TwinTownBisonFan wrote:except that he wasn't the machines candidate...
Who do you think was the machine's candidate?
This election was interesting for a number of reasons. One, there was no true machine candidate. Rahm and Chico both worked for Daley, they both have connections to the machine and they both have influential supporters. The presence of the Rahm and Chico on the ballot kept either from being the machine's candidate.
Two, they're calling it a post-racial election. In years past, Mosley-Braun would have ran away with the African American vote. That didn't happen for a number of reasons. MB kept shooting herself in the foot, giving African Americans little reason to have confidence in her ability to do the job. Rahm worked for both Clinton and Obama and that carried weight with African American voters (especially with Obama's implicit endorsement). Daley (and Harold Washington before him) did a great job of reaching out to and serving other racial constituencies so voters felt more comfortable voting based on merit rather than race.
UNHWildCats wrote:cause rahm is a great guy
Rahm isn't a great guy. He's an azzhole. He is extremely intelligent, gets results, etc. but he is still an azzhole. I would rather have an azzhole who can get the job done than a nice guy anyway. Chicago is in a financial quagmire, it will be interesting to see how Rahm plans to extricate the city from the mess. He has demonstrated a willingness not to tow the union line but how far will he go?
Is it a case of "meet the new boss, same as the old boss?"
