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Biss to lurch further leftward with running mate pick

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* Sen. Daniel Biss has moved from being a liberal wonk with some centrists leanings who worked to cut government pension benefits to apparently choosing a Democratic Socialist running mate…

Democratic candidate for Illinois governor State Sen. Daniel Biss is expected to name Chicago Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa to be his running mate Thursday, according to multiple sources. […]

Ramirez-Rosa was first elected to Chicago City Council in 2015 at age 26, making him the youngest current alderman and one of the youngest ever elected in Chicago.

Representing the 35th Ward on the Northwest Side, Ramirez-Rosa is also the first openly gay Latino to serve on the city council. After running as a political outsider, Ramirez-Rosa joined the council’s Progressive Caucus and was elected as a delegate for Sen. Bernie Sanders to the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

He has since changed parties to join the Democratic Socialists of America, and as a former community organizer with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Ramirez-Rosa has made issues surrounding immigration, as well as higher taxes on the wealthy, central to his own platform.

* From CNN’s coverage of the DSA convention in Chicago earlier this month…

“I’m serious about winning,” said Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, the 28-year-old alderman from Chicago’s 35th ward, who joined DSA and served as a Sanders delegate to the DNC. “I’m not dogmatic and I’m extremely pragmatic. We need to assess how it is that we can win and elect Democratic Socialist values and that’s going to take different forms in different places. In the end, the Democratic Party is not an end unto itself, nor is a third party an end unto itself, a party whether it be the Democratic Party of a third party, is a means to an end.”

Beyond that, however, the alderman is a staunch ally of the Chicago Teachers Union. And CTU’s endorsement is seen by many as a big prize in the Democratic primary.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:05 am

Comments

Boy that’s gonna be HUGE South of I-80.

Comment by Anon0091 Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:07 am
The negative ads south of I-80 write themselves.

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:08 am
amazing pick from my view well south of 80. Bernie and Trump both beat hillary in my neck of the woods.

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:10 am
This seems like a Sarah Palin pick in many ways. Biss has found a running mate who will drive away moderates.

As with Palin, Ramirez-Rosa is not fit for office, and as such, no matter Biss’s qualifications, Biss becomes an unacceptable choice.

Beyond his far left views, an Alderman?

What was he thinking? Clearly, this is desperation, and it will fail.

Comment by Gooner Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:14 am
How’s Pawar going to top that - announce a Green Party running mate?

Comment by Robert the Bruce Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:14 am
I think it is worth noting that Ramirez-Rosa hasn’t “changed parties” as the NBC article suggests. The Democratic Socialists of America isn’t a political party.

Comment by Some1 Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:15 am
Did they wear the Che Guevera or the clenched fist t shirts at the announcement?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:16 am
Saying, “boy, other people aren’t going to like this,” is the new, “I’m not racist!”

Comment by Albany Park Patriot Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:16 am
South of I-80 may look over this field and sit the primary out. Or vote in the GOP primary. Even if South of I-80 is turned off by such a lefty ticket, that doesn’t translate into votes for JB or Kennedy.

Comment by lake county democrat Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:16 am
Can someone point to what the Alderman has accomplished for the city?

Comment by here we go again... Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:17 am
What is the alderman going to do when the troubling stories from his college life come out? The senator should have done his research.

Comment by Rogers Park Politico Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:17 am
Gooner - what if moderates split between JB and Kennedy? When moderate Al Hofeld campaigned against moderate Al Dixon, he ended up electing not-as-moderate Carole Mosley Braun. Throw in some Rauner-dark-money attacks on Madigan/JB and who knows.

Comment by lake county democrat Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:19 am
As Democrats race to see who can become the most far left fringy, an undeserving Rauner could actually win.

Comment by Chris P. Bacon Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:19 am
So disappointed. Terrible pick. I hoped this rumor wasn’t true.

Comment by Anon57 Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:19 am
Gooner, the major difference between Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and Palin is that he is smart.

