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Today’s setup is brought to us by Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg.

God bless Dorothy Brown. She’s the perkiest person I have ever met in politics, bar none. The Cook County Circuit Court clerk has more spunk than an Olympic gymnast. She makes Katie Couric seem like Eeyore.

Have you met the woman? Imbued with energy, excruciatingly well-mannered and the grace of God flowing from her like glow off a light-bulb. Her cringing subordinates might paint a different picture, but that’s how she comes across during her visits to the newspaper.

Of course, she can’t run her own department, never mind run the city, not that she’ll get the chance: Mayor Daley will crush her like an egg.

Still, while she lasts, she should provide an interesting contrast to the morose Saul sulking on the fifth floor of City Hall: Daley, the sourest, most visibly unhappy man to hold elective office in America since Calvin Coolidge retired to Vermont, vs. Dorothy Brown, who seems about to bust out into song at any given moment. I’d like to pretend she’ll give the mayor a run for his money and he’ll only get 70 percent of the vote this time. But I doubt it.

Do you agree with this? Why or why not?

Also, you can watch Ms. Brown’s announcement speech here.

UPDATE: From a press release:

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. will hold a press conference Wednesday to announce a citywide “listening tour” and the formation of an “exploratory committee.”

Jackson is being encouraged by supporters to run for mayor of Chicago in 2007, though he has made no final decision.

The press conference will begin at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, September 6, at his home.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 7:41 am

Comments

The answer lies in how many people work for Brown (how many people will walk for her) and how many jobs she can offer. She is going to be th eRoland Burris in this race, simply there to take votes away from a black candidate who really may be a threat. Next, let’s see a hispanic with no chance of winning enter the fray to dilute Luis G’s chances.

Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 8:41 am
Is Brown running for herself or to help Daley by deflecting attention from other potential candidates such as Jesse Jackson Jr.? Steinberg is right as Brown would get crushed, but if Brown runs a credible campaign she would at least force Daley to sweat. It is healthy to have alternative visions for Chicago.

The time is right for an independent businessperson to run, but I think people are going to hold out until 2011. Daley’s patronage organization is still too strong to defeat.

Comment by Tom Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 9:04 am
No one will beat Daley. No one.

Comment by fod Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 9:37 am
Nice woman, but overrated for the the work she has done in an inept office. If it is a 2 person gig, she gets 20% max. The only way that she is able to be a real factor is if you have 3 -4 candidates, can she have enough of an impact to force a run-off.

Comment by Niles Township Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 9:46 am
Never underestimate the power of a female candidate when corruption is a key election issue. Women have an edge in voter’s perception regarding a need for change in government. Time and again, we have seen women elected when it appears voters are tired of the status quo.

I know my fellow bloggers want to drain the trivia within their brains on how this or that female candidate lost an election. I am also not claiming that Brown will win. What we need to admit is that voters are willing to listen to a female candidate at this point, and give her a shot at proving her case. Ms. Brown has our attention and as such, has greater credibility as a candidate than Mr. Jackson does.

The bottom line is after 80 years of single-party rule, Chicago has run out of ideas. After Bilandic, Byrne, Washington, and Sawyer, Chicago has proven it has run out of leaders by returning to the Daley family. If Daley steps down, voters feel they are looking once again into a quagmire of ugly racial politics.

Brown is an attractive candidate. There are real reasons why she can become the Mayor-apparent. by running now, she can get her credentials established even if Daley stays in office. She is looking into the future - beyond 2007.

This is her moment to display her political abilities and she is smart enough to go for it.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 9:47 am
“She has snile that would light up a room” That seems to be enough for the ‘progressive set. My God, did any one watch Ms ‘Honorable’ when Phil Ponce’s stand-in under-handed Nerf-density questions and ‘Honorable Brown’ rolled her eyes?

She could not hit one out of the batter’s box even pitched by WTTW ( Window to Toney Winnetka)!

She has a smile that would light up a room - Carol Mosely Braun or Dorothy ‘Honorable’ Brown!

Comment by Pat Hickey Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 10:03 am
You know what they say: Too many cooks spoil the broth.

It looks like Chef Brown is cooking for the Mayor.

Comment by B Hicks Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 10:09 am
I am fascinated when politicians - especially those like Dorothy Brown - say that they â€œare amazed by the number of people that contact themâ€, urging them to run for [insert coveted political office here]. In her case, these people are urging her to run for [Mayor]. I would be amazed if there was one. I am not kidding.

