My Inner Capt. Jack Aubrey

From Master and Commander:

Capt. Jack Aubrey: Do you see those two weevils doctor?
Dr. Stephen Maturin: I do.
Capt. Jack Aubrey: Which would you choose?
Dr. Stephen Maturin: [sighs annoyed] Neither; there is not a scrap a difference between them. They are the same species of Curculio.
Capt. Jack Aubrey: If you had to choose. If you were forced to make a choice. If there was no other response…
Dr. Stephen Maturin: [Exasperated] Well then if you are going to *push* me…
[the doctor studies the weevils briefly]
Dr. Stephen Maturin: …I would choose the right hand weevil; it has… significant advantage in both length and breadth.
[the captain thumps his fist in the table]
Capt. Jack Aubrey: There, I have you! You’re completely dished! Do you not know that in the service…
[pauses]
Capt. Jack Aubrey: …one must always choose the lesser of two weevils.

The thing most likely to cause me to vote for Gery Chico in the Chicago mayoral primary has happened:

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis ended his bid for Chicago mayor tonight, endorsing former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun.

Davis said he is endorsing Braun in the name of unity.

“I’m proud that I will be here when Carol Moseley Braun becomes the next mayor,” Davis said. “I come here tonight…to help prove unity is more than just a concept.”

Braun said she is emboldened by the endorsements from both Davis and state Sen. James Meeks, the other major African-American candidate who dropped out of the contest last week. Braun called it a “great way to start the new year.”

In deciding for whom to vote in the primary I must determine which is the lesser weevil. Increasingly, that’s sounding like Gery Chico.

6 comments… add one
  • michael reynolds Link

    Of course as the doctor points out, “A man who would pun would pick a pocket.”

    For obvious reasons (God knows we have enough on our plates here in the Golden State) I’m not following the Chicago mayoral election. What’s the objection to Rahm?

  • He hasn’t been involved in Chicago politics in his adult life, IMO he’s a person of low principle, and the skills that he’s demonstrated in his career won’t be helpful in being a functioning mayor of Chicago. The urge to power isn’t a sufficient credential.

    In addition, I thought he was a lousy representative when he represented my district. When you wrote to him you got a form letter. That contrasts sharply with my previous representative, Jan Schakowsky. When you wrote to Jan you always got a thoughtful response.

    Chicago’s problems are serious and real and we need a serious, real mayor to deal with them. Not somebody who wants another entry on his resume.

  • I might add that I would never pick a pocket. I’m not dextrous enough.

  • michael reynolds Link

    I was in Jan’s district for a while there, too. You’re right. I remember calling her office about something — damned if I remember what — and a couple hours later she called back and talked it over. As though she were a mere human! And I hadn’t even given her any money.

    I liked the story of the mayor in Newark who was personally responding to Tweets and came around with his snow shovel. Of course that’s theatrics, but it does manage to convey the impression that he may actually give a damn.

    By the way, happy 2011. May we live in uninteresting times.

  • PD Shaw Link

    Dave, do you think there will be any long-term impact from Meeks’ statement that blacks are the only minority that has faced discrimination and should receive set-asides? It would seem as an outsider that he made it difficult for an African-American to forge a coalition to win this race.

  • A thorny question, PD. To be honest, I doubt that the remark will change much one way or another. That this is a commonplace view among African-Americans isn’t spoken about much but it’s hardly a secret.

    Consequently, it fits the Michael Kinsley definition of a gaffe: accidentally telling the truth. Or the truth as he sees it, at any rate.

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