*** UPDATE 1 *** The editor of the American Spectator, Bob Tyrrell, says he wants to run for mayor. He wouldn’t be your usual Chicago candidate. One of his favorite people is apparently Conrad Black, the guy who stripped the Chicago Sun-Times of its cash and wound up in prison, where he wrote columns for Tyrrell’s magazine.
Meanwhile, a little closer to reality, but not much, Ald. Bob Fioretti has begun collecting petition signatures.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rasmussen polled Emanuel and Daley statewide…
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that just 40% of Likely Voters in President Obama’s home state have a favorable opinion of the man he chose as his White House chief of staff. Forty-six percent (46%) view Emanuel unfavorably, as he considers leaving his job in Washington, DC to run for mayor of Chicago. These findings include 19% who share a Very Favorable opinion of him and 32% who have a Very Unfavorable one. […]
Sixty-five percent (65%) of Democrats in Illinois view Emanuel positively, while 77% of Republicans and 53% of voters not affiliated with either party have a negative impression of him. […]
As for the man he is reportedly interested in replacing, longtime Chicago Democratic Mayor Richard Daley is viewed favorably by 50% of Illinois voters and unfavorably by 41%. This includes 23% who have a Very Favorable impression and 22% with a Very Unfavorable one.
Daley’s doing better statewide than in Chicago?
*** UPDATE 3 *** Prudent…
State Senator Kwame Raoul, who represents President Barack Obama‘s old legislative district, said Tuesday he is going against the grain and opting not to run for mayor, in part because he doesn’t think he could raise the money needed for a competitive bid. Raoul said last week that he was considering entering the race.
*** UPDATE 4 *** David Hoffman…
“I have been getting a lot of requests to run from people, and it is extremely flattering and I am thinking about it,” Hoffman told the Chicago News Cooperative. “But the main thing is whether it is the right time for us. We have a little boy at home who just turned three and having just come off this [U.S. Senate] campaign, there are lots of other things to think about in terms of the race, but things I have been focusing on are personal.” […]
Hoffman said he has not put a deadline on his decision but said he would have to make one “soon.”
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* This lede may be way over the top…
The Chicago City Council could be in for its biggest turnover in decades — with as many as 20 seats changing hands — thanks to a surge in voter turnout tied to the wide-open mayoral race, alderman and political observers warned Monday.
Why? Just keep reading the story…
Chicago has had 50 aldermen since 1923. Since that time, the biggest Council turnover occurred in 1931, when 24 new aldermen were swept into office, along with a new mayor and city clerk.
Washington was accompanied by 15 new aldermen. In 1991, there were 13 new aldermen. Four years ago, there were five.
Retirements alone will bring in several new aldermen, but 20 new ones? I know lots of people are talking about a huge turnover, but that would be tough to do. Even with a coordinated campaign by labor unions, there was only a fraction of that turnover four years ago. Still, there is a good reason why so many aldermen are nervous about this upcoming mayor’s race. They mostly suck at what they do, and voters know it.
* Meanwhile, state Sen. James Meeks got himself into a spot of trouble this week…
As pastor of one of the South Side’s largest congregations, Rev. Meeks believes homosexuality is morally wrong. He says that teaching comes from the Christian Bible and the revealed Word of God. He opposes abortion for the same reason. […]
In a telephone interview, Meeks at first declined to answer questions about his long-standing opposition to abortion and gay rights. “I don’t want to get into divisive issues, or talk about hypotheticals,” he said.
Meeks said abortion is not an issue that would normally be addressed by either the Mayor of Chicago or the City Council. City officials, though, would deal with certain gay rights issues, including how police would treat “hate crimes,” whether to register civil unions and what rights to grant city employees with same-sex partners.
“Now, if I were sitting around bored with nothing to do, that stuff might come up,” Meeks said. “But I expect to be so busy with schools, crime and budget problems during my first term that I wouldn’t have any time.”
The openly-gay State Rep. Harris (D-Chicago) said he was not impressed. “Oh, great. So, our right to basic equality would depend on his whim? That is not acceptable.”
If Meeks makes it into the runoff, the city’s decades-old black/liberal alliance, which pretty much broke during the John/Todd Stroger campaigns and was only temporarily repaired by Barack Obama, will be endangered yet again.
Also, as Progress Illinois notes, the city council does occasionally dip its toes into the abortion issue, like when it passed the abortion clinic bubble zone ordinance.
* A blast from the past reemerges. Carol Moseley-Braun wants to be mayor…
Braun, who now owns an organic food company, is currently interested in hearing from the community and believes she needs at least two million dollars in support to run an effective campaign, according to sources. On Sunday, political operative Billy Paige held a meeting with supporters to gauge the feasibility of a campaign.
Braun is already supported by political activist Gloria Steinem.
More…
“I think people are prepared to support the most qualified person, without regard to race and gender,” she told me. “My qualifications should win the day.
“Just to show you how things work in life, last month I started having conversations with the people who wanted to buy into the company, and in the middle of that Daley announces.
“I am positioned perfectly to do this. Who would have thought it?”
Braun has already signed up former Channel 5 reporter Renee Ferguson as her spokesperson.
* Maria Pappas is also interested…
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said Monday she is thinking about running for mayor.
“Yes, I am considering it,” said Pappas, joining the growing field of might-be candidates in the wake of Mayor Daley’s announcement last week that he won’t seek another term. “I’ve got great countywide, citywide numbers.”
* What Rahm Emanuel’s poll is testing…
On Monday, I found Kathy Posner, a Chicago civic leader, who was called by Emanuel’s pollster on Saturday.
She told me the 20-minute survey asked about Emanuel; Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd); David Hoffman, the former city inspector general who lost a Democratic Senate primary bid; Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and state Sen. James Meeks.
Posner said there was a query about Daley’s job rating and what city issues are important: jobs, police, etc.
After running through some positives about Emanuel — his congressional career, his work as Obama’s chief of staff — Emanuel tested some potential negatives: his onetime friendship with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and how Emanuel made millions as an investment banker with City Hall connections. There was also a question about Emanuel and convicted political fixer Tony Rezko.
Ald. Reilly, however, all but took himself out of contention yesterday.
* And Mark Brown has a warning for Tom Dart…
But don’t forget: It’s going to be dangerous to be the front-runner in this race.
Just look at how quickly various forces went on the attack against Emanuel. There was muttering about Dart at last week’s City Council meeting, too, but it was more restrained.
If the other contenders gang up on Dart, there’s still no telling who could slide to the front.
