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No knockout: Rahm’s still standing

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Illinois

* Gery Chico’s campaign was saying privately earlier this week that there’d be a “knockout punch” attempt during last night’s debate. It didn’t happen, even though the headlines made it seem like there was more to it…

* Debate rivals skewer Emanuel on immigration reform

* Candidates take aim at Emanuel in ABC7 debate

* Opponents Pile on Emanuel

* Full-court press on Emanuel in final debate - Front-runner the focal point of blistering attacks

Meh.

Chicagoist had the best headline: More of the Same at Last Night’s Debate. Lynn Sweet’s wasn’t bad, either: Debate bottom line: no winner, no losers

* Emanuel’s opponents hit him with numerous issues, but he appeared to parry enough to get by. For instance, on the Rahm Tax..

“Tell us what’s going to be taxed,” asked Chico, the former chief of staff to Mayor Richard Daley, contending Emanuel’s math doesn’t add up and that few families would see any savings. “The taxpayers in this city and this state already have too many bricks on their back. They cannot afford this,” he said.

Despite controversy over whether any actual savings would be achieved under his plan, Emanuel maintained, “It’s time to give working families a tax cut.”

“If you take a corporate jet, you’ll start to pay a fair share,” he said. “You take a limo, you’ll pay a fair share.”

On how he made so much money…

“I worked in the private sector and I worked in investment banks. And I worked, in fact, on a transaction here creating Exelon and keeping the corporate headquarters here,” said Emanuel.

And immigration…

“The fact of the matter is Rahm Emanuel referred to immigration as the third rail of politics when he advised his colleagues in Congress not to pursue immigration reform,” del Valle said.

“This is a complicated issue, but we need policies that will reflect our values and laws,” said Emanuel

The SS Rahm sails on.

* Watch the debate if you missed it…

* Part 1

* Part 2

* Part 3

* Part 4

* Part 5

* Part 6

* Roundup…

* Gery Chico Save A Life Foundation Connection: What Was His Role At Troubled Charity?

* CPS racial disparity grew under Daley: UIC profs

* Lynn Sweet live-blogs the Chicago Mayoral Debate

* Dispatches from the spin room: post-Ch. 7 mayoral debate

* Zorn: Give Emanuel the top job? Maybe not just yet

* Layoffs don’t apply to Berrios’s clan - 53 firings don’t include Cook County Assessor’s sister, children or mystery woman

* Dart on mass burial of babies: ‘This could not be more appalling’

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 10:34 am

Comments

Unless they find Emanuel with a dead girl or a live boy pretty darn quick, this thing’s over on Tuesday.

Despite best efforts, the media hasn’t been able to create a horse race. Opponents are just too weak.

Comment by just sayin' Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 10:44 am
Well, Rahm would be saving the city a lot of money if he wins outright on Feb. 22 and avoids a citywide run off election.

Comment by titan Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 10:57 am
If sleepy, stuttering and disinterested wins debates then Rahm certainly won that one. Anyone who says this race is over is shilling. I really don’t care who wins but Emanual certainly got tanked last night.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 11:11 am
If the voting public doesn’t care that he used his influence to make $18M in the private sector, made $50,000 to attend each Freddie Mac meeting when the mortgage disaster was just beginning, and used “Daley volunteers” led by Don Tomczak to man the streets for him in his first congressional victory, then have at it. Guess it is a sas commentary on his opponents.

Comment by Jim Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 11:13 am
Painfully boring to watch, as most debates are anyway. 60 seconds is only enough time to spit out a platitude.

I predict 62 for Rahm, 15 Gery, 10 Miguel, 9 Carol.

Comment by State Sen. Clay Davis Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 11:14 am
If Emanuel wins outright on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see if Burke challenges him to build his own majority coalition on the City Council (he has some experience in that area).

Judging by just the sheer number of candidates in most wards, it’s safe to assume that plenty of aldermanic races will be heading for runoffs.

