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Democracy rules
In the end, my handwringing over my choice of mayor was irrelevant: It was a blowout on the scale which Chicago has seldom seen, particularly for a non-incumbent. Not only did Lightfoot net nearly three times as many votes, she won in every single ward--including Preckwinkle's 4th! Even in majority-Black wards, she generally led Preckwinkle by 20 points or more.
Closer to home, Vasquez got 54% of the vote in the 40th and sent O'Connor packing. I wonder to what extant his negative campaigning may have backfired. One or two flyers bringing up Vasquez' insulting raps sowed misgivings. But uncertainty about Andre turned to disgust at O'Connor as the number soon climbed to over a dozen. Not only did it smack of desperation but it also made it patently clear how bogus O'Connor's anti-homophobia pose was. (Someone who's really concerned about homophobia wouldn't be paying thousands to ensure I or hear homophobic statements on a daily basis.)
I'm sure neither will live up to their promise; as Preckwinkle shows, Chicago politics is awfully good at coopting would-be reformers. But I feel like it's reset the bar on everyone's expectations. If we can fell this many entrenched incumbents in a single go, what was stopping us from doing it before? And won't it come even easier the next time?
Closer to home, Vasquez got 54% of the vote in the 40th and sent O'Connor packing. I wonder to what extant his negative campaigning may have backfired. One or two flyers bringing up Vasquez' insulting raps sowed misgivings. But uncertainty about Andre turned to disgust at O'Connor as the number soon climbed to over a dozen. Not only did it smack of desperation but it also made it patently clear how bogus O'Connor's anti-homophobia pose was. (Someone who's really concerned about homophobia wouldn't be paying thousands to ensure I or hear homophobic statements on a daily basis.)
I'm sure neither will live up to their promise; as Preckwinkle shows, Chicago politics is awfully good at coopting would-be reformers. But I feel like it's reset the bar on everyone's expectations. If we can fell this many entrenched incumbents in a single go, what was stopping us from doing it before? And won't it come even easier the next time?