Minority weed ownership debacle. - Wensicia - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:35 pm: I will vote for the man who did everything in his power to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and saved thousands of lives with his efforts. He’s pro-Illinois and puts the citizens of the state before party, before self-interests, before political ideology. You won’t get that from any Republican candidate. - obiter dictum - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:42 pm: i know the question is as of today, but you can’t beat somebody with nobody. Ask me after June 28, 2022. Otherwise, i echo OneMan - Aaron B - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:49 pm: I am very VERY likely to vote for JB again in 2022. First off, I think he has done a relatively good job as governor not that the bar was very high after the dumpster fire in the mansion before him. Of course I don’t agree with everything he’s done but the good far outweighs the bad. Second and probably more importantly, I haven’t seen any republican with gubernatorial aspirations that wouldn’t be much worse for Illinois than the last republican in the governor’s mansion. - Just Me 2 - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 4:50 pm: I will be a one-issue voter this year. I want a Governor who will fight hard to end this pandemic. I don’t see a Republican yet who will take the virus seriously. Government’s first priority is protecting its citizens. - MisterJayEm - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 5:07 pm: ….he’s taking climate change seriously.. Indeed. I see hundreds of trucks per day, loaded with coal being taken to the river,offloaded into a barge that uses 3 gallons of diesel per mile, and shipped to China. Now that’s a leader. And Illinois coal mining only began during the Pritzker administration? Exactly the level blithering insight that we’ve come to expect. – MrJM - SOIL M - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 5:16 pm: Will not vote for him. Also have not seen a republican running that is worth voting for. In 2014 I couldn’t bring myself in voting for Rauner or Quinn and voted liberteriann,but I can not tell you who that was. In 2018 didn’t even see that as an option so left that spot blank. So far 2022 looks like it will be the same way. - Enviro - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 5:27 pm: Yes, I will vote for JB again. He has stayed focused on saving lives during the Covid pandemic. He believes that Illinois is a good place to live and works to make it better. - Blue Dog - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 5:44 pm: ….and Illinois coal miming… That kinda logic didn’t stop him from retiring existing coal fired power plants. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 5:46 pm: To the post; Why I would vote to reelect the governor? Compared to what the ILGOP in Covid, budget, vision, and even the fiscal outlook, I’d vote for the governor. Why I would not vote to reelect the governor? Remap, agency inefficiency and issues (from nursing homes to chain of command questions) or in short, agency failures One big thing as I look at my “list” of positive and negative, the GOP has a horrible crop of possibles that are wanting to make the case to the negatives, they are not viable to being better… today. - 47th Ward - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 5:54 pm: === coal miming…=== You silent (deleteds). - West Side the Best Side - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 5:55 pm: I know that “coal miming” was the result of automiscorrect, but I do have the image of Marcel Marceau coming up from a mine in my head right now. - JS Mill - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 6:09 pm: =The Biden bailout lets him continue to kick the can on pensions, even as he continues to add to pension liabilities for Chicago, while catering to labor.= Cra, cra. He is paying the pension which serves to stabilize or decrease dept. If you want people to see lower incomes Mississippi and Indiana are happy to have you. =That kinda logic didn’t stop him from retiring existing coal fired power plants.= Not sure if you know how business works, but the Governor didn’t “retire” any power plants. The companies that own them did. To the QOD: I will vote to relect. 1- GOP has absolutely no sane candidates. Zero. 2- Some of the bills he signed into law made my work life a little more challenging and there are other areas I disagree with his policy decisions, but he is independent as governor. Not bending to MJM ior anyone else and I respect that. 3- He generally did what he said he would do. - Augie - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 6:35 pm: Capitol Bill, Energy Bill, COVID leadership, and if credit ratings matter, they matter and improved under his administration. No brainer to me. For. - Perrid - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 6:40 pm: Without hesitation I’d vote for him again. I’m pretty far left on most topics, I don’t think I’ve ever voted for a Republican for anything more than local office, and often I don’t even vote for them, just skip them if they’re running unopposed. That being said, I’d take JB over most Democrats, too. If I were king of the world I’d change a bit here and there, but I probably agree with the man on like 90% of things. Most of what I don’t like are the more “swampy” things (like patronage or ethics and whatnot, all together), which is arguably just what you have to do to get things done, and also I just don’t think are ever going to go away. - Chris Waller - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 7:38 pm: Yes, I’ll vote for him again. He’s done an outstanding job with the Covid response. Up and down the board he’s just done a great job. I believe History will show that he’s been one of the best Governors we’ve ever had. He’s been the right man at the right time. - So of I-64 - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 7:48 pm: Yes for JB. Bailey and the other Trump wannabe bootlickers plus Covid make this an easy vote. - Proud Papa Bear - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 8:01 pm: It felt soooo good to vote for him last time and I’ve been very pleased with his leadership. - BTO2 - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 8:52 pm: I met him the day before he announced he was running and he spoke to me like an equal. I will vote for him again just for that reason. Unlike the guy he beat, he promotes this great state, another reason he has my vote. - Pot calling kettle - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 9:11 pm: Yes. He respects science - the COVID response, the effort to address global warming, etc. Improving the fiscal position of the state. Recognizing that higher ed is an important economic driver for the state and that it deserves funding. Respects Unions and supports pro-labor bills. Legal weed is nice add on. He’s doing a good job and deserves another term. - Ares - Monday, Nov 15, 21 @ 10:51 pm: JB also understands the role of a Governor (and, btw, of a POTUS) of leaving the ship of state in a better place than one has found it. Has any other IL Governor of this century after Gov. Ryan done so? - Distance driver - Tuesday, Nov 16, 21 @ 5:48 am: I have never voted for a Democrat for governor before, but next year could be the year I change that. I support his COVID policies and I am embarrassed by the position taken by several Republicans on this one issue. I have never been a single issue voter before, so this feels a little odd. - Da big bad wolf - Tuesday, Nov 16, 21 @ 6:02 am: ===I see hundreds of trucks per day, loaded with coal being taken to the river, offloaded into a barge that uses 3 gallons of diesel per mile, and shipped to China.=== You do realize we are a capitalist country, we don’t have a central government control of the economy. Also coal isn’t illegal like heroin, so people can sell it. - DMAC57 - Tuesday, Nov 16, 21 @ 6:30 am: Ranked 15th in economic recovery and Bond ratings climbing. - We've never had one before - Tuesday, Nov 16, 21 @ 6:56 am: He has not been indicted, that’s a plus. - skutt - Tuesday, Nov 16, 21 @ 9:19 am: This is an easy yes (coming from someone who didn’t vote for him in the primary). While in hindsight, nobody will get the Covid response 100% right, I think he’s done a much better job with it then a lot of other governors. He (well the legislator)shored up reproductive rights, moved forward with legal weed, done some good things with criminal justice reform, etc. Has he been perfect, absolutely not, it was a tragedy what happened with the veterans home deaths and does share responsibility for that, he failed to sheppard fair tax across the finish line, and there are a few other things that have disappointed me. Putting an end to the pandemic and not spiking the ball at the 5 yard line is one of the more important issues to me in the next IL election, and given that most of the GOP candidates seem to be pro-Covid, that’s a no for me. - Eastern Bloc Gulag - Tuesday, Nov 16, 21 @ 1:13 pm: I will vote to re-elect. Why? COVID response Budget discipline Improvement of state’s credit ratings Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.