28 Comments - OneMan - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 4:44 pm: Agree…. Also no Rahmapaloza does not do Debbie any favors, bet that is going to cut the take a bit. - bored now - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 4:45 pm: hinz may be right, just because the chicago media is so bad at covering politics, and they don’t seem able to handle more than one race at a time. otoh, the idea that candidates and committemen will be working their wards hard to prove that they have juice for the mayoral still have a point… - Just Observing - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 4:46 pm: Somewhat disagree. There is a lot of excitement going on now… but it will abate soon as Mayoral candidates start, somewhat behind the scene, putting an organization. People will re-focus on Novembers shortly. - Louis Howe - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 4:47 pm: It’s put up or shut up time for Rahm. If he can’t wire the deal, I doubt that he takes the chance and runs, but I’d love to see him try. - been there - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 4:50 pm: Not necessarily. All of those people out circulating petitions and joining the media in stirring the political pot may help to produce a sizeable Chicgo voter turnout on November 2. And most of that turnout will vote for Quinn, whether they’re thrilled with him or not. - Quinn T. Sential - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 4:51 pm: Rahm may have been helpful to Halvorson by energizing the “base” but this district; and its Republican and independent voters are likely going to swamp Little Debbie. The enthusiasm gap is too great at this point and Rahm was not going to turn that around, even if he drew some well heeled contributors to help support the cause. His presence; if he actually comes at all, could do more harm than good in the end, as it will be used as fuel for the fire to galvanize the opposition. - D.P. Gumby - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 4:55 pm: PQ has been a cork bobbing in the flooded streets of Springfield waiting for the next storm to give him some direction while Brady has been the Cheshire Cat just quizzically smiling and disappearing from any past or current position. Only some headline from a debate is going to give PQ any hope. Otherwise we will be stuck w/ one who is likely equally incompetent but philosophically a Tea w/o a Bag who will be rolled by MJM. - ChuckT - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 4:59 pm: Disagree, Chicago elected officials and anyone interested in the Mayor’s office will now have to deliver strong numbers in this election in order to show their strength in February. This can only benefit Quinn and the rest of the Dem slate. - downstate hack - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:01 pm: It certainly doesn’t help Quinn from the fund raising aspects, and how many potential mayor candidates want to back a loser in November. I think Hinz is partially right. This hurts, but I am not sure it is a “staggering blow” - The Captain - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:01 pm: Hinz is way off. Quinn and the others may need to work on persuasion, Quinn more than some others, but all sorts of people who were otherwise planning to sit on the sidelines just got a huge, huge reason to start gearing up their political operations. What donor is going to be convinced a candidate has a chance if the turnout in his/her home ward is anemic come Nov. 2? What pundit is going to believe that an African American or Hispanic or northside congressman is going to have a shot at winning if the turnout among their base isn’t strong? The Daley turnout machine has been weakened over the years. But with potentially 20 mayoral candidates energized, all working their areas to show strength Quinn and the ticket just got a huge, huge GOTV boost. - Wensicia - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:07 pm: Disagree, This will stir up the Democratic base and result in more voters come November. As for Quinn, there’s very little that can be done to help him now. He’s more or less managed to defeat himself, and still doesn’t get it… - dave - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:12 pm: how many potential mayor candidates want to back a loser in November. Huh? They have pretty much all already backed Quinn. And they will continue to support Quinn. Not many potential Chicago majoral candidates want to not support/endorse the Democratic candidate for Governor. - Betty - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:14 pm: overall this could go either way hurts quinn - more competition for dem donor dollars; less centralized GOTV effort helps quinn - competitive mayoral election means greater chicago voter turnout, especially if there is a strong african american mayoral candidate vs. rahm vs. others. - soccermom - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:15 pm: Interesting dynamic between the increased competition for campaign donations and the sudden impetus to get ward organizations up and rolling. Hmmm. - Cruz - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:15 pm: Those trying to energize the Democratic base are engaged in wishful nostalgia for a time that has pasted by. The old Dems are disillusioned with what the dems have wrought and a bit embarrassed. And Quinn? He is simply incompetent. - Cynic Al - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:15 pm: Slightly disagree, Quinn can use the “cover” provided by Richie’s announcement to lay low for and spend some time trying to re-group. Whether that actually helps him is quite another story. