Nov. 5, 2012

By Jayette Bolinski

SPRINGFIELD — A massive amount of outside spending on congressional races in Illinois underscores the importance of the Land of Lincoln when it comes to parties’ swinging or retaining control of the U.S. House on Election Day.

It also shows a diminishing amount of local influence in such races now, Illinois political experts say.

“These races have all been so nationalized that any sense of local control has just been lost,” said John Jackson, a visiting professor at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. “Local funding is important, but it’s a minor part of the story now.”

Illinoisans across the state can see the effects of outside spending just by turning on the television, where seemingly endless political ads, mostly for congressional races, are wedged between programming — or, rather, where programming is wedged in among the political ads. Continue reading →

Nov. 1, 2012

By Jayette Bolinski

CHICAGO — Larry Thomas may not come from an average west-side Chicago family, but he’s something of an average west-side Chicago voter.

Thomas’ family has some pull in the neighborhoods of the 28th Ward – his brother is native Chicagoan and basketball legend Isiah Thomas.

The family’s political influence is one reason Illinois House candidate Lance Tyson tapped Larry Thomas for support in his bid for the 10th Legislative District seat that until recently was held by freshman lawmaker Derrick Smith. Smith, of course, is the same lawmaker indicted on federal bribery charge and kicked out of the House earlier this year.

With that kind of support, and with that kind of an opponent, what possibly could keep Tyson from having an enormous lead over Smith less than a week from the Nov. 6 election? Continue reading →