Rahm Emanuel’s moment of reckoning: How he ended up in a fight for his political life

[Starry Messenger]

http://www.salon.com/2015/03/01/rahm_emanuels_moment_of_reckoning_how_he_ended_up_in_a_fight_for_his_political_life/

On Tuesday, an earnest, unassuming guy named Chuy Garcia did the unthinkable. He forced Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel into a runoff for election to an office Emanuel thought he purchased outright four years ago. Even better, he did it with the help of United Working Families, a grass-roots movement that with its close cousin, the Working Families Party, is forging a new model of progressive political action. What a week ago seemed a liberal fantasy, Rahm’s imminent demise, is suddenly a very real possibility.

A Garcia victory would be a historic watershed not just for Chicago or for Democrats but for all progressives. It wouldn’t just frighten the Wall Street Dems who now reign over their national party. It would alter the terms of debate even beyond the party and prove, to cynics and to ourselves, that the power of ideas is still greater than the power of money and that grass-roots politics is not dead.

<snip>

Two things about him {Rahm in the White house years} stood out. One was the contempt he heaped on unions and liberals. I thought if he were ever caught on tape it would seriously damage the president and be the end of Rahm. Some later claimed to regard these rants as performance art but even at close range they seemed real enough to me. In any case I never heard him say an unkind word about the rich.

<snip>

The coalition taking Rahm to the mat works off the same model as the Working Families Party and even shares some of its DNA. It includes a dozen unions and community organizations, including the Chicago Teachers Union. Its basic tools are knocking on doors—it hit 153,000 in round one—and calling people up on the phone. Its members are rooted in their community and its message is rooted in its values. It may be about to topple one of the most powerful and least progressive Democrats in the nation. It is exactly seven months old.

<snip>

http://chicagoforchuy.com/campaign_survival_kit.pdf

[tularetom]

1. Appointing this POS as White House COS was easily the biggest mistake of Obama's first term

You just know he was in Obama's ear every day telling him "Fuck those dirty hippies, you need Wall Street on your side".

If he loses this election it'll scare the shit out of those who want to nominate another DINO as the party's 2016 presidential candidate.

[SusanCalvin]

2. Depends on your definition of "mistake" -

Obama knew or should have known what Rahm was, so I figure it was exactly what he intended to do.

Now from *my* point of view, oh yeah, it definitely was a mistake....!

[tularetom]

4. Until the Dems lost the midterms in 2014 Obama was still acting like a "centrist"

so maybe it wasn't all Emanuel's fault.

Still, the guy gives off a kind of slimy vibe I don't get from the president or most other Democrats.

Joe Lieberman being the most prominent exception.

[Starry Messenger]

3. I've noticed the reaction to this development has been rather subdued this week.

There isn't the usual torrent of abuse from the corporate wing. A come to Jesus moment, or just in denial?

[Jack Rabbit]

7. It's pretty hard to defend His Nibbs after he's been caught subbing for Dick Cheney in Honen Square

Prosecute the bastard.

Do I mean Cheney or His Nibbs? Why, both, of course.

[silvershadow]

8. The Hillarybots aren't trying to draw attention to themselves, lest the connection be made.

[Treant]

9. Denial.

They think (and off the cuff, I'd say they're probably right) that he'll squeak out a win in the run-off.

[forest444]

5. Rahm, meet Democracy.

Democracy, I believe you already know Mr. Emanuel....

[MisterP]

10. know him? why, it picked him out of the lineup!

[forest444]

11. Bazinga!

[MisterP]

13. on the first try!

my apprehension, however, is how the "officialists" will handle this: in 2001 they banned voting for third parties, in '06 primaries, in '10 complaining, in '14 not-voting was out of bounds--remember the mighty multibillion abstentionist campaign to convince us that both parties were mostly interested in gaining money and ensuring it for their backers?

[forest444]

16. Above my pay grade there, Mr. P.

I'm not from Chicago (although I lived in Michigan in the late '90s, and have fond memories of hours spent walking around Lake View, the Loop, and the Lakeshore area). But my guess is that Emanuel will pull out all the procedural stops on this one (and then some). His problem seems to be that he feels so entitled - the very cause of his possible undoing, as irony would have it.

And there's another problem with that strategy, as far as Emanuel's concerned: García's charisma. All things being equal, few things beat charisma not only as a political asset in itself, of course; but also as a motivator for voter turnout.

I have nothing against Mayor Emanuel; I don't care if he was a lobbyist, if he's a Third-Way DINO, if he's gay, or what have you. When he won the first time around, I felt happy for Obama; as it's common knowledge the two are close friends, Emanuel's victory must have been a nice consolation price for the president coming so soon after the 2010 tea bag shellacking.

But the minute I learned Hizzoner was closing 54 public schools in already desperately poor and underserved areas, and that he was doing so because he was being advised to do so by sworn enemies of public education like the Eli Broad Academy goons, that did it. If I lived in Chicago, I'd be hard pressed to support someone like that.

[Cryptoad]

6. What is GArcia's

Plan for Chicago ?

[Starry Messenger]

17. Enjoy:

http://chicagoforchuy.com/issues

[The Wizard]

12. Reaping and sowing

I'm sure he understands why turning on the base is a bad idea.

[nikto]

14. Rahm is a perfect example of neoliberalism

To clearly show what's wrong with neoliberalism, just study Rahm.

Corporate tool, anti-union, pro-privatization, crony-capitalist, pro 1%/screw-the-99%, openly anti-liberal.

Milton Friedman would be proud of Rahm.

Decent Americans should be ashamed.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

15. +1, he gives Democrats a bad name.

And Dems who like or support him, should maybe do some soul searching.

[nikto]

18. The Real Rahm...

[Phlem]

19. But, but I thought the 3rd way was the only path to winning?

Hmm.... there's something a foot here.