Both Emanuel and Burke have huge warchests. Does Burke start throwing his money around, or can he try to make a deal with Emanuel to keep the Finance Committee?

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 11:20 am
Rahm looked at his worst when trying to explain and defend his luxury tax plan and the 0.25 reduction in the sales tax. He never moved beyond talking points. In his answer to the original question and the follow up, he used almost the exact same words two times in succession.

The Rahm tax plan is flawed and has been exposed as such, so why keep pushing it? Is it because Rahm cannot bear to admit that he erred?

By the way, were you aware of the fact that Rahm’s uncle was a Chicago policeman? Good grief, he has been using that same talking point since 2002 when he replaced Blagojevich in Congress. Move on, already!

Comment by Esquire Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 11:36 am
will be interesting to watch the aldermanics that Greg Goldner is supporting, undoubtedly in the interests of Rahm. that will factor in to what goes on in City Council.

Rahm was flat last night. I read somewhere that Gery was quite ill although it did not seem that way to me but perhaps that is why no knockout punch or maybe they are saving it for ? ??? surprisingly, the Carol comment about how deep and wide Rahm’s cuts would go kind of nailed it. promises promises.
see Mark Brown column for how little you will get with a Rahm
sales tax reduction.

how many times do we get a quote from a NYMet/Yankee….that Yogi comment. Rahm uses it all the time and it is stupid. when you see a fork in the road, vote for someone else.

Comment by amalia Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 11:42 am
On the technical merits, this has been a very disappointing election.

Comment by Dirt Digger Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 11:42 am
@Titan: “would be saving the city a lot of money if he wins outright on Feb. 22 and avoids a citywide run off election”

This would only work if Mendoza, Emanuel, and Neely win with the magic 50% plus one vote plurality. Otherwise, the whole city votes if one or more is in a run-off (for that respective race).

Have we seen the last of the polls? I am somewhat surprised by the lack of polls on this race which leads me to believe Rahm will win with 53%. That should be (and I expect it will) the QOTD for Monday or Tuesday: “guess the winners and by what percentage…”

Comment by Knome Sane Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 11:45 am
I don’t think getting on the illegal immigration issue and administration finger-pointing helped any body last night. Except maybe Rahm.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 11:46 am
That debate was a major snoozer. Emanuel’s opponents didn’t come close to doing what they needed to do.

Once again, the best and most insightful coverage was from the person doing the hilarious @MayorEmanuel over on Twitter. Only thing even making this race worth following anymore.

Comment by just sayin' Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 11:56 am
@Knome Sane: “This would only work if Mendoza, Emanuel, and Neely win with the magic 50% plus one vote plurality.”

Neely is running unopposed and Mendoza is in a two-person race, so there won’t be any runoffs there. If Emanuel wins outright on Tuesday, the only runoffs would be in some of the more crowded aldermanic races.

Comment by Edge of the 14th Ward Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 12:06 pm
I thought that Chico did very well considering the fact that he had a temp of 104.

I agreed with Del Valle that a runoff would be good, I’m just hoping that he’s not in it.

I wish that Emanuel had been given time to answer his opponents during the forum. He flubbed the immigration issue. By bringing up Justice Sotomayer only showed how detached and out of touch he is with the issue. I’m that flub registered with Hispanic, the intelligent ones anyway. It was akin to saying, “I’m not a racist, some of best friends are Black.”

Comment by Slow things down Chicago Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 12:09 pm
@Edge

Thanks for clarifying. I probably should have looked that up before posting. My bad.

Comment by Knome Sane Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 12:10 pm
my bad…in my last 2 sentences I meant…

I’m sure that flub registered with Hispanics, the intelligent ones anyway. It was akin to saying, “I’m not a racist, some of my best friends are Black.”

Comment by Slow things down Chicago Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 12:24 pm
Ya know, not to put a damper on all you Rahmulans but this thing might not be breaking the way you think it is.

