May 11, 2011
"OBAMA NATION" RESISTS CHANGE IN 47TH, 46TH AND 43RD WARDS

ANALYSIS & OPINION BY RUSS STEWART

In 2008, Chicago's 47th, 46th and 43rd wards were an integral part of the "Obama Nation." They nearly unanimously succumbed to the notion of "change we need," and they produced vote percentages of 82.8 percent, 84.1 percent and 74.5 percent, respectively, for Barack Obama over John McCain.

Even in the 2008 presidential primary, liberalism trumped feminism, and Obama decisively thrashed Hillary Clinton with 66.7 percent, 66.4 percent and 69.3 percent of the vote, respectively, in the three wards.

But "change" is both fleeting and amorphous. In the wards' 2011 aldermanic elections, the "we" factor disintegrated. "Change" was both everywhere evident, but everywhere resisted. Aldermen Gene Schulter (47th), Helen Schiller (46th) and Vi Daley (43rd) departed in a blaze of ignominy, with their longtime constituents hurling one epithet: Good riddance.

Here's an analysis:

47th Ward (Ravenswood, Lincoln Square): Schulter has long postured as a liberal, and he perfected a superlative constituent service operation in the upscale ward, but voters were enraged by his deceitful attempt to bequeath his job to Tom O'Donnell, a precinct captain.

Schulter, who was first elected in 1975, announced for a 10th term, clearing the field of credible opposition. He filed his nominating petitions, conspired with O'Donnell, who filed his petitions on the last day, and then withdrew.

Schulter presumed that gullible and compliant voters would ignore or indulge his mendacity and that his 47th Ward Democratic Organization had the heft to produce for O'Donnell.

But guess what? Voters have a brain. In a remarkable "up yours" revolt, the 47th Ward's voters embraced an obscure, 30-year-old Indian American Ameya Pawar, a Northwestern University programming assistant. Pawar defeated O'Donnell by 8,572-7,347, getting 50.8 percent of the vote in a four-candidate field.

"He was an old-fashioned candidate," marveled Ed Kelly, the ward's former Democratic committeeman and a onetime party powerhouse. "He had no money, but he spent weeks knocking on doors." Pawar spent $40,814, to $112,226 for O'Donnell.

Kelly, a former Chicago Park District superintendent, was Schulter's mentor, plucking him from obscurity and making him an alderman. Schulter showed his gratitude by opposing Kelly for committeeman in 2000 and defeating him in 2004.

"There was a lot of resentment" toward Schulter regarding the O'Donnell switch, Kelly said. Pawar had the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, but his victory was "an anti-Schulter vote," Kelly said. Pawar won a majority in 32 of the ward's 52 precincts and got more than 40 percent of the vote in 16; O'Donnell won a majority in seven precincts and got more than 40 percent in 26.

Schulter was reelected over Marty Cooney in 2007 by 7,255-1,964, getting 78.5 percent of the vote in a turnout of 9,239. Turnout zoomed to 16,877 in April, and O'Donnell's 7,347 votes were roughly identical to Schulter's in 2007, but there was a spike of 7,638 voters, and many of those 2007 non-voters opted for Pawar, Matt Reichel or Tom Jacks, who got a combined 9,530 votes -- 7,566 more than Cooney got in 2007.

"Gene would have won if he had run," said one of Schulter's top precinct captains, who added that there were "a lot of factions" in the party, that O'Donnell was "not known" and "did not show up" for many forums, that there were "no issues," and that there were "a lot of new residents from Lincoln Park and the suburbs" in the ward.

In other words, Schulter's organization was Humpty Dumpty, waiting to fall. Pawar pledged to serve only two terms. The 2012 Democratic primary for committeeman will reveal his major 2015 foe.

46th Ward (Uptown, Buena Park, Andersonville): Shiller's reward for 24 years of service is summarized in two words: Stuff it. The obnoxious Shiller, who for three decades has pitted the "have nots" versus the "haves" in her gentrifying Uptown ward, became so repellent that she didn't run for reelection. Of the 10 candidates who sought her job, nary a one had a single word of praise nor wanted her endorsement.

But guess what? The "Shiller Nation," an I-want-my-handout-now-and-forever subspecies of the "Obama Nation," held the key to the runoff. At least 30 to 35 percent of the ward's residents deem Shiller a goddess or godsend. Given a choice between two vituperative Shiller critics, Molly Phelan and James Cappleman, they opted to back the less repugnant candidate. Cappleman won by 5,527-4,440, getting 55.5 percent of the vote and carrying 40 of the ward's 47 precincts in a turnout of 9,967. Cappleman spent $177,868, to $293,957 for Phelan.

