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The Race for President: How Illinois Voted

What will 2012 ballots in northern Illinois show about President Obama's support at home?

 

Illinois Never in Doubt but Obama Lost Some Fans

Updated at 3 a.m., Chicago time

By Dennis Robaugh

After NBC and CNN projected President Obama's re-election, the president sent a message shortly thereafter on Twitter at 10:14 saying simply, "This happened because of you. Thank you."

Illinois, of course, was never in play. Our state's 20 electoral votes were stuck in the president's back pocket as far back as his inauguration in 2008.

But in 2008's historic election, President Obama carried every collar county in northern Illinois. In 2012, the president narrowly lost out to Mitt Romney in Kane County, Kendall County and McHenry County, with 99 percent of precincts reporting.

Voter turnout again was very strong. Local polling places even reported lines at 6 a.m. with voters waiting to get in. Where the momentum in 2008 focused on electing the first black man to the presidency and turning the page on eight years of George W. Bush, 2012 focused on Obama's handling of the economy.

Mokena's Dan Stacey, 64, didn't want to see Obama get four more years.

“I voted because I think it’s time for a change,” said Stacey, 64. “We’re heading the wrong direction.”

While the diminished support in the traditionally conservative, far-flung suburbs isn't a surprise, even in Chicago Obama drew 100,000 fewer votes in his re-election than he did in 2008. In staunchly Republican DuPage County, Obama held a 4,000-vote majority, but four years ago he secured a 45,000-vote margin of victory. The president drew 65,000 fewer votes in suburban Cook County and 30,000 fewer Will County voters backed the president. 

Suburban residents interviewed by Patch Tuesday said the economy and the president's record on jobs were their reasons to vote against Obama.

"This election bears serious significance for our future," said Sheila Brady of Orland Park outside her Fernway Elementary School polling place around 11 a.m. "Our economy is still questionable. And we've heard constantly in the weeks leading up how important it is to vote this time."

During the day, poll watchers were discussing the possibility that the nation would face an excrutiating wait to the election's outcome. But by 10:15 p.m., CNN and NBC were projecting Obama the winner.

Well before 11 p.m., the race was called for Obama and the crowd at McCormick Place began to party. Still, at 10:42 p.m., the Romney campaign was telling reporters the GOP nominee wasn't ready to concede. As Ohio and other swing states began to fall for Obama, just before midnight Romney conceded.

"I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation," Romney told his supporters.

The Obama campaign won the most expensive presidential race ever, with both parties raising about $2.6 billion. The race was filled with negative campaigning on both sides, from President Obama attacking Romney’s business experience with Bain Capital to Romney lambasting Obama’s handling of the economy.

Illinois, solidly blue, didn't get to see much of either candidate in this campaign. The only visit the president made to his home state late in the campaign came Oct. 25, when he returned to the South Side to cast an early ballot at the Martin Luther King Community Center. Obama is the first president to ever vote early in a presidential election.

But the crowd Tuesday night at McCormick Place loved seeing him. Shortly after midnight, the president took the stage and addressed the divisions displayed so prominently in the campaign.

“We are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. ... We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America,” he said to thunderous applause.

Four Years Ago

Back in 2008 in suburban Cook County, the president took 698,158 votes — the most ever recorded by a presidential candidate, eclipsing Ronald Reagan's 1984 total of 646,444. Three townships tilted for the GOP candidate in 2008 — Orland, Lemont and Barrington — but McCain could only muster 338,481 votes in the Cook County suburbs.

Interestingly, Romney fell 4,000 votes shy of McCain's Cook County tally.

Reagan still holds the record of winning 28 suburban Cook County townships in 1984.

Four years ago, Illinoisans cast 3,319,237 votes for Obama to 1,981,158 for McCain, with 30,000 ballots going to Ralph Nader. This year, 2,912,872 people in the Land of Lincoln voted for Obama and 2,087,366 backed Romney and Paul Ryan.

Historically, Illinois backed Republican candidates — Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George Bush — from 1972 through the 1988 election. Starting with Bill Clinton, Illinois' support has gone to the Democratic candidate for president.

In his Chicago victory speech in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, the president seemed to acknowledge in his talk of what divides the country that many voters who once backed him have fallen away. The nation's popular vote hovered at 50-50 overnight. Obama pledged, as he did four years ago, to work with Republicans and promised that "the best is yet to come." 

"By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won’t end all the gridlock or solve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward. But that common bond is where we must begin."

Curious about Patch coverage of the presidential election in other states? Visit Patch sites in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Hampshire and Florida.


