Two months into office, Illinois Republican Governor Bruce Rauner’s approval rating is just 36.5 percent, according to a Paul Simon Public Policy Institute poll, released on March 20,2015. In the 2014 midterm election, Rauner rode the Republican national wave into office, ousting Democratic Incumbent Governor Pat Quinn. He spent 26 million dollars of his own money in the race. Rauner defeated Quinn in 101 of Illinois’ 102 counties, losing only Chicago’s Cook County, en route to a 50-46 statewide victory.
For Rauner, the honeymoon has been short-lived. Voters have discovered that, surprise, surprise, Rauner governs like a Republican. He governs exactly on the principles he campaigned on, but voters who stayed home, or who simply decided they wanted change for change’s sake, now seem disappointed that the Republican Governor is doing what Republicans do.
Upon taking office, Rauner rescinded seven executive orders put forth by his predecessor, Democratic Governor Pat Quinn. Rauner, a multimillionaire, eliminated an order requiring the Governor to disclose his income taxes by May. He also overturned an order that raised the minimum wage for employees of vendors that contract with the state, to ten dollars an hour.
None of these actions should come as a surprise, since in December of 2013, Rauner spoke explicitly in favor of lowering the state’s minimum wage. Not just freezing it, but lowering it. After a public backlash, he backtracked on his position favoring lowering the minimum wage. Still, any discerning voter should have been able to tell where his heart was. It was not with Illinois’ working families or with members of the state’s low-wage work force.
Rauner’s right-wing ideology is at odds with most of the state’s residents. A strong majority of Illinois voters (62 percent), voted in support of increasing the minimum wage to 10 dollars an hour in November. Yet, many of them, inexplicably, contradicted themselves by also voting for Rauner.
In addition to being an opponent of raising the minimum wage, Rauner, predictably, also favors spending cuts. Naturally, he also steadfastly opposes passing any tax increases on the wealthy.
Rauner’s 36.5 percent approval rating suggests that voter’s in Illinois have some regrets about electing a conservative Governor. In fairness, 23 percent of voters in Illinois have no opinion about their new Governor, so his approval rating is still hovering above the 31.4 percent who outright disapprove of his job performance.
Nevertheless, the fact that just two months into office, only a little over a third of the state’s voters are happy with the job he is doing, should serve as a reminder to voters that elections have consequences. Voters who choose to stay home on election day, or who simply cast a ballot for a Republican, because they are tired of the Democrats, need to assess the ramifications of their decisions. Because as the people of Illinois are finding out, two months after a Republican takes over, most people are not happy with the way he governs.
Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.
The next Scott Walker.
Buyer’s Remorse? Too late now. Perhaps the next time they vote (assuming there is one) they’ll remember this.
But don’t hold your breath.
Republicans will be working over time to try and pin this down onto: the Big Bad Liberal Media or Obama, if not both.
Excuse me if I can’t mustard up any empathy (101 out of 102 counties voted for him). This republican Bruce Rauner is just getting started. Pretty soon they’re going to be looking like MI, WI, NJ especially the southside.
It will only get worse
I do not care. IL either didn’t vote or voted for him. Let ’em suffer and suffer hard. Not my problem.
How on earth my state voted for this man is beyond me.
Surely people had to know what they were getting with this guy. He is bad news and has been from day one.
He’s going to do to Illinois what Walker is doing in Wisconsin. They are cut of the same mold.
Well…it’s another example that Republicans are BAD for the country…In ALL capacities. They are the reason the country got into the mess it was, pre-Obama, and now, they are trying, STILL, to continue on their path to destruction. But thanks to Obama they are being stymied. Wheeeeeew! Thanks to the Democrats, who are FINALLY standing up to the Republican’s wrecking crew manners.
The people of Illinois deserve everything this Governor will do to them. I have no pity for them.
And Christie in NJ… and Jindal in LA… and Skeletor in FL. Their inability to govern fairly and corruptionless is unbelievable. The gotp cannot do a decent job of anything but being knee-jerk responders to everything.
As the article points out … elections have consequences.
This only proves that the voting game is rigged by the GOPs!! How can someone have such a bave bad rating and still gets the power of public lawmaking handed to this not hidden shyster poisonus snake to all but the elites to be making laws of our land???
Gosh, if only there had been an election of some kind. You know, one where Democrats could have prevented him from getting into office by voting for someone else.
I mean, if only there was something like that, say…the last time he ran for office.
Darn…
Two months into office his approval rating is 36% and he’s got 46 more months to drag illinois through the mud. Thanks for not voting, Democrats.
He’s not a republican He’s a Koch owned and paid for John bircher with a teabag hanging out of his pants.
