Over 100,000 D2 voters somehow believe MIA Jackson is the best qualified person to represent this district in Congress. Here's a few question to you who voted for him. Do you read? Do you do basic research on a candidate's voting and bill sponsor record? Can you set aside party line, race, or self interest and consider the common good?

D2 Jackson voters, we have little if anything in common. While I can accept (even embrace) diversity on some level, your vote reflects your thinking and place in society. Jackson voters are dysfunctional. They live in denial. And it's just one of the reasons I've leaving this district and this state next year.

Me too

I am sad . The Black people in my District have been let down. They are proud to see a person of color in public office. I think that is a good thing. I guess it is like seeing someone you know win at sports or just plain doing well at anything. Dr. King wanted everyone to be equal. We have come a long way towards that happening. When people vote by race or color that is not ( I believe ) the equal Dr. King wanted. He wanted people to respect one another for what they are not what color they are. So when someone in public office is not performing as they should or is doing illegal things. He is casting aside what Dr. King wanted. Be he a white or black person. Voting blindly is not a step towards the EQUAL Dr. King was talking about. Acting in a responsible way is what all people should do to carry out what Dr. King wanted. That was for people of all colors to come together for the good of all. A man has let us all down. Now the people that voted for him are being judged. It is a sad day in District 2.

Obviously he should have resigned months ago, or at the very least, not run in the primary. I think it may be that many voted for him because they were unhappy with the alternatives and are anticipating a special election sooner, rather than later, when it's possible there could be better alternatives than there were during the recent election.

While I do think many voted for him out of (displaced) loyalty, an clearly a lot of people are either baffled and/or disgusted, there may be more to it than simply voting the party line, race, denial, and/or dysfunction. I think for at least some, it may have been a simple, pragmatic matter of keeping their options open when the probably inevitable occurs.

Nice timing on this story although the sheep would still have voted for him had it come out before election.
It is interesting how he can work on a plea deal, vote for himself, and play in bars but can not do any work for his constituents. Perhaps that is what they mean by bipolar.

The same mentality, or lack there of, re elected Derrick Smith too.

http://chicagoist.com/2012/11/07/indicted_expelled_state_rep_derrick.php

You are right Tim. Same with the judges who were labeled unfit to sit on the bench easily retaining their seats. I guess Cook county has plenty of money for the law suit exposure that will come from having unfit judges on the bench. Preckwinkle the self proclaimed reformer said to vote a straight democratic ticket before the election. I guess getting Smith and Jackson out was not her idea of reform.

LindaT, Unhappy with alternatives?!? The alternatives were worse than a mentally ill, about to be indicted absent congressman or in Smith's case a bribe taker? Are you serious?

The party's over. There were many warning signs. Joe Lake, Chicago

Unfortunately, and without any research data, we can conclude that there was a significant amount of voters supporting JJJ simply because of color. Sadly, I found ,from a small sample of people, that the the support for JJJ was a composite of Democratic loyalty and disbelief that he was guilty of anything.

I cannot express how infuriating this is to me. I do believe from these "patch" responses many of you share my sentiments about our voting citizenry.

I am a Democrat and vote down the party line if I have no strong objection to a particular individual. At some point we would hope people used reason in casting a vote. Every vote is important. It is freely yours, but should not be freely given in the face of an issue like this.

A person that does not have the capacity nor the focus to represent us should not be considered. A person whose only campaign consisted one solitary robo call, does not deserve a vote.

Yet enough people voted to re-elect him. Adding insult to this, instead of voting for a competent person, people voted for an independent whose debating among his possible constituents shown through to be despicable.

Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" was about equality and fairness among us. How is voting for incompetent people, strictly by race or political party, either equal or fair?

The D2 research data is there via www.cookcountyclerk.com but we all know what it will tell us. Black voters, statistically known for voting Democratic and for black candidates, got MIA Jackson re-elected. He knew this would happen.

Unfortunately the Democratic party (machine) in Illinois is more about power than about being democrats. It is that machine that got Jackson and Smith elected. They don't even have to campaign. Redrawing districts to assure dems get elected or reelected has little to do with democratic ideals. It is all about control.
If there has to be a special election to fill jr's spot they will simply hand pick one of their cronies and that person will also easily get elected.

This is part of what I find despicable about Illinios government.

You are correct this is about the dem machine vs a person's race.

every single democrat in illinois
cares not about you or our state
only themselves and the free goodies they can give out at our expense
too late to say they must go the people want just that
what is going to happen to the businesses and people
like us who cant afford to move
its gonna get way way way worse

At least I won't hear about the peotone airport anymore.

Working on a plea deal?? In other words who is he singing on? Somebody's shaking in their boots right now.

I was right. I told the truth.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/11/09/former-u-s-prosecutor-negotiating-plea-deal-for-jackson-jr/

Hello 2nd District, and a special greeting to the 38,733 that voted for me,
I thank you.

The phrase for the day is: "GET SMART"

VOTE FOR MARCUS LEWIS FOR CONGRESS
APRIL 9TH, 2013

www.marcuslewisforcongress2012.org

Vote for Marcus Lewis for US Congress, Illinois 2nd Congressional District 2012
www.marcuslewisforcongress2012.org
This web page supports Marcus Lewis for US Congress 2012, Illinois 2nd Congressional District

Hello 2nd District, and a special greeting to the 38,733 that voted for me,
I thank you.

The phrase for the day is: "GET SMART"

VOTE FOR MARCUS LEWIS FOR CONGRESS
APRIL 9TH, 2013

www.marcuslewisforcongress2012.org

Vote for Marcus Lewis for US Congress, Illinois 2nd Congressional District 2012
www.marcuslewisforcongress2012.org
This web page supports Marcus Lewis for US Congress 2012, Illinois 2nd Congressional District

I am not losing sight here, the 2nd Congressional District is in desperate straits and I intend to be its representative because I care for the constituents and their welfare.

The machine only cares for lining their pockets off of the district.

VOTE FOR MARCUS LEWIS FOR CONGRESS

38,733 put us is the right direction. Let's follow their lead on April 9th, 2013.

If the Tribune considered Debbie Halvorson - who had actually served in congress, to be "alarmingly unqualified" to represent the District, what would they make of our friend Marcus???

The Tribune is a republican publication.

Enough said.

I am not losing sight here, the 2nd Congressional District is in desperate straits and I intend to be its representative because I care for the constituents and their welfare.
The machine only cares for lining their pockets off of the district.
VOTE FOR MARCUS LEWIS FOR CONGRESS
38,733 put us is the right direction. Let's follow their lead in the Special Election of early 2013.