Today’s quotable
Wednesday, Aug 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mediaite…
Stephen Colbert confronted Illinois Governor JB Pritzker with a map of the already “crazy” districting in his own state as the governor railed that “everything’s on the table” when it comes to gerrymandering because of Texas Republicans’ redistricting plans. […]
“If you are considering doing a little more redrawing in Illinois, you already have some crazy districts in Illinois,” the host mocked, showing the audience: “Take a look at this. Look at 17 here. It does that, then it comes up here and it sneaks around there and goes all the way up here, and then goes right over there like that. And look at this one, kind of goes whoop up there. It’s like the stinger on a scorpion down here.”
“Is this common for all states to do?” he asked.
“We handed it over to a kindergarten class and let them decide,” Pritzker dodged.
“That’s the nonpartisan group that does this?” Colbert played along.
“That’s our independent commission, yeah,” the governor said.
Maybe leave the comedy to the comedians.
- goober - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:15 pm:
It seemed more like he just didn’t want to engage in whataboutism and do a lil goof - I think he’d readily admit it wasn’t particularly funny
- Lurker - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:20 pm:
What did you want him to say? We accomplished our highly partisan map during the correct time and not like Texas who is trying g to catch up with us.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:21 pm:
This is a losing issue. People want the Dems to “do something” and “fight fire with fire,” but we look like a bunch of hypocrites threatening to disenfranchise people in retaliation for disenfranchisement. Just oppose Texas and move on.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:23 pm:
=== Just oppose Texas and move on. ===
If you want to call for something that has the same impact as complicity you should just call for complicity.
=== but we look like a bunch of hypocrites===
What does it look like to let fascists out maneuver you?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:26 pm:
===What did you want him to say?===
Oh, come on. Do you really think “We handed it over to a kindergarten class and let them decide,” was a good response?
Sheesh.
- Roadrager - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:27 pm:
==This is a losing issue. People want the Dems to “do something” and “fight fire with fire,” but we look like a bunch of hypocrites threatening to disenfranchise people in retaliation for disenfranchisement. Just oppose Texas and move on.==
Being called out for obvious hypocrisy on eight different things every single day has beaten down the Republican party to the point that they now merely hold the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives, and coordinate new lies to tell on the TV each day as a show of power.
This is the game now, whether decent people like it or not. These are the rules. Either rev up the bulldozer or lay down in the dirt.
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:33 pm:
–
but we look like a bunch of hypocrites threatening to disenfranchise people in retaliation for disenfranchisement.
–
Who is this we you speak of?
To me it looks like someone who has been hit, is hitting back.
If you want to make yourself a victim, that’s fine. But this current common mindset of laying down to be walked all over and pretending you are the better person only has one outcome, and it’s the same outcome it has been throughout history.
There is no virtue in willingly placing yourself into a situation where you are the victim. That’s just something you have been convinced of by years of ‘be civil’ badgering everytime you tried to stand up for yourself, by the people who like walking all over you.
Stand up for yourself. Because the logical conclusion of your line of thinking is that nobody else is going to stand up for you.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:42 pm:
===What does it look like to let fascists out maneuver you?===
You are throwing the rule of law baby out with the bathwater, but I’m out maneuvered?
- Norseman - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:50 pm:
Based on some of JB’s speeches - especially during graduation ceremonies, he has some great writers. But either they weren’t consulted before the show, or they just don’t do comedy. Hint to JB’s staff: There will be some great comedy riders needing a job next year.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:51 pm:
MY BAD - I meant “writers”.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:54 pm:
I loved the cold opening on last night’s show. Check it out on YouTube.
- Frida’s boss - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 12:55 pm:
It was a gerrymandered map plain and simple. Just admit everyone does it and unless federal mandates that all states must have independent commissions with computerized data models it will continue. Until then the Gov is going to protect Illinois and not disarm our state.
The kindergarten joke was bad and now the GOP can hit on maps with the Gov admitting the map was not a fair or bipartisan process.
Gov should’ve watched the old Biss and Sandack skit during the budget impasse. Neither looked very good trying to be comedians.
