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Local elections thoughts and a roundup * Updated x1 *

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* Billy Dennis, the Peoria Pundit, notes that he and another local blogger are being interviewed by the area’s mainstream media about today’s municipal elections…

Either bloggers are entering the mainstream because our work is being recognized, or weâ€™re the flavor of the month. I suspect a combination of the two, although I wonâ€™t hazard to guess in what proportion.

I’ll add a third reason. Because the mainstream media is focusing less and less on local politics, blogs are some of the only places where you can find any sort of reporting and analysis on those campaigns. (Just take a look at the paltry selection in the roundup below for proof.) So, when crunch-time comes, some bloggers are the best sources for what’s really going on locally.

There are exceptions to this. The Daily Herald does a lot of local political coverage, but the reporters assigned to those beats are usually young and inexperienced. Suburban bloggers can fill in the gaps.

Dennis, for his part, sent a questionnaire to every local aldermanic candidate and posted the full results on his blog. It was a perfect example of how a local blogger can make a real difference. We need more of that in this state. A lot more.

I always encourage local bloggers to keep their focus on their immediate surroundings. We’ve got way more national political bloviators than we need. They’re a dime a dozen. Stay local, stay focused and if you’re any good, success and recognition will follow.

Anyway, here’s the roundup, compiled by Paul Richardson…

* Don’t hassle voters, candidates are told

* Sun-Times Endorsements in run-off elections

* Vote today in suburbs, 12 Chicago wards

* Voters to decide fate of Daley-backed aldermen

* Election eve calls stir emotion in two Springfield wards

* Archpundit: When the Math Doesnâ€™t Work

This is an election day open thread. Polling place observations and predictions, please.

*** UPDATE 1 *** Naisy Dolar’s 50th Ward campaign is live blogging their election day efforts. Check it out. One excerpt…

This morning 2 voters came into the office alleged that as they were casting ballots at the Congregation Ezras Israel, they saw a man handing out Stone literature to 4 younger voters inside the polling place. The allegation: after the younger voters checked in with the election judges, but before they voted, they were directed to another man wearing a tie who handed out Stone literature. It is unclear whether this man was an election judge or a pollwatcher. Lawyers are on the way.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 8:44 am

Comments

Naisy Dolar’s campaign is blogging live from the 50th ward all day. Its being updated regularly.

http://dolarelectiondaypressroom.blogspot.com/

Comment by wndycty Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 8:47 am
50: Dolar wins. Stone’s time is done.

49: Moore holds. He is a bad guy, but people up there still view things his way. Too many Loyola liberals who think it is IMPORTANT that Chicago remain nuke free and that those poor geese are treated well.

43: Daley holds. Her opponent has not run a serious campaign. Daley has done a pretty good job and hasn’t given voters much of a reason to go another direction.

35: Colon loses. This one will be close, but Colom has the field operation.

32: Matlack wins. He’s got too much money and too much backing this time. He’s Natarus four years ago. He should enjoy this term, since it will be his last.

21: Brookins holds.

18: Lane holds.

16: Coleman loses. Her neighborhood has too many problems. They need a change. Another unresponsive alderman loses a seat. Another wake up call to the counsel: “WATCH OUT FOR YOUR NEIGHBHORHOOD.”

15: Foulkes wins. Throwing darts here. There has been no coverage of this race, As such, my thought is that the union money will carry Foulkes home.

3. Tillman loses. Her day has passed. A lot of people who should know better violated Chicago rule #1: “Don’t back no losers.” They should have seen this coming a long way away.

2: Haithcock holds. Fioretti is a genuine dingbat in the Natarus mold. Haithcock hasn’t done anything all that obnoxious so voters won’t be motivated to toss her out.

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 9:28 am
I posted something to this effect already in yesterday’s thread, but its clearly better to post it here.

It appeared that turnout was higher in my 32nd Ward precinct than in the general election. If I recall correctly, I was 23rd at around 8 am in the general election. This morning, I was 24th at 7:15. The 25th person came in as I was leaving. The Matlak poll workers were pretty lazy this time around to boot. Last time around, they were fairly aggressive when it came to handing out palm cards. This time, they had 2 signs up on trees on 2 of the 3 corners opposite the polling place, and the workers were chit-chatting amongst themselves. A little circle just around the corner from the entrance. They ignored me as I walked past.
Matlak’s campaign robo-called me twice yesterday and once the day before, which is never a way to gain my support. Not that he had it to begin with.

That said, and I wish I had a scanner available, the last Wags mailer I got was pretty sketchy. He had pictures of Obama, Lisa Madigan, and Claypool on the mailer, and it was made to appear they endorsed Wags. As far as I know, none of them have endorsed any candidate. It didn’t say they endorsed him, but someone who just glances at the mailer could be misled.
It also had a picture of Matlak and a bunch of his associates, sleazebags like Vrodolak, on it.

It was not a move that endeared me to Wags, but my mind was already made up to do my part to get Matlak out.

Comment by Jerry Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 10:13 am
Lisa Madigan has endorsed Matlak; we received a robocall from her yesterday asking us to vote for him.

This morning at 6:15 a.m., when I was voter #4 in my precinct in the 32nd Ward, a democratic poll watcher and an assistant state’s attorney were getting into it about the fact that the latter was not letting the poll watchers sit at the table with the precinct workers but asking them to stand to the side. The former insisted that he could not possibly poll watch from the distant she was suggesting and that “we have never had to do this before.” It’s going to be a long day.

Signs were up at both sides of the polling place (probably just outside the legal limit) saying “Vote for Matlak”.

Comment by 32nd Ward Voter Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 10:57 am
Skeeter, good post but for the sake of argument Iâ€™ll push back on some your predictions:

50: Dolar wins. Stoneâ€™s time is done. Agreed.

