Chicago Mayoral race

by Jerome Armstrong, Tue Sep 21, 2010 at 10:00:03 AM EDT

This has a good chance of becoming nationalized. I can't imagine that any Chicago resident that has been paying attention would want to have Rahm Emanuel as Mayor.

About the only thing that Rahm might do with this race, is bring together all his enemies to unite in defeating him.

One double-edged sword: Despite Emanuel's reputation in national political circles, many Chicagoans don't know him as well as they know local politicians. That means he'll have to introduce himself to voters outside of the congressional district he represented in the House for six years. But it also means he'll have the chance to define himself — and everyone expects that Emanuel will have plenty of money to make his case.

Already, he has a financial advantage over most potential foes: His federal campaign war chest, which can be converted into money for a mayoral race, stands at about $1.2 million.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) told POLITICO last week that he plans to begin polling in Chicago soon.

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), and his wife, Alderwoman Sandi Jackson, have held out the possibility that one of them will run. (See: Rahm, Jackson meet on mayor's race)

Candidates already in the race include former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, state Sen. Rickey Hendon and City Clerk Miguel del Valle.

If no candidate wins a majority of the vote in the all-candidate primary, the top two finishers move to a runoff.

The election is Feb 22nd, and then the run-off.

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Wow.....with choices like that,

who needs choices? Talk about a race to the bottom.....the group that you listed makes me pine for the days of Harold Washington. The only one who hasn't been somehow tainted with some kind of scandal is Congressman Gutierrez, but I don't know of anything in his background that qualifies him to serve in an executive/managerial capacity, either. As to Moseley-Braun, I guess she's on some kind of quest to run for every office in the state of Illinois during her lifetime.

by BJJ Fighter 2010-09-21 10:39AM | 1 recs

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Rahm has no chance to be Mayor

It has nothing to do with his national profile or his performance as Chief of Staff. He represented a suburban district and he simply doesn't have the cachet in the city to be a contender. I doubt he will run, but if he does he won't be close to winning.

by Steve M 2010-09-21 12:17PM | 0 recs

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RE: Rahm has no chance to be Mayor

You could be right, this sort of 'listening to the talk about him happen' could be exactly the sort of drama that Rahm just wants to provide his ego, without actually running.

by Jerome Armstrong 2010-09-21 04:53PM | 0 recs

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RE: Rahm has no chance to be Mayor

Who does have the cachet to be a contender? Who would have the campaign kitty; the backing of Obama, Durbin, Clinton and Daley; and the sophisticated campaign to defeat Rahm?

Once Obama and the Clintons say "this is my guy," it's done.

by Vox Populi 2010-09-21 07:45PM | 1 recs

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RE: Rahm has no chance to be Mayor

If Daley endorsed Rahm, that would of course be a game changer. I see no reason to expect such a thing.

by Steve M 2010-09-21 11:41PM | 0 recs

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One other possibility......

How about Roland Burris?

by BJJ Fighter 2010-09-21 04:03PM | 0 recs

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RE: One other possibility......

Well, Blago might as well.

by Jerome Armstrong 2010-09-21 04:54PM | 0 recs

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Do not rely on national media to follow this race.

The national media doesn't know shit from Shineola about what's going on here.

If Rahm runs, he's a good bet to make a second round, but is not guaranteed to do so. He has no natural constituent base here. He'll have to earn one, and three months is a pretty short time to do so.

For example, Carol Moseley Braun has said she's considering a run, but hasn't said she will run. If she does, she'll embarrass herself like she did in 2004 when she ran for president.

Rolland Burris did run for mayor in 1995 as an "independent," and lost to Mayor Daley, 60.1 percent to 36.3 percent. There's always the possibility that he might run again, but he has no chance. He's a joke, and he's tainted by Blagojevich.

Speaking of whom, Rod Blagojevich cannot run for anything in Illinois. He's barred from doing so by the terms of his State Senate impeachment conviction.

If you're going to follow Da Race for Da 5th Floor, forget the East Coast media and follow Chicago's. There are dese newspapers, Sun-Times and Tribune, and Dem blogs: Prairie State Blue, Progress Illinois, and the always indispensable Capitol Fax Blog.

by Railfan 2010-09-21 06:16PM | 1 recs

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rahm must be defeated

it sends a message to obama and is a win for progressives if he is defeated.

by Erik 2010-09-21 06:48PM | 1 recs

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RE: rahm must be defeated

If your choice is Rahm or Rev. Meeks, I hope you change your view.

by Vox Populi 2010-09-21 07:52PM | 0 recs