Let's Go Brandon (Johnson) for Chicago Mayor

Chicago's Next Mayor?

“Sometimes you have Caesar Augustus, sometimes you have Tiberius or Caligula,” During a March 18th Mayoral debate, Paul Vallas compared former Chicago Mayors to Roman Emperors.  I know Rahm was bad but I don't believe Emmanuel every made his horse into a City Alderman. 

The February 28th Chicago Mayor election ended with Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson as the top two voters getters setting up the run-off on April 4th.

So, the Lori Lightfoot era is over.  One of the key benchmarks for equality in the United States was not when President Barack Obama, an generational talent and highly qualified candidate, was elected President, it's when the black or female equivalent of George W. Bush (a career fuckup and incompetent) was elected.  Thus, Lori's 2018 election showed how far we've come...

But, Lori Lightfoot was a political neophyte or more correctly Lori showed a complete lack of political skills and instincts.  Upon becoming Mayor, Lightfoot immediately picked a fight with the Chicago Teacher's Union and alienated the only force in Chicago which was predisposed to side with her.

Lori then tried to sidle up to the Chicago Police, an effort doomed to fail from the start, since they hated her and nothing she could do could change that initiation opinion.  Police Officers throughout Chicago and the Cook collar counties called her "Beetlejuice", and since Police are still overwhelmingly white, male, and Reactionary it was a category error for Mayor Lightfoot to believe she could make inroads with the Police.

But, Lori's lackluster 3rd place finish leads to a run-off between Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson.  To Lori's discredit and further highlighting her lack political skills, she's pouting and not yet endorsed Brandon Johnson.  So as the April 4th draws near Vallas appears to be favored. 

Vallas is from the South Side and is the type of white boomer Chicago "liberal" favored by the populace, but Vallas has also already secured the endorsement of long-time Secretary of State Jesse White, a not inconsequential endorsement as Jesse White is still a revered elderly black Illinois statesman.  Vallas is also running ads with President Bill Clinton praising his work in the 1990's Chicago school, so his strategy seems to be to target the elderly black voter.  However, Vallas is an infamous Charter School proponent having foisted those monstrosities upon Philadelphia and New Orleans.  But, more concerning was the "Pension holiday" when Vallas stopped contributions to Chicago teachers pensions and under the auspices of Mayor Richard M. Daley, and then the "defending your life" style attack on teachers and administrators from so-called underperforming schools were fired and had to reinterview to get their jobs back. 

Now, back in the 1990's one could possibly forgive those who believed in Charter Schools promise just like you could forgive/understand those who believed 401k's were a viable alternative to Pensions and defined benefits.  But, Vallas systematic attacks on Public Education was a forerunner of the current Vulture Capitalist and rapacious Republican attacks.  Vallas tenure as a school system Administrator has  

However, for the April 4th election Vallas' strategy is simple: Paint Brandon Johnson as a High Taxes, Defund the Police Radical and rely on the support of rich Chicago white people, and the older black community to whom he trots out the aforementioned Jesse White and connection to Bill Clinton.

Meanwhile, Brandon Johnson has Toni Preckwinkle in his corner but, he's going to need to gather up all the votes which went to Lori, as well as Chuy Garcia, who has endorsed B. Johnson, and the venerable gas station attendant Willie Wilson.

Johnson has proposed a pretty audacious plan for increasing taxes on the sale of multi-million dollar real estate sales to help fund shelters for the unhoused as well as a raft of police reforms; canceling the city’s contract with the dysfunctional and problematic ShotSpotter gunshot detection company; ending no-knock warrants; and reopening public mental health clinics.

Brandon Johnson would seem to be a real progressive and Paul Vallas would seem to be a Eric Adams clone.  We'll see which way Chicago goes on April 4th...