CHICAGO | Politics and Current Events

[BrinChi]

Originally Posted by ardecila

He will probably govern like Daley, but with a progressive sheen - that is, he will work to make the pie as big as possible and spread the goodies around to everybody including both teachers and cops. Let's just hope he is more fiscally responsible than Daley was.

How is this significantly different from Lightfoot? Serious question. I feel like she's continued the Daley and Rahm governance patterns, albeit with sharing a little more goodies with the south and west sides. She isn't attracting the same level of corporate investment that either accomplished, but that's probably more the times than her policy or influence. The uptick in crime since 2016 is also likely hurting the prospects of any relocations for companies without any established connections to Chicago. But business license numbers and corporate tax numbers suggest business as a whole have continued to thrive despite all the headwinds. What am I missing?

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by ardecila

His comment about Chicago being a hell-hole is pretty inconsequential, plenty of people in the suburbs feel that way too and city dwellers were never gonna vote for him anyway.

I fully disagree.

Yes, there's no shortage of suburbanites who truly believe the city is a literal "hellhole", but those people are all hardcore team red to begin with.

Bailey's only shot to even have a chance at winning was to woo suburban middle-roaders, and I have little doubt that his repeated and bewildering epithet hurling at the city only served to further cement bailey as a downstate crazy "other" in the minds of those very voters he absolutely needed to sway.

It was a pure raw stupid unforced error on his part.

It certainly wasn't the defining reason for his loss or anything, but it was yet another piece of evidence of Bailey being a total redneck nut-job.

And the fact that he kept doubling and tripling down on it helped keep his "nut-jobiness" front and center in the minds of those suburban middle-roaders down the home stretch.

Pritzker's whole strategy was to paint Bailey as "too extreme for Illinois", and Bailey's response was essentially "give me the paint brush, l'll do it myself".

Idiot.

[Randomguy34]

Pat Quinn says he's still planning to announce his run. If Lightfoot's base is lakefront liberals, he'll probably take a sizeable chunk of their vote.

https://news.wttw.com/2022/11/11/chi...s-announcement

[moorhosj1]

Originally Posted by BrinChi

How is this significantly different from Lightfoot? Serious question. I feel like she's continued the Daley and Rahm governance patterns, albeit with sharing a little more goodies with the south and west sides.

Lightfoot has the audacity to be simultaneously black, gay, and a woman. That certainly helps the image of her being some "extreme" liberal. Her actual governance (fiscal conservative, police budget increases, battle with CTU, Invest South/West program, minimum wage increase, Red Line extension) paint a more center-left picture.

I find the perception of her versus the perception of Rahm to be fascinating. His ability to piss everyone off was considered a beloved characteristic, her ability to piss everyone off is considered a major character flaw.

[Handro]

Originally Posted by moorhosj1

I find the perception of her versus the perception of Rahm to be fascinating. His ability to piss everyone off was considered a beloved characteristic, her ability to piss everyone off is considered a major character flaw.

Interesting points. I've always imagined LL as just personally unlikeable--she's tough but without any sort of charm or nuance. Rahm might have driven a hard bargain, but he was able to maintain personal relationships. LL picks fights with everyone, Rahm was much more calculated.

[Randomguy34]

Former vice president of BMO Harris Bank, Chris Cleary, is running against Ald. Reilly. He's pretty tired of Reilly, and seems to want a pro-development approach for the ward:

Cleary says the incumbent has grown "complacent" and the downtown ward, which includes portions of the Loop and most of River North, needs someone at the helm who is "hardworking and is going to breed progress and growth."

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/poli...aces-challenge

[thegoatman]

Reilly needs to go. Why is he such a nimby? Dude lives in the 2nd largest business district in the country, but hates big majestic buildings lmao make it make sense!

Edit: just found this, apparently he's being challenged in his ward

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=..._MxVoi8FDRTkPS

The challenger say he wants growth and development, hope he wins

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by thegoatman

The challenger say he wants growth and development, hope he wins

Let's see if he even makes it onto the ballot in the first place.

[The Pimp]

Originally Posted by thegoatman

Reilly needs to go. Why is he such a nimby? Dude lives in the 2nd largest business district in the country, but hates big majestic buildings lmao make it make sense!

Edit: just found this, apparently he's being challenged in his ward

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=..._MxVoi8FDRTkPS

The challenger say he wants growth and development, hope he wins

Reilly is no better than Burt Natarus. Yes, he needs to go!