Comment by Cheryl44 Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:20 am
This is (partially) what happens when there are rules that keep potential candidates from declaring for two offices at the same time. Juliana Stratton is clearly the anomaly to this. It helps keep qualified and/or up-and-coming candidates or running mates from taking the plunge.

Comment by Curl of the Burl Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:21 am
To be fair there is nothing Biss could do to make me vote for him in the primary after his attempts cut pension benefits.

Would vote for him over Bruce if he makes it there though.

Comment by Seats Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:21 am
Things can’t get worse than in Venezuela?

Illinois Democrats: “Hold my beer.”

Comment by Chris P. Bacon Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:21 am
I don’t think sharing a stage with Karen Lewis wins the coveted suburban female vote. Just ask Glenn Poshard and Pat Quinn.

Comment by Almost the weekend Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:21 am
For the smartest man in the race, this is a remarkably stupid pick.

Comment by Dick Butka Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:22 am
Lake County, that’s not what happened with the Hofeld/Dixon race. CMB won because Hofeld and Dixon spent millions beating the crap out of each other, and CMB was able to ride that plus women’s resentment over the Clarence Thomas vote to victory.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:22 am
Last week’s edition of the Chicago Reader featured the alderman in a long winded love letter to the Socialist Democratic Convention recently held in Chicago.

Check it out: https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/socialism-democratic-socialists-of-america-convention-millennials-carlos-ramirez-rosa/Content?oid=29358708

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:22 am
Alderman Rosa is the Kyle McCarter of the Chicago City Council - a do nothing legislator who talks a big game but doesn’t deliver. I once had a tremendous amount of respect for Senator Biss…

Comment by Estubborn Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:22 am
Sorry, that last comment to Lake County was mine.

Comment by Anon0091 Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:23 am
= is also the first openly gay Latino to serve on the city council.=

Pet peeve here: He was elected at the same time as Ald. Raymond Lopez who is also openly gay and Latino as well as being elected a committeeman well before Rosa. Rosa touts this “fact” in almost all of his speeches and it has admittedly caused me to lose a bit of respect for him.

Makes me wonder if Lopez was in a “sexier” ward like Logan Square if he’d be the darling of all of these “progressive” groups that love Rosa. Instead, Lopez is doing the gritty work in Back of the Yards/Englewood and getting 10% of the attention.

Bleh. Maybe this is more than a small pet peeve to me.

Comment by Franklin Delano Bluth Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:23 am
To Rich’s point, he is sending a message to the CTU. Biss needs their money and their members working in his campaign. Also, Pewar’s pick (not that Pewar is a big threat to anyone) gave Biss room to position himself as the Bernie-light candidate.

At the end of the day, folks don’t place their votes based on the lt. gov. This is more about signaling to donors/endorsers.

Comment by Montrose Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:25 am
Bernie did a lot better downstate in the 2016 primary than most people probably realize, he won 79 counties. That may have been a protest vote, but he still got them.

Comment by The Captain Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:26 am
Cheryl 44,

Also, she’s female, a Republican, from Alaska, and is married to somebody who apparently competes in cold weather sports.

There are many differences between the two.

However, Palin was so un-qualified to be President that many refused to vote for McCain. Similarly, people like me who strongly considered Biss will now rule him out.

Comment by Gooner Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:29 am
Biss was the one candidate I was truly scared of when all the announcements were made, along with a possible Bustos nomination.

Rauner’s prospects improve by the day.

Comment by DownstateKid Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:31 am
I don’t know that there’s such a thing as “too left” in a Democratic primary (or “too right” in a Republican one), and it’s not like Rosa is clearly less-qualified than Sanguinetti was circa 2014. If this gets Biss the CTU endorsement, it’s probably a pretty good idea.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:35 am
Pretty clear Biss is not in the race to win it. At least he’ll still beat Drury.

