* From today’s Tribune poll narrative…

Nearly 6 in 10 voters in the latest survey said the [ethics reform] measures enacted by lawmakers and Quinn would have little or no effect on curbing corruption in Illinois, while roughly a third of voters said such measures would have at least some impact.

The actual poll question, which is not published online…

The governor and the legislature recently enacted tougher state government ethics reform measures to curb political corruption. How likely will these reform measures eliminate political corruption?

5 very
30 somewhat
30 not too
30 not likely at all

The Tribune’s pollster did not ask whether the bills would “curb” political corruption, as the narrative claims. The pollster asked whether the bills would “eliminate” political corruption.

No law will ever eliminate political corruption. Frankly, I’m amazed that 35 percent would think any legislation would completely do away with corruption.

But, it’s almost certain that the Tribune editorial page will use this ridiculous polling result to bash the GA again and again.

* Back to the narrative…

At the same time, 3 out of 4 voters favor term limits for statewide elected officials and want to see the same applied to the leadership positions in the state Senate and House, the poll showed.

That’s no surprise. Other polls have shown similar support.

But the pollster told respondents that statewide officials can “serve as many four-year terms as they like,” as if there was no such thing as elections.

Sheesh.

Respondents were told that legislative leaders “can also serve as long as they like.” Former House GOP Leader Lee Daniels might not agree with that one.

* And now for a different Tribune poll story today…

Illinois voters are ambivalent about the job Gov. Pat Quinn has done in his first seven months, even as he prepares to seek a full term in next year’s election, a Tribune/WGN poll found. […]

The statewide poll of 700 registered voters found 39 percent approved of the job he has done since then, while 26 percent disapproved and 35 percent had no opinion. The telephone poll, conducted Aug. 27-31 by Market Shares Corp., has a 4 percentage point margin of error. […]

Almost half of Democrats, 47 percent, approved of the job Quinn has done while 19 percent disapproved. Another 34 percent had no opinion.

They ought to have given the MoE for that smaller sample size. It would’ve been quite high.

The same MoE point applies to the Trib’s story this week about Todd Stroger’s low support among African-Americans. Stroger’s campaign claims the Tribune pollster surveyed just 81 registered African-American voters to come up with this result…

Only about 1 in 5 African-American voters polled approve of the job Stroger is doing or want to see him re-elected, while more than half oppose him.

* By the way, the Dan Hynes gubernatorial campaign has now released a couple of their own polling questions from last month. The poll was conducted August 19-23 of 800 likely Democratic primary voters.

Pat Quinn job approval among Dems…

Excellent 8
Good 37
Only fair 42
Poor 8

I’ve said for months that Quinn’s approval rating is centered in the mushy middle. People just don’t have a hard opinion of him.

The Pat Quinn reelect numbers among Democrats show much the same…

Vote to reelect Pat Quinn 27
Consider someone else 45
Definitely vote for someone else 18
Don’t know 10

They’re not sold on Quinn yet.

* Related…

* Cook County Board President Todd Stroger asks committeemen to slate him for re-election - Committeemen likely to decide on an open primary

* Democratic Leaders Continue Endorsement Talks

* Cook Dems slate candidates, pass on County Board president

* Democrats still debating whether to back Todd Stroger - Leaders slate other races, but choice for Cook County Board president still up in the air