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That toddlin’ town roundup
Thursday, Feb 9, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * A few quick observations about this: Lightfoot is an embattled, unpopular incumbent, so she needs to spend a ton of cash. Vallas is a surging challenger and he has the dollar momentum as well; Wilson’s ads are subpar at best and, in three elections (2015 and 2019 mayor and 2020 US Senate), he has never received more than 11 percent citywide, so I’m not even sure what he’s doing; Brandon Johnson is about to up his buy to take him to the finish line. Garcia is once again struggling to raise money and his ads aren’t the greatest…
Latest new cable TV buys…
King: $38,466 Garcia: $21,826 Lightfoot: $5,689 Green: $2,920 * I’ve been thinking lately that Chuy has been running Pat Quinn’s “You know who I am” campaign and this just confirms it. /s…
But Quinn did choose Vallas as his running mate during the ultimately disastrous 2014 campaign, so it’s news…
Most people despise Congress, but Chuy has been playing up his role in that tainted body. And most don’t love Springfield, either. I do not understand this campaign. * I understand this doubling down even less…
* Speaking of fruitless, Mayor Lightfoot’s YouTube video on Paul Vallas has garnered just 116 views in 22 hours… * As we discussed the other day, a poll taken in late January and early February found that the Chicago Teachers Union had a 57% favorable rating from likely Chicago voters and a 40 percent unfavorable rating. Only Gov. JB Pritzker had a more favorable rating among people and groups tested (65-33). The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police’s rating came in at 35 percent favorable and 55 percent unfavorable. And Darren Bailey received 15.5 percent of the Chicago vote last year. With all that in mind, here’s Eric Zorn…
* In the grand scheme of things, DoorDash is a relatively small player, contributing about $100K since mid-November…
But every little bit helps. * Shenanigans…
…Adding… Forgot to post this…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Tribune | Paul Vallas campaign defends his son, 1 of 3 police officers who fatally shot a man in Texas last year: Vallas often talks about his son, San Antonio cop Gus Vallas, on the campaign trail, noting that they are a family of public servants with close ties to police. But the family relation arose in a starker context after the Triibe, a news site focused on Black Chicago, published a story about Gus Vallas’ role in a 2022 incident where three San Antonio police officers shot and killed a Black man who police said was wanted on felony warrants. * Tribune | CPS teachers: Student and family needs are the backbone of Chicago educators’ fight: Matt Paprocki, president of the IPI, asserts that CTU leadership cares only about politics and not students. He has conveniently divorced the union’s politics from the needs of our students and school communities. But in reality, they are the same. Our so-called “political positions” and “aggressive” bargaining positions are driven by what we know our students, their families and our staff need to be successful. * Bloomberg | Chicago’s Population Shift Puts Latinos at Heart of Mayoral Race: Hispanics surpassed Chicago’s Black population in 2020. * Chalkbeat | Mayoral hopeful Brandon Johnson promises students free transit, more staff: Johnson, a current Cook County commissioner, unveiled his vision for Chicago Public Schools Wednesday afternoon at a City Club of Chicago luncheon. His plan includes free bus and train rides for students on the Chicago Transit Authority, expanding opportunities for students through partnerships with City Colleges and trade schools, and having under-enrolled schools share space with child care and health clinics. * Tribune | Want to vote early in Chicago? Here’s how and where to cast your ballot before Feb. 28.: Voters across Chicago will be making their picks for mayor, alderman, city treasurer, clerk and, for the first time, representatives on police district councils. Some voters also will be asked local referendum questions. * Sun-Times | Watch: Sun-Times, WBEZ and U Chicago host Chicago mayoral forum: Watch the second of two mayoral forums hosted by the Sun-Times, WBEZ and University of Chicago, featuring mayoral candidates Roderick Sawyer and Ja’Mal Green. [Headline explained here.]
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- ArchPundit - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:15 pm:
Can anyone play this game?
That’s all I got on this race. Everyone seems to be playing to not lose.