My wife and I are both life long democrats. We both got out and voted, always do! We are both permanently disabled and we got off our butts and went out in bad weather and voted.So for the democrats that did not think it was important enough, you screwed the pooch big time, huh?
so what? He made it clear he would scalp every agency & every program in Il. I’m not sure why his disapproval numbers suck because the idiots are just getting what they voted for. We’ve got 4 f’n years of this shit left.
Democrats and Liberals, the guy is here only a few months and you bash him already? Why not criticize him for his failed policies and his horrible record? Oh, you can’t because he has never held office before. The only office he held was an advisor to Rahm and he has zero political shells. You know, just like your other Chicago Pal, Obummer. [Sorry-lost us here)]
Check out the voting machines is next. You got what you voted for. Cast ballots for roaches, the results are keyword: another roach. Look people, conservative is the biggest hoax on the feeble minded in this country. Live with it, you asked for roaches and you’ve got them. Live wit’ em’ and more roaches will come.
Gov. Rauner, straight off the ALEC yacht.
Everyone should know that the governor that so much as tries to pull this sorry broken down state up by the boot straps is
not going to be a popular person after spending cuts pension reform & likely an increase in state income tax. Illinois has hit bottom during the last eight years & it hurts when the belt is tightened up. You can’t continue to spend more than you take in just to satisfy the mid & upper income brackets. Remember Blago & Quinns spending spree? Blaming Rauner & all that voted for him is a childish example by the fat cats who miss the past “govermentality”.
Having to bite the bullet since the past several years hurts doesn’t it? Don’t blame Rauner or his voters that elected him for the sorry state of affairs that Illinois is enduring since the spending sprees of Blago & Quinn. Over-spending has depleted the Illinois purse yet past governors continued to spend & borrow until the people said change the entire appearance of the Governors office. Now do we want a solvent state with the budget balanced & pension reform & a good chance of an income tax increase or continue down
the Blago-Quinn road of fiasco?
Fascist right wing republican policies are destroying this country.They then blame “liberals” for the destruction caused by these failures.If you don’t vote this is the crap we get.This country needs a hard shift to the left.VOTE
I and my entire family voted and certainly not for this ahole. So just screw us, huh? Because it’s totally our fault he won, right? By not voting for him and for working my neighborhood to not vote for him, I’m at fault? Screw you!
People have been saying the same thing about TX and FL for years. Now it’s Illinois. Who’s going to care when it’s you?
By absolutely gutting our already decimated education system while not raising a single dollar in tax revenue?
Another episode in the ongoing saga of “You Get What You Vote For”.
Why,when these clowns get elected, are Dems always surprised? One thing you can count on, is that the repugs will get out the vote. THEY VOTE. Dems, not so much. Lazy, indifferent, who knows? It’s not the people elected. It’s the voters fault. Rauner, show ’em what they didn’t vote for, they really, really deserve it.
Then, pray tell, why do people keep voting for the GOP? It is no secret how the other repub governors had dismantled unions, cut pensions, etc., yet people still keep voting them in. Its insanity and the people will suffer–perhaps everyone loves struggling along day to day. The governor in Florida won’t allow any of his staff members to speak of climate change, yet the water is creeping up in Miami. WI and LA are billions in debt–doesn’t matter.
Democratic governors are doing great things in Minnesota and Pennsylvania–isn’t anyone paying attention?
You know what Republicans do. A lot of people couldn’t vote because THE POLLS WERE shut down, this has never happened in Illinois, but I know the polls around my house were shut down, people couldn’t vote and by the time the information got to Lisa Madigan it was too late. She had the fire department to open some but it became too late and people had to got to work. Some after the polls were opened didn’t get to vote until three and four O:Clock in the morning, and they had to go to work. Thank God I voted in my building. But the polling places around my house never opened and there were robo calls threatening judges that they better not show up. I voted and a lot wanted to, but you know how Republicans do it. Rauner and his ilk paid for those polls to be closed. I will never in this life vote for a Republican, I know how they roll..
Tani, I live in Illinois and all of us didn’t vote for him. He is attempting to do the same thing Walker has done in Wisconsin, but thankfully, unlike Wisconsin, we have a Democratic majority in both legislative bodies. Rauner will be one-and-done.
I’m with you Sunny Day, I did not vote for him either. If Jonas would care to read the article he would see that although he took 101 of 102 counties, it was still 50 to 46 so 46% of us did not vote for this jerk.
You can’t have much sympathy for the majority of people of Illoinois. What is sad is that during the run up to the election Rauner, for example, picks up a wheel barrel full of crap and tells the people it’s apple pie and they believed him. Thus, the democratic lovers of apple pie felt no need to vote and stayed home knowing the the republican base would elect the apple pie guy anyway. Well Illoinois how does the first bite of shit pie taste?