I have worked in and around politics for almost two decades and I cannot recall one (sane) elected official ever mentioning to me that they received ONE CALL, let alone scores of calls, urging them to run for office. Not one.

Picture this scenario:

Man: â€œHey honey, where is the phone book?â€
Wife: â€œI donâ€™t know, look on the closet shelf. Why do you need it?
Man: â€œI have to look up the number for Dorothy Brown, you know, the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook Countyâ€.
Wife: â€œWhy, did you get a traffic ticket again?â€
Man: â€œNo, silly, I want to urge her to run for Mayor of Chicagoâ€
Wife: â€œThatâ€™s nice, dear, tell her I am urging her to run, tooâ€

The more likely scenario went like this:

Political outsider #1: â€œMan, I wish we had a toady in the Mayorâ€™s Office so we can get a piece of the pieâ€.
Political outsider #2: â€œRight on, just think of the jobs, contracts, jobs, and clout we could have.â€
Political outsider #1: â€œYou said jobs twice.â€
Political outsider #2: â€œI like jobs.â€
Political outsider #1: â€œWho can we get to run? Barack is in the US Senate. He wonâ€™t do it.
Political outsider #2: â€œI know, letâ€™s get Carol. Carol will run for anythingâ€.
Political outsider #1: â€œPuh-leezeâ€.
Political outsider #2: â€œWell, how about Dorothy Brown? You know, the nobody nobody sent?
Political outsider #1: â€œQuick! Get the phone book! Where is it?â€
Political outsider #2: â€œI donâ€™t know, look on the closet shelf.â€

Comment by Missing Capone Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 11:23 am
This is shaping up to be a four or five way race, which could force a run-off.

I remind bloggers that the Tribune poll found Jackson, Jr. beating Daley in a head-to-head match-up in May ‘05, and Daley hasn’t exactly had a string of good news since then.

Here’s a telling line from that story:

Daley won every city ward and nearly 80 percent of the vote when he last was re-elected in 2003. But the poll found that slightly less than half of voters now say they would like him to run again, and 39 percent said they would prefer he not try for another term.

It sound like alot of voters are trying to send Daley a message: we don’t want to have to vote against you, Mr. Mayor, but we will if you make us.

I expect the field to look something like this:

Daley
Jackson
Brown
Gutierrez
A white liberal lakefront candidate to be named later

With a field like that, Daley will find it hard to reach 50%, and as the only female candidate, Brown has as good a chance as anyone of making the run-off. Whether she could beat Daley in a head-to-head without the overt endorsement of the other challengers is another matter.

But to all who claim Daley is invincible, a few pointers:

-The anti-incumbent mood is a strong as its every been in Illinois
-Daley’s fundraising has been lackluster
-Daley’s massive field operation is shackled by an ongoing federal investigation
-Daley has made as many political enemies as he has friends. Some will work against him just out of spite, but others want to set up a weak successor so that they can make a run at the 5th floor themselves in 2011.

Is Daley still the favorite to win? Sure. But even the Yankees lose sometimes.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 11:27 am
I don’t know much about her, but I do know that a “smile that will light up a room” is not sufficient to put a dent in Daley’s support.

Comment by Bridget Dooley Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 12:01 pm
It’s a sad day - I have to agree with Hicks!!

Look at where Brown’s past election petitions have come from to know the real story.

She’s Daley through and through, and a spoiler.

Comment by Bubs Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 12:41 pm
Doc Walls stoop up and declared his candidacy. Every one else jumping in -including Kid Staples who makes his leap tomorrow - is a spoiler.

Comment by Pat Hickey Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 12:52 pm
My apology to Doc Walls for my bad typing. Doc Walls Stood Up!

Comment by Pat Hickey Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 1:02 pm
Very little can surprise me from the writings of Neil Steinberg, who is clearly the weakest local columnist on thestaff of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Steinberg likes to be confrontational, even if he doesn’t know what he is doing. He is best ignored.

As for the candidacy of Dorothy Brown, the voters will have a better grasp of the campaign and the contenders for Mayor by the first week of December, just before the candidates have to file. In the past we have seen would-be candidates for office announce their intentions in September with great hoopla, only to pull out for one reason or another as the first snowflakes fall. So I for one, choose to see what will happen over the next three months.

