What a difference a day makes! What a difference three highway protests make! Chicago politics took a major turn on Tuesday morning when Rahm Emanuel “resigned” as Mayor of Chicago – or, “won’t seek re-election to a third term,” if you prefer.
A new chapter of Chicago politics has been ushered in now as 12 people race for the Fifth Floor City Hall seat. The $64,000 question is, “Why did Rahm withdraw?”
P-R-O-T-E-S-T MATTERS.
The highway marches with as many as 5,000 people and as few as 50 have showcased the social ills of the city, to include the inequalities of funding distribution on the South and West sides.
Racism has been in full force as the mayor built the city anew and dismissed the African-American community. The city’s culture is one of crime and fear.
Rahm’s hard head and disrespect for African Americans has caught up with him and taken a fatal toll. The Black community reeks with insult, disrespect, and anger throughout as the tale of two cities reveals itself in too many ways.
A photo with buddy Obama, a commercial with an Obama endorsement, or a TV commercial with a sweater in a fireside chat setting didn’t deliver the third time around. Obama could not help.
The jack is out of the box. Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall and all the king’s horses and men cannot put Humpty Dumpty back together again. Meanwhile, Pat Quinn’s petitions for two-term mayoral limits might be in force on the November ballot.
The Black buzz has been loud and clear for those who could hear in all quarters. All of the polls indicated that Rahm would lose, but not necessarily who would win.
Michael Sachs, Emanuel’s good friend and advisor, conducted a questionable poll weeks ago that suggested the Mayor would win with 80 percent African-American support.
That was a fake poll that money could not buy. The poll was at best questionable and who the hell did they poll; perhaps those in the cemetery?
The protest marches were hurtful be on the Dan Ryan, Lake Shore Drive and the Kennedy Expressway. The marchers spoke on the Black drive, the White Drive, and the drive of commerce.
African Americans have exercised their power in the first step toward electing a new mayor for the City of Chicago.
Policeman Jason Van Dyke is now on trial for the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Either way the verdict goes, the city might go up for grabs. If the policeman is released, that will result in chaos, maybe riots. If Van Dyke is convicted, the Chicago policemen and their supporters will be angry.
Either way, the mayor, who was so intricately involved in the matter and the delayed release of the police tapes showing McDonald’s murder, cannot run or hide from the incident.
And still waiting to be heard from is the former police chief, Garry McCarthy, who might drop a bombshell relating to the case and the withholding of the tape seemingly for political reasons around the time of Rahm’s second mayoral election. McCarthy was fired as the sacrificial lamb to cover for Rahm when somebody’s head ahad to roll in the wake of the immediate public outcry surrounding the release of the tapes of McDonald’s murder and McCarthy entered the race looking for major payback against Rahm. Lori Lightfoot at that time was the president of the Chicago Police Board. She too may drop a live bomb on this case.
So now where are we? There are 12 candidates in the race today. The Rahm/Obama connection will surely put a new candidate in the race. Perhaps Arne Duncan or Valerie Jarrett are the names we should expect to hear.
The 2019 Chicago mayoral race just took a real turn, where anything goes and the race is wide open. But Black people have won with Rahm deciding to step off into the sunset, which the community has been calling for him to do since the Laquan McDonald tapes were released. And African Americans have exercised their power in the first step toward electing a new mayor for the City of Chicago.
