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* The setup…

For more than 50 years, the Daley family has been shaping Chicago. Now, the next generation of Daleys is making its mark on the city. […]

And if the Daley dynasty does produce a third Chicago mayor, his last name might not be Daley but Thompson — as in Peter Q. Thompson, the eldest son of the late mayor’s eldest daughter.

“Peter is really the prince,'’ said one City Hall insider. “He’s a star.'’

Others point to his younger brother, Patrick Daley Thompson, who owns one of Chicago’s most famous houses — the Bridgeport bungalow of his grandfather, the late mayor. […]

Don’t rule out the current mayor’s eldest daughter, Nora Daley Conroy, says one insider: “She’s the brains of the next generation.'’

* The question: Do you think Chicago will elect another Daley family member as mayor one day soon? Explain.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 7:13 am

Comments

I think there’s a growing distaste for Daley and his oligarchy-like rule, and the growing number of corruptors that have ties to the administration. I foresee the next generation of Daleys using their clout more in the private sector, and not necessarily by choice.

Comment by The Doc Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 8:40 am
It’s quite possible. Family political dynasties are not just an Illinois phenomenon. They’re as old as The Republic and can be found everywhere in the country.

It’s like the old joke: Adlai Stevenson, the future senator and son of the governor and presidential candidate, asked Richard J. Daley for advice before entering politics.

The advice: “Don’t change your name.”

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 8:55 am
Your question is worded in a way that the answer is “yes”. The year may be 2078, but one day the only family left in Chicago will be the Daleys.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 8:55 am
Good point, VM. I changed the question a bit.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 8:58 am
Of course there will be another Daley elected. After 50 years of ruling, the people are conditioned to vote Daley. It’s a Pavlovian thing.

Comment by Dirt Guy Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 9:08 am
Yes, another Daley will win, someday, but members of other important families will become mayor, also, if candidates named Jackson, Madigan, or Stroger run.

Comment by PhilCollins Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 9:11 am
I think it’s possible although there is always a possibility that a future Daley could screw it up and then Chicago won’t vote in another Daley, ever. That being said people knows that the Daleys can and have run the city.

Comment by Levois Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 9:20 am
I was thinking about this on Sunday. It is interesting seeing how this pervades not just politics but other mattters. Sunday I watched the Indy Race at Milwaukee. On the front row was Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal. Both of those guys are pretty good drivers (good enough to put their cars on the front row), but neither would be where they are without the family name (particularly Marco, who seems to do best at finding innovative ways to strike walls. Due to Marco, another car went airborne Sunday. “Airborne after crash involving Marco” is getting to be old news).

Nonetheless, both of those drivers have good sponorships (the name of the game in racing — if you have enough money, you can get a car to go fast) and people seem to tune in to watch them.

People like the familiar. If racing was purely on talent, Scott Dixon would be the IRL’s biggest name (he is becoming well known with his recent 500 win, but he still is not as popular as Andretti or Rahal). When there is a close call, the name will win, even if the person lacks merit.

So, in answer to the question: Sure, there will be another Daley. There definitely will be one on the ballot, and unless the opponent is named “Jackson”, the Daley is likely to win.

Comment by Skeeter Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 9:28 am
I don’t think so right now. None have run for elected office at any level. At least RMD was an elected official at other levels first. At this point, none have shown interest in public office.

Comment by Napoleon has left the building Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 9:32 am
probably…chicago loves its political dynasties. And it loves Daley’s even more.

Which one sounds the most like a bumbling fool?

Comment by jerry 101 Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 9:38 am
I’ll say one thing for the next generation, they were smart enough to enter into the “pinstripe patronage world” which involves much less scrutiny then if they were Deputy Commissioners, and the salaries are much better. My answere to the question is never again.

Comment by James the Intolerant Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 9:48 am
Who cares? Chicago is and has always been a “lost cause.”

Comment by Patriot Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 9:49 am
Yes, Chicagoans are loyal and stupid. AS long as Daley is in charge, he controls the purse.

Comment by Wumpus Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 10:00 am
I think Ritchie was so busy consolidating his power, he forgot to lay the ground for the next one. It will be someone from The Machine, we can be certain. Really, Ritchie Daley and the mayors before him were all figureheads for The Machine. The next candidate, regardless of name, will have less real power as the true control moves further behind the curtain to a small, insulated group of insiders driving said Machine. I won’t miss the Daley name; IMO they were thugs.

Comment by Steve Goodman's Best Song Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 10:09 am
Skeeter too my point. I think the next big dynasty in Chicago is going to be the Jackson family. Either Jesse Jr. or Sandi is likely to be the next Mayor.

Comment by Mountain Man Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 10:13 am
The key to the Daley dynasty is not in the family itself but in the eminence grises behind them. Daley pere realized this and permitted grafting deluxe as rewards for continuing devoted support…and for taking any fall.

Daley fils has run it the same way, with the benefit of the brand name.

He and his father have been able to bundle black politicians within the framework of the machine.

The key factor affecting this whether boodle alone plus prestige in the wards will be enough to carry the game. Or will there be the rise of the black and hispanic politicians in union (to date the eminence grises have played one against the other, not dissimilar to the way the Brist ruled their colonial countries)

Choices and compromises will have to be made in the name of ‘enlightened self interest.’ The structure of City government has aleays been weak mayor strong council, but the Daleys overrode that.

Another factor will be ithe increasing importance of the home rule County government as population increases in the suburbs. The Democrats and a machine are faced with Republican opposition there (having emasculated the city Republicans.)

Will there be anothe Daley Mayorality at some time. Yes. Who will be the true power brokers. Don’t know.

