1998 Illinois gubernatorial election

[Mr. Illini]

I won't lie; I would have been one of the Chicago liberals that backed Ryan in 98.

Ryan ran on an expansion of Cook County's pro-gay housing ordinance (which banned landlords from housing discrimination based on sexual orientation). Poshard took the other side.

Ryan favored justice reform in the state (and implemented it), while Poshard opposed him.

Poshard was from coal country far downstate and therefore staunchly opposed to Clean Air Act provisions and proposed expanded mining in SoIL.

On economics, Poshard wasn't even a consistent liberal. He was a Clinton New Democrat - favored welfare reform.

Whether Poshard was more conservative than Ryan on the whole is questionable (though arguable, I would say). However, it is undeniable that Poshard was to the right of the party at large and that Ryan was to the left of his party at large.

The party in Chicago never backed Poshard and he struggled significantly at raising funds from Democratic donors on the city's north side and near North Shore that Dems count on.

Poshard picked up plenty of counties in and around his home congressional district in Little Egypt, but was pummeled in the collar counties and Cook County (despite winning it (margins matter)).

I would have been one of the Chicago liberals that crossed over to Ryan.

[Mr. Illini]

Words fail to explain my disgust at any democrat or leftist voting for Ryan.

Words fail to explain my disgust at any Democrat of leftist, especially from outside of Illinois, considering Glenn Poshard to be significantly better than George Ryan just because he has a D next to his name

[Mr. Illini]

Poshard, enthusiastically. He's the kind of Democrat I can support.

Should be enough of a reason not to vote for Poshard tbh

Although I drew some flack in this thread, I ponder if I would have drawn the same flack had Ryan not gone to prison. I was, of course, giving my opinion as if I did not have hindsight. I don't think many would hold their Ryan votes with the hindsight that he went to prison.

[Mr. Illini]

Although I drew some flack in this thread, I ponder if I would have drawn the same flack had Ryan not gone to prison. I was, of course, giving my opinion as if I did not have hindsight. I don't think many would hold their Ryan votes with the hindsight that he went to prison.

You talk is if it were a minor detail, the consequence of a trifling peccadillo, barely worth bothering about. Which is really not the case at all.

Except that the point of the thread is supposed to be re: who you would have supported in the election. Obviously, the election occurred before his arrest.