How IL Dems kept the Governor's office and General Assembly

[WI_DEM]

(too bad it wasn't enough for The Senate race)

Illinois Democrats lost the Senate seat and three, possibly four of the big House races but kept Gov. Quinn and both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. The Democratic win for Quinn is due in part to the get-out-the-vote effort Illinois Democratic Coordinated Campaign led by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and state Senate president John Cullerton (D-Chicago.) Dems tell me it was the biggest GOTV effort since 1962. Illinois Republicans fielded their largest ground game ever.



Some statistics from the Illinois Democratic Coordinated Campaign:

*Across Illinois, over 23,200 people knocked on doors and made phone calls over the final four days, many of them filling multiple volunteer shifts.There were 8,000 people on the street on election day alone

*They knocked on over 975,000 doors and made over 380,000 phone calls over the last four days.

*More than 50 percent of these voter contact efforts were concentrated in Cook County. These efforts resulted in higher than expected voter turnout within Chicago (over 50%). African American turnout was up from 2006 in many south side neighborhoods and southern Cook County townships.

In the last four days, President Obama and Vice President Biden recorded robocalls called Illinois voters.

*80,000 Biden
*240,000 Obama Vote tomorrow
*240,000 Obama Vote today

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/11/illinois_democratic_coordinate.html

[frazzled]

1. Unfortunately, the Coordinated Campaign really screwed up, too

It could have meant the difference in the Senate race. I worked with the Coordinated Campaign on election day to scramble to call voters who had sent in applications for a mail-in ballot, but because of the Campaign's screw-up, did not receive them in time. We were contacting each one by phone to tell them they could still go to the polls. But it felt like a kind of losing battle: of the 100 or so people I called, I reached six who said they could get to the polls. (In fairness, they had been contacted with messages the day or two before, so maybe many more did.)

Here's what happened:

Errors on applications sent by the Illinois Democratic Coordinated Campaign to wannabe absentee voters could mean that thousands of voters in the state won't receive their ballots before election day.

This year for the first time, Illinois voters are allowed to vote by mail without giving a reason for their absence from the polls on Election Day. The IDCC hired a company to send out applications to make it easier for voters to receive such ballots. But because the applications are first being routed through the Democratic Party, they might not make it to the Lake County clerk in time for Thursday's deadline.

An Illinois county election official told Chicago's ABC 7 that thousands, and potentially hundreds of thousands, of voters who anticipate receiving a ballot in the mail may not get them in time.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/illinois_democratic_coordinated_campaign/

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

2. Why didn't this translate to Giannoulious (sp?) for the Senate?

That broke my heart into pieces. And to add salt to the wounds, Mark Kirk, of all people! MARK FUCKING KIRK?!?!? :puke::puke::puke:

[Rosie1223]

4. Downstate was flooded with 'Alexi = Mafia Banker' ads.

Mark Kirk makes me want to vomit too.

[mopinko]

3. we worked our asses off

they managed to paint alexi as crooked. it was bs, but they made it stick.
and I hope dan seals retires from politics. julie hamos would have won that seat.
I hope bean prevails, but takes the right message away.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

5. I know several people who referred to him as "the banker"

They couldn't pronounce his last name, so that's what they called him and like you and others said when he was running against Hoffman, the whole "banker" thing didn't help him.

[FBaggins]

6. IL is one of our best shots at redistricting gains. (Really THE best shot)

They're not going to be able to hold on to those 3-4 House seats past this one term.

The 8th, 10th and 11th are all potentially vulnerable to having bits of Cook county added in (without too seriously damaging existing incumbents). There's also due to be one fewer seat in IL. No reason why it won't be a republican.

The challenge will be whether to shoot for the moon to offset some republican gains in other states, or to play it safe and target one republican seat for elimination while drawing a tougher battle for only one or two of the others. There are plenty of "extra" votes to be had in Cook County, but weakening any of those districts may draw the ire of the CBC (and potential legal battles).

The national party may put the heat to local dems to go all out.

[WildEyedLiberal]

7. How about helping unfuck the 15th district?

The district that includes both Champaign-Urbana AND Charleston should NOT be as reliably red as it is. If you look at a map, you'll see something like a 20 mile long strip of land that runs down the Indiana border, collecting as many rednecks as possible to offset the otherwise solidly competitive district the 15th would otherwise be. Tim Johnson is an asswipe and a joke and does not deserve to be ushered into office repeatedly. Also, David Gill is a solid progressive and would be a great congressman.

[FBaggins]

8. If you don't like the 15th... then the 17th and 4th should be a concern too.

Regardless... some of our best opportunities will be in areas that only recently went red by narrow margins.

[WildEyedLiberal]

10. Well we need to reshape most of IL's districts

But the 15th is egregiously fucked up, and I think it escapes the notice of most Illinoisans (other than the frustrated liberals of Champaign county whose voices are never heard because of atrocious gerrymandering). Downstate is not as red as the map makes it out to be, but the blue pockets have been gerrymandered into irrelevancy by crap like what happened to the 15th. Illinois just needs a district map makeover, period.

[Rosie1223]

9. Agreed. And my district (17th) has got to be the most stupidly shaped district ever.

http://www.nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/pdf/congdist/pagecgd110_il.pdf

[dog_lovin_dem]

11. I live within that strip

you refer to. Unfortunately, you're right about the republican idiots in this area, but, I, and most of my friends and family are straight dem voters. Tim Johnson is also a sexist pig. He called here one evening and my husband told him to talk to me, as I am more political than he is. The dickhead was very condescending and acted like it was a chore to talk to a female. He asked me to give the phone back to my husband, who proceeded to tell the asswipe how rude he is. Dr. Gill has support in this region....It infuriates me that the DNC does not support him as well.

[WildEyedLiberal]

13. I really think Gill could have a chance if he had ANY national funding

I guess he isn't blue dog enough :eyes: because based on demographics, the 15th really should be competitive. At least, a HELL of a lot more than it is now. Johnson does NOTHING for the people of this district.

Thanks for fighting the good fight in downstate IL! :hi:

PS, apologies for the "rednecks" comment. I am from a red part of the 15th so I intended no disrespect to the good folk from southern IL. It's just infuriating to see the maps drawn in such a ridiculous way that is so obviously designed to drag as many R voters into the district as possible.

[nemo137]

12. I wondered that during my years ar U of I.

I like Gill a lot, and that Johnson guy just chaps my ass. Unfortunately, I'm back up north with Manzullo now, speaking of districts that are way redder than they need to be.