Comment by Truthful James Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 10:30 am
Depends, if the feds heat up the indictments and get a lot closer to Daley this may toss the family members out as well. After Goerge Ryan was indicted the counter campaign was primarily to associate the current candiate with the indicted one.

BUT the Daley family members would be well poised to have the connections and relationships needed to succeed. If they are actually good at politics then they get the leg up with the family connections and will be next in line.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 10:48 am
One day, it is quite possible that another Daley will be elected. However, it will not be “soon” as none of the next generation have clearly established their interest in electoral politics and put themselves forth as being next in line.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 11:01 am
You betcha they will. As sure as Alabama kept electing a Wallace, Chicago will keep electing a Daley. They know no other way. They’ve tried someone else before and they keep going back for more Daley.

Comment by Just My Opinion Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 12:00 pm
Specifically answering your question: No, I don’t think Chicago will elect a “Daley” to succeed the mayor any time soon. Peter Thompson, who was the relative mentioned in the Sun-Times piece is a smart and capable young man, but he hasn’t run for any office at all. One would think that he’d remain in the private sector, where he’s done quite well. And I can’t think of any other member of the extended family who would be audacious enough in the near future to consider a run.

Comment by chiatty Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 12:09 pm
I thought the article was somewhat creepy the way Tim Novak fawned all over the Daley’s heirs.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 12:36 pm
As long as the competition consists of Bill Doc Walls, I think the odds are pretty good.

Comment by dan l Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 1:24 pm
Better a Daley relative by any name than a Blagojavich relative.

Comment by Chanson Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 3:25 pm
“Steve Goodman’s Best Song” — would that be “If She Were You,” co-authored with John Prine? I’ve always wondered how any man who could use the subjunctive could dare to claim to have written the greatest country and western song?

Regarding the QOD — I don’t care which one is next, as long as he/she doesn’t tell any “Look — it’s Governor Blagojevich!” stories.

Comment by Anon Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 4:21 pm
A Daley by any other name…is still a Daley. Assuming that any one or more of those mentioned were raised to ascend the throne some day and are interested, they’ll get the support they need and will succeed while in office.

There are no Republican challengers right now, nor do I know of anyone who has been prepared to take over in the near future.

If someone else “slips through” even on the D side, their term will be limited based on some major fiasco (ala e.g., Bilandic) where the City “stops working” for a short period and the voters will flock next time around to a proven commodity, the Daleys.

No one else has the required clout, and it certainly won’t be handed to anyone else on a silver platter if a Daley is waiting in the wings. It’s certainly obvious that there’s no one who can take it away.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 7:35 pm
As others have said, if it’s not a Daley (which would be tough, considering the low key nature of most of them besides John), it will be a Madigan, Hynes, Jackson, Stroger or (dark horse) a Burke or a Lipinski.

People in Chicago deserve to be paying their huge graft tax for their mindless voting patterns, but I’m tired of them bringing down the suburbs with them. All it really takes to win county wide is the usual huge Chicago margin along with a similar margin in Thorton Township.

I’d like to see a variation of the “Lincoln County” idea: Why not have the burbs retain Cook County and have Chicago become it’s own, “Chicago County?” Chicago County can then buy the crappy hospital from Cook and form it’s own patronage-laden court system. Whatever forest preserves remaining Daley would be free to sell off cheap to his developer buddies. Win-win for everyone!

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Monday, Jun 2, 08 @ 10:27 pm
Snide,
I tried voting for the GOP in the County once.
The result? O’Malley and his corrupt pals. Fool me once . . .
Plus, when the GOP is run by a guy best known for the inability to lead a drunken mob in the right direction, you really don’t have much to offer.

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Jun 3, 08 @ 8:58 am
well, I went to high school with Billy and Nora (two of them mentioned in the article). Let me just say, both of them are very intelligent, but not the outgoing types you need to shake hands and kiss babies all day at parades. And it is likely that the family will never again have the workers that made up their fundamental organization, so personality will play a larger role. Yes, any one of them could raise the money needed. But, I get the sense the city is tiring of the family. Despite the fact the city “looks” great (everyone says that) the corruption and scandals are finally sinking into the average resident’s psyche. You would be surprised at some of the strong reactions I hear from people in the bungelow belt. Many say they can’t stand the Mayor, but wind up voting for him for lack of a serious alternative. If one of the Daley 3.0 candidates ran and another candidate, not bought off and/or independant enough to make an issue of the corruption, were to run it would be an exciting race. The opponent would have to be astute enough to enter into the kinds of coalitions that are neccessary to win citywide.

I, for one, am tired of the Daleys and would like to see someone new. They act like they are entitled to everything. They work hard, I’ll give them that, and they are smart. But it is time for someone new.

Comment by familar with the situation Tuesday, Jun 3, 08 @ 5:00 pm
In my earlier post, I tried to emphasize what I believe to be the two characteristics of the Daley regimes.

First each had/has a love for the City. Second, each had driven a Faustian bargain permitting in exchange for absolute support the next tier to profit extravagantly — and take the fall when caught. I referred to them as “emininences griese” — the powers behind the throne.

These guys don’t need in particular anyone named Daley in the titular position. They will try to use sentiment in seeking to maximize support.

Each Daley has in addition a particular strength — a knowledge of the system, RJ as legislator and Clerk. RN as State’s Attorney. That was a necessary condition. One does not h=just get carried into the Mayoral Office as the first step. Will the third tier take the time to be educated? Hard to tell. But the e.g.’s don’t get a person elected just on the name alone.

Comment by Truthful James Tuesday, Jun 3, 08 @ 5:15 pm