# Chicago Mayoral Election 2015
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [January 4, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985 "2015-01-04T22:46:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/41 "2015-03-04T15:52:45Z")
> [@dalej42](#):
>
> The strike was Karen Lewis and her massive ego picking a fight with Rahm to score political points. Lewis was obviously planting the seeds for a mayoral run before her recent illness.
Wrong.
Lewis did not unilaterally declare a strike for the CTU, the teachers voted on it three times. They first voted that they would take that action, then they voted that they would strike, then they voted to confirm.
Lewis gets a lot of flack for being a big, brassy black woman who does not talk the Queen’s English. I wouldn’t say that she doesn’t have an ego (how could she not?) but she is a tough negotiator, a strong figure, and a hard worker. I know people who had Lewis as a teacher and they’ve told me that she was a very good teacher who pushed them, made them better students, and made the class enjoyable.
Rahm is the one who made it personal.
---
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/42 "2015-03-04T16:25:46Z")
[Chuy Garcia interviewed.](http://www.salon.com/2015/03/04/rahm_emanuels_political_nightmare_jesus_chuy_garcia_tells_salon_why_hell_oust_the_mayor/)
---
### Author:  [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/43 "2015-03-05T13:21:05Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#):
>
> Rahm is the one who made it personal.
Cite: [http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2012/04/17/mayor-rahm-and-the-f-bomb-a-critical-study](http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2012/04/17/mayor-rahm-and-the-f-bomb-a-critical-study)
> **[FOX 26 Houston](https://www.fox26houston.com/)**
>
> Houston area news, weather, traffic, sports and breaking news from FOX 26 Houston. Watch live 57.5 hours of news and local programming every week on KRIV.
---
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/44 "2015-03-06T16:42:43Z")
[Some things you might not have known about Emanuel.](http://inthesetimes.com/article/17681/rahm_emanuel_chuy_garcia_runoff)
---
### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/45 "2015-03-06T17:12:42Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> [Some things you might not have known about Emanuel.](http://inthesetimes.com/article/17681/rahm_emanuel_chuy_garcia_runoff)
Some highlights:
> [@](#):
>
> The Chicago Sun-Times reported on Deborah Quazzo, an Emanuel school board appointee who runs an investment fund for companies that privatize school functions. They discovered that five companies in which she had an ownership stake have more than tripled their business with the Chicago Public Schools since she joined the board, many of them for contracts drawn up in the suspicious amount of $24,999—one dollar below the amount that required central office approval.
> [@](#):
>
> The Chicago Tribune reported that of Emanuel’s top 106 contributors, 60 of them received favors from the city.
> [@](#):
>
> The International Business Times discovered that Emanuel was evading his own, much-trumpeted executive order banning campaign contributions from city contractors by shoveling $38 million in city resources to his donors via “direct voucher payments,” a sketchy loophole that lets businesses get city money without bids or contracts—without, in fact, any way of documenting what the money is used for.
> [@](#):
>
> And a joint investigation between public radio station WBEZ and the magazine Catalyst Chicago demonstrated that the Chicago Public Schools CEO Emanuel hired, Barbara Byrd-Bennett, was able to juke the statistics on high school graduation rates—which supposedly went from 70 to 85 percent over the last decade—by contracting with for-profit online education companies that demanded very little work from students, while still allowing them to receive diplomas from the last school they attended.
And that’s in addition to the ‘black site,’ the closing of dozens of public schools, and the use of public resources for the benefit of a private university.
What a worthless piece of scum.
---
### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/46 "2015-03-06T18:22:18Z")
Okay, this thread is helping me to make up my mind. I think I’m going to have to hold my nose and vote for Rahm. He’s the Bruce Rauner of Chicago.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/47 "2015-03-06T18:52:48Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#):
>
> Okay, this thread is helping me to make up my mind. I think I’m going to have to hold my nose and vote for Rahm. He’s the Bruce Rauner of Chicago.
Why vote for . . . [that](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Rauner) . . . when you could vote for [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jes%C3%BAs_%22Chuy%22_Garc%C3%ADa)?
---
### Author:  [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/48 "2015-03-06T20:53:19Z")
I’ll continue to pile on Rahm:
> **[Rahm screams at mental health activists, “YOU’RE GONNA RESPECT ME!”](https://preaprez.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/rahm-screams-at-mental-health-activists-youre-gonna-respect-me/)**
>
> Photo montage of Rahm at Wicker Park incident: Kenzo Shibata. – By Matt Ginsberg-Jaeckle as posted on the Mental Health Movement’s Facebook page. Mental Health Movement members Debbie D…
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### Author:  [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/49 "2015-03-07T00:38:43Z")
The Rahm in a cardigan “I’m really a nice guy, I just care to much” ads are a complete hoot! I doubt anyone is likely to fall for them.
