Voters:
Chicago, you will be mine, like my dog, or my horse, or my falcon, or my favorite neck-stabbin' pencil except that I shall love you more - and trust you less.
Background: A primer on just how fast politics and voters in Chicago can turn ugly provided by Kathleen Hall Jamieson from her book, "Dirty Politics: Deception, Distraction":
In 1983, Republican Bernard Epton faced Democrat Harold Washington in the Chicago mayoral contest. Epton was white, Washington black. Among other things, Epton's radio ads falsely accused Washington of being a "convicted felon" and of having been "disbarred." An unsigned leaflet alleged that Washington had once been arrested on a morals charge. Epton's slogan, widely criticized as "racist," was "Before It's Too Late."
On Palm Sunday, Washington and presidential hopeful Walter Mondale went to church services at St. Pascal's Catholic Church on the Northwest side. "When they arrived, they found 'nigger die' spray-painted on a wall and were met by a nasty, jeering crowd of perhaps three dozen, some of whom shouted racial epithets...
Daley tamped down on this shit by using the same strategy the U.S. military is using in Afghanistan: buying peace by throwing money around. Behind all the fine talk, shiny promises, green initiatives and boulevard planters, there was always lots and lots and lots and lots of money.
That money is all gone now, but the deep, tribal divisions in the Chicago electorate -- which have always roiled just below the surface -- remain.
And so...
Tomorrow, Lesson Four: Budgets
4 comments:
Dear Driftglass!
That was a rare good laugh I got
when I saw it's Rahm,
not Yul you've depicted here.
I'm sure "yule" win more blog awards soon. You better be a paid writer outside the blogosphere or the world is seriously missing out.
Best, A.
Love, absolutely LOVE the series Driftglass! You're our John Brunner... and I know we will not wait 40 years to see the predictions fulfilled in toto.
RP
Just wanted to let you know: Something approaching 30% of my FB status updates consist of caged quotes from your posts (I always give credit...and it's only a matter of time before a formal system of citation is brought to bear on such things).
Whatever else you do, keep cranking out those fucking amazing sentences.
/awe
amber ladeira,
Glad I could help :-)
I used to get paid in folding money by one group to do stuff.
I now get paid in sofa change (and grateful I am) by other groups to do other stuff.
Once upon a time, from the heap of manuscripts I still have rotting away around here somewhere, I sold a story or two for the price of a tank of gas and a bottle of decent red.
To date, no one has ever paid me real money on a regular basis to write anything anywhere.
Retired Patriot,
Many thanks. Just an amateur scribbler, but happy to help while I can.
cousinavi,
You are very kind.
Give my regards to FB.
Post a Comment