Results tagged “polls”

Chicago 2016 chief Lori Healey went on the defensive about yesterday's Tribune/WGN poll which showed a drop in support for holding the Olympics here. Said Healey, "We've had tremendous public support for having the Games in Chicago. Polls are polls, and they move all the time." Right, we get that. But this poll is moving one direction: down. Originally, Chicago 2016 used a Zogby poll that showed support at 77 percent but an IOC poll released this spring showed support at 67 percent. The new Trib/WGN poll shows support at 47 percent. Even more telling is that the number of those opposed to the Olympics is at 45 percent, nearly equal to those that support the Games. And coming on the heels of an IOC report released this week that wasn't exactly glowing in its assessment of Chicago's plans, we'd imagine Healy and company might be sweating a bit. But from the sounds of things, no one's worried.

Olympics support has dwindled to 47 percent, according to a Tribune/WGN poll released today.

Over the weekend, a new poll conducted by the International Olympic Committee showed that support for holding the 2016 Summer Olympics in Chicago was actually as much as 10 percent lower than Chicago 2016 itself had claimed. According to GamesBids.com, the Tribune reported that the IOC poll showed support at 67 percent rather than the Zogby poll which Chicago 2016 has used, which said support was at 77 percent. While GamesBids and ChuffPo report on the Trib's report, we can't locate the Tribune's original article to save our life. The closest thing we were able to find was the report on Tokyo's slumping support.

We'll hand it to Blago - he doesn't blink in the face of heavy criticism. When asked to respond to yesterday's Trib poll that found only 13 percent of those polled approved of the job he's doing, the Governor simply responded that if he were up for reelection on November 4th, he'd "win by 10 points or better." Sure, if his opponent were Emperor Palpatine, and even then we still think it'd be closer. Blago also said he didn't think he's done anything to garner such low ratings. Nope, nothing at all.

A recent Chicago Tribune poll of 500 registered voters found that not very many people approve of the job Governor Blagojevich is doing. In fact, only 13 percent think he's doing a good job and even fewer (10 percent) want to see him back in 2010, if he even survives his current term. This...comes as no shock to us. Rezko, the FBI, the CTA clusterfuck, the list goes on and on and on. We can hear Mayor Daley cackling in delight from here.

With Democrats hell-bent on dragging their primary season all the way to the convention, and John McCain all but the GOP nominee, the question of who is more electable is weighing on the minds of many voters. SurveyUSA, whose polling is usually pretty good, put together a couple of nice maps.

Now that the Michigan primary is safely behind us, all eyes are focused on Nevada and South Carolina. For Democrats, who need at least 2,025 delegates to win the presidential nomination, Nevada's caucuses this Saturday offer 33 delegates. Not only is the nation looking at the Silver State, where early voting is a new experience for a mix of Latino, rural and urban voters, but so are the federal courts. Hillary Clinton has been polling well there, but Barack Obama has been endorsed by the state's largest union, the Culinary Workers. This endorsement is significant not only because it is the largest union in the state, but also because the state's Democratic party has opted to hold nine "at-large" caucuses, open to anyone within 2.5 miles of the Las Vegas strip, where the bulk of CWU members work. Intended to make voting easier for shift-workers in Nevada's casino industry, the move prompted a lawsuit by the Nevada Teachers Union. The lawsuit claimed that those voting in at-large precincts being held on the Strip would have too much weight compared with those voting at their polling places, infringes on the right to equal protection guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and violate state statute in the way they were drawn.

The Donnas have finally transformed themselves into the female KISS, sans make-up (well, the Kabuki-inspired kind); the band excels at writing party songs, evoking bygone licks, and caring not one whit that there isn't an intelligent lyric in sight for miles. Unlike KISS, the quartet of girls have razor-sharp chops and an endearing sense of relevance, which only makes sense since it seems as if they've been on the road almost non-stop for the past...

While the other families we know hightail it out to the greener grassed suburbs, we here at the Chicagoist have found more and more to love about the city. Our most recent crush is on the Art of Play. We initially thought the Art of Play was a tourism gimmick, as it is sponsored by the city and state Tourism bureau, as well as the Mayor's Office of Special Events and other Chicago cultural organizations....

Today’s your last chance to visit ARTropolis. It’s “Student Day” at Art Chicago, where students, professors, and professionals discuss the basics of an arts career. A pass admitting two people to five fairs is $15. The Illinois Bureau of Tourism has announced its Seven Wonders of Illinois, the top regional attractions selected by popular vote. Cubs fans hit the polls early and often, naming Wrigley Field Chicago’s top attraction. Wilmette’s gorgeous Baha'i Temple represents...

It isn't just the folks living in the 12 Wards that are holding Aldermanic runoff elections that are thinking about outcomes today. The aftermath of the vote that is going on as you read this will impact the city for years to come. By the time the polls close tonight, there will be some new aldermen, and others will have held onto their seats. Some will coast to victory, and others will squeak in by...

"Lion of the Disenfranchised, Disenfranchised" via Michael DaKidd.

In a shocking bit of news, no one is accepting responsibility for the election night delays that came out of Cook County Clerk David Orr's office. By 7:55 p.m. only 37 precincts had been processed. The Chicago Board of Elections, on the other hand, uses the same system and completed processing much earlier. Orr stated the $50 million to $60 million Sequoia Voting System would be able to handle all absentee and early votes directly...