Related Topics: Barack Obama, Congress, Mitt Romney, and election 2012

bob

10:43 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

If the President wins the Re-election the stock market will fall because
people do not trust the GOVERNMENT.

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laura

12:36 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Obama already HAS won... count the Electoral votes. And you are so dead wrong! The stock market, rather like futures markets,prices in events -- its ANTICIPATES them. And it already has priced in an Obama victory. What stocks dislike is uncertainty. Now, that uncertainty is gone. Go look right now at Tokyo/Hong Kong, London markets, following the clock. Bob, you are a true economic Boob! Hah!

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Walter Bruun

12:36 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

@ Bob - really? Re-electing the same President who oversaw the doubling of the Stock Market during the last 4 years will result in a stock market fall because "people" don't trust "GOVERNMENT"? Would those be the same people whose voices you - but no one else - hear? That makes absolutely no sense at ll.

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Keith

12:33 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

If the stock market falls, it won't be because the President won the re-election,the people "still" do not trust the GOVERNMENT! I don't expect a lot of change,because we still have the same senate and congress!

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MOKENA VOTER

12:33 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Do you realize how idiotic that comment is? The stock market is up over 75% since President Obama was elected. Furthermore, the market has historically gained over 7% when a Dem is President, vs 3% when people like you vote in the disaster known as Boosh.

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Tinley Park Mom

12:33 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

sorry bob; incorrect. Morning Joe Wall street type state it is because of Europe..

You are correct that people do not trust Government; specifically the Far OUT Right .

Underlined by the Results of the Elections...

Despiser of Obama

12:36 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Here's comes a bigger recession now.

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Clutche

12:36 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

80% Obama Chicago....racial voting for sure what a joke

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Travis Bickle

10:40 am on Friday, November 9, 2012

Clutche - The vast majority of Americans voted for the President, except for the white vote who voted for the white candidate. I guess that is what you mean by racial voting.

Andrea Finnegan

12:36 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

I do agree that people in rural area who aren't in contact with the homelessness and others in need have the 47% misconception and think that Kicking people when they're down is done in the name of their dogmatic God.

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Mark Lukas

6:29 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

What in the world are you talking about?

Janice Hankosky

12:33 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Actually bob the stock market might be even better. Due to Obamacare companies are looking to hiring only part time employees which will give them more productivity with less expenses and more profits. Good for the stockholders but bad for the middle class.

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ag

12:33 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Well everyone that voted for reelection solely owns what is to come for this Country. The rest of us have to bend over for your ignorance. But make no mistake all of you own it.

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MOKENA VOTER

9:49 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012

ag, I'm assuming you take credit for the Boosh/Cheney disaster?

haroldHood

12:33 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

And people don't trust wall street either, who is controlling Washington and has the politicians in their back pocket, no matter who wins. So who does anybody trust anymore? Big money + Power = corruption.

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Blackhawks Fan

12:33 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

he market was going to fall regardless of who won. The market has two fears right now; Europe and the fiscal cliff. A quick resolution of the fiscal cliff is what the market wants but she doesn’t think she is going to get it. If the Republicans and the Democrats cannot figure out how to reach across the aisle and work together we are in big trouble.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/euro-drops-draghi-says-debt-crisis-hits-germany-2012-11-07?dist=lcountdown

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John Tips

12:33 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The market did fall and is falling, but not because people don't trust our government. It is falling due to the dreaded decline for Congress to either pass a budget or suffer a 10% across the board cut. Further pressuring the markets downward is the fact that Europe is in a decline, and our market leaders (oil, insurance, banks, etc) are reluctant to invest in America due to their corporate greed!

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Michael M.

6:29 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

John Tips-Get your facts straight. The REPUB house did pass a few budgets, but the DEM senate failed to take them up because Harry Reid would not allow it to come to a vote. The Obama budget was rejected with all no votes and not even one yes vote. It is misinformation like yours that some people will believe and then vote according to that info.

Marianne Claussen

6:29 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Ag the only ignorance of the campaign was the sexism and racism coming from the right.

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frank booth

9:49 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012

Really? The racism coming from the right? Do you remember what the African-American vote by percentage was for Obama in 2008? It was 95%. Surely, there is racism within both parties, but it is played for votes by the Democratic party. And then Republicans are accused of lying, but then Obama can't even give us a straight answer on what happened in Libya. And earlier, Obama tells us that Obamacare is not a tax, only to be confirmed as legal by the U.S. Supreme Court because it is a tax.

Most of us in Illinois should have a pretty good idea of Democrat standards by looking at the corrupt Democratic government in Chicago.