Fortunately Paws, we still have a large Democratic majority in both houses so he will not be able to do what Walker has done to Wisconsin, although he will certainly try. Since his election I’ve noticed new sites who are demonizing unions and advocating for RTW, on site that is especially bad is Illinois Policy Institute which is nothing but a propaganda mill for Illinois Republicans, it is part of my daily mission to post comments on the site explaining how wrong they are, so far I haven’t been banned or blocked. So, just hang in there, Rauner will be one-and-done, I’d bet real money on that.
I agree with you Sunnyday. The one thing everybody sames to forget is the people who did get off there ass and vote also wisely elected a VETO PROOF Democratic house & senate. The red state Governors have rubber stamped house & senates. That’s only thing that will save us. Gov Romney-type is going to get a big time wake up call.
Screw all you guys saying this crap! I’m from Illinois and am a loyal Politicus reader and I can’t believe you guys just want to say screw us because 50% of idiots in Illinois voted for this POS, 46% of us did not vote for him.
I voted and I don’t freaking deserve it.
Thanks Ruby, I’m from also from Illinois. There was a lot wrong with the 2014 election. I’m really offended by the people here today who are saying screw us, or we deserve what we get when 46% of us did not vote for him. I follow this site and have it on my FB news feed and respond or at least read every article. I am surprised to see some of the regulars here saying screw Illinois, we deserve it, they are sounding and awful lot like Republicans when they condemn 100% of the people for what 50% of them did.
What is it with you people today?
I’ll bet money on that too. Gov. Romney-type is going to find out who has the REAL power in this state. The speakers of the house & senate. Get the popcorn ready it’s going to be fun to watch!!
How bout it.
Perhaps these voting machines need to be looked at because I find it hard to believe that some of these Governors got re-elected, like Brownback and Walker. I still believe Walker actually lost his recall since at the very last minute they found enough votes out of nowhere to put him ahead in the election. It just doesn’t seem Kosher.
It isn’t kosher. I don’t understand why no one’s launched an in-depth investigation into election fraud by these States.
The fact that these “Governors” are unabashedly forcing their neo-confederate view of governance on their people without any regard for the same people who just might get pissed off and vote them out of office, tells me that they feel confident that no matter what they do, re-election is certain.
That kind of hubris can only sprout from a certain level of confidence that they’ll never have to pay any price for any of their pro-Koch policies.
Didn’t vote for this fool either. I hope you’re right that he’s one and done because I don’t think we can take much more of this guy.
I agree that something is very wrong. I was reading an article a while back by a well-known and reliable pollster, can’t remember who, who stated that it is odd that so many polls could have been so wrong in that the Republicans won so handily. I don’t understand why a whole lot of things aren’t being investigated. Something is definitely going on, and I’m not one who is given to conspiracy theories, but a lot of things just don’t add up.
Illinois non-voters broke it, they bought it. Maybe they’ll have better luck with a recall than Wisconsin voters did, but I doubt it. What the Koch brothers want is a paid stooge in every state capital governor’s mansion.
Then perhaps your IL legislature can get behind a recall effort when the time comes (do they have to wait a year after inauguration?).
Unless, of course, Rauner has a copy of Walker’s Koch Industries Liars’ Playbook.
Don’t worry unlike Wisconsin the legislature is still control by the Democrats meaning Michael Madigan calls the shots. Now he is as crooked as they come but we wont cede his power to any one
After reading some of the Illinois-voter comments in this thread, perhaps there was fraud involved in the voting process that altered the outcome to favor Rauner — like the polling places that were closed down leaving voters no recourse to register their vote.
Naturally now that Rauner is in office he’s not going to order an investigation, but perhaps petitioning your representative in the legislature to write a bill authorizing an independent investigator would get the ball rolling.
This is all BS. Quinn had a 50% lead and the next time I observed that poll, Quinn was down 36%..tell me it wasn’t bought. Rauner is being investigated, House Speaker Madigan may not be all of that, but the Senate don’t want him and know that he stole the vote. How he went into the Black American neighborhoods, so called Churches,and paid them to lie for him. And yes some broke Blacks took his money, stupid is as stupid does. And no,a lot of Blacks didn’t like it, our mega churches urged their members not to vote for him and they didn’t. Apostolic church did one better. Before their services the pastor, Rev Brazier went on air and urged people to vote Dem. But Rauner paid polling places not to open. Around Republicans you have to keep your guard up, or its like the fox who raided the henhouse. Even went to the newspapers and paid them to lie. If you watch politics you can just about tell what the hell is going on. Now the citizens are on his behind and he’s terrified. Good!!!!