- Nerd Herddddd - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:00 pm:
The districts look that way to preserve the voting rights act, which he talks about later in the segment. Do you all think most voters give one iota about gerrymandering or even know what that means? It’s the reason the Republicans think they can get away with cheating cause they know voters don’t care. Go touch some grass. Not everyone spends their days thinking about this stuff like you all.
- Incandenza - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:01 pm:
== Maybe leave the comedy to the comedians. ===
The double standards are dizzying. Republicans like the President can say almost anything, and it barely registers.
JB tries to make a harmless joke and suddenly we need to all be very very serious!
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:02 pm:
===Go touch some grass===
Maybe take your own advice.
And if nobody spends their days thinking about this, why is Pritzker spending so much time promoting it?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:03 pm:
===and suddenly we need to all be very very serious!===
Oh, stop whining already.
It was a really dumb thing to say. This is a state politics/government website.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:04 pm:
===the rule of law===
Which law would prevent Illinois from making sure that every part of Illinois is represented by the greatest number of people in congress? Folks in every county would be better served if their county had more representatives in congress to call on.
What’s the law? And why can’t we change it like Texas wants to do?
Transcendentalism doesn’t solve problems, it just makes people who gave up means to pretend they’re not culpable.
===riders needing a job next year.===
Part of the problem JB has is some of the folks expecting to hitch a ride trying to stop limit the number of seats on the bus.
To your point, people laugh when billionaires aren’t funny. Hard to hone a good delivery when your jokes never flop.
- PolOp - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:07 pm:
The real heroes here are the staff who had the foresight to draw that map despite likely getting untold amounts of guff from the electeds in Springfield and D.C.
You may hate the way it’s drawn, fine. However, if every Democratic operation had the same cold-blooded instincts as those who drew that map, things might look a little different in this country.
- Leatherneck - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:08 pm:
Kindergarten Class basically also describes the House members and staffers who berated the Governor’s staff to tears in early January with days left in the 103rd during the impasse on the cannibis bill.
- Alton Sinkhole - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:10 pm:
It’s gonna be a long few years if people are going to take extremely mild-mannered comment/criticism of JB this deeply at every turn.
- Routine Commenter - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:15 pm:
This is all about promoting JB’s image nationally. Which is why I think the comment is damaging and may come back to haunt him in a primary - it was an unforced error IMO.
For those who believe Illinois is going to retaliate - get over it. 14 incumbent D’s in comfortably blue districts are not going to voluntarily opt for a more purple district.
- Johnny B - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:16 pm:
Once in a while the Governor hits the nail on the head
If you can’t defend the indefensible to a national audience of Steven Colbert fans you know it is bad.
Kindergarteners is actually a pretty good description of the Illinois legislature under the control of Democrats
That haven’t yet learned to clean up their own mess, don’t take things that aren’t theirs, share everything and play fair
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:20 pm:
==share everything and play fair==
Hypocrite much? lol. You fight fire with fire and the Republicans in Texas have their blow torch out. I’m all for fighting back as hard as possible and playing their game if we have to.
You are a piece of work.
- Looking for Mister Good Candidate - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:21 pm:
It was an uncomfortable moment. When a left leaning Democrat apologist like Colbert calls out the Illinois map as gerrymandered, Pritzker had to deflect somehow since he signed off on the map.
The Democrats need to field a dynamic presidential candidate for 2028. Two failed governors do not inspire much confidence.
- Pot Calls Kettle - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:21 pm:
I would respect Dems a lot more if they just said the quiet parts out loud… like your position is big government is best for everyone… so own it and just. JBs joke is about as weak as most denizens of Chicago are.
- This just in - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:37 pm:
Dems control 82.5% of the Congressional seats in IL while winning
52.8 % of the vote.
The Districts highlighted on Colbert are in fact a clinic in partisan gerrymandering.
When even an uber partisan like Colbert brings the hypocrisy up - one knows that the double standard is flagrant.
Regardless of the excuses - gerrymandering is bad/wrong/and an end run around the people’s Democracy. Smells like dead fish no matter the political bent of the culprit.
