The Beast

I feel for Spiegs, he was not an issue. DeCastro really screwed him, even if he and Goff still have their contracts. His show’s ratings weren’t that bad and I didn’t feel he was too political. McKnight and Bernstein are okay and I can only stand McNeil and Parkins in small doses. I definitely have to go all around the dial to fill my work day and enjoy cross talk at 1:45 on AM 1000 as opposed to 670’s. Bernstein is good in his slot and it’s nice to have crosstalk in the morning, but he would be better on the afternoons where we could hear the meatball Chicago sports fan call in. Hearing some of those idiots call in and argue politics was funny too.

I said I’m not sure I agree, I haven’t been persuaded otherwise yet. I would love to get more for the taxes I pay and also have my property taxes reduced a bit in my new home, but I’m not sure it will happen. If it did, I’d be interested as to how everything that was proposed would work. Bernie wouldn’t be my first choice, Biden would. Maybe Bernie would gain more support from beyond his base than I think he would, but I don’t know.

I’m not sure I agree with the taxes that are involved with his plans on healthcare or making public universities free.

Mostly anything that is free and the fact that he focused so much on the 1%. If he went against Trump o would probably vote for him but again, I hope Biden, Hickenlooper/Kasich or another young democrat runs.

I want nothing to do with Sanders as of now. He has some ideas that I can’t agree with as a left leaning independent. Biden with some younger VP or Hickenlooper and Kasich is something I could get behind, even if the latter is a pipe dream.

I’d still vote for Biden even if he’ll be 78, Trump will be 74. Biden probably has the best chance of the Democrats to win, in my opinion. I feel like he can reach people from both sides that other potential candidates can’t, especially with the working class that Trump got in PA, MI and WI. That is unless the progressive candidates could somehow turn some Trump voters towards voting for them and don’t scare off others. After seeing “1968” it would be nice to see Kasich or Flake challenge Trump at the Republican National Convention, but I doubt it would actually work.

Well, we clearly know what side you support.

It’s not as easy to find her political views as you say it is, raBBit.

So, is there any truth to this? Will Democrats fail to gain support in the midterms because most Americans aren’t as liberal as their base of voters, they want their taxes lowered instead of raised and most voters want their parties to work together when it makes sense? I hope history is on the Democrats side in November to slow Trump’s agenda and bring some balance since there will be a battle over congressional maps in 2020 and because the GOP have held the congress soft as long as I can remember. What do you all think will happen?

What’s the latest on Alec Hansen?

QUOTE (Sox-35th @ Mar 28, 2018 -> 09:45 AM) Well, I was wrong, the new Score shakeup is...interesting. Love Danny Mac and prefer Bernstein middays. He and Goff could get pretty toxic. Danny Parkins does a great job, too. I can’t agree here, Spiegs did not deserve to be fired and there’s a void from 9-1 now. McKnight is bland and Bernstein is on the hot seat. He was neutered with the move and can’t do his usual antics anymore. Parkins sucks and Mac was better with Spiegs. Spiegs was the soul of the Score. And, 83 Nation is dead, sadly. The wrong producers are with the wrong hosts. Hopefully station management figured out they messed up big time and that listeners are switching the dial to AM 1000. I know that I am and that what happened is disappointing.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Mar 28, 2018 -> 03:53 PM) So... busy month in politics So...Ives didn’t win, thank God. Rauner looks vulnerable to Pritzker which isn’t the best thing in the world. The candidate in my district, the 6th congressional district, Sean Casten, won the democratic primary and is trying to unseat Peter Roskam. It would be sweet if he could pick Roskam’s seat off after Roskam did not hold town halls for constituents (phone town halls only), wanted to repeal and replace the ACA and voted for the tax cut. Hopefully Casten gets enough support to beat him.

Since Trump and some republicans counter that this is a mental health problem and not a gun problem, what can they actually do about mental health? Throw money at the problem? Unlikely. Enact the Obama executive order (that Trump got rid of) under actual legislation? What would they actually propose? Also, what can be done about guns bought in neighboring states that are brought back to Illinois and put in the wrong hands (gangs)? What can be done about that?

