August 26, 2015
"BOSS TONI" TELLS COMMITEEMEN TO "JUST SAY AYE"
At the Cook County Democrats' Aug. 18-19 slatemaking, the magic word was "aye," as in "Just Say Aye." The party's emerging boss, Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle, ran the farce with an iron fist. Of the 26 slatees, 23 were anointed by acclamation (which means by voice vote). There was just one weighted-vote. Two major races -- US Senator and State's Attorney - were "no recommendation." That's because Preckwinkle (and her white allies) wanted to have a "Soul Slate" of black Democrats, so as to augment the black voter turnout. Andrea Zopp and Kim Foxx will get the bump. Incumbent State's Attorney Anita Alvarez was dumped, and Foxx, Preckwinkle's aide, will get committeemens' support. The rap on Alvarez is that she's "too tough on crime" -- it takes too long for felons to get to trial, they're kept too long in County Jail, and bonds are too high. The party hypes "diversity." Of the 6 slated countywide candidates, 5 are women; of the 10 Circuit County candidates, 6 are women. Of the 16 slatees, 6 are black. Where are the white men? asked Ald. Nick Sposato. Chairman Berrios' candidate, Ray Suarez, didn't get slated. Full Article...
August 19, 2015
CHARLIER & MURPHY THREATEN 51-YEAR LAURINO/D'AMICO DYNASTY
One down, two to go. That's the gameplan of Jac Charlier and Robert Murphy, who are teaming-up in Chicago's northwest side 39th Ward in 2016. It's long been the lair of the Laurino/D'Amico Dynasty, which has ruled for 51 years. During that half-century, only two Laurinos have been aldermen, Tony and an in-law have been committeemen, and a Laurino or D'Amico has been state rep for 37 years. Charlier is running for state representative in the 15th Dist. against John D'Amico (D), nephew of the current alderman, and Murphy for committeeman, a job held until 8/9/15 by Randy Barnette, husband of Ald. Marge Laurino; Barnette abruptly quit. "They didn't want two family members on the ballot," said Charlier, an "independent" Democrat. Charlier's "issue" package will blame D'Amico for a "broke" Illinois government, with state debt of $135 billion. "That's $45,000 of debt for every man woman and child," Charlier added. He'll also excoriate D'Amico and Laurino for O'Hare noise, due to new runway configurations. D'Amico has $310,000 on-hand. If Charlier prevails, Ald. Laurino, who is up in 2019, will be the Last Laurino Standing.Full Article...
August 12, 2015
PERSISTENCE, PLODDING KEY TO PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
The great myth surrounding U.S.presidential elections is that the "best and the brightest" invariably prevail. That's non-sense. The candidate with the most stamina, most persistence and least personal flaws emerges as the winner. Happenstance--being the candidate of the right party, in the right year, with the right image -- will dictate Barack Obama's successor. There are 17 announced Republican and 5 announced Democrats. In the past, primaries winnow the field. Here's a look at attrition in past primaries. 80% of the starters don't finish. Full Article...
August 5, 2015
DOLD HAS MONEY EDGE IN 10TH DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL REMATCH
There are 435 U.S. House seats; in the 2014 election, Republicans gained a 247-188 majority, the party's best since the 1920s. The outlook for 2016 is that there are 223 "safe" Republican seats, and 180 "safe" Democratic seats. A "safe" seat is defined as one in which the current incumbent won with at least 55%, and the party's most recent presidential candidate won by a like margin. According to Washington-based prognosticators, that leaves only 32 seats (24R, 8D) "in play" -- which means they could flip in 2016. Here's a reality check: Republicans are not going to lose their majority in 2016. In Illinois, the only "flipable" seat is that of Bob Dold's (R) in the North Shore/east Lake County 10th District. A House flip, which happened in 1930, 1946, 1948, 1952, 1994, 2006 and 2014, is occasioned by a "wave," which means the incumbent president is so detested that his party's House candidates suffer at the polls. Sometimes, there are presidential coattails, which means voters opt for one party's candidates all down the ballot -- the so-called "straight party" vote. That was supposed to have evaporated in the 1970s, but now it's back. Redistricting has also given Republicans a huge congressional edge in states like MI, PA, OH, NC, TX, FL, IN. But in IL, where Democrats have a 10-8 delegation majority, only Dold's seat is "in play," and he begins the campaign with a huge money edge. Full Article...
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