Comment by Stratton Horseshoe Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:35 am
To all of you who don’t see this as a smart move based on your gut feeling, here are the numbers the Biss team is clearly chasing:

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-voter-turnout-election-day-2016-millennials-surpass-2012-400438871.html

It’s a Dem primary. Get the most Dem voters, move on to the next round. Like a few have already mentioned, they may not love Biss in a primary but they’ll go with him against BVR.

Again, this is Sen. Biss knowing his lane and appeal. Good luck beating up on the young, they’re coming for all of us.

Comment by EVanstonian Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:36 am
===Rauner’s prospects improve by the day===

lol…

A 63% disapproval and not even above 40% in approval… it doesn’t take much for you to see things as “better”?

That’s hysterically funny

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:36 am
So now we know, Biss is running to divide the anti-JB vote. It’s all so predictable.

Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:37 am
Biss is a humongous long shot at this point. His only hope is to get a huge portion of the Bernie vote, and hope the rest is split up amongst the other candidates. Don’t forget Bernie nearly won in Illinois with almost 49% of the vote. I think that’s extremely unlikely to happen, but what other hope could he possibly have at this point.

Comment by TopHatMonocle Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:40 am
Great news for wealthy car dealerships looking for $5 million tax breaks to move down the street in the same town.

#BissMissed

Comment by City Zen Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:41 am
==So now we know, Biss is running to divide the anti-JB vote.==

I don’t think that Biss is just a stalking horse, but it is a risk. Biss, Pawar, and Kennedy (to a lesser extent because he’s so mush-mouthed) all seem to be fishing in the same pond.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:41 am
Does Biss have a wedding dressed secretly tucked in the crawl space of a rented Chicago home?

I ask because this move looks a lot less like running for Illinois governor in 2018 than it does like laying the groundwork for a 2019 Chicago mayoral run.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:43 am
==As Democrats race to see who can become the most far left fringy, an undeserving Rauner could actually win.==

Yes, I can see Kennedy and JB lighting up a joint together during their weekly hacky sack game cursing themselves for not landing Rosa. When you’re the candidate with the shallowest pockets chasing two moderates, going left makes the most sense.

Comment by Carhartt Representative Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:45 am
well, at least it would get him out of City Council.

terrible pick.

Comment by Amalia Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:46 am
My Latino sources tell me this will help him win the Latino vote.

Comment by Grand Avenue Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:50 am
==Beyond that, however, the alderman is a staunch ally of the Chicago Teachers Union.==

The Logan Square Neighborhood Association in Rosa’s ward is also receives significant CTU funding.

Comment by City Zen Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:57 am
Awful pick.

Comment by So_Ill Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:58 am
Several posters understand that the “downstate” vote is very anti establishment. Being “left” isn’t really a bad thing as long as you aren’t a slimy politician. I hit hundreds of doors in last year’s primary and heard over and over and over that R leaning and independent voters would vote for Bernie if he won, but would never even consider voting for hillary even if she was running against trump. It was by far the most common refrain i heard.

I get that most of the coverage will be about labels, but the guy is pretty interesting and has a pretty compelling story, and goes about his job in a pretty interesting way:
https://www.thenation.com/article/meet-chicagos-movement-politician/

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 11:58 am
== Good luck beating up on the young, they’re coming for all of us.==

Considering you left them $120 billion in pension debt, should you be surprised?

Comment by City Zen Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:00 pm
If the first ad from Pawar blasting Biss for voting for tax breaks for big corporations doesn’t crush Biss’s Bernie dreams, the second one probably will.

Comment by Juvenal Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:00 pm
=== I ask because this move looks a lot less like running for Illinois governor in 2018 than it does like laying the groundwork for a 2019 Chicago mayoral run. ===

Biss lives in Skokie or Evanston.

Comment by Just Observing Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:01 pm
“lol…

A 63% disapproval and not even above 40% in approval… it doesn’t take much for you to see things as “better”?

That’s hysterically funny”

Didn’t realize I was transported back to AOL messenger.