Comment by Randall Sherman Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 1:23 pm
This was perfect timing on her part. If Junior gets in now he looks like a spoiler. Jesse Junior really is inept. How could he possibly let this happen. His hemming and hawing basically knocked him out of the race. What a goof.

Dorothy Brown can win the election if she gets enough money to run TV commercials in abundance. There is a strong anti-Daley block that is looking for thier champion, however, she needs to get her message out and cross over racial lines. If she can get the women’s vote she will be on her way.

Comment by Garp Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 2:02 pm
Dorothy Brown has as much chance to get elected as Tony Peraica: exactly ZERO.

Comment by Chick McGann Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 2:10 pm
Right again, YDD -

It will be:
Daley
Jackson
Brown
Gutierrez
Eisendrath

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 2:31 pm
As one of da posters said Dorothy Brown appeared on Chicago Tonight last week after annoucing for Mayor.

She seemed to have little to say outside that she should be mayor because she is a lawyer. It was like a bad SNL parody “I am a lawyer, vote for me.” I went to law school to understand the law and Mayors make laws. I have an MBA. I am a CPA vote for me.

To me her perky personality is a downside. I don’t trust anyone who appears to be that happy. There has to be more to being a leader than a nice smile. I will take gruff any day over perky. Blago is. perky……………….grrrrrrrrrrrr……and he has interesting hair. Brown reminds me of Carol Mostly Braun……..and that is probably unfair to Brown.

Barring a federal indictment of himself or one of his brothers Mayor Daley will be reelected. There is no credible alternative. He doesn’t deserve reelection but he is blessed with weak opponents. Jackson is not popular enough in the black community to get the overwhelming vote he would need and he has little appeal to the white or hispanic communities. Luis Luis doesn’t seem to realize that hispanics make up only about 15 percent of the potential voters in the city……because of age and citizenship issues.

I expect Jesse Junior to run because his ego is such that he sees himself as the black Chicago political leader. Obama is clearly a leader with national aspirations. Junior can’t let Brown steal that camera action that he seems to crave almost as much as his daddy.

Little Luis may run because………well just because. I mean there is an election and the wannabee President of a Free Puerto Rico must be seen and heard.

If it is a 5 way race I would expect the results to be in this order: Daley, Junior, Brown, Luis Luis, Walls, and pulling up the rear Popeye the Sailor man.

I would think Daley will be able to avoid a runoff, but I may be wrong. He should poll close to 50 percent in the initial election and 60 percent plus in the final.

I can’t imagine a city being run by Jesse Junior………the largest thing he has ever run is his mouth.

ARRRRRRGH

Comment by IrishPirate Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 3:01 pm
…a Hynes is on his side.

Comment by Don't underestimate Junior Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 3:12 pm
Wow, Brian Hynes supports Junior. Remember Brian Hynes is involved in potential business deals with Juniors Budweiser drinking brothers. Also remember that Brian is NOT related to the 19th Ward Hynes.

Brian Hynes has the ability to get about 3 votes for Junior…………..one of which would be his own. He also has his late dad’s name tattoed on his leg…………I wonder if he will tattoo Juniors name to his butt if Junior manages to get divine intervention and wins.

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?portal_id=35&mpid=35&page_id=1858

Comment by IrishPirate Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 3:37 pm
IrishPirate love the link to the Forty under Forty. I love that list. “Look at me! I am a shameless self-promoter!” Also, Missing Capone hits the nail right on the head. To hear these people tell it, they can’t walk down the street without someone urging them to “Run, Jesse, Run!”

Comment by paddyrollingstone Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 4:16 pm
Sorry. I couldn’t resist putting this Forty Under Forty link on here: http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?portal_id=35&page_id=136

Great quote from Scott Fawell

Comment by paddyrollingstone Tuesday, Sep 5, 06 @ 4:20 pm
Well I worked for Dorothy Brown for 6 years and I can say with a smile she is a horrible business person. The way she treats and pays the Clerk’s Office employees is excruciatingly terrible, unless you have clout. She gives the most dumb people promotions and hires the most incompetent staff. I resigned last year and she still owes me money that she won’t pay. I have looked under every rock I can and can’t find an attorney who is willing to attack her. As far as running the City of Chicago, she has a better chance of going to satan’s home and bringing back the keys to his domain.

Comment by hudsonriver Friday, Oct 27, 06 @ 9:16 pm