In 2007 Cappleman, a gay social worker, lost to Shiller by 5,987-5,287, with Shiller getting 53.1 percent of the vote and carrying 24 precincts in a turnout of 11,274. In April, 19 of those 24 pro-Shiller precincts voted for Cappleman, who carried Uptown, Andersonville and the Lake Shore Drive high-rises.

"He had name recognition and gay support," Tom Sharpe, the ward's Democratic committeeman and an erstwhile Shiller ally, said of Cappleman. He estimated the gay vote in the ward to be 15 to 20 percent. The ward's sanitation superintendent, Don Nowotny, a onetime Shiller ally, also is gay, and he got 1,602 votes (11.5 percent of the total) in the Feb. 22 general election, when turnout was 13,906 and 60.7 percent of the voters opted for somebody other than Phelan and Cappleman.

The Wilson Yards shopping center, which Shiller insisted have an "affordable housing" component, anchored by a Target store, was stridently fought by Phelan. Some called it the "Tar-ghetto." That alienated Phelan from the ward's "have nots." The low-key Cappleman, who was tolerated by the Shiller faction and backed by gay voters and the "haves," may be a good fit for the ward. Expect him to oppose Sharpe for committeeman in 2012.

43rd Ward (Lincoln Park): It was a "Not In My Back Yard" election, or, more specifically, it was a no-Fresh-Market-at-Lincoln-Halsted-Webster election. The Sandz Development Company sought mixed-use redevelopment of the shuttered Lincoln Park Hospital, including a 12-story building on the 3-acre site and a grocery store that would create 150 jobs.

But adjacent, upscale property owners were adamant: "We don't want delivery trucks. We don't want congestion. We want change." They hired former alderman Marty Oberman, who lives in the area, as their zoning attorney. Various plans were floated, dating back to the mid-2000s, and Daley favored some commercial component.

As part of his "Stop Daley" strategy, Oberman recruited Michele Smith, an attorney, as his "No Development" candidate for alderman in 2007. In a tight contest, Daley, who is no relation to the mayor, defeated Smith in the runoff by an unimpressive 4,483-3,838, with 53.9 percent of the vote. Smith was elected the Democratic committeeman in 2008, getting 4,204 votes (40.0 percent of the total cast) against 2007 loser Tim Egan and Daley aide Chuck Eastwood.

By 2010 Alderman Daley had morphed into "Alderman Jell-O." She vacillated and equivocated on Lincoln-Webster, eventually opposing it. The rezoning changes languished in the City Council. The majority of the ward, which extends from Diversey Avenue to North Avenue, east of Sheffield Avenue, with southern tentacles around the mega-affluent State-Division and LaSalle-Division areas, welcomed a new grocery store, but opposition was intense in the nearby five precincts.

Smith announced early for alderman on a "No Dev" platform. Egan, who got 11.7 percent of the vote in the 2007 general election and who finished second for committeeman, announced as the "Pro Dev" contender, championing Fresh Market. Daley, sensing political disaster in her lose-lose situation, retired. The Chicago Plan Commission approved the project in December, and it was referred to the City Council Zoning Committee, which also approved it, over Daley's objection. Daley moved to "defer and publish" the zoning change, but the full council approved it on May 3.

A livid Smith promises to have the change repealed. Egan, who lost to Smith in the April 5 runoff by 4,803-4,583 a margin of 250 votes, mocks Smith's grandstanding. "This is a macro-economic issue," Egan said of the Fresh Market project. "It creates jobs and tax dollars. The council will not repeal it." Egan added, however, "I'm sure Marty Oberman's puppet, Michele Smith, will do her best."

Smith won 28 of the ward's 59 precincts, nine with more than 60 percent of the vote and one with more than 70 percent. She spent $502,128. Egan won 31 precincts, 10 with more than 60 percent of the vote and one with more than 70 percent. He spent $239,775. Turnout fell from 14,287 to 9,644, Smith got 616 fewer votes than he did on Feb. 22, and Egan got 498 more votes. Almost a third of the ward's voters couldn't stomach either and didn't vote in the runoff.

The five precincts around Lincoln-Halsted-Webster were the key. Smith carried them by 706-410, a margin of 296 votes -- slightly more than her margin of wardwide victory. "She hoodwinked them," Egan said. "They won't vote for her again." Nevertheless, the "Oberman/Smith Nation," whose mantra is "change I don't need," partially prevailed: They got an alderman and a Fresh Market.

Egan said he is mulling a 2012 bid for committeeman and that he will run again for alderman in 2015 "unless I'm remapped out of the ward." There will be a Smith-Egan Round Four and Round Five. Smith's litmus test will be downzoning the Fresh Market rezoning. If she fails, her City Council career will be brief.