ASL? Lol

Comment by DownstateKid Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:03 pm
Personally, I like the pick. As to it’s political implications, I don’t see this hurting Biss as much as people here seem to think. His best chance was always going to be positioning himself on the left of JB and Kennedy to pick up the youth, anti-establishment folks, the Bernie crowd. etc. This probably gives him more cred with minority voters as well. His base was never going to be centrist dems. No way he can compete with JB there. I still think (sadly, IMO) that Biss is a longshot, but I don’t think this pick puts him way off from where he was. As others have pointed out, Bernie did pretty darn well downstate.

I just hope Pawar drops out before the primary so the progressive vote isn’t split.

Comment by Actual Red Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:03 pm
Rosa is a good organizer, great at doors and in speeches, and will be a happy warrior to Biss’ professorial approach. I figured Rosa would run for mayor in a few years, so I’m more surprised that he accepted, not that he was asked.

Comment by Logan's Run Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:04 pm
City Zen, no, but I wouldn’t be surprised either if millenials see through the political lie that is the phrase “pension debt” and realize it for what it is - an actuarial assumption, not a real accounts payable number.

Comment by EVanstonian Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:04 pm
==His best chance was always going to be positioning himself on the left of JB and Kennedy to pick up the youth, anti-establishment folks, the Bernie crowd. etc.==

Yep. Trust me, the people this will anger had already written Biss off long ago

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:07 pm
===Didn’t realize I was transported back to AOL messenger.===

I think that’s when Rauner’s polling was last not underwater… So…

“lol”

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:08 pm
*also, noting that the actuarial assumption incorporates returns that aren’t likely or even risk-aware. The checks will most decidedly be bigger than $120 billion over the next thirty years to close the gap, if we ever do.

Comment by EVanstonian Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:08 pm
“I think that’s when Rauner’s polling was last not underwater… So…

“lol”

True. Also the same time period when the state wasn’t contributing the appropriate amount to pensions. If they would have done that, you wouldn’t have Rauner in office right now.

Like the good book says, you reap what you sow.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Comment by DownstateKid Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:14 pm
So far the Pritzker and Biss picks are leaving Kennedy with the entire state from which to chose. While Pritzker and Biss are running for a Cook County office, boxing themselves in, they’re leaving the rest of the state wide open. Advantage Kennedy - if he makes a smart choice.

Comment by West Wing Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:18 pm
For starters, I genuinely believe that Biss is a smart man. I actually was leaning towards supporting him, prior to this decision. I could have liked Alderman Rosa, but have not been impressed by his performance and lack of legislative victories in the City Council, or elements of his story.

He is not the first openly gay Latino alderman in City Council. Both Lopez and Rosa started at the first time. Granted, Rosa won the primary outright. However, his involvement in the LGBTQ or even LGBTQ Latino community is questionable. Rosa does not attend events organize by the LGBTQ Latino community, and has no-showed events he was asked to attend and speak. Say what you will about Lopez, but at least he shows up.
Also, by picking Rosa, it does not mean Biss will automatically win the Latino vote. First, most of the Latino community still does not know Biss, or Rosa for that matter. Rosa started campaigning for alderman way before he started organizing for ICIR. He has alienated many the other Latino electeds in City Council. And when the opposition research comes out, some of the things he has done or said or behaved will turn off a lot of the Latino voters. Plus, his attack of Senator Kamala Harris from CA will turn off a lot of black voters.

Now the young vote. There’s an openness to Carlos and what he stands for, but would be equally closed off by the fact that he’s no different than other politicians. Has not accomplished much and can only think about the next election.

Like others have said, terrible decision from Biss.

Comment by Politix Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:18 pm
Maybe he is just trying to win the 35th ward. If so, this is a brilliant move.