- Perrid - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:38 pm:
“It’s what our ‘independent’ commission came up with” and leave it at that.
There IS no good response, there can’t really be a good response to the 17th or the 13th. It should probably be closer to 12-5 than 14-3, maybe even 11-6 that’s just the facts.
- Juice - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 1:46 pm:
Pot calls ketter, what exactly do you mean by claiming most denizens of Chicago are weak?
- ArchPundit - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:03 pm:
Democrats attempted to ban gerrymandering but the Republicans have consistently filibustered such bills. While the joke wasn’t great, the point is that without consequences to anti-democratic moves such as gerrymandering, those anti-democratic moves will continue. Dems are finally fighting back and good on the Governor standing up for healthy democracy.
- Schrödinger Chicagoan - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:05 pm:
Are we weak? I was under the impression we are brave for taking the CTA.
- Crispy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:11 pm:
@Pot Calls Kettle, you mean the denizens whose hard work and ingenuity have made Chicago the economic engine of the entire state and region, and whose tax dollars flowing south ensure that Downstate doesn’t completely devolve into “Mississippi, but with snow”? *Those* “weak” denizens?
- Horace - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:14 pm:
Lots of folks, it seems, want the Democrats fighting an existential fight with both hands tied behind their backs rather than just the usual one.
I’m for untying both hands, personally. We tried civility. We tried following the rules. It all brought us here.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:16 pm:
=There IS no good response=
Sure there is. A level playing field is what is required. Both parties need to work together in good faith to achieve that outcome. Democrats are willing while Republicans refuse. Gerrymandering has been a net positive for Republicans which is why it will continue. Illinois response is born out of necessity.
- Beans Matter - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:16 pm:
As Governor Pritzker is exposed more nationally it highlights the fact that he’s just not a good impromptu speaker…this will be a real problem for him as he continues to pursue his national political ambitions..
- Alton Sinkhole - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:28 pm:
“Look, we wouldn’t call it fair if the Dallas Cowboys went out there in the 2nd half with 15 players against the Bears 11, and it’s clear the refs, Congress in this case, aren’t going to call any penalty on the Cowboys for the extra players — so we need to evaluate all options to remain competitive.”
Cue Colbert joke about how bad the Bears are.
Cue JB response about the new coach.
Laughs.
That took me 15 seconds to think of — Anne Caprara CALL ME I AM FOR HIRE
- Carbonara - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:36 pm:
We should also criticize Texas for their unfunded pension liabilities.
- Horace - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:44 pm:
@Carbonara
We should also criticize Texas for having a human development index on par with the United Arab Emirates.
- Downstate - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:48 pm:
Carbonara - “We should also criticize Texas for their unfunded pension liabilities.”
Illinois unfunded pension liabilities - $143 Billion
Texas - $83 billion
Illinois GDP - $1.13 Trillion
Texas GDP - $2.7 Trillion
Facts will matter. I agree with others on the board that having Colbert raise the issue has to be a bit unexpected.
JBP can be funny. He just needs to be better prepared.
- Fascinatingly Ordinary - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:49 pm:
==but we look like==
not that it wasn’t already obvious or anything but refreshing to see this stated clearly on this site.
amazing that the Illinois governor thought wading into this whole thing was going to be some sort of flex. probably should have disappeared into the bushes on this one instead. the district map in Illinois and other blue states is flagrantly gerrymandered.
- City Zen - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:50 pm:
==or they just don’t do comedy==
Neither does Colbert.
In the context of the Late Show being nothing more than a therapy session for the MSNBC crowd and platform for “insert random Democratic politician here,” JB did just fine.
- Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 2:53 pm:
==What did you want him to say? We accomplished our highly partisan map during the correct time and not like Texas who is trying g to catch up with us. ==
To be very, very clear, Texas is not “trying to catch up with us.” They passed their very partisan map when Illinois did in the lead up to the 2022 election. What the Trump admin wants Texas and other states to do is go as far as they possibly can with partisan gerrymandering - even if it violates the Voting Rights Act (which SCOTUS has pretty much gutted anyway). The smart thing for Illinois (and other blue states) is to leave their maps alone. Pushing the limits means diluting the solid and leaning districts by adding in more voters from the other party. Texas could very well lose more R seats than they otherwise would; if anything, a redraw should try to put more R voters into existing districts that lean R.
