April 26, 2023
NO COLUMN THIS WEEK
April 19, 2023
YOUNG WOKESTERS, BLACK VOTERS WERE KEY TO JOHNSON RUNOFF VICTORY
One parable proclaims that “blessed are those who expect nothing, for they cannot be disappointed.” A similar parable could describe Brandon Johnson’s 26,024-vote mayoral runoff victory margin: Something like “stupid are those who did not vote, for they will surely be disappointed – and probably punished.” Johnson beat Paul Vallas 318,444-292,420 on April 4, getting 52.1 percent in a 610,864 turnout. Chicago has 1,587,153 registered voters (RVs), of whom 38.6 percent turned-out for the runoff. That means 612,641 DID NOT vote to choose a mayor. That number, when combined with Vallas’s 292,420, means 905,061 Chicagoans DID NOT cast their vote for Johnson. And that number, when factored into Chicago’s 2,761,625 population (which includes non-adults and non-citizens), hypothetically means 2,443,181 Chicagoans DID NOT cast a ballot for Johnson. So the new mayor got 52.1 percent of the turnout, 20 percent of the RVs, and 11.5 percent of the city population. Attached is a CHART showing the area-by-area Johnson-Vallas vote breakout. Johnson won by 26,024, carrying the Black wards over the White wards by about 30,000, the Latino wards by 1,000, and losing the Lakefront by about 5,000. Non-Johnson voters have two choices: (1) Be stoic, accept responsibility for not voting, hunker down and wait for 2027. Or (2) call a mover and split for Florida or Idaho before Daley Plaza becomes Red Square. Chicago is becoming a very different place. Full Article...
April 12, 2023
"CHAMELEON" MATHIAS HANDS GARDINER 53.9% VICTORY IN 45TH WARD
It’s fun to see people who make fools out of others make fools of themselves. As a result of the 45th Ward aldermanic runoff, much-maligned incumbent Jim Gardiner is probably joyously ecstatic. Contrary to the expectations of some members of the media and the ward’s substantial Left base, Gardiner rode a tide of support of mayoral candidate Paul Vallas to a relatively narrow but nevertheless impressive 53.9 percent victory. He topped Megan Mathias 9,386-8,016 on April 4 (see unofficial results chart), actually INCREASING his Feb. 28 total of 7,683 by 1,703 votes – a feat his detractors thought was impossible. They deemed him DOA in the runoff after getting 48 percent. Gardiner's comeback after 2 years of relentless media negativity is attributable to 3 factors: (1) Vallas's 68.9% win in the 45th Ward; (2) Mathias's "chameleon" campaign; and (3) the 2022 ward remap. Attached is a CHART detailing NW Side runoff results. Note the lopsided margins for Vallas. Full Article...
April 5, 2023
TRUMP RANKS AMONG "TOP 10" U.S. POLITICAL "SCOUNDRELS" -- NEW CANDIDATE FOR STATE'S ATTORNEY IN 2024
America’s political history is replete with scoundrels, reprobates, fools, liars, knaves, criminals – some of them would-be presidents and two actual presidents. Blatant opportunism, narcissism, egomania and sociopath behavior are the character traits of all of them. Politicians fall into three categories: Immoral, amoral and moral. Their task is to do and say whatever is necessary to get elected and stay elected. So amoral is usually the norm. Differentiating between Right/Wrong and True/False is not a priority. With ex-president Donald Trump’s April 4 Manhattan grand jury indictment for paying hush-money from one of his corporations in 2016 to porn star Stormy Daniels with whom he had a 2006 liaison. Trump vaults to among the topmost of my “Top 10” list of renowned historical scoundrels. He joins such worthies as Aaron Burr, Henry Clay, James Blaine, William Jennings Bryan, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, George Wallace, Joe McCarthy and, lest we not forget, Illinois’ very own Rod Blagojevich. A “scoundrel” is defined as a rascal, sometimes wicked or villainous, other times lovable or even charming. Full Article...
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