Despiser of Obama

6:29 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Read what Steve Forbes had to say about Obama's reelection and what will happen to the U.S. and the economy .

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SHUSSBAR

6:29 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Listening for the Tea party, communist tanks were almost supposed to roll on 183rd and we would loose our freedom. Didn t see anything today.. The Republican Party needs a full revamp to the XXI century or they will loose all next presidential elections. Look at the crowd in Rep. Election HQ in Boston yesterday.. it did not reflect our society what so ever. Too white (i am white), too wealthy, to old , to republican.

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frank booth

9:49 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012

Don't be silly- losing freedoms doesn't always start with tanks rolling in. Sometimes it starts as a whimper rather than a bang, and those that are blind to it or choose to look the other way will never see the signs. And it doesn't mean that the end result has to be the most extreme either.

Jack Rabbit

5:48 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012

I don't get "Voter turnout again was very strong. Local polling places even reported lines at 6 a.m. with voters waiting to get in..." Juxtaposed with "While the diminished support in the traditionally conservative, far-flung suburbs isn't a surprise, even in Chicago Obama drew 100,000 fewer votes in his re-election than he did in 2008. In staunchly Republican DuPage County, Obama held a 4,000-vote majority, but four years ago he secured a 45,000-vote margin of victory. The president drew 65,000 fewer votes in suburban Cook County and 30,000 fewer Will County voters backed the president".

Now I can say from my observation and my neighbor's observations that early voting lines were also long. So how can "turnout again was very strong" along with diminished votes for Obama translate to an Obama victory?

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Dennis Robaugh

5:52 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012

Turnout overall was strong in the Chicago metro area (though 2008 turnout was extremely high). As to the diminished support for the president, his margin of victory in the Chicago area was much smaller. In 2008, he prevailed in every county — including the Republican counties. But in 2012, three traditionally Republican counties flipped back and went for Romney.

Terry Germany

9:49 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012

Hey Laura
Hows the market doing this morning just wondering.
Terry

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Stones

5:42 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012

The market is down because Romney moved the last of his on-shore investments to the Cayman Islands.

On Inauguration day 2009, the market opened at about 7949, this morning it's down a little to 12,901. It was at 12,741 on Inauguration day 2005.

That would be down 4792 in Bush's last four years and up 4952 in Obama's first four years. I'm sure there are many factors involved besides who is in the White House, but those are the numbers.

Despiser of Obama

5:42 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012

Let's not forget to say a big Amen that the Illinois Constitution amendment failed!!!!

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Despiser of Obama

5:42 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012

People that voted for the louse Obama didn't use their brain or soul to vote for him, they used decisions of immoral behavior and Intrinsic evil in mind.

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Glen Ellyn Elder

5:42 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012

It is great to realize that American voters finally realized that their interests were not represented by Mr. Mitt. Perhaps if I were an immensely wealthy individual paying little or no taxes on my income and with my money secreted away in offshore accounts in the Caymen Islands I would feel differently. Or maybe a private equity fund manager who has delayed and avoided significant earnings and taxes because of my "carried interest" tax loophole I would think differently.
The time has come to help the middle class tax payer and let them retain their limited tax deductions. Make sure that the medicare payments they made for 30 years will have been a good investment. And those dollars paid religiously into Social Security for four decades are distributed to a retired person when their earning days have waned.

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Sick of the spin

10:40 am on Friday, November 9, 2012

You are a fool. Romney did what the law allowed. Second the fantasy of Social Security is just that. It was put together when there were more than a 2 to 1 ratio of workers paying into the system for every retired person and when the life expectancy was less than 65. But due to poor construction of a Government program, no adjustment was ever made to keep up with the actuarial tables and extend the retirement age. Now it is in this mess.

John Tips

10:40 am on Friday, November 9, 2012

Micheal M.

Try FactCheck.Org before you criticise me. The problem with the budget should be blamed on BOTH parties!
Quote:
"Boehner is right that Obama could make the debt ceiling issue go away, at least temporarily, if he were to sign a new bill that Boehner is working on after the House-passed Cut, Cap and Balance Act failed to clear the Senate last week. That assumes, of course, that Congress sends it to his desk. Boehner's new plan would increase the debt ceiling by nearly $1 trillion — enough to last through the early part of 2012 — in exchange for cutting the deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years, according to news reports. That means it would force another vote on raising the debt ceiling before the 2012 presidential election. Boehner's plan would also establish a joint congressional committee that would be tasked with coming up with additional spending reductions.