(Pot “calls” kettle is not me.)
- ArchPundit - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:00 pm:
===the district map in Illinois and other blue states is flagrantly gerrymandered.
Sort of. Among partisan drawn maps, 7 of the 8 worst examples are Republican with Illinois the only Democratic drawn map. Florida and Texas produced nearly 6 extra Republican seats each compared to Illinois’ having 2.2 extra seats for Democrats.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-new-national-congressional-map-is-biased-toward-republicans/
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:00 pm:
===It’s gonna be a long few years if people are going to take extremely mild-mannered comment/criticism of JB this deeply at every turn. ===
The absolute worst response to this post, which I deleted but maybe shouldn’t, was “Maybe leave governing to the governor.”
That unAmerican, authoritarian, even cultlike comment blew my mind.
- Fascinatingly Ordinary - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:01 pm:
==work together .. [Democrats willing to work together while Republicans aren’t]==
I’m telling this joke at the dinner table tonight.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:02 pm:
Pot calling kettle has it right on the Voting Rights Act angle.
- 40,000 ft - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:04 pm:
Kindergartners? ah, now it all makes sense.
Seriously, and using my “most generous analysis filters,” maybe Pritzker is having second thoughts about that map.
It’s possible that the Illinois maps have handed power handed to far left.
Is that going to make it difficult for the Democrat Party moving forward?
So many issues are 80/20, and the 20% is the far left. I’m sure that’s hard for Pritzker as he tries to move center.
- Horace - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:11 pm:
There is no “far left” with any meaningful power in this country. The Democrats have a few fringe left pols. The Republicans are a party of far right pols.
When you see Democrats calling to take up arms and seize the means of production, that’s when the far left is in control. As it stands, Democrats are almost exclusively milquetoast neoliberals.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:19 pm:
=I’m telling this joke at the dinner table tonight.=
You can find others like it here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_the_People_Act
- Downstate - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:21 pm:
“There is no “far left” with any meaningful power in this country.”
I’d gently suggest that there are a few issues in which the left wing of the Democrat party has taken them beyond what is popular with the vast majority of Americans. (Defund the police, Abolish ICE, Transgenders in women’s sports).
Who do you see as the D party leaders/spokespeople right now?
- 40,000 ft - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:29 pm:
appreciated, Horace…
Illinois politics could be described a glass jar — it’s the world for those on the inside.
But when you’re on the outside, the Illinois jar looks like the 20% positions are the rule and in charge.
(The center right has the same types of problems with their far right.)
Pritzker has to be getting that kind of feedback from the donor class.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:32 pm:
===Pritzker has to be getting that kind of feedback from the donor class. ===
I haven’t seen him change any of his stances yet. If anything, he’s doubling down, so I’m not sure what you’re going on about.
- Lurker - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:36 pm:
Rich: Oh, come on. Do you really think “We handed it over to a kindergarten class and let them decide,” was a good response?
No, I’m saying this is the wrong messenger for this fight. Illinois maps are as partisan as it gets and Colbert pointing it out before asking JB lead to no response could be good.
- Horace - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:36 pm:
That’s exactly what I’m talking about, @Downstate. You zone in a few fringe sound bites, and pretend it’s something the milquetoast neolibs are seriously moving to do in policy. Meanwhile, you ignore the actual right fringe driving actual Republican policy.
- Downstate - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:47 pm:
“You zone in a few fringe sound bites”
Most D mayors in America are refusing to work with ICE, including Johnson. JBP and Johnson declared their domains to be “sanctuary areas”.
Those are the two leading D leaders in the state. I’d suggest their opinions are more than “a few fringe sound bites”.
- Motambe - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:49 pm:
This southern Illinois conservative disagrees strongly with the Texas Governor’s intent to redraw federal Congressional districts mid-census. It’s bad Constitutional process.. And just because Texas may do it doesn’t mean Illinois and Gov. Pritzker have to copy a mistake.
