And don't forget Evergreen Park's Jane Lynch "Middle of Everything" TV ad promo which has been running for a year. Here in the KY panhandle ( aka IN ) are a lotta IL haters - taxes, crime, prices, crowds, libs, yada. But all the cool is there, not to mention a large chunk of the jobs without which at least the NWI "Region" would be a ghost zone. As cities go, Chicago is one of the world's finest (summer) beach cities - and so much else. JB so far has been a big plus for the state, although the bar has been solow for solong for IL politicians - Kerner, Walker, Ryan, Blago, Hastert, Madigan...
Ima brag on Minnesota even though you already gave us a nice tribute. My brag is an in general kinda deal cuz I'm LEGALLY STONED and forgot what I was specifically gonna brag about. So there ya go. Help yourself to the hot dish. I just made it. Yes, those are homemade from scratch tater tots on top from the russet spuds I grew in my garden and dug up last weekend.
Pritzker really impressed me at the beginning of COVID shelter-in-place. He did daily press conferences, including a presentation form the state Director of Health(? title) including lots and lots of questions.
While Gavin Newsom and Gretchen Whitmer are really cool, I would call JB Pritzker the nation’s primo Democratic governor and our state legislature the BEST in the USA.
One thing you need to remember is that Maine also elected Paul LePage. Twice. With an election that gives the victory to whoever wins a plurality of the vote with no minimum percent. So three candidates with fairly equal support can become governor with only a little more than a third of the vote instead of some floor level that calls for a run off if the leading vote getter does not get at least close to 50% of the vote. That also is affected by the ego of the candidates, especially the one in third place in polls, who will permit a candidate they really do not like go on to victory instead of stepping aside and moving their support to the candidate with policies most similar to them.
This is a situation I can see playing out in Arizona in the 2024 US Senate election as we will likely have now independent Sinema running a distant third in polls facing Kari Lake and Rubin Gallego. Unless Lake decides not to resign from her seat as governor, which she still insists she won.
With numerous minor parties qualifying for elected office it might be hard to limit the winner to 50% plus one vote without a lot of expensive and time consuming run offs, but when you have a split where the winner gets less than 40% of the vote and at least one of the others getting 30% or a little more of the vote there needs to be a run off between the two top candidates.
Of course the best solution is just not voting for someone like LePage, and instead of having statutory term limits just don't elect or re-elect assholes for office. Or someone showing obvious signs of age related mental deterioration. And to eliminate people like Trump make them take and pass a citizenship test all immigrants must pass to gain citizenship. That should be the minimum level of knowledge of our constitution and history to write and enforce our laws. Or at least be able to answer simple questions like who was the winning quarterback in Superbowl III, or who had the most RBIs in the National League in 1973.
Maine had a Democrat and a fake Democrat (probably back by right wing money) on the ballet splitting left wing votes. Le Page didn't break 50% in either election. Those elections were basically a republican rat-f*cking operation.
Except for some reason the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the governor's race isn't subject to RCV, just congress and president. I don't believe they expanded that yet, but it was discussed this summer.
The fact is, I think a lot of people in Maine did have LePage in mind when they passed RCV, and it was later decided in the court that gubernatorial race wasn't subject to this.
In short I think you're right, and the law is weird. I absolutely LOVE RCV and want to see it expanded.
I also posted this below, but this seems an appropriate thread to give some appreciation to Chuck Feeney, who recently passed away. Chuck was a self-made billionaire who gave away pretty much all of his wealth to good causes - $8bn worth - and mostly anonymously. RIP Chuck.
And don't forget Evergreen Park's Jane Lynch "Middle of Everything" TV ad promo which has been running for a year. Here in the KY panhandle ( aka IN ) are a lotta IL haters - taxes, crime, prices, crowds, libs, yada. But all the cool is there, not to mention a large chunk of the jobs without which at least the NWI "Region" would be a ghost zone. As cities go, Chicago is one of the world's finest (summer) beach cities - and so much else. JB so far has been a big plus for the state, although the bar has been solow for solong for IL politicians - Kerner, Walker, Ryan, Blago, Hastert, Madigan...
Ima brag on Minnesota even though you already gave us a nice tribute. My brag is an in general kinda deal cuz I'm LEGALLY STONED and forgot what I was specifically gonna brag about. So there ya go. Help yourself to the hot dish. I just made it. Yes, those are homemade from scratch tater tots on top from the russet spuds I grew in my garden and dug up last weekend.
