IL: Both Gov. Quinn and Sen. candidate Gianioulious had huge leads now BOTH

[live love laugh]

have fallen into dead heats for their posts.

Uhmmm. Sorry. This is NOT believable.

For this to happen, you have to believe that Gianioulious and Quinn got huge amounts of votes and then nobody else voted for them elsewhere in the rest of the state while everybody voted for Republican. Makes no sense.

However, none of these election results makes sense. I expect them to take it. And I do mean take it.

[rpannier]

1. Go the tribune website and check congressinal races

Most of what they're counting now come from downstate
Many of the Chicago returns came in quickly

[kevinbgoode]

18. Ugh...Quinn is still ahead by 5k with 94% reporting

This one might end up resting on absentees or a recount.

Brady is a teabagger.

[kevinbgoode]

19. There is still hope. . .Quinn up by 10.5k with 95% reporting

still a very slim lead.

I'm afraid Alexi isn't going to win the Senate...:(.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

2. Much of downstate is conservative

There are some good Dem areas but it is mostly conservative

[nickinSTL]

3. It's because Chicago/Cook County was counted early

Those votes are heavily Democratic, but then the rest of the state is a LOT of Repubs.

This is the way things work in Illinois. In statewide races, Dems need HUGE majorities in the Chicago area to win. They tend to lose across most of the rest of the state.

[rpannier]

7. It also doesn't help that we're underwhelming in Rock Island County

Hare is losing by 11% with about 90% counted

[nickinSTL]

9. I was really disappointed to see that...

and also to see Lane Evans' old House seat go to a Repub.

[kevinbgoode]

17. That surprises me. . .I'm in the more southern part of his district

and I voted for him - I always thought Rock Island/Moline was a Dem stronghold.

[frazzled]

4. No conspiracy here:

The early returns were all from the Chicago area, where he was leading 70-20. As downstate returns started coming in, the spread tightened. And it's (alas) going to come out exactly where the polls put it.

This happens every election (large cities versus smaller towns and rural areas). I don't know why you're surprised.

[live love laugh]

5. Illinois is not all Republican beyond Cook County. These numbers are not believable. nt

[frazzled]

8. Everyone is telling you the same thing

Look at the county-by-county maps. It's sad, but true.

[nickinSTL]

10. not all, no.

I'm in Madison County, and I didn't vote for a single Repub in any race.

However, it is pretty clear that although I and everyone I associate with lean Democratic, that we are in the minority in downstate IL. I don't like it, but that's how it is. :shrug:

[nickinSTL]

6. Take a look at the county by county results

probably available on a lot of sites, but I've been watching NYT.

http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/results/senate

Zoom in to Illinois, and there are only 3 counties in the state where Giannoulias has a lead.

http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/results/governor

Zoom in again to Illinois, and there are only 4 counties in the state where Quinn has a lead.

This is why the leads have narrowed or disappeared. No mystery.

[live love laugh]

11. I see the results. They are not believeable. They are numbers. Period.

How those numbers were arrived at remains to be seen and proven--and it never will be. I will therefore reserve my doubts.

There is no reason for both of these races to culminate identically. It's pure BS.

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. Oh stop it

[live love laugh]

15. Ignore's always an option. Try using it if you don't like what you read. nt

[alcibiades_mystery]

20. Or, I can respond, as I just did

You're being ridiculous. It's not as if these races weren't extremely close all year.

[nickinSTL]

13. whatever.

bury your head in the sand, believe there's a huge conspiracy, whatever. :shrug:

The numbers are there, and aren't any different from previous statewide elections.

[Tatiana]

16. Have you BEEN to downstate IL?

Outside of the college towns like Carbondale, some of those people probably have more in common with Kentucky voters than Chicagoans/Cook County residents. It is quite conservative.

Also, Giouliannous did not have a strategy or much of a campaign downstate. He's paying the price for thinking he could pull it out with Cook County. Quinn has a stronger chance because the Quinn/Simon ticket did make several campaign visits downstate.

[Prism]

14. The collar counties helped Kirk a great deal

Kirk is a creature of the collar counties (those counties that surround Chicago/Cook, are highly populated, and lean Republican). By all accounts, Kirk carried them handily.

That's his margin.

It may not seem believable to you, but for seasoned Illinois political observers, it's really unremarkable. Democrats win in Illinois when Cook County turns out like the dickens. When it doesn't, they tend not to. Is one county really that powerful?

In Illinois, yes.