49: Moore loses. Something is going on regionally up there thatâ€™s not good for Stone and Moore. High early voting numbers indicate Gordon got his act together and voters have had enough.

43: Daley loses. The â€œindependentsâ€ break for Smith after seeing Vi go negative but its close.

35: Ray winsâ€¦barely. Labor workers have been out for him for weeks delivering the votes today. Vilma never got the yuppies back.

32: Matlack loses. Too negative and old school for those yupsters. Wags tracked and his pluses and got them out.

21: Brookins holds. Agreed.

18: Lane holds. Agreed.

16: Coleman loses. Agreed!

15: Foulkes wins. Agreed.

3. Tillman loses. Agreed.

2: Haithcock loses. She was the weakest incumbent from the beginning and never improved her image or operation. Despite Bobâ€™s best efforts he squeaks this out (he should be crushing her) because the Ward changed in his favor and, if Wallace Davis is actually helping Bob, itâ€™s over for her.

Comment by ThePiper Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 12:26 pm
Claypool endorsed Wags. Not for any good reason. He was just playing his usual outsider,reformer, pain in the butt to everyone,backstabber role. His endorsement would be enough to make me vote for Matlak. I don’t know how the Big O went but I wish he would keep his nose out of local races that are none of his business. His endorsement of Tillman is enough to make me vote for Hillary.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 12:45 pm
AlderTrack Exclusive

AlderVision presents the first run-off videos of the day!

Predictions on Pat

SOON TO COME:

Rolling with Shirley

Three Cheers for Leroy

Available at: http://AlderTrack.typepad.com

Comment by Jimm Dispensa Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 1:14 pm
I was voter #78 in my precinct at about 10:00 am. I don’t know how that compares to the February election, but I suspect overall turnout may be up, even though I’ve been predicting lower turnout for weeks now. Both sides are pushing pretty hard.

Jerry - I totally agree about the last Waguespack piece (hung on my doorknob this morning). It had to read it three times to understand the point, and I’m a pretty sophisticated voter. It really looks like he’s claiming that Obama, Madigan et al endorsed him. I still think Matlak pulls it out.

Comment by Anon in 32 Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 1:17 pm
While he was all too ready to endorse in the 42nd and 43rd wards (not in his district), Claypool did not endorse anybody in 32 (which is in his district). Guesss he’s a reformer when it’s convenient - and safe.

Comment by Keeping it real in 32. Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 1:39 pm
I opened and worked half-a-day in a triple precinct in Old Town/Lincoln Park/43rd Ward. Vi Daley has the best GOTV operation I have seen in the 43rd Ward - better organized than our effort for Mayor Daley in 89/91.

Apathy appeared to be very high - my best guess is that turnout is substantially ower than the February primary 43rd Ward - in February turnout was dismal.

I had more help/volunteers than I’ve ever had before. Most elections I “cover”-open/close the three precincts by myself.There were 2-3 volunteers with me at all times, with similar coverage, afterIleft, for the rest of the day.

Given that Vi Daley got 48% of the vote in the primary (Michele Smith came in 2nd at 33%), coupled with the very aggressive GOTV effort by Vi Daley’s campaign, there seems to be no way that Vi Daley can be beaten. I think Vi Daley’s campaign is going to be very successful in turning out her pluses/supporters

Vi Daley has dedicated her entire life to nopartisan community service In Lincoln Park and she deserves to be relected!

Friendly kibbitzing with the Smith volunteers indicates that the Smith campaign thinks it is a close election. I believe they are mistaken. I think the best she cand do is 45-46%. Even 40% would be very good for someone who started with zero name recognition against a generally well-liked and respected incumbent with bipartisan support.

Comment by Captain America Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 3:36 pm
Alhtough I sense that many of the anti-Joe Moore voters have coalesced around Don Gordon’s candidacy,I just don’t see how Gordan can prevail given that Moore came within i/2 % of winning outright in February.

I made a quick stop by the Moore campaign office on the way to voting in my totally boring multiple school-district elections in Evanston.

I heard that Gordon poll watchers are challenging a substantial number of voters I’d be willing to bet that most of the challenges are raised against minority voters. I strongly dispprove of all types of voter suppression.initiatives/tactics. i don’t have the facts. But I am confident that the truth will out.

I expect Moore to win, challenges or not!!!

Comment by Captain America Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 4:05 pm
I’m hearing that Stone may pull this one out by the skin of his teeth. His precincts seem to be have good traffic.

Comment by Niles Township Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 4:42 pm
I sure hope Skeeter and Piper are right about Tillman.

Comment by T.J. Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 5:32 pm
Turnout is light in Proviso Township.

The trustee challengers in Melrose Park are claiming electioneering inside the polling places with the judges being in on it.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 5:44 pm
I predict the politicians win and the taxpayers lose

Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 6:47 pm
Billy wasn’t interviewed for that, another local blogger was. The story was about how the media picked up on a pretty big story that a blogger posted first. (http://www.hoinews.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=32709) Billy was a live interview on the My59 9:00 news discussing the elections then Billy and CJ Summers (the blogger from HOI’s story) and Knight in Dragonlad were on the NPR station tonight with election coverage.

Comment by Ryan Johnson Tuesday, Apr 17, 07 @ 10:42 pm
Captain America:

I hear a lot of the Vi Daley GOTV effort came from her friend Brendan Reilly’s organization.

This shows that Reilly can rally the troops beyond his own borders. I doubt Natarus will run for committeeman next year, but if he does, the Reilly team (whether it is Reilly himself or somebody else) is going to crush Natarus again.

Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Apr 18, 07 @ 8:57 am