For a state with the word "Ill" in their name, Illinois is doing a lot better than other states (*ahem Florida *ahem).
I'm sure the Kids These Days don't use it anymore, but "ill" used to be slang for good things.
We should also now maybe consider some funding for higher education in Illinois
"Crom only knows what will happen when the Trump-McConnell federal courts inevitably get their bloodstained hands on it"
serious question: why should Pritzker and Illinois follow the ruling of a corrupt federal judiciary?
Also, the very moment Pritzker had a secure hold on state government it was knives out for Madigan
Pritzker really impressed me at the beginning of COVID shelter-in-place. He did daily press conferences, including a presentation form the state Director of Health(? title) including lots and lots of questions.
I grew up in Illinois. Lived there for 40+ years. Then I moved to Missouri. I gotta tell ya, Claire McCaskill would be a republican in Illinois.
We also recently eliminated cash bail. Woot! Go Illinois!
Our kid is getting a PhD in Chicago, and this makes me very happiful.
Yay for education!
Oooh, I do like 'happiful'!
While Gavin Newsom and Gretchen Whitmer are really cool, I would call JB Pritzker the nation’s primo Democratic governor and our state legislature the BEST in the USA.
100% agree, sweetie, one-hundred percent and then some.
Does the University of Oregon have a medical school?
Are their graduates all quacks?
Ah, did something happen? (hopes not)
Oregon Ducks maybe?
One thing you need to remember is that Maine also elected Paul LePage. Twice. With an election that gives the victory to whoever wins a plurality of the vote with no minimum percent. So three candidates with fairly equal support can become governor with only a little more than a third of the vote instead of some floor level that calls for a run off if the leading vote getter does not get at least close to 50% of the vote. That also is affected by the ego of the candidates, especially the one in third place in polls, who will permit a candidate they really do not like go on to victory instead of stepping aside and moving their support to the candidate with policies most similar to them.
This is a situation I can see playing out in Arizona in the 2024 US Senate election as we will likely have now independent Sinema running a distant third in polls facing Kari Lake and Rubin Gallego. Unless Lake decides not to resign from her seat as governor, which she still insists she won.
With numerous minor parties qualifying for elected office it might be hard to limit the winner to 50% plus one vote without a lot of expensive and time consuming run offs, but when you have a split where the winner gets less than 40% of the vote and at least one of the others getting 30% or a little more of the vote there needs to be a run off between the two top candidates.
Of course the best solution is just not voting for someone like LePage, and instead of having statutory term limits just don't elect or re-elect assholes for office. Or someone showing obvious signs of age related mental deterioration. And to eliminate people like Trump make them take and pass a citizenship test all immigrants must pass to gain citizenship. That should be the minimum level of knowledge of our constitution and history to write and enforce our laws. Or at least be able to answer simple questions like who was the winning quarterback in Superbowl III, or who had the most RBIs in the National League in 1973.
Maine had a Democrat and a fake Democrat (probably back by right wing money) on the ballet splitting left wing votes. Le Page didn't break 50% in either election. Those elections were basically a republican rat-f*cking operation.
A good friend of ours comes from Maine. She can't explain lepage. And, in fact, she's stopped trying to.
LePage is almost certainly why Maine passed ranked-choice voting, which would have prevented him from winning with a plurality
Except for some reason the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the governor's race isn't subject to RCV, just congress and president. I don't believe they expanded that yet, but it was discussed this summer.
Oh, no kidding! I didn't realize!
The fact is, I think a lot of people in Maine did have LePage in mind when they passed RCV, and it was later decided in the court that gubernatorial race wasn't subject to this.
In short I think you're right, and the law is weird. I absolutely LOVE RCV and want to see it expanded.
Yay! My state!
I also posted this below, but this seems an appropriate thread to give some appreciation to Chuck Feeney, who recently passed away. Chuck was a self-made billionaire who gave away pretty much all of his wealth to good causes - $8bn worth - and mostly anonymously. RIP Chuck.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Feeney
Wow, what a great guy!
Say what you will about billionaires in politics, but we finally got a good one (this time). This one might not even go to prison!
It's Illinois.