October 28, 2009
"SUPERFLY SYNDROME" KEY TO DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR PRIMARY
Who's the biggest, baddest, blackest White Dude running in the 2010 Democratic primary for Illinois governor? It surely ain't Pat Quinn or Dan Hynes, both of whom are squishy white SpongeBobs. Quinn is "Governor Jello," vacillating and equivocating daily. Hynes is a zombie in his TV commercials, and has the charisma of a toad. But the "Superfly Syndrome" must prevail. Blacks constitute a third of the Democratic primary electorate. IIn past white-versus-white IL primaries, the black vote was decisive: Quinn and Al Hofeld in 1994; Dick Durbin (over Quinn) in 1996; Mary Lou Kearns (over Quinn) in 1998; Lisa Madigan in 2002; and Alexi Giannoulias in 2006. The key: Line up black committeemen and ministers, do ads on black radio, stress black issues, and get on the unofficial "black ballot." Hynes was an early Obama for president backer; and Quinn tried to fire 2 black U. of I. trustees. Which of these uncool, unappetizing, unmotivating White Dudes will blacks back? Full Article...
October 21, 2009
2010 CAMPAIGN PROMISES "TRICKS AND TREATS" FOR LT. GOV., COUNTY COMMISSIONER
It's Halloween 2009, and here's some political tricks and treats. In the Illinois Lt. Gov. race, the Democratic primary features Ald. Sandi Jackson (7th), husband of scandal-enmeshed U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson (D-2), who is caught in the Blagojevich Senator-for-Sale investigation. Sandi was paid a salary of $247,500 since 2001 by Jackson's campaign committee, and Jesse donated $298,927 from his congressional committee to her aldermanic committee. Democrats don't need the "treat" of having Sandi on their party's 2010 ticket. She's not just baggage. She's ballast. In the northwest side 9th county board district, incumbent Pete Silvestri (R) has been a reliably anti-Stroger, anti-tax vote, but faces tough 2010 opposition from Cary Capparelli (D), son of a former state representative. The Banks-DeLeo-McAuliffe-Doherty-Silverstri-Saviano/36th-41st Ward Non-Aggression Pact will be put to a severe test. Banks and DeLeo are retiring; Doherty is running for DeLeo's state senate seat. Capparelli ties Silvestri to the status quo. His candidacy is no "treat" for the Pact. In the 36th Ward, newly-minted Ald. John Rice, Banks' former driver, faces a difficult 2011 race. Full Article...
October 14, 2009
DEMOCRATS BEG ALLEN TO OPPOSE DOHERTY FOR STATE SENATOR
"Desperately Seeking Tom Allen." That's the mindset of Springfield Democrats who are begging Tom Allen, the 16-year 38th Ward Chicago alderman, to seek the Northwest Side state senate seat being vacated by Jim DeLeo (D-10). They are rightly convinced that if Allen doesn't run, the district will flip to the Republicans, with Alderman Brian Doherty (41st) a cinch to win in 2010. But that begs the question: Why would a Chicago alderman want to be a junior state senator? In the hierarchy of legislative clout, a congressman is at the pinnacle, followed by a Chicago alderman, Cook County commissioner, state senator, state representative, and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner. If Allen runs, he'd take a $42,720 pay cut, and would be a mere robot, totally irrelevant in the Democratic majority; he's now the Transportation committee chairman, and almost won the nomination for state's attorney in 2008. Republican Doherty has 18 years in the council, but he's an outsider, and never voted for a tax hike. He's running against "one party rule," and vows to block any state income tax increase. Republicans, now down 37-22, need to pick up 4-5 senate seats in 2010. Allen would give Doherty a battle. Any other Democrat -- Mary Anselmo, Wanda Majcher, John Mulroe, John Nocita -- would lose. Full Article...
October 7, 2009
OLYMPICS AND BUST? WHO WILL SUCCEED MAYOR DALEY IN 2011
Mayor Rich Daley called Chicago's procurement of the 2016 Olympics a "defining moment" in the city's history. The IOC's resounding rejection of Chicago's bid is a defining moment in Daley's 20-year mayoral reign. It was a "Bartman moment." Daley has been a good, if not great mayor. But Daley needed the 7-year buildup to the Olympics to obscure a myriad of festering ills: rising crime, rising budgets, a stagnant economy, and ever-widening scandals. Daley's approval rating is around 35%. Does Daley now reinvigorate himself, run in 2011, and risk defeat? Or does he meander out to pasture at the top of his game? A plethora of Democrats are jockeying for the job. The Hispanics include Joe Berrios, Luis Gutierrez, Miguel del Valle and Manny Flores; the blacks include Toni Preckwinkle, Sandi Jackson, Danny Davis and Dorothy Brown; the whites include Tom Dart, Terry O'Brien, Pat O'Connor, Dan Hynes, Lisa Madigan, Brendan Reilly, Joe Moore, David Hoffman and Bob Fioretti. My early prediction: Daley retires. And a runoff will ensue between Dart and Preckwinkle, with Dart winning. Full Article...
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