Comment by Stratton Horseshoe Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:20 pm
Never go full Bernie

Comment by SAP Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:20 pm
To Franklin Delano Bluth - I get where you’re coming from but if you get really technical with it Rosa was elected first as he won in 2015 outright and didn’t need a runoff which Lopez did. That being said they of course were inaugurated at the same time so it’s all technicalities, semantics and just flat out unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

On the pick itself, would have been great to find a female Bernie supporter who is an elected and didn’t have to give up their seat… see Sue Garza… but I’m sure Biss was looking at millennial and Bernie vote buzz and this certainly can give him both. Good move IMO

Comment by Spagnost Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:21 pm
It’s hard to see at the moment how this helps Dan Biss. Really hard.
But, it’s not that hard to see that it will have an effect on the overall race.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:28 pm
- DownstateKid -

Next time, saved all the silly typing and say “Madigan”

“lol”

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:30 pm
ooh, that scary “socialist” word.

Anyone “south of I-80″ enrolled in government crop insurance? Got grants for college? On Medicaid or Medicare? Cash a Social Security check?

Bernie Sanders has the highest approval rating of any active politician in the country. He got a million votes and nearly beat Clinton in the Illinois primary.

Does anyone think he would not have clobbered Trump in the general in Illinois?

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:32 pm
Senator Biss has put all his eggs into the I’m against the rich people strategy. Biss is doing very well financially and comes from a wealthy family. Biss grew up in a very exclusive community and went to the best schools. His contributors are some of the richest in town. He hob knobs with the social elite. If Biss wants to win the on the we hate rich people his running mate Carlos Ramirez-Rosa should be running for Governor and Biss for Lieutenant Governor.

Comment by class war Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:35 pm
CTU already has an excellent alliance with one of the Lt Gov candidates-Stratton. CTU isn’t likely to endorse Biss under any circumstance.

Comment by Michael Westen Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:45 pm
==Bernie Sanders has the highest approval rating of any active politician in the country. He got a million votes and nearly beat Clinton in the Illinois primary.==

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Bernie beat Hillary in Michigan and all these hollowed out rust belt counties like mine for the same reason Trump beat Hillary in those places.

Can Biss replicate that? Who knows, time will tell. But this pick is a strategy for doing so. Regardless of whether you like the pick or not, that’s the strategy

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:48 pm
== Biss grew up in a very exclusive community ==

Bloomington, Indiana?

Comment by Fred Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:54 pm
I’m with JohnnyPyleDriver and wordslinger here — I think this pick is very smart and many on this thread don’t quite understand that people’s voting preferences can’t be explained by a unidimensional left-to-right political axis.

Comment by LeonDespres Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 12:54 pm
He taking his cues from the Rauner playbook…pick a Hispanc that no one knows. It’s the winning formula

Comment by north shore cynic Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 1:01 pm
He’s just one year above that age eligibility requirement…

Comment by NIU Grad Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 1:08 pm
Toast.

Comment by blue dog dem Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 1:13 pm
I met him once, and it was the absolute worst interaction I’ve ever had with an elected official. He is arrogant. Self-important. And generally a jerk. I tried to favorably compare him to Will Guzzardi and he preceded to tell me how much better he is than Will Guzzardi.

He was reading Luis Guitterez’s mail before running for Alderman, and now Daniel Biss thinks he qualifies to be Governor? I’m a huge fan of Senator Biss’, but this makes me fully question his judgment.

It would be hard to come up with a worse pick. I guarantee this kid will do something to embarrass the campaign before March.

What was he thinking?

Comment by Wizard of Ozzie Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 1:15 pm
We need a Governor who was born and raised in Illinois.

Comment by Out of Touch Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 1:25 pm
Democratic Primary Voters - 35th Ward - 2014:

2,663.

Oof. Worse than I thought.

Comment by Juvenal Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 1:28 pm
==Bloomington, Indiana ==
I knew that Dan Biss was very well to do and an elite member of the at uppercrust establishment. I did not know that he isn’t from Illinios.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 1:36 pm
Too bad. This pick would move me from “leaning Biss” back to “undecided” in the Dem primary.

