By Steve Rhodes
In the Sun-Times, the mayor went on the attack Tuesday.
In the Tribune, he was on the defensive, though in a measured way.
I’d say the Trib got it right. For some reason, Fran Spielman insisted on reporting the debate from Rahm’s viewpoint. The truth is, Rahm mostly controlled the debate – and mostly remained in control.
“The 90-minute forum Tuesday before the Chicago Tribune editorial board saw many questions proffered but few politically realistic answers provided by the five candidates who are vying on Feb. 24 to run an economically struggling city facing a host of severe financial problems.”
That’s about right.
You can see my real-time commentary on our Twitter feed; use the hashtag #tribdebate.
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“Emanuel largely stayed above the fray amid the sniping of his rivals and benefited most from frequent interruptions of the other candidates by William ‘Dock’ Walls, who got less than 1 percent of the vote four years ago,” the Trib report says. “That dynamic created an undisciplined contrast to Emanuel’s demeanor in which the mayor portrayed himself as guiding the city through economic turmoil.”
Yup.
Rahm was also sitting in the middle, with Bob Fioretti and Willie Wilson to his right, and Chuy Garcia and Walls to his left. It was as if Rahm was moderating a meeting.
(Was seating determined by lot?)
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John Kass thought the race revealed Garcia as Rahm’s main threat because he was the recipient of the mayor’s most vicious and desperate attack.
I don’t think it’s news that Rahm sees Garcia as his most viable challenger – the co-chairs of the mayor’s campaign are named Mendoza and Gutierrez.
(See also: Familiar Faces Behind Latino Group Supporting Emanuel.)
And I don’t think the debate raised Garcia’s status in the race; he mostly sat on his hands, and when he did speak, he spoke in platitudes.
Eric Zorn opined that if you could take the best elements of each mayoral challenger and put them together in one candidate, you’d have something. Isn’t that what pundits always say about each party’s field of presidential candidates? That’s a formula that useful for punditry, but not much else. (You honestly don’t need any part of Willie Wilson to create a strong candidate, except his money.)
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Diary Of A Lost Pregnancy, Part 7
Like A Pelvic Game Of Asteroids.
Ernie Banks’ 1986 Dream Game
“I still got it!”
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BeachBook
* Mickey Mouse Disco.
* Torture If You Must, But Do Not Under Any Circumstance Call The New York Times.
* Sudden Removal Of Century-Old Pool Table At University Of Chicago Faculty Club Sparks A Campaign To Bring It Back.
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TweetWood
I’d like to know how much each TV station made from Bruce Rauner’s campaign ads, but this color-coding isn’t helping: http://t.co/jxwMYoBTLi
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) January 28, 2015
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Of course he is RT @krisvire: Ronnie Woo Woo is posing for pictures in front of the Ernie Banks statue in Daley Plaza pic.twitter.com/9KuejRpJCQ
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) January 28, 2015
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Debatable.
Posted on January 28, 2015