November 30, 2016
DEMOCRATS' DOWNSTATE DEBACLE OFF-SET BY REPUBLICANS' COLLAR COUNTY COLLAPSE
Donald Trump won Downstate Illinois by 372,535 votes, carrying -- often by 3-to-1 margins -- 91 of those 95 Downstate counties. But Hillary Clinton carried Cook County by 1,088,369 votes, and, amazingly, the once-Republican collar counties by 141,515 votes. The "collars" include DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry and DeKalb counties, the suburbanized areas surrounding Chicago and Cook Co. In 2000, Bush won all six; in 2016, Clinton won 5 of 6. As detailed in the ATTACHED CHART, the Democrats' surge in the "collars," largely attributable to revulsion over the Republican agenda, was entirely off-set by the Republicans' surge Downstate, largely attributable to revulsion over the Obama agenda. But it should be noted that back in 1984, Reagan won DuPage by over 150,000 votes; this year, Clinton won DuPage by 58,134 votes and Lake by 59,586 votes, and the Cook County suburbs by 378,291 votes. With the "collars" in the tank, the only way a Republican -- like Bruce Rauner in 2018 -- can win is if about 1 million Democrats don't vote. Full Article...
November 23, 2016
CLINTON GOT 83.7% OF CHICAGO VOTE, BUT THERE WERE STILL 134,792 "DEPLORABLES"
In Chicago, the black vote is back, and Clinton got 96,4% of them on Nov, 8, but still 59,100 shy of Obama's 2012 total in the city's black wards. Clinton got 88.1% of the Hispanic vote, and 85.6% of the white liberal Lakefront vote, making Chicago a veritable "Manhattan West." Clinton carried Chicago by 773,128 votes, en route to a statewide win of 859,319; she won all but 25 of the city's 2,116 precincts. But there were still 134,792 recalcitrant "deplorables," concentrated mostly in the outlying white ethnic wards, like the 41st and the 19th. Trump actually managed 42.6% in the far northwest side 41st Ward. ATTACHED is a CHART detailing the Chicago results. Schizophrenia prevailed: Anti-Trump emotion was the great motivator. Clinton's 907,920 votes were more citywide than Obama's 853,102 in 2012. Full Article...
November 16, 2016
"TRUMP EFFECT" HAS NO EFFECT IN ILLINOIS
The "Trump effect" had no effect. Illinois has become as habitually, chronically and lopsidedly Democratic as California, New York and Massachusetts. Clinton-Kaine buried Trump-Pence by 859,319 votes in IL on 11/8; that's almost as large as Obama's 2012 margin of 884,296. Other "Rust Belt" states like MI, PA, WI, OH, IN and IA went for Trump after having backed Obama in 2012. See the ATTACHED CHART for final figures. It used to be that a Republican could win IL by holding the Democratic margin in Cook Co.to under 500,000, and then winning the collar counties by 200,000 and Downstate by upwards of 300,000. Not in 2016, and perhaps not ever again. Clinton won Cook Co. by 1,138,462 votes, taking 83.7% in Chicago and 65.4% in the county suburbs; she won the collar counties by more than 200,000. Trump won Downstate by close to 400,000, but it made no dent. IL is the "mid-coastal" component of the Democrats' national base, largely because 30.4% of its vote comes from minorities, and they are overwhelmingly Democratic. Full Article...
November 9, 2016
OBAMACARE'S IMMINENT DEMISE WILL NOT CHANGE MEDICAL SERVICES DELIVERY
With the ascent of Donald Trump, Obamacare as we know it will vanish. But the current system of medical services delivery won't. TURF, BOUNCE, BUFF, PLACE, WALL, SIEVE, TOUGHIES as well as GOMERS, PRIVATES, TERNS, SLURPERS, GONZOS and LOL in NAD are still the nouns and verbs which describe hospital and medical services. The best hospitalization is no hospitalization. And, more often than not, the current medical industry's pre-occupation with "curing" every disease results only in higher costs, greater profits, and avoidance of medical malpractice...and more patient pain and distress. The public expects that "modern medicine" can cure all ills. It can't. Full Article...
November 2, 2016
PREDICTIONS FOR NOV. 8: A STATUS QUO ELECTION
What began as an anti-status quo year will end as a status quo year. More of the same. Despite massive discontent with America's economic, criminal justice, political and educational systems, those who will perpetuate the mess will win. The winners: Clinton (although Trump will do better than expected), Duckworth, Schneider, Mendoza, Mike Madigan and his majority, and US Senate Democrats. The big loser will be Gov. Rauner and his "Shake Up Springfield" crusade.. He and Madigan will have spent a combined $100 million on legislative and the comptroller's race. The only Republican bright spot will be McAuliffe's narrow win in a $3 million race. Voters, especially those getting some government-paid entitlement, want the status quo. The biggest winners are those who donated to Clinton's $1 billion campaign; they'll reap their expected rewards. Full Article...
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