- Stormsw7706 - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:21 pm:
Is the IPI Paprocki related to the Springfield Catholic bishop by the same name?
- MisterJayEm - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:22 pm:
“I do not understand this campaign.”
Seems to be doing just enough to keep any other candidate with whom he might agree on policy from winning.
“Abbasi doubled down, posting a series of tweets about how *** he was an ‘alpha male’”
In my experience, anyone who describes himself as an “alpha male” ain’t.
– MrJM
- regular democrat - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:24 pm:
Not sure if Pat Quinn moves the needle much for a guy who has run what can be charitably described as a lackluster campaign.
- Big Dipper - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:25 pm:
I said this elsewhere but maybe Quinn got to know Vallas to0 well during that campaign.
- Betty Draper’s cigarette - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:25 pm:
I actually prefer a less strong smelling horse than a more strong smelling horse.
- Dotnonymous - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:29 pm:
Alpha males are obvious…fakers too…they’re the (loud) ones trying to convince others…and themselves?
Take a look at what “alpha males” have created.
All Yang and no Yin create one big mess…no doubt.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:36 pm:
That Blue Line schedule is just horrible. It’s packed during rush hour, and a great train for anyone to take weekends during the summer. What about people from O’Hare too? It’s a great example of why this City needs new leadership.
- OneMan - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:46 pm:
I am a “Alpha Male” and averaging roughly 70 tweets per day is the very definition of contradiction.
Get of twitter dude
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:47 pm:
Brown line rider here. It’s been bad recently. Waiting for Kimball trains in the loop for 15 minutes during the evening rush is ridiculous. The entire Loop workforce is trying to jam into the cars between 5:00 and 6:00pm, which are almost full by the time they get to each stop downtown. It’s a mess.
Mondays and Fridays there are noticeably fewer riders. T-W-Th are packed.
- jim - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:48 pm:
Pat Quinn, bless his trouble-making heart, has always been a populist leftist. so it’s no surprise that he would endorse chuy.
I agree with “regular democrat,” who suggested Quinn’s endorsement is the equivalent of a non-event.
- TNR - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:49 pm:
== Lightfoot’s YouTube video on Paul Vallas has garnered just 116 views in 22 hours…==
I watch a fair amount of Chicago TV news and I have yet to see an attack ad on Vallas. (Maybe they’re on digital platforms?) The abortion and “he’s-a-Republican” hits might be effective, but we’ll never know if averages voters don’t see it.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:50 pm:
===I do not understand this campaign.===
The Congressional campaign finally decided to return the tainted cash from Sam Bankman-Fried, extending the story for much much longer than necessary. In tennis, they call that an unforced error.
- Brandon Johnson’s Policy Agenda - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 12:51 pm:
Hi! I’m Brandon Johnson’s policy agenda or the same five things CTU has been screaming about since 2011. Cheers!
- Amalia - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:01 pm:
People do had politicians, but it is true that LL’s relationship with Springfield has been horrible so words that Chuy’s would be better hits with some people.
- You Can't Win With Pat Quinn - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:02 pm:
I don’t know who will win the Mayor’s race, but I know it won’t be Chuy.
- Big Dipper - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:03 pm:
Abbasi gives off incel vibes.
- TNR - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:05 pm:
Chuy has put together an impressive political operation, mostly behind the scenes, that has a good record of winning aldermanic and legislative races. But he’s always been a less than electric campaigner and a lackluster legislator. That part of him has been exposed in this mayoral race. It was obscured eight years ago when he benefited from being the anti-Rahm underdog.
- Montrose - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:06 pm:
Quinn sees himself in Chuy - a guy that has run for everything and still thinks folks see him as the firebrand lefty he was decades ago. It’s like Woody Allen casting Jesse Eisenberg as the lead.
- Lincoln Lad - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:10 pm:
If PQ had chosen Chuy over Vallas back in the day, we may not have had a Gov Rauner.
- Dotnonymous - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:28 pm:
Alpha incel…makes my brain do the pinball machine…strange days indeed.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:33 pm:
=I am a “Alpha Male” =
If you have to tell people, you ain’t.