Comment by 60611 Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 1:55 pm
Wizard of Ozzie -

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Every interaction I’ve had with CRR has been unpleasant. Self important and tone deaf. Such a bad decision from such a smart candidate.

Comment by Anon57 Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 1:56 pm
Neither of the 2 US Presidents from Illinois we are so very proud of, nor the 3rd one who people forget to associate with our state, were born here. Not sure why you seem to have this strict state version of nativism requirement for a Governor.

Biss has lived here since he completed his education. That’s not good enough for some voters?

Comment by Humboldt Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 1:56 pm
A rich college professor from Indiana for Governor and a 26 year old freshman alderman for Lt Governor. Not sure about this one?

Comment by Jeppers Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 1:58 pm
Dude has lived in Illinois for 15 years. This is your criticism? pretty weak trolling

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:03 pm
I never knew so many votes hinged on the Lt. Gov selection lol

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:03 pm
==I never knew so many votes hinged on the Lt. Gov selection==

I mean, you’re the one arguing that it’ll appeal to the downstate Bernie crowd…

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:05 pm
So this is the new attack on Daniel Biss? That he is rich? Good god…

Look at his tax forms. Look at his house. Look at how he lives. He sure ain’t rich.

Comment by JoeMaddon Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:06 pm
===Look at his house===

From what I hear, I think we’ll eventually get a look at it.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:11 pm
==I mean, you’re the one arguing that it’ll appeal to the downstate Bernie crowd…==

I could break down how his haircut will play downstate too, but that doesn’t mean it’ll move anybody’s vote

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:12 pm
For those that think this pick helps, I’d be curious about your perspective on this question. Almost nobody knows Rosa outside of his Ward. I mean this isn’t a household word or even a word among politicos.

I ran this pick by some really smart political friends, all of whom answered the question with, “who?”

So how will this young Socialist Aldermen even help with the Bernie-types when the vast majority have no clue who he is? Asking for a friend.

Comment by Anon0091 Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:13 pm
Courtesy of White Pages and to the extent it’s accurate, Daniel Biss’s house, worth a whopping $296,533 and bought for a whopping $328,000 in 2006.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3255-Central-St-Evanston-IL-60201/3373931_zpid/

Comment by Periwinkle Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:17 pm
Daniel Biss has been a Springfield insider for many many years as both a State Representative and State Senator. Picking Carlos could help inoculate Senator Biss from being seen as a career politician just trying to win higher office.

Comment by Good Pick Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:18 pm
Humbolt, there are four that I can think of and only one born here. Lincoln and Grant were from Kentucky. Obama was from Hawaii. Reagan was the one born here.

Illinois embraced all four.

Comment by Gooner Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:19 pm
hmm. Gay, Latino, young, progressive Alderman, Berniecrat.

Biss is on his only available path to win the Primary: Out-Pawar Pawar, and bet on Kennedy fading from sight. Then go head to head against the Billionaire businessman with no governing experience.

Comment by walker Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:19 pm
===Picking Carlos could help inoculate Senator Biss from being seen as a career politician===

If you’re gonna do that, you don’t choose a Chicago alderman, which isn’t even a popular occupation in the city. Just sayin…

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:21 pm
==I ran this pick by some really smart political friends, all of whom answered the question with, “who?”==

Maybe they aren’t as smart as you think?

==So how will this young Socialist Aldermen even help with the Bernie-types when the vast majority have no clue who he is? ==

Are Julianna Stratton and Evelyn Sanguinetti household names or something?

The nation article i posted above has been circulating amongst my bernie organizing friends for a couple months now, and Biss and Pawar have been vying for those bernie votes.

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:22 pm
Likely any Democrat with a pulse other than HRC, some without one as well.p would have beaten Trump, So why did the run such a defective candidate?

How much will it take to teach the public that there is not enough of “other people’s money” out there to support all the prog ideas.. and when they run out of other people’s money, they will come for yours.

Of course with the entrenched CTU doing a lot of teaching, the cards are stacked against reason.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:24 pm
OMG, Ramirez-Rosa is one of the worst Aldermen. A complete poverty pusher.