In any case, I doubt it will be long before he reverts to normal behavior and does something totally dickish out of frustration at being in this runoff. I saw something yesterday about how his campaign is planning to go after Garcia really hard and paint him in as negative a light as possible.
I really hope they are stupid enough to go that route because I’m comfortably certain it will blow up in Rahm’s arrogant face.
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### Author:  [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/50 "2015-03-07T05:20:57Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#):
>
> I’ll continue to pile on Rahm:
>
> [Rahm screams at mental health activists, “YOU’RE GONNA RESPECT ME!” – Fred Klonsky](https://preaprez.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/rahm-screams-at-mental-health-activists-youre-gonna-respect-me/)
The blog you linked to claims that Mr. Emmanuel screamed at some activists. However, the blog links to a facebook page :smack:, which links to an actual video of the Mayor on another blog on NBC5 Chicago.
In the video, he didn’t even raise his voice.
Do you have a cite otherwise?
---
### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/51 "2015-03-07T13:57:00Z")
The demonstration was staged by a group of pathetic clowns masquerading as activists.
> **[Mental Health Activists' Clash With Mayor Was 'Clearly Staged,' Group Says](https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150306/wicker-park/mental-health-activists-clash-with-mayor-was-clearly-staged-group-says/)**
>
> The Wicker Park Committee issued a statement to "get our side of the story out there," leader says.
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### Author:  [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/52 "2015-03-07T16:27:18Z")
I find it amusing that the Rahm apologists in this thread waste no time jumping all over the story of the staged confrontation with Mayor 1% but conveniently ignore the well sourced article about his corruption and favors doled out to his wealthy friends that was so kindly provided by **Brain Glutton** and quoted by **RTFirefly**.
So once again,
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> [Some things you might not have known about Emanuel.](http://inthesetimes.com/article/17681/rahm_emanuel_chuy_garcia_runoff)
Thoughts? Comments? Bueller?
---
### Author:  [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/53 "2015-03-07T16:49:10Z")
I love the North Side, I love the Loop, but Chicago is more than the North Side and the Loop.
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### Author:  [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/54 "2015-03-07T17:54:30Z")
Oh, gee, another “New Democrat” is a corrupt Thatcheresque ass who relies on the votes of well-heeled constituents who fear someone too low-class and redistributionist.
Hopefully, in a few months, he can have a job on FoxNews as a token Democrat explaining how the party _should be_ run. Or would it be NBC?
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/55 "2015-03-07T18:08:53Z")
> [@dalej42](#):
>
> The demonstration was staged by a group of pathetic clowns masquerading as activists.
>
> [Mental Health Activists' Clash With Mayor Was 'Clearly Staged,' Group Says - Wicker Park - Chicago - DNAinfo](http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150306/wicker-park/mental-health-activists-clash-with-mayor-was-clearly-staged-group-says)
In this context, “staged” != “fake.” They wanted to grill Rahm in a public venue on-camera so they picked one and crashed it. Aggressive tactics, but not in any way dishonest. And how were they “masquerading as activists”?
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/56 "2015-03-07T18:12:43Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#):
>
> The blog you linked to claims that Mr. Emmanuel screamed at some activists. However, the blog links to a facebook page :smack:, which links to an actual video of the Mayor on another blog on NBC5 Chicago.
>
> In the video, he didn’t even raise his voice.
>
> Do you have a cite otherwise?
Read the story – no one is even **claiming** to have video footage of Rahm’s blowup.
---
### Author:  [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/57 "2015-03-07T18:28:35Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#):
>
> Oh, gee, another “New Democrat” is a corrupt Thatcheresque ass who relies on the votes of well-heeled constituents who fear someone too low-class and redistributionist.
C’mon, someone has to protect the interests of all the poor downtrodden corporations!
---
### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/58 "2015-03-07T19:03:21Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#):
>
> C’mon, someone has to protect the interests of all the poor downtrodden corporations!
Yes, someone does. Employers have been fleeing the city for years, taking their jobs to the suburbs or to Indiana. First Daley, and now Rahm, are fighting that trend. People need jobs, and the City needs people to have jobs for its own revenue. Yes, he is a corrupt ass, but I agree with Dale that he is good for the economy of Chicago.
I’ll take benevolent corruption over enlightened incompetence any day. As Sean Connery said in “The Untouchables,” that’s the Chicago way.
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### Author:  [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/59 "2015-03-08T03:13:11Z")
How is he benevolent?
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2015, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-mayoral-election-2015/708985/60 "2015-03-08T04:44:35Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#):
>
> How is he benevolent?
In that, in the best Chicago tradition, his administration follows the Golden Mean between absolute honesty and absolute corruption.
Or not.
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