- Leslie K - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:34 pm:
How many people have noticed that one of Wilson’s ads about public safety includes a shot of a UK police officer? Were they just pulling photos off of the internet? (UK has a different checkerboard pattern on their hats.) I’m not saying it’s a game changer, but it certainly looks sloppy for those who noticed.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:45 pm:
- Abbasi gives off incel vibes. -
It’s all a bit, he’s just being funny. It’s extremely obvious to anyone that spends 5 minutes reading his posts.
- Roadrager - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:47 pm:
==It’s all a bit, he’s just being funny.==
Is he, though.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:58 pm:
===Maybe they’re on digital platforms?===
So far, they’re just YouTube videos with no money behind them.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 1:58 pm:
===he’s just being funny===
Funny how?
- Back to the Future - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 2:00 pm:
PQ still has a following that can get a ton of signatures. He is also a tireless worker.
Hopefully he can get the signature folks into a get out the vote effort for Chuy. Thinking the turnout might be low and an effective get out the vote effort will be more important than usual in this crowded field.
- Tammy - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 2:02 pm:
I’d love to see Springfield take advantage of the covid-created Chicago transit crisis and blow the entire governing structure up. CTA is about to spend billions on a Red Line extension that only adds four or five stops, most of which run parallel to under-used, disinvested Metra electric stations. An effective regionally-coordinated transit strategy would not let this boondoggle happen.
- Dotnonymous - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 2:04 pm:
He made me laugh…at him.
- Big Dipper - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 2:10 pm:
Leslie, it’s an ethical violation for a Chicago cop to appear in uniform in a political ad. So I bet Wilson’s people looked for a pic that would appear to voters to be CPD and still not bet in trouble.
https://news.wttw.com/2023/02/01/ethics-board-warns-candidates-don-t-use-uniformed-cops-your-ads
- Big Dipper - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 2:16 pm:
Get in trouble.
- Leslie K - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 2:20 pm:
===Leslie, it’s an ethical violation for a Chicago cop to appear in uniform in a political ad. So I bet Wilson’s people looked for a pic that would appear to voters to be CPD and still not bet in trouble.===
Without getting into the nuance, the ethics issue is about police officers campaigning for a candidate and appearing in uniform. Which isn’t the case here. Random shots of a candidate walking or interacting with an officer are not automatically an ethics violation. And the ad includes ethically acceptable shots of actual CPD and the candidate.
- Amalia - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 2:39 pm:
I’m always interested in the ethics of a candidate who served as police/fire/paramedic and shows photos of themself in uniform when the uniform is of the same city in which they are running.
- Lurker - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 2:54 pm:
See here: https://capitolfax.com/2019/09/05/paprocki-promoted-to-president-of-the-illinois-policy-institute/
- Lurker - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 2:56 pm:
I accidentally hit enter and that was in reply to:
- Stormsw7706 @ 12:21 pm:
Is the IPI Paprocki related to the Springfield Catholic bishop by the same name?
- Big Dipper - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 3:54 pm:
According to the actual Board of Ethics advisory, even if the cop may not be disciplined by the police department, the candidate can be disciplined for using city property or paraphernalia in campaign literature
- Boone's is Back - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 4:20 pm:
Abassi told the Reader that he wrote those things as a twitter troll- I think that’s why the alpha male and bin laden stuff read so goofy. What he posted on twitter etc, is clearly wayyyy out there and fair game.
However, the Reader is obtaining “leaked” text messages. I’d love to know how that came about, for the most down ballot of down ballot races. I’m sure that precedent is going to really encourage more people to run for public office.
- Big Dipper - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 4:59 pm:
I could see a comic being a Twitter troll. But an election-law attorney and campaign treasurer? Not too smart.
- Amalia - Thursday, Feb 9, 23 @ 8:33 pm:
Ugh, talked to another in Chicago pal who is just so sad at the choices he has for Mayor. He is not hopeful that the runoff will be anything other than down in the mud.