As a resident of Chicago for more than a half century and of the city itself for the last 30 some-odd, I’m drawn to stories about Chicago, regardless of where they appear. Dennis Byrnes’s piece in Weekly Standard on Chicago’s murder rate was no exception:
What have 85 years of uninterrupted Democratic rule and unremitting pro-gres-sive dogma gotten Chicago? Murderous gang wars with no armistice in sight.
This is a Chicago specialty: The city has had more homicides this year than New York and Los Angeles combined. As crime rates declined elsewhere, August was Chicago’s most violent month in 20 years. The more than 500 murders this year already exceed the 2015 tally. Over the July 4 weekend, someone was shot every 2.8 hours. The Labor Day weekend total was at least 13 people killed and 52 wounded.
That first sentence is a common trope among Republicans and conservatives, generally. What baffles me about it is that no, repeat no Republican has run for mayor of Chicago since 1995. In that campaign Raymond Wardingley, a candidate of whom nobody had ever heard and who ran without notable support from the Illinois or national Republican Party, received 2.8% of the vote.
What is it that Republicans expect to happen? That frustrated Chicagoans will demand a Republican mayor and seize some hapless Republican soul, forcing him or her to become mayor by acclamation?
To be elected you’ve got to run. You’ve got to have name recognition. And you’ve got to have money. If you can’t raise it locally, you’ve got to get it from downstate Republicans or out-of-state Republicans. Don’t tell me about the hypothetical solutions to Chicago’s problems proposed by some theoretical candidate. Run a credible campaign, already.
The second problem with that opening sentence is that anyone who thinks that Democrats in Chicago are progressives like those in San Francisco or New York is operating under a serious misconception. Chicago’s Democratic leadership are machine politicians full stop. The only principle they embrace is remaining in office.
Chicago has lots of problems and that Chicago Democratic politicians are in bed with the gangs that are responsible for Chicago’s murder rate is just one of them.
Gimme some solutions. Run a credible campaign. Don’t sit on your duffs telling me how wonderful you are. That’s infantile.
Pretty sure NYC has pro-gres-sives. LA also. Out of curiosity, what are the politicians there getting from the gangs?
Steve
It’s a good question. I assume political organization, i.e. the gangs have become the ward organizations in some wards. It might be as simple as protection.
Run a credible campaign, already.
There’s zero chance of any non-Dem ever running a credible campaign in Chicago – none of them could afford to hire that much security to protect them from the police and the gangs.