Comment by Ron Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:25 pm
I don’t think sharing a stage with Karen Lewis wins the coveted suburban female vote.

It doesn’t even win votes in the City. No one likes Karen Lewis. She’s the worst.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:27 pm
Wow 2006 Senator Biss bought a house for 328,000 dollars. How did he pull that off on a puny 75,000 dollar salary as a legislator? 90% of us working class Sanders supporters could never dream of making that happen.

Comment by Sanders supporter Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:44 pm
SandersSupporter

I’m a working class sanders supporter. Why are you using this line of attack that was used against sanders himself over more expensive homes he bought? Strange

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:49 pm
Ron “”A complete poverty pusher.”

What does this even mean? Where do you get your material? Do you even read it before rebroadcasting it.

Comment by walker Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:54 pm
Senator Biss is supposed to be a wicked smart math whiz but he is already a Bernie Bro so I don’t see the benefit to the ticket.

The Democrats can thank Senator Bernie Sanders who has been in Washington for 26 years and has never sponsored any significant legislation that has passed for dragging their party so far to the left that they have fewer elected Democrats in office nationally since the 1920’s.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/bernies-record-220508

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:55 pm
Also Biss wasn’t a legislator in 2006

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:58 pm
To be fair, Senator Sanders is old enough to be Daniel’s grandfather. Biss was in his twenties when he bought a home that most of the working class will never be able to afford

Comment by Dreams Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 2:58 pm
SandersSupporter

Not only is JohnnyPyleDriver spot on, but Biss was a professor at the time and lenders were giving highly leveraged mortgages out like candy. Perhaps his wife also worked.

This line of attack just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Your main alternative is a man who saved $230,000 in property taxes on one of his many mansions by pulling out the toilets. A $300,000 house is within range of a middle class house in this area. He hasn’t chosen to get rich but to go into public service and likely took a pay cut to become a legislator.

Comment by Periwinkle Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:03 pm
I don’t see how this moves the needle for Biss at all, but I guess I’ll wait and see.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:07 pm
I have a comment stuck in moderation. Summarizing, Biss has made a mistake choosing him, and I think socialism in general is dangerous.

Comment by cdog Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:07 pm
Working class people live paycheck to paycheck most struggle and are concerned about the future. I think a college professor who has and continues to enjoy a great standard of living and the perks of being a career Springfield insider should Not carry the Sanders mantle. I think it’s a campaign stunt that under scrutiny collapses.

Comment by Just saying Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:13 pm
I’ve been sidetracked all day, so trying to catch up

To the Post,

I’ve said all along, the Biss campaign knows it’s sweet spots and what and where Biss needs to be in this race with Kennedy and Pritzker.

I’ve also said Biss is going from “coffee shops” and “living rooms”… But need to end up, exactly like Sanders in full gymnasiums and football fields, with people, who supported Sanders and such that Pritzker and Kennedy can’t try to grasp… today.

This fits into that strategy.

“You” may not like it. Geography. Age. Elected position. Name a possible negative, you could make a case and appear correct.

But here’s the rub.

An admitted “socialist”… independent”… from New Hampsire… with a good arm, you can throw a stone across it… and who is on the back 9 of life…Bernie Sanders energized a whole lotta Dems, and a whole lot of Illinois voters too.

We have a 3, maybe 4-way race. This helps Biss in his groove.

I’m not a Dem, but I can see a building block placement here, and with all the “negatives”… Chicago… Chicago alderman… “Socialist”… you can’t say… “This isn’t where Biss is canpaigning”

You can say “This isn’t really a Biss of the past” thingy, or connect that, but look where Biss “is” now, and it makes sense.

With .CTU and all that, let’s get to brass tax;

Can these two get from “diners” and “living rooms” and get to gymnasiums and football stands?

That’s where they need to get, and this move keeps Biss on his seen path.