On Tuesday, the American -ists will be celebrating democracy and hitting the polls, letting politicians know what they really think. It just made us wonder: if it were up to the -ist-a-verse, what would we be voting for? Londonist votes for better skincare, alternative spaces for art, cute little birds and the men who keep them, and concrete. Lots of concrete. Shanghaiist votes for one of the Bee Gees and Air Supply (it's a double-ticket),...

Chicagoist is a firm believer in civic engagement. We're even down with the bars being closed while the polls are open (we just drink at home, anyway). And part of that commitment means getting involved in races that matter to you. Yeah, we said it. You! So we want to invite you to give a little time this weekend for a candidate whose message matters to you. Geary Yonker has a wonderfully written article about the pleasures of working for something you believe in.

Remember a couple weeks ago when we said it seemed like every political writer with a byline was watching the race for the 6th Congressional District? We weren't kidding. Someone with Reuters sent us this pic of Times Square that showed a poll they did in conjunction with Zogby that says Tammy Duckworth leads Peter Roskam 54% to 40% in the race to represent the 6th District of Illinois in the U.S. Congress. When...

If there is one thing you can say about Tony Peraica, it's that he doesn't take it lying down. In one of the most closely contested, and divisive, races in recent local history, Peraica and Stroger have all but come to blows out on the street. Chicagoist is fascinated by the race for Cook County Board President, for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is its potential to punch a hole in...

Fresh off the heels of the gubernatorial poll released yesterday morning comes the Cook County Board president poll, revealing a dramatically closer race than the one for the state’s top seat. Democrat Todd Stroger and Republican Tony Peraica are virtually neck-and-neck less than a month before Election Day, with Stroger leading 39 percent to 36 percent. With an enormous 22 percent of voters still undecided about whether they'd rather choose the product of nepotism or...

In case you missed it, there's an election coming up. And Chicagoist wants you to participate. That's right, we're talking to YOU!

Not much has been going on here on the local scene lately. Chicagoist has been hoping we could turn the page on the whole Foley thing, but it just won't go away. In fact, other than cheap shots and lost opportunities, the natives have been pretty quiet.

Chicagoist loves the Capitolfax Blog. Man, that guy is a hoot!

After quibbling about who would wear what color suit, how big the podiums had to be, and when, where, and how they would exclude the Green Party candidate, Judy Baar Topinka and Rod Blagojevich finally had their first debate. And what an event it was, with each accusing the other of lying about everything from state contracts and patronage to property taxes and job growth. While Topinka said that her education plan wouldn’t expand gambling...

The fallout from Rep. Mark Foley's resignation from Congress over revelations that he loves the young pageboys has widened to include a number of Illinois politicians. Dick Durbin has been around to wring his hands, although we're sure he'll apologize for it later, and Springfield Rep. John Shimkus, chairman of the House Page Board, is coming off looking rather clueless. But the big local name making the headlines is House Speaker Dennis Hastert, because one...

Chicago-based political website RealClearPolitics.com scored a syndication deal with Fox News and Time to feature content from their blog, polls and other statistics. The site was started in 2000 by local political junkies Tom Bevan and John McIntyre, as a mostly right-leaning clearinghouse for political editorial and discussion from around the web. What attracted the attention of their suitors, though, was RCP's method of averaging political polls from competing sources and the original content on its blog. Bevan also writes a political column for the Sun-Times.

While the whole idea of a constitutional ban on gay marriage eludes us, like if people suddenly started clamoring to allow employers to hire or fire people on the basis of age, race or gender, it’s still an issue that people like to talk about (especially right before highly contested elections). So even as we scratch our heads we figure we have to keep the discussion open as long as citizens want to, because that’s sort of part of democracy.

The latest Wall Street Journal/Zogby poll has Governor Rod Blagojevitch (which is apparently Zogby for Blagojevich) ahead of Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka, 43% to 37%, despite having a low approval rating. Of course, other recent polls by Rasmussen Reports and Glengariff Group show Topinka ahead by a slight margin, so take it for what it's worth. To Carol Marin, it's not worth much. Today she reminds us that November is still a long way away.

Do you want to vote in tomorrow's primary election, but are worried about making the wrong choices because you can't tell your Oberweis from your edelweiss? Have no fear, we have the resources you need to make an informed decision. The Sun-Times offers a chart of where the gubernatorial candidates stand on the issues. The Tribune has an election guide for the whole Chicagoland area. The Illinois State Bar Association gives you ratings on judges...

If you want to vote early in this year's primary election, you'll have to do so by the time the polls close today. Otherwise you will have to wait until the official primary election day on Tuesday, March 21st.

That cold wind that took over the Chicago area yesterday afternoon? It was none other than Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney was in the suburbs yesterday to raise money for Peter Roskam, the 6th District Republican candidate for Congress. Roskam will face either Tammy Duckworth, Christine Cegelis, or Lindy Scott in the November election. The Democratic battle has been hard fought and well publicized nationwide, while Roskam is running unopposed in the Republican primary. The...

For those who are all about the "This is Grand" moment on the Red or Blue Lines, don't worry: Peter Cusack is coming.