The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Democratic presidential candidates are assiduously avoiding Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot:
WASHINGTON — Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democratic progressive, is going to make a presidential endorsement before the March 17 Illinois primary, and after talking to her on Thursday, I’m pretty sure it’s not going to go to progressive rivals Sens. Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren.
“Apparently not progressive enough for them,†Lightfoot said.
I asked her to tell me more.
“It is what it is. They haven’t reached out. They’ve been to Chicago. They were very supportive of the Chicago Teachers Union strike but didn’t feel it was necessary to talk to the new black LGBTQ mayor.â€
Warren, from Massachusetts, and Sanders, from Vermont, sent Lightfoot a message with their lack of reaching out about an endorsement when they were in Chicago. The attitude coming from them was “Why bother?†Lightfoot said.
That’s a far cry from the days when people seeking the nomination as well as candidates came to kiss a Daley’s ring. Chicago is no less solidly Democratic than it was then. What’s changed? Flyover country.
It’s the optics. Lightfoot is a true freak show, and no one wants to be seen in her company.
Sounds like she takes it personal.
Apparently Lightfoot is unpopular, and represents a city fiscally failing and associated with a pathetically high crime rate. Essentially she is loser endorsement for candidates, similar to LA’s Mayor Garcetti or the Great Governor Gavin Newsom.
And to riff on Jan’s comment. IL is robotically in the bag for the Dem candidate. What does LL bring to the party? Stomping and holding her breath over LBGQTXCBIENTASOMLRENFSH?
So irrational to me. As if voters are angry, and vote for an angry candidate because like cursing, it feels good at the moment. But it’s not a plan, it’s emotion, and so you’ve got Lightfoot.
The reason we got Lightfoot is that Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President and her opponent in the general election, ran on a platform of “we’ll raise property taxes until Chicago has no more people to tax” while Lightfoot promised not to raise taxes.
So she’ll sell bonds.
Chicago’s credit rating is so awful a bond issue might be the last straw.
I see rubber checks in Chicago’s near future, followed by legal action to make debtors continue to provide services and banks honor the checks while being forced to accept IOUs as payment. The city may not be able to officially declare bankruptcy (correct me if I am wrong, Dave), but it can stiff people enough so that effectively it is. My hopes are dim that the FBI will be able to take out the Madigans.
I think it’s more likely that creditors will take Chicago to court for non-payment, the court will order that the bills be paid, and taxes will continue to rise until they can’t raise enough money either by borrowing or taxation.