Illinois has already resorted to outrageous gerrymandering of our state districts, as Colbert pointed out last night. There is no doubt that if the majority was reversed in 2021 the Republicans would have done the same.
It will take a judge’s court order to secure a commission district drawing process similar to other states.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:49 pm:
Downstate, ICE’s tactics are not an 80-20 issue. Far, far from it.
- Horace - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:49 pm:
And there’s the goalpost shift, right on time.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:50 pm:
===It will take a judge’s court order===
Under what authority?
- ArchPundit - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 3:51 pm:
===Most D mayors in America are refusing to work with ICE, including Johnson. JBP and Johnson declared their domains to be “sanctuary areas”.
Let’s be clear, immigration enforcement is solely a federal responsibility and Chicago and every other municipality in Illinois will coordinate in the case of a judicial warrant. So what’s the problem with that? It’s not locals’ responsibility and it makes enforcing other laws more difficult if undocumented immigrants won’t cooperate with law enforcement.
- Motambe - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 4:00 pm:
“Under what authority?”
Rich, I am getting out of my league here. I assume it would require a lawsuit contending the state re-districting map created unfair representation or disenfranchised voters of a certain region by making them a minority in a larger, dissimilar ethnic, racial, or socio-economic group/district. And I don’t know if such a lawsuit could be filed in federal court or if it would have to go to state court first.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 4:02 pm:
Motambe, if that could’ve been done, it would’ve been done. The Republicans spent a fortune on legal fees.
- ArchPundit - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 4:07 pm:
===It will take a judge’s court order to secure a commission district drawing process similar to other states.
There is an alternative in which Congress passes a bill requiring federal districts be drawn based on non-partisan basis and in fact the US House has passed and the Senate has had a majority in favor even in past sessions. It was just filibustered. There is one side trying to end this, but they are not willing to continue allowing Republicans to gerrymander and do mid-decade redistricting without responding. Taking the high road led us to where we are now.
- Horace - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 4:07 pm:
The only authority that even matters anymore is what someone can get away with. The Republicans have cemented it, and it’s past time for Democrats to get the message.
Dem politicians should respond to court orders like Republicans do.
- ArchPundit - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 4:10 pm:
=== I assume it would require a lawsuit contending the state re-districting map created unfair representation or disenfranchised voters of a certain region by making them a minority in a larger, dissimilar ethnic, racial, or socio-economic group/district
Motambe, this has been litigated to death. The Supreme Court has only accepted gerrymanders violating the Voting Rights Act as something they can address claiming any other gerrymandering is a political issue. And they may be ending their willingness to end VRA gerrymanders with the Louisiana case they just took up.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 4:19 pm:
I definitely agree that redistricting could backfire in Texas. The economy, ICE, BBB, Medicaid all weigh against Republicans. Even in a more “favorable” map, there is plenty to hammer them over.
Maybe Illinois would not undermine its constitution (technically) or independent commission by redistricting like California or New York, but you certainly undermine all the petitions circulating now. And the whole, it is ok to retaliate by disenfrancing people thing. Not worth it. Move passed all the “politics is violence” metaphors and make the case to the voters.
- Responsa - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 4:24 pm:
–Do you all think most voters give one iota about gerrymandering or even know what that means? –
I’m just jumping in to say that many of us who live in an obviously gerrymnandered district in Illinois do know what the word means and do care much more than “an iota” about the implications. I am hoping that you did not mean for your comment to sound as insulting and arrogant as it reads.
- Horace - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 4:28 pm:
The rules don’t do much other than give Republicans something to beat us over the head with when they cheat their way into power. Upholding that status quo is surrendering democracy, not protecting it.
- Berry Picker - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 5:07 pm:
The kindergarten class line was pathetic.
JBs “zingers” always look canned and rehearsed. That one was one of the worst.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 25 @ 7:49 pm:
I’m a massive fan of JB, but it was a dumb thing to say and a lame joke to boot. It’s hard to imagine why he wasn’t prepared for this question.