The Illinois General Assembly took up four bills today. My rep, David Olsen (R, IL) voted yes to support new licensing agreements for firearm dealers, create a gun dealer licensing board on one bill, to support the ban of bum stocks on another bill, to support a 72 hour waiting period before buying assault weapons and 50 caliber rifles. Voted no on the bill that increased the age to 21 for buying assault weapons and high frequency magazines and banning .50 caliber rifle. Four separate bills. I wonder if he would support a revised bill to raise the age limit without banning rifles. Jeanne Ives voted no on all of these bills, probably to play the political game with Bruce Rauner ahead of the primary on March 20.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 27, 2018 -> 07:56 AM) In 2020 I think the Dems have to get someone not so serious about being POTUS to run in the primaries, and just be like Trump, only fire away at Trump. Take all the potshots. He's easy to rile up. Why don't Dems take advantage of this? Make him go off the deep end. Take the shots. Talk about Trump U, Stormy Daniels, Russians, his stupid offspring, all the hits. Call his lackeys president Jared or president Kelly or whoever is around then. Make fun of Ivanka speaking whisper. Talk about his fake marriage. His admitted sexual abuse. Everything. He. Can't. Take. It. It's low and dirty, but enough playing fair. Mark Cuban?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 26, 2018 -> 07:31 AM) Its to late for the pensions IMO. Madigan is basically Bill Wirtz, we need him to ride off into the graveyard sunset before anything can possibly get done. Well, he’s 75. Having Madigan in as the speaker is one factor, but the Illinois constitution also restricts doing anything as well. Hopefully that can get amended and there’s a way to ensure new employees, current employees and retirees of the teacher’s retirement system can get some sort of retirement benefit, but with age cutbacks and with a greater emphasis on 403(b)s while still contributing to the pension system.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Feb 25, 2018 -> 09:57 PM) Rauner is not really friendly with Trump or pushing policies like that. He came in to office with the idea that he could just get his policy preferences done completely with little or no compromise, and that helped lead to that record period of no budget and all the associated problems. He's recently been trying to avoid any responsibility ("I'm not in charge!"), and his only political play seems to be too whine about madigan (though that's true of a lot of Illinois politicians). He could still win in November, but he's not particularly popular and turnout is expected to favor Democrats nationally, and races like the one against Roskam could get more motivated Dems that'd vote against Rauner too. AG is important and there are eight Democrats running for the open spot. Two Republicans I think. Democrat machine politics are heavily controlled by madigan, and Rauner essentially owns the state GOP with his personal wealth. It's a bad situation all around as far as that goes. Make sure to vote both in the primaries next month and then the general! Thanks for the post. I read somewhere that Scott Drury breaks with his party and is anti-Madigan so I’m thinking of voting with him. I figured Biss might be better to vote for than Pritzker or Rauner but I don’t know if Pritzker would break with Madigan on policy direction or not.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Feb 25, 2018 -> 09:01 PM) I don’t live there but I say vote union, vote teachers, vote pensions. Just go down with the ship and vote D across the board. It’s too late for moderation, cutbacks or austerity of any kind. So f*** it- blaze of glory. My wife is a teacher and isn’t banking on a pension. We are hopeful there can be some kind of reform and she is getting set up on a 403(b) to play some defense against the failure of the pension system to pay its obligations. I feel that we owe it to the next generation be conscious with our vote which is why I generally split my ticket. That and because I don’t agree with the two party system or with the current administration’s policies.

I’m not sure if this belongs here or in the Democrat thread but I historically split my ticket and am voting out an incumbent in Peter Roskam nationally. However, locally, I am looking for candidates who are more moderate or democratic that will go against Mike Madigan. Does anyone think any of them would go against the man who is dolling our support to their campaign? Is Rauner really doing a bad job as governor and is he somehow involved with Trump? What positions on the ballot actually have an impact on Illinois, given that the general assembly can’t get anything done?

I bet Trump runs again, even if he is approaching the normal life expectancy at that point. Pence is even more sick than Trump is. I would love to see another woman run but actually win, which is why I mentioned Gillibrand. The only person I could see winning right now is Biden.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Feb 24, 2018 -> 11:02 AM) She would lose. Every attack used against Hillary could equally be used against her. They even look enough alike. I've never experienced a more calculating, methodical, power-hungry person than Gillibrand. Don't get me wrong, I think she's great. But she's the epitome of a political opportunist, and has had her sites set on the Presidency from the moment she chose which district in NY to move to, because she wanted to pick the one where she'd have the best chance of winning. I don't think - if you're trying to go for authenticity - she'll do the Democratic Party any favors. Okay, then who do you and Caufield think would win then? I can’t see Warren beating Trump and I’m not so sure Bernie is the best bet either. Personally, and I know it wouldn’t happen, but a Hickenlooper/Kasich ticket would appeal to me. A purple ticket of sorts.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Feb 23, 2018 -> 11:09 PM) Anywho, have us democrats come up with anybody better than Biden? Fully believe he can beat Trump in 2020, which is literally the only thing democrats need to be concerned about when it comes to presidential candidates. Gillibrand.

Hopefully those maps get redrawn in other districts too since some involve gerrymandering and data analysis can prove that. Also, it would be great if Romney gets elected to see him block the Trump agenda, since he seems unbound like McCain.

I know it is just a fangraphs projection but will all of the starters have an ERA above 5? I’d think the team can still be better than 65 wins as well.

Opt out after year two. I don’t remember opt outs being part of contracts until recently, when I believe Cespedes was given an opt out.