[Randomguy34]

Originally Posted by r18tdi

Let's see if he even makes it onto the ballot in the first place.

The challenger was a former VP of BMO-Harris, so he definitely has a lot of connections to the business community. If there are enough of them are swayed to back him, he could be a serious contender

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

The challenger was a former VP of BMO-Harris, so he definitely has a lot of connections to the business community. If there are enough of them are swayed to back him, he could be a serious contender

An actual VP or a "VP"? Because I've been a VP in the financial industry before but it wasn't an actual VP.

[Randomguy34]

I'm guessing "VP" since he says on his website he was "Vice President in Corporate Treasury"

https://chrisclearyfor42.com/

[SIGSEGV]

well, now I'm slightly disappointed that the ward boundaries changed so I'm (barely) no longer going to be in Reilly's ward. Wonder how pro-development Bill Conway (is anyone running against him in the new 34th?) will be...

[chicubs111]

Reilly sucks...to think how much more we would have if the alderman didnt pander to Nimbys who complain about there oh so important views and shadows for anything over a certain height... Reilly is a big reason nothing substantial north of Michigan avenue has been built during his reign outside of a few exceptions...in fact that area from a development standpoint has been pretty sleepy ... short , squat, and parking podiums is what Reilly promotes. I remember a time when Daley was all about tall, thin and no more podiums... guess that trend never caught

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

I'm guessing "VP" since he says on his website he was "Vice President in Corporate Treasury"

https://chrisclearyfor42.com/

I looked at his LinkedIn - not a real VP like you'd think of. It's basically equivalent to Senior Manager. Which is not to put him down or anything as it's 1 step below the lowest executive level at most all banks but.... playing up a bank VP title trying to pass off that he was an actual Vice President of a line of business is pretty disingenuous of whoever is playing it up.

[Klippenstein]

Originally Posted by r18tdi

Let's see if he even makes it onto the ballot in the first place.

42nd ward only had 1 filing today so far. I think they have until the end of the month?



source

[west-town-brad]

Originally Posted by thegoatman

Reilly needs to go. Why is he such a nimby? Dude lives in the 2nd largest business district in the country, but hates big majestic buildings lmao make it make sense!

Edit: just found this, apparently he's being challenged in his ward

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=..._MxVoi8FDRTkPS

The challenger say he wants growth and development, hope he wins

Do you think Reilly is a NIMBY because he cares one way or the other about development? Or, is he a NIMBY because the voters in his ward are? He has won multiple elections so I think the answer is clear.

[Klippenstein]

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

Do you think Reilly is a NIMBY because he cares one way or the other about development? Or, is he a NIMBY because the voters in his ward are? He has won multiple elections so I think the answer is clear.

According to what I can see of that article, he's never had a challenger. It's the same in my ward. Same alderman keeps running unopposed.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by BrinChi

How is this significantly different from Lightfoot? Serious question. I feel like she's continued the Daley and Rahm governance patterns, albeit with sharing a little more goodies with the south and west sides. She isn't attracting the same level of corporate investment that either accomplished, but that's probably more the times than her policy or influence. The uptick in crime since 2016 is also likely hurting the prospects of any relocations for companies without any established connections to Chicago. But business license numbers and corporate tax numbers suggest business as a whole have continued to thrive despite all the headwinds. What am I missing?

It's not - only the context is different. Lightfoot doesn't have a natural base. She is Black, but not part of the city's Black political establishment. She won as an outsider in a year when people were disgusted with establishment candidates after Laquan McDonald, and she said the right things to peel off voters from all of the major blocs.

Daley represented white ethnics obviously, and Rahm represented lakefront liberals from various races/persuasions. Lightfoot represents nothing. If you criticize Lightfoot, there is not a whole sector of the city coming to her defense. I think this is why so many people feel free to take shots at her.... it's not discrimination at her black or gay identity, it's just that she's a very easy target for people who are frustrated with the city government.

[Randomguy34]

I've been refreshing Twitter throughout the day to see who's filling petitions. Lightfoot filled over 40k signatures. There are still no fillings for Chuy or Sawyer, so unless they're submitting at the very last minute they may not run for mayor.

Also Ed Burke still hasn't submitted petitions for the 14th ward, so he may be out