But Republicans could just as easily make the "crisis" disappear by voting in favor of Democratic proposals to raise the debt ceiling. Republicans have demanded deep spending cuts (without new revenues) in exchange for raising the nation's debt limit. And when Democrats proposed reducing the deficit through a combination of spending cuts and revenue increases, Republicans rejected the idea of any tax hikes."

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John Tips

10:40 am on Friday, November 9, 2012

My daughter, wife, and I all voted for this President! REASON: My daughter said that "Nobody has the right" due to their religious beliefs to tell her what to do with her body - if her life was in danger, or in the case of rape!" Know what - she is right and the Republican party should get out of our sex lives, and bedrooms! The younger generations we have here in America will decide where both ruling parties will be, or which will succumb to their own destruction!

THINK OF THIS AMERICA - If we allow our religious beliefs to gain too much influence over government (as we know it today) then as America accepts the other World religions and their beliefs , we may face in the future forcing our women to wear Abaya's, or Burqa's and suffer being stoned in our streets!

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roscrea

10:40 am on Friday, November 9, 2012

My family is doing great so the status quo is fine with me. To everyone that is unemployed or underemployed and has seen their costs go up and their income go down and they voted for Obama, enjoy the next 4 years! Things are about to get a lot worse. The House will block everything Obama wants and the senate and president will prevent the policies needed to get the american business community back on track. We will stay exactly as we are except in Illinois, everyone's taxes are about to go through the roof AGAIN to pay for all the democrat/ union corruption in the worst state in the country. For those Obama/ Madigan supporters that can't afford that, boo hoo. You did it to yourself.

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Despiser of Obama

10:40 am on Friday, November 9, 2012

Here's an example what I would do if given the choice. Give a large donation to Obama and receive 5,000 a month for life or give the same large donation to my Church and receive a plaque in my honor! I would take the latter of the two! Amen for choices!

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I. J.

10:40 am on Friday, November 9, 2012

Hate to burst your bubble Glen Ellyn Elder but the current tax laws allow even the middle class to divert monies to different funds and accounts to avoid taxes. The amount is larger for the rich because they have a larger cash flow. Pay for the services of good financial adviser and tax professional and even modest savings will grow.

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Concerned Citizen

9:53 pm on Saturday, November 10, 2012

Did anyone realize that there is a direct correlation between Republican voters and states with the least educated populance. Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Indiana,Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia all went Romney, the only state in the group of least educated that was an exception was Nevada. They telling us something?

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Kerry

2:48 pm on Sunday, November 11, 2012

Have you realized that the states with fiscal problems are run by Democrats? Have you realized that Obama was re elected with olny 28% of the approval of the total electorate?

Terry Germany

2:48 pm on Sunday, November 11, 2012

Maybe the least educated but have the most common sense.
The majority of Illinois counties voted for Romney.
Don't forget 47% of America voted for Romney not a big enough margin for Obama to run around thinking he has a lot of support or love.

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roscrea

2:48 pm on Sunday, November 11, 2012

This could be the dumbest post ever. All RED states are better than Illinois. Most solid BLUE states like California, Illinois, and Michigan have economies that are train wrecks and it will only get worse. Everyone knows that democrats win by winning urban areas and appealing to the least educated people. Take a look at any post election state map including Illinois and you will see almost all red except blue in the cities.

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Kent Frederick

9:30 pm on Wednesday, November 14, 2012

As bad as things are in Illinois, you couldn't pay me to live anywhere else, with the possible exception of Boston.

I was in Houston this summer and hated it. The traffic is miserable. People drive like maniacs. There is far more culture in Chicago, with the Art Institute, the Lyric Opera, CSO, and touring Broadway shows.

Kent Frederick

9:30 pm on Wednesday, November 14, 2012

I don't get how Illinois became such a blue state. Between 1952 and 1988, this state only went Democrat twice, for JFK and LBJ, and the vote for JFK had a margin of less than 10,000 votes.

What has changed about Illinois that has made this a tough state for Republicans statewide? During the Republican Revolution of 1994, Republicans took every statewide office and control of the General Assembly.

You would think that with unemployment higher than the national average and a very unpopular increase in the state income tax, this state would have easily gone red.

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Sergey Kemskiy

9:30 pm on Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Taxation is a one of the most complicated areas of law, but your tax law articles make it so clear. You must be one of the most professional U.S. tax attorneys or you know a lot of people who deserve this name. This is the type of lawyers I want to see in my attorney directory created to help people to find an appropriate attorney immediately. This is the category of my directory with contacts of Illinois tax attorneys http://attorney-online.info/dir/tax/illinois/909 submit your contacts there please and recommend good lawyers to do it as well.

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