Chicago - A message from the station manager

The Weekend Desk Report

By Steve Rhodes

The Papers will return on Tuesday.
I don’t like Hillary Clinton, despite the accusations thrown at me eight years ago when I repeatedly told the truth about Barack Obama based solely on the reporting (and local sources in a position to know) that was buried amid waves of mythology and narrative-building. In fact, I’ve come to loathe Hillary Clinton.
I have also been a vociferous supporter of the right – even the duty – of citizens to vote their consciences, instead of enabling the cynical electoral strategies of a political establishment beholden only to themselves. There are no wasted votes – and in fact, the research shows clearly, despite what the punditry continues to repeat, that Nader voters did not swing the 2000 election to George W. Bush any more than Perot votes swung the 1992 election to Bill Clinton. Those are the facts.
So you might expect me to support, in this instance, Bernie Sanders voters – particularly in non-swing states where their votes won’t “matter” in the only sense that political professionals can conjure – to pull the lever for their guy with enthusiasm.
I do not. This election is different.


Donald Trump and his supporters must be not just defeated, but defeated soundly. Thrashed. We need every vote for Candidate X – who in this case is noxious, yes, but that’s the choice we have – to bury Trumpism, or at least relegate it to the fringes.
A Hillary Clinton presidency based on a close election will wreak havoc on the country. Trumpists will be emboldened, and the courageless chicken-hawks of the Republican Party will appease fascist neo-Nazism even further, some out of political fear and opportunism, and some out of the continuing delusion of folks like Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell that Trump can be controlled and their agenda can still be advanced.
Even a solid, “normal” margin of victory for Hillary Clinton will cast a foreboding cloud over the country, and thus the world.
This is what we get for the Democrats not holding a true primary, and for a two-party system that has gelatinized into inertia.
But we can deal with that after the election, just as we can deal with Hillary Clinton after she becomes president.
As I’ve written before, Hillary Clinton at this moment in time is like Michael Madigan. Her existence is grotesque, but right now we need her on that wall. After the emergency has passed, we must do everything in our power to make sure such a moment doesn’t come again.
But right now, extraordinary measures must be taken. And that means we must give Hillary Clinton the greatest margin of victory we can muster.
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Barack Obama bequeathed to us Mayor Rahm Emanuel and, quite possibly, President Hillary Clinton. What a transformational change agent.
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Feel free to comment.
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Beachwood Sports Radio: Trade Bait
Grinding Coach Coffman’s Gears! Plus: The Harry Caray Death Cult; Asset Sale; The Sad Sack Sox!; Derrick Rose Still Dim; In The Olympic Swim; and Dennis Green Crowned Their Ass.
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The Week In Chicago Rock
Featuring: Babymetal, Five Finger Death Punch, Heart, Slipknot, Al Stewart, King Sunny Ade, Dale Watson, Alabama Shakes, Old Crow Medicine Show, Cheap Trick, I Prevail, Creeper, Marco and the Polos, Sawyer Fredericks, Joan Jett, Sublime with Rome, Gregg Allman, Rammstein, Chevelle, Erykah Badu, Blackberry Smoke, Peter Frampton, Angelcorpse, At War, Razor, Drowning Pool, Korn, and Vince Neil.
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The Sound Opinions Weekend Listening Report: “Moby became the face of techno with the blockbuster success of his 1999 album Play. In his new memoir Porcelain, he explores his origins in the underground rave scene of ’80s New York up until his mainstream success. Moby joins Jim and Greg for a conversation. Plus, a review of the new album from post-Riot Grrrl band The Julie Ruin.”
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Weekend TweetWood


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We can – and should – deal with this sort of thing even while trying to crush Trump.
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The Weekend Desk Tronc Line: Gut check time.

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Posted on July 23, 2016