* We’ve seen some pretty divergent poll results lately. The Tribune had the governor’s race as a five-point game. But Rasmussen has published its latest gubernatorial poll, and they’re looking at a total blowout. Earlier Rasmussen results are in parentheses…

Brady: 45% [46%, 48%, 44%, 43%, 47% 45%, 45%, 47%]
Quinn: 30% [37%, 35%, 37%, 40%, 36% 38%, 38%, 37%]
Whitney: 9% [N/A]
Some Other Candidate 6% [6%, 6%, 11%, 9%, 8% 5%, 7%, 6%]
Not sure 11% [11%, 12%, 9%, 8%, 10% 11%, 10%, 9%]

The result including leaners is probably more important…

Brady: 50% [49%]
Quinn: 37% [41%]
Whitney: 4% [N/A]
Some Other Candidate 7% [3%]
Not sure 3% [7%]

Considering that Scott Lee Cohen is saying he’ll spend as much as $6 million on this race, Rasmussen really ought to be including the guy.

* From the pollster…

Brady earns support from 93% of Republicans, while just 66% of Democrats favor Quinn. Whitney captures four percent (4%) of Democrats and eight percent (8%) of voters not affiliated with either party. Brady leads Quinn by better than two-to-one among unaffiliateds.

Brady is viewed favorably by 56% of Illinois voters and unfavorably by 35%.

For Quinn, favorables are 43% and unfavorables are 53%.

Twenty-five percent (25%) have a favorable opinion of Whitney, an attorney and frequent candidate, while 32% regard him unfavorably. But 44% don’t know enough about the Green Party candidate to venture any opinion of him.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of all voters in the state say they have voted for an independent candidate in past elections, while 41% have not. Still, 43% say they are less likely to vote for an independent in this election. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say they are more likely to pull the trigger for an independent on Election Day, and another 25% say the likelihood is about the same as in past elections.

Just 35% approve of the job being done by Quinn, who took over as governor last year after Rod Blogojevich’s impeachment. Sixty-three percent (63%) disapprove of Quinn’s job performance.

Horrible news for Quinn.

* Speaking of Scott Lee Cohen…

After listening to Cohen, I think he’s actually running somewhere to the right of Republican nominee Bill Brady, which means he could steal away GOP votes, too, assuming voters have any idea who he is — beyond the helpful image of the guy who holds job fairs.

Unlike Brady or Quinn, Cohen has taken the Illinois Taxpayer Protection Pledge, a strict no-tax-increase promise demanded by Jim Tobin’s Tax Accountability group. Cohen is expecting the conservative group’s endorsement.

“Brady still wants to tax people, I don’t care what he says in his commercials,” said Cohen, who argues that the key to reviving Illinois’ economy is to cut taxes and ease regulations on business.

Most of Cohen’s rhetoric sounds like it’s right out of the old Republican playbook.

Maybe so, but he’s spending much of his time courting minority voters. You can follow some of his movements on Twitter to see for yourself. Also, he’s involving himself in the 17th Ward campaign on behalf of a challenger.

* Even Green Party nominee Rich Whitney is trying to appear conservative these days. From a recent op-ed…

Let’s be candid. If you identify yourself as a conservative, your first inclination will probably be to vote for Republican candidate Bill Brady in the Illinois governor’s race. I understand that. He covers some of the basic conservative talking points: cutting spending, holding the line on taxes, “pro-life,” pro-Second Amendment, pro-business.

That’s the rhetoric. Now let’s look at the substance of his positions and see how they compare with my own.

* Related and a campaign roundup…

* Defiant Cohen poses threat to both Quinn, Brady in governor’s race

* Candidates send mixed messages on gambling

* Not much detail from candidates on fixing budget crisis

* Quinn’s campaign faces problems of his own making

* 8th Dist. hopefuls share stances on immigration

* Bob Dold’s new TV ads

* McQueary: The DINO in the 81st House race

* State senate candidate refutes Grayslake trustee’s accusation

* Local, state races could 
alter face of government

* Race, politics and power

* Race for Cook Co. chief judge gets heated

* Combatants await verdict of fellow judges on new chief

* Erickson: GOP’s rising stars foresee openings