December 27, 2006
DALEY'S "TROUBLES" MAY PRODUCE MAYORAL UPSET
It would take the proverbial perfect political storm to oust Rich Daley as Chicago's mayor, but there's some interesting meteorological developments. Daley has numerous "troubles" careening down the road, in the form of the U.S. Attorney's investigation of the city's hiring and promotion practices. Already, 42 have been convicted in the Hired Truck probe. The 2/27/07 election will be unlike those of 1999 and 2003, when Daley got a hefty black vote. He has two black foes in 2007: Dorothy Brown and Dock Walls. There are 125 aldermanic candidates in the city's 20 black-majority wards, which will spur black turnout. Daley filed only 24,100 petition signatures, which means he has no ground game in the white wards. But he'll spend $4 million on TV and radio ads, proclaiming himself as "Good for Chicago." The election will be a referendum on Daley: Do Chicagoans, despite the plethora of scandals, want 4 more years? The 2007 election will resemble those of 1989, 1991 and 1995, when Daley got a minimal black vote. If Brown and Walls get 90% of the black vote, and 25% of the white/Hispanic vote, Daley is in real trouble. But Chicago isn't ready to elect a black mayor. Daley would win in the runoff. Full Article...
December 20, 2006
"FATIGUE FACTOR" KEYS 2007 ALDERMANIC RACES
The "F" word is relevant in describing the upcoming 2007 Chicago aldermanic elections. There's the Fatigue Factor, the Financial Factor, and, on the Northwest Side, the Few Factor. Are voters sick and tired of their alderman? If so, then there's a flood of candidates. The job's salary is up to $98,125, so that's an incentive to run. But few candidates filed against Northwest Side incumbents. In fact, several aldermen have risen to iconic status -- meaning much respected and beloved. Berny Stone (50th), Dick Mell (33rd), Gene Schulter (47th) and Pat O'Connor (40th) have been around for decades. They are institutions in their wards. The face desultory opposition. Icons-in-the-making include Tom Allen (38th) and Marge Laurino (39th). Facing potentially troublesome opposition are Brian Doherty (41st), Bill Banks (36th), Pat Levar (45th) and Rey Colon (35th). But the only truly endangered incumbent is Ted Matlak (32nd). Full Article...
December 13, 2006
RIVAL AREA "MACHINES" BACK SAME CANDIDATES
Chicago's Northwest Side has two formidable political "machines": The Banks/DeLeo Democratic organization in the 36th Ward, and the Doherty/McAuliffe Republican organization in the 41st Ward, supplemented by the Silvestri/Saviano group in west suburban Leyden Township. They did battle again in November, but not against each other. In a circumstance that only the most jaded political junkie can enjoy, both "machines" worked for the same candidates in selected races. The Democrats worked for Republican State Rep. Mike McAuliffe and Republican County Comm. Pete Silvestri; the trade-off was that the Republicans fielded no candidate against Democratic State Sen. Jim DeLeo. Even though every other Democrat (except Todd Stroger) carried Ald. Bill Banks' 36th Ward massively, McAuliffe won the ward by 609 votes, and Silvestri, the Elmwood Park village president, lost by just 229 votes. Clearly, the "fix" was in. In the 41st Ward, McAuliffe's base, he won by 5,426 votes, and Silvestri won by 3,667 votes. It's the new Non-Aggression Pact, and demonstrates that smart politicians would rather switch than fight, as long as somebody wins something. Full Article...
December 6, 2006
PERPETUAL CAMPAINGNING PROMPTS KOTOWSKI UPSET
The crown has passed to Dan Kotowski. State Rep. Mike McAuliffe (R-20) has long been renowned as the Northwest Side's Incredible Campaigning Machine. Dating back to 1996, and every election cycle thereafter, McAuliffe has spent 5 hours a day, from May to October, walking precincts. The new champ is Democrat Dan Kotowski, who scored a humongous upset in the near northwest suburban 33rd District, which takes in traditionally Republican Park Ridge, Des Plaines, Mt. Prospect, Elk Grove, and parts of Wheeling, Palatine and Rolling Meadows. Kotowski began his door-to-door efforts in Feb. 2005, spending over 40 hours a week, every week, on retail politics, making 50-75 contacts per day, or at least 500 per week. Each contact got a follow-up. It paid huge dividends. Against appointed Republican incumbent Cheryl Axley, Kotowski won by 1,394 votes, making him the area's first Democratic state senator since before 1860. Kotowski is the Perpetual Campaigning Machine. And the lesson to be learned: In any local race, a candidate works hard enough, and long enough, can win despite heavy odds. Full Article...
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