what did Quinn do for ill nothing but debt now the new governor wants to get ill out of debt and all u cry babies don’t like it when your check book is broke do u kept spending no so get over your selfs come on governor clean up this mess
Your dumbass actually believe that bullshit
Wisconsin state budget shortfall projected at nearly $1.8 billion
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/wisconsin-state-budget-shortfall-projected-at-nearly-18-billion-b99345660z1-274364501.html
Budget deficit looms for Sam Brownback, Kansas Legislature as 2015 session begins
Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article5904450.html#storylink=cpy
N.J. budget shortfall was $275 million worse than Christie thought, document shows
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/09/nj_budget_shortfall_was_even_worse_than_christie_thought_document_shows.html
You are such a whore for bullshit
The roaches have taken over. Only jackassses vote Republican. They DON’T want government to do shit for the people that the money really belongs to. And Mary Fallon is a liar.
The wife and I also didn’t vote for this Republicrook. The voters who didn’t, put this billionaire in office, and the rest of us have to suffer along with everyone else. This TP/GOP control is spreading like a plague.
And yet every single dumbass who voted for him, regardless of how poor of a job he’s doing, will defend him completely. Because he’s not a Democrat. Doesn’t matter if they lose their homes, they will still defend him. I know this because I live in NE IL, in a heavily Republican county, where people are defending everything he’s doing, done, and planning on doing. NO MATTER WHAT.
It’s going to get WORST, count on it!
We refer to him as Mitt Lite around here. [wink]
What did Quinn do as Governor ? Nothing but raise taxes . Why do you think so many people have moved out of this state while under democrat control .
Quinn isn’t going to jail. Most governors of Illinois do it, regardless of party, and they’ve been pretty evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.
If you have any evidence that fewer people left Illinois during Republican governorships than Democratic ones, please adduce it. We left because it was cold.
I’m just glad the people of my state, Pennsylvania, learned their lesson and got rid of Corbett after his first term was up. We don’t have a recall here, so we had to wait for his term to end. Now we have to clean up his mess.
In a private sector job, two months is usually enough time to determine if an employee is going to work out or not. If this was the private sector, Rauner could and would be fired already.
I used to live in Illinois and my family and many of my friends still do. Almost everyone is a Democrat, BUT I bet at least 10 people told me they were voting for Rauner because Quinn was so lame and a bad governor. I haven’t spoken to any of these people about politics since the election, but I bet they don’t regret – yet, anyway – voting Republican, just this once…
Welcome to what happened to Michigan. We are still suffering big time. Not voting gets us the most RWNJs and it is all the non-voting left leaners fault.
That’s what I don’t understand. The President saved their auto jobs when every republican was for letting hem fail and what did a lot of union workers do? Vote repubican
I used to say that (you got what you deserve) too. I won’t any longer; you have enlightened me. My sincere apologies!
The Democrats ran a seriously inept candidate in 2010 when they backed Onorato. When Tom Wolf announced his candidacy, I immediately jumped on board. He is going to do great things here in PA and help erase the 4 years of “Terrible” Tom Corbett!
I thought Cook carried majority by the democratic voters. Where was the fraud?
Actually I believe Quinn was so incapable
The Dems were too embarrassed to vote for him
& the repubs would have voted for an empty shirt.
I am very excited about what Rauner is doing. Of course people don’t like what he’s doing! It means going back to the good old fashioned way of doing things- work for your pay, no free handouts, honest hard work, paying your taxes. Walker did Wisconsin a favor- and he led the way. It is extremely OBVIOUS that what the democrats have been doing for the past umpteen years in this state has NOT been working. We are the laughing stock of the nation, and at the bottom of the barrel fiscally. They need to give Rauner a chance to work his magic. People, wake up. If you eat like a pig and put on 300 pounds, it’s going to hurt when you have to lose the weight. It’s going to be hard work, painful, un-fun, and something you don’t want to do, but when you achieve the goal, it was worth it. I’d rather we go through some hard spots in Illinois and come out 4 years from now with new companies, lots of new jobs, and a balanced budget. Hang in there and let him work.
Your dumbass do know that Wisconsin leads the nation in destroying the middle class
Report: Wisconsin worst in nation on shrinking middle class
Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/report-wisconsin-worst-in-nation-on-shrinking-middle-class/article_f802788b-2405-5e5f-9fe3-522939779911.html#ixzz3VRS5Z96x
I hope you are celibate so the stupid gene isn’t pass down
Eh, Rauner’s going to the Big House like most of those paragons of virtue from the state of Elanoy.