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:27 pm: Disagree. I think organization types who were apathetic will want to tune up before the mayoral primary, and demonstrate some strength. Could help Quinn, actually. - dupage progressive - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:29 pm: Disagree with Hinz. Dems have been out of it, with no real energy. The open seat for Mayor is waking people up & giving energy again & a bit refreshing that there is no heir apparent. - Will County Woman - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:50 pm: i agree with hinz. the dems have not acted like they have been excited by quinn. i think the daley retirement causes an ever man for himself frenzy, and quinn is easily forgotten. i think most dem pols have resigned themselves to the prospect of a brady administration, in part because of quinn’s gaffes and the mood of the electorate. while there is polite chatter for quinn, there is no buzz from the dems. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:56 pm: Advertising matters more in this election from now on than coverage. Also, anything that gets people talking about politics generates a buzz about campaigns and that can’t be all bad for Quinn. - Angry Chicagoan - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 5:59 pm: Well, any remotely normal politician would be benefiting from, as one CapFax poster the other day pointed out, all the rival candidates — all of them Democrats, of course — proving their mettle and practicing for the big day with their turnout operations in November, especially as there are some local politicians on the ballot too for legislature and County Board. Quinn, gadfly that he is, may be less adept than most at getting this down organizationally, but he’s still surely going to benefit from straight ticket voting and I don’t think Giannoulias is going to let things fall through the cracks. That surely will have some benefit for Quinn even if some people do end up splitting for Giannoulias and Brady. - Slugger - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 7:35 pm: If I recall my history right one of the reasons Stevenson almost beat thompson in 1982 was because of a larger than expected African American vote in the city that voted straight Democratic. the large turnout wwas due to the spring 83 mayoral election and the fact that Harold Washington told his supporters he would run if they could prove the votes were there so a large registration drive and GOTV efort was developed to convince Harold he could win. There are clearly parallels to this fall’s situation, especially with the number of candidates considering running for Mayor. I think Quinn benefits a lot from the Mayor’s retirement, even if he does not know what to do to corral the effort on his behalf. - Bookworm - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 8:52 pm: Even if the impending mayoral race increases Democratic turnout in the city (because prospective mayoral candidates will work hard at demonstrating their GOTV abilities), I don’t think it will be anywhere near enough to save Quinn — because the mayoral race affects ONLY the city, not suburban Cook and the collars, which is where the statewide races (governor, Senate, constitutionals) will ultimately be decided. - Gregor - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 9:40 pm: Anything that increases Dem turnout is going to be *some* help to Quinn. I think what it does is even up the hit he was taking from third-party candidates stealing some of his liberal supporters away. It maybe also hurts Brady a little, just because now nobody in Chicago is going to give a hoot about a republican anything; the mayoral race is the shiny distraction. - what - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 10:23 pm: Little confused on how an election held in February of next year will excite voters today? Oh I think there will be a lot of buzz but that will be a distraction from the Governor’s race and Quinn who is behind good for Brady. The only real action in the Mayor’s election will be Petition circulation and organization building for what looks like 10 candidates. That sucking sound you will hear will be campaign people jumping Quinn’s sinking ship to jump to work on a campaign for a Mayor that might have a chance to win. - mia - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 11:11 pm: what- you are off base—filing isnt until nov 15—sure some ppl will start lining up their options–but production is key for nov 2nd. what could happen in gotv for any prospective job seeker will be noted on nov 2nd’s results… - chitownhv - Wednesday, Sep 8, 10 @ 11:52 pm: What better way to get your nominating petition sheets filled than by standing outside a polling place collecting signatures from voters on Nov 2nd. The mountain comes to muhammad. - just sayin' - Thursday, Sep 9, 10 @ 2:48 am: Hinz is clueless. Tons of Dems out working on the ground means more energy for any Dem running, including for this November. Reporters like Hinz who’ve never been in the trenches don’t get it. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.