Good pick for him in this campaign.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:17 pm
==== who continues to enjoy a great standard of living and the perks of being a career Springfield insider should Not carry the Sanders mantle. ===

Um, Sanders has been in Congress for how long enjoying all those perks and now has how many houses? He also went to the University of Chicago. This is a weird competition to be having.

Comment by Periwinkle Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:19 pm
Anon0091 - Ald. Rosa being an unknown helps with the over 200,000 25-34 year old voters in Chicago let alone Cook the last election. Biss hired the Obama team for his election - those are Obama-inspired voters. Rosa is one of them for sure, he can speak to them in their language on their issues.

The Senator is creating a base of young active voters who A. talk to their parents B. live in the heavily democratic area of the state so that he can keep his head above water until the debates.

He’s betting on winning the debates and using youthful energy to push him on to the election. Again, see President Obama’s path.

Rosa gets Biss in the door with young people who are newly politically engaged and not aligned with any major players in the Democratic party in Illinois.

Comment by EVanstonian Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:23 pm
Wow lucky, how many contradictions can you cram in to one post? He’s done nothing. But he’s dragged the party to which he isn’t even a member so far to the left they can’t win elections. lol

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:27 pm
Senator Biss I know Bernie Sanders and you Senator are no Bernie Sanders.

Comment by Love Sanders Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:27 pm
“Democratic socialism is a political ideology that advocates political democracy alongside social ownership of the means of production, often with an emphasis on democratic management of enterprises within a socialist economic system.”

So these dudes want to move to a centralized ownership of the means of production? Cool.

Kiss innovation goodbye under this regime, folks.

A much better tack would to head into the winds of capitalism with a spirit of improvement.

Comment by cdog Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:32 pm
Evanstonian,

This sentence, “Ald. Rosa being an unknown helps with the over 200,000 25-34 year old voters in Chicago let alone Cook the last election.” makes no sense whatsoever. How does being an unknown help? At best it’s neutral.

And Willy, I usually agree with you, but on this I have to say we don’t share the logic. I see this as Biss being on his own five yard line and, needing to throw a 95 yard bomb, he throws a ten yard slant. Just so little potential upside here.

Comment by Anon0091 Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:38 pm
We’ve moved to the Wikipedia definitions of words phase sweet

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:40 pm
I just don’t see the logic of “Rosa gets Biss in the door.” If that happens, Biss gets thrown out the door, because I’ve never heard anyone say, “I’m doing this because of alderman Rosa.”

Comment by Northwest Side Dem Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:44 pm
cdc, no one in America right now is advocating for centralized ownership of the means of production. Even in Europe the term is not used that way. I’m not a fan of the term or those who associate themselves with it, but let’s at least be honest about what it actually means in contemporary America.

Comment by Periwinkle Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:46 pm
P, what does it mean?

I’ve studied enough know that capitalism is in need of improvement to insure access to opportunities, education, etc.

Socialism is definitely not an improvement to capitalism and its core principles do have relation to what Rauner has drummed in the past, “collectivism.”

There needs to be a lot of discussion and those using the term need to be forthcoming with their intentions.

Comment by cdog Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 3:57 pm
Anon0091, being an unknown equates to being an outsider. His reputation will be of a young achiever to the target audience, a blank slate they can project upon.

Context was messy. Sorry.

Comment by EVanstonian Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 4:03 pm
Thanks for clarifying Evanstonian. I still don’t agree with you but at least I understand where you’re coming from.

Comment by Anon0091 Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 4:05 pm
well, kennedy and pritzker are going to split the Hillary vote by and large. Bernie won millenials 70/30 last year. And latinos are undecided in the primary. So, add that all together, and Biss can maneuver to generate enthusiasm among the under 35 crowd and play to the non-african american minority, he might be able to squeak through a primary.

The general is an entirely different story, but it’s not a story without winning the primary first.

Comment by I'mDone Thursday, Aug 31, 17 @ 4:18 pm