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* The basic message here is that the people organizing the splashy, made for TV Chicago protests might want to start redirecting their energies into the real work of voter registration and GOTV. Greg Hinz…
[Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez] has been attacked so often and her office stumbled on so many big cases that her victory road, while real, is narrow. She likely needs her two foes to run fairly close to each other.
[Challenger Kim Foxx] is picking up some major political backing, with township committeemen in West and South Cook County gravitating toward her. But what she really needs is an outpouring of rage from the African-American community and, so far, that has not translated into a voter registration drive in black neighborhoods. Foxx dearly needs to move what’s been happening in the streets to the polling place.
There’s just a little over 2 months left until primary day. If Alvarez wins, the protesters’ cause is gonna be badly damaged, despite all the goofy bloviators in the national media.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 8:47 am
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It is easier to bloviate, and believe in magic, than it is to speak and organize real people with real lives.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 9:01 am
Foxx winning is the only reasonable “response” to show that voters/protesters are impactful and are paying attention long enough to make a serious statement.
More is less.
More is what a Raunerite wants. More is the wrong message. More does nothing to answer the call of protesters.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 9:05 am
I very strongly believe in the real work of voter registration and GOTV. But I also understand why many, many people do not.
For a lot of people, the most effective message may be, “A vote for Kim Foxx is the best way to punish and humiliate Anita Alvarez.”
It ain’t nice, but sometimes you’ve gotta speak to people where they are.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 9:10 am
Unfortunately for Alvarez, there will be presidential and U.S. Senate candidates beating the drum for turnout.
I’m guessing any increased turnout is not good for Alvarez.
Frame it as a vote for Foxx is a vote against Emanuel, and you might have a monster on your hands.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 9:18 am
The protests in Madison, WI were defeated because the movement dissipated in the name of an election. If MLK had relied on voter registration, there would still be separate drinking fountains in the south. Street protests serve a very important role.
That said, it’s the ultimate in naivete to ignore the ballot box. A lot of people who were protesting the wealthy hedge funders, didn’t bother to vote for Governor and let Rauner get elected. You need both strategies if you want change.
Comment by Carhartt Representative Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 9:24 am
I don’t think African American leadership is ready to abandon Emanuel yet. Without their pushback, Alvarez benefits from multiple candidates.
Comment by Wensicia Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 9:30 am
–If MLK had relied on voter registration, there would still be separate drinking fountains in the south.–
MLK could not rely on voter registration because Jim Crow didn’t allow it. The reason MLK was in the streets was to win the franchise that was being systematically denied.
Big difference between then and now.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 9:30 am
Bloviators.
Good word!
Comment by Anon Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 9:45 am
The Foxx campaign oughta embrace Wordslinger’s Kim vs. Rahm message strategy!
Comment by The Historian Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:00 am
I’ve been making this point to my progressive friends. The protests so far have been pitifully small. The largest was a few hundred. Had it been 50,000, we’d be having a different conversation. They need to be more focused.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:01 am
My sense is that the rest of the Cook Co suburban Township Dems are leaning Foxx’s way also. The suburbs count for over 40% of the Cook Co Dem vote, a reality often overlooked.
Comment by walker Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:12 am
Amen. Walking around obstructing traffic, shopping, etc does little to further your cause. It may even damage it. Make change with your pens, not with your feet.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:18 am
It seems like all three candidates have forgotten about the Latinos. The polls usually have a higher turnout of Latinos during a presidential election.
Comment by Latina Lawyer Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:33 am
And get off my lawn!
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:53 am
==It seems like all three candidates have forgotten about the Latinos. ==
Lord knows Alvarez has.
And, ROFL, the Dems reopened slating.
Comment by crazybleedingheart Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:14 pm
Prediction: Madigan moves.
Comment by crazybleedingheart Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:16 pm
@MisterJayEm Touché!
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:51 pm
Two thoughts:
Chicago Cynic is right. I’ve seen at least a half dozen of the street demonstration downtown. In a few of them, the news reporters out- numbered protestors.
Presidential politics might hurt Alvarez. If the Republican nomination is still in doubt on primary day, a lot of ticket-splitting moderates in the burbs who would likely support her are going to be requesting GOP ballots. Losing 20 or 30,000 votes this way could cost Alvarez a close election.
Comment by Phil T. Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:54 pm
[Deleted]
Comment by Reality Check Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 1:26 pm
^ Not at all racist. Not at all.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 4:22 pm
–It doesn’t matter who the Cook SA, or the Mayor of Chicago or the President of the U.S. unless those in the third world, war torn neighborhoods take some PERSONAL RESPONSIBILTY
and start acting like civilized human beings. There are two things you can NOT legislate, good taste and morality! –
From your post, I’m quite certain there are many other things you can’t legislate.
Never really thought of that 1st grade class at Sandy Hook as a Third-World war-torn neighborhood, but I’ve never been there.
I’ve been to Cole Hall in DeKalb many times, but in all honesty, I was sleeping most of the time. So maybe I wasn’t tuned in to the environment.
The U.S. averages about one mass shooting a day. Gee whiz, if these armed lunatics would just take some personal responsibility, we wouldn’t have this problem.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 4:38 pm