I think,

Chico is at least getting as many votes as Rahm on the Northwest and Southwest side white wards. Quite possibly winning some.

He is destroying with the Hispanic vote. Could be as high as 80%. I also think he will get more of the black vote than conventional thinking due to his past school board work and South side roots. Maybe as high as 10%.

Devalle might actually be cutting Emanual, not Chico, where it hurts most-along the lake front.

In the end, I think the black vote will coalesce around Braun and she will get at least 50% and possibly much higher.

The bottom line would be a run off and if the black vote breaks at 70% for Braun-the Rahmulans will be biting there nails hoping their guy is in it.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 12:24 pm
@Slow Things Down:

Nice catch.

I was wondering if anyone noticed that pandering flub.

The Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court has a Puerto Rican family background and Rahm describes her as if she were an immigrant who was naturalized rather than an American citizen from birth.

This judicial appointment was only historic in the sense that the Democrats blocked all of the confirmation hearings on GOP judicial nominees of Latino ancestry who looked to be potential high court nominees in the future.

Comment by Honest Abe Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 12:26 pm
Puerto Rico is still part of the USA, Rahm.

Comment by Abandon Ship Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 12:32 pm
There were a few minor gaffes last night — Thanks to Capitol Fax for posting the video links, I was able to watch a portion of the debate that I missed yesterday night. Emanuel seemed to think that Puerto Rico is a foreign nation. Braun may be a bit premature in declaring that Egypt is a democracy — the military is in control of the Egyptian government now. I would suggest a wait and see approach as to whether or not free elections will be held. Hailing a glorious victory that has not occurred yet is not a wise policy.

Comment by Esquire Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 12:41 pm
Achy Obejas on Chico:

http://www.wbez.org/blog/achy-obejas/2011-02-18/why-gery-chico-white-candidate-mayor-82503

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 12:50 pm
@Honest Abe
Maybe to Rahm all of those people look alike?

Gery Chico isn’t white, he’s beige.

Comment by Slow things down Chicago Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 12:55 pm
@Abandon Ship:

Puerto Rico is commonwealth of the USA - if it were “a part” of the USA it would be a state! Weeeeepa….

Comment by GetOverIt Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 1:14 pm
“knock out punches” are to debates what waste fraud and abuse is to solving government deficit programs, something always talked about but never seen or found.

To me as a republican watching that debate I saw some in chico what I saw in hynes at the end of his fight with quinn which is to say someone who in the heat of campaign battle at the end was finally finding their voice and coming into their own. I would never vote for chico or for hynes, but he finally started pressing and he looked more convincing.

I thought charles thomas did a relatively good job and of the current nightly news political people I would rate him number 1 in terms of the seriousness with which he takes his job.

Comment by shore Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 1:18 pm
With all due respect to some of the posters here, I think Rahm understands the fundamentals of campaigning better than some commentators.

Of =course= he says the same damn thing again and again. Rahm’s uncle = Chicago policeman. Yogi Berra = fork in the road. Attentive voters will feel hit over the head with that. But you weren’t his target anyways; you’ve made up your mind long ago. It’s the undecided who may be turning just now into the race for the first time, and for many of them this will be news.

Message discipline is one of the best traits a candidate can possess. (This means you, Carol Moseley-Braun). And say what you like about him, Rahm is very disciplined and on-message. What some posters are complaining about, is precisely part of why he’s going to win, either on Tuesday or in the run-off.

Comment by ZC Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 1:41 pm
Greg Hinz of Crain’s Chicago Business has been questioning campaign funds donated to Emanuel by Jimmy John’s employees. Emanuel returned $50,000.00 in contributions today.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/blogs?blogID=greg-hinz&plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&uid=1daca073-2eab-468e-9f19-ec177090a35c&plckPostId=Blog:1daca073-2eab-468e-9f19-ec177090a35cPost:d6b3dd20-5d47-4007-9612-55c5f54ca5ed&plckScript=bl

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 3:08 pm