Election Forecast...

As the polls come in, it's easy to look back on Illinois, as a state carried comfortably and safely by Senator Obama.  No news stories, no polls, no glimpse into any other elections ever hinted that Republicans would have a chance in Illinois.  Today,  Barack and Michelle Obama went back to Chicago to cast their votes, and currently, Obama is at the Hyatt awaiting the polls.  The crowds are gathering in the unusually warm Chicago weather to hear Obama make his anticipated speech.  Illinois is blue through and through and Obama will gain the state's 21 electoral votes.  

50 Day Countdown - Where Illinois Stands Thus Far

This Sunday marks the 50 day countdown to the election and it's time to see where the states stand thus far.  Illinois has backed Senator Obama since the earliest stages of his candidacy.  Illinois's Speaker of the House, Michael Madigan, suggested in January 2007 that Illinois move its state primary from March to February, specifically to give Barack Obama a better chance overall to win the Democratic party's nomination for president.  The Chicago Tribune stated, in its article on the change in primary dates, that Democratic lawmakers feared the party's standard-bearer already could be decided before the Illinois primary if the state kept the contest in March.  Illinois has gradually made the change to a blue state--earlier in the states' history, Republican suburbanites dominated the vote.  However, the election of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1989, provided a good example of the Democratic party, that enabled Illinois suburbanites to ease toward the Democrats.  Illinois voted for the Democratic nominees in the 2004, 2000, and 1992 presidential elections, but voted for Dole in the 1996 election.  Both senators from Illinois, Obama and Durbin (who is up for re-election this year), are Democrat, along with the state's governor Rod Blagojevich.  Obama beat Clinton in the Illinois Democratic primary with 66% and his popularity in this state has not faded.  The latest presidential election polls from Illinois show Obama leading McCain 51.8 to 36.8.  The key issue that the candidates will need to address in Illinois is the economy, but, with only 21 electoral college votes, Republicans should not even waste their time advertising in Illinois because it is a strong Obama state.