To draw an analogy, the Energizer Bunny stomped Donald Trump in the Northwest Side 20th Illinois House District.

Victorious Republican incumbent Mike McAuliffe had the motivation, the manpower, the crossover Democratic support and the money (more than $250,000) to win his fifth term. In contrast, defeated Democratic incumbent Ralph Capparelli had only money -- roughly $1 million. But Capparelli spent only $300,000 of it, and he ran an inept and unfocused campaign. In an astonishing blowout, McAuliffe sliced and diced Capparelli, winning by a margin of 7,944 votes and getting 59.8 percent of the votes cast.

Capparelli, age 80, the dean of the Illinois House, having served in Springfield since 1971, proved conclusively that he's just another politician who stayed beyond his shelf life. Going into the 2004 race against McAuliffe, age 40, Capparelli was thought in some quarters to be a political icon -- a much beloved and venerated figure, such as the late Mayor Richard J. Daley. Icons can usually draw on the voters' sentiment to win another -- or last -- term, but Capparelli's half-century of political activity came to naught, and he follows another supposedly iconic Northwest Side political fixture, the late Alderman Roman Pucinski, into the dustbin of history.

"I have some scores to settle," said Capparelli, who intends to remain active politically as the 41st Ward Democratic committeeman. Of his $1 million campaign warchest, a 1998 law permits him to transfer $630,000 to himself and pay taxes on that sum as income. He still has approximately $700,000 in his account. On Nov. 4 Capparelli resigned his 15th Illinois House District seat, and John D'Amico, who won the race for that seat, was named as his replacement.

Capparelli can ascribe his loss to a litany of reasons:

First, he permitted McAuliffe to adversely define him. In the 2001 remap, when the 20th District was created, more than 70 percent of the territory came from McAuliffe's old 14th District, and 20 percent came from Capparelli's old 13th District. In 2002 McAuliffe ran for re-election in the new 20th District, and Capparelli ran in the 15th District, to the east. In areas such as Norridge, Harwood Heights, the 36th Ward and the west end of the 41st Ward, Capparelli's name was last seen on the ballot for state representative in 1980.

Therefore, Capparelli had to re-introduce himself to thousands of voters who had long since forgotten him, and many thousands more who have since moved into the area. He failed to do so.

In 2002 McAuliffe had a difficult campaign against a fellow incumbent, Democrat Bob Bugielski, and he triumphed by just 2,583 votes, getting 53.7 percent of the total. Bugielski, backed by the 36th Ward Democratic Organization, lived outside the district, and Capparelli chose to run in the 15th District to allow Bugielski to run in the 20th District. But McAuliffe went negative on Bugielski, ripping him as the "Abominable Taxman" for his numerous votes to increase state taxes and fees and for living outside the district. In addition, Bugielski had heart surgery in early 2002 and was nearly invisible in the campaign.

In 2004 it was, as they say, déjà vu all over. Capparelli did not learn the lessons of 2002.

Both Capparelli and McAuliffe sent out a dozen direct-mail pieces during the campaign, but McAuliffe's were earlier, better and utterly devastating. As he did in 2002, McAuliffe defined Capparelli before Capparelli defined himself. Throughout the summer and into early autumn, Capparelli could have bombarded the district with direct mail, extolling his virtues, such as his seniority and his ability to deliver state projects and funding to the Northwest Side, thereby giving voters a reason to keep him. But again, incredibly, he failed to do so.

Beginning in late September, McAuliffe unleashed a torrent of mailers blasting Capparelli for spending some of his campaign cash on himself, for being absent on 12 votes which increased state taxes and fees by $5 billion and for being a "career politician." McAuliffe's tag line was that "enough is enough," referring to the Democrat's $1 million and two government pensions. Interspersed between the negative broadsides were positive pieces claiming that McAuliffe "cares" and highlighting his endorsement by the AFL-CIO, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Fire Fighters Union.

Capparelli responded lamely, if not ridiculously. One attack piece claimed that McAuliffe had a "bachelor pad" in Springfield which was "paid for at taxpayer expense." No proof was presented. Another piece claimed that various special interests "owned" McAuliffe, pointing out that he got contributions from the gaming industry and the medical lobby. But where did Capparelli get his $1 million from?

"I could have unloaded" on McAuliffe, said Capparelli, claiming that he had information which could have damaged the Republican. "But I chose not to."

In the end, the hard-campaigning McAuliffe, who spent months walking precincts, defined Capparelli as a self-centered, out-of-touch politician, and Capparelli never defined himself otherwise. The result was foreordained.

Second, Capparelli failed to carry his 41st Ward base. In 2002 McAuliffe, who is the 41st Ward Republican committeeman and a close ally of Alderman Brian Doherty (41st), beat Bugielski in the ward by 4,079 votes, with 62.5 percent of the total. Capparelli's strategists thought that was an aberration and that Capparelli would do much better in 2004. They were completely wrong. McAuliffe won the ward by 5,181 votes (63.3 percent).

"I didn't have the workers," Capparelli moaned. On election day McAuliffe had a get-out-the-vote operation and people in every ward polling place handing out McAuliffe palm cards. In 2002 the 36th Ward Democrats sent workers into the 41st Ward for Bugielski; this year, they sent nobody.

"I won't run again," Capparelli said. That's good news for the Doherty-McAuliffe Republican machine in the ward. But the better news is that Capparelli intends to remain as committeeman, so there will be no viable Democratic presence in the ward for the next 4 years, until his term expires in 2008.

And third, Capparelli didn't have unified party support. Prior to the election, 36th Ward Democratic Committeeman Bill Banks (who also is the ward's alderman) advised Capparelli that he would "not work for him and not work against him" in the 20th District race. Since when does a Chicago Democratic committeeman not support a fellow Democratic committeeman against a Republican? Anyplace but the Northwest Side, such a declaration would be deemed an act of perfidy. "He lied to me and he worked for McAuliffe," Capparelli said.

"That is totally untrue," replied Banks. "We did not work for McAuliffe. I kept my word."

In 2002 Bugielski won the 36th Ward by 2,490 votes (61.1 percent); this time, McAuliffe won the ward by 1,512 votes (56.1 percent) -- a swing of more than 4,000 votes. John Kerry got 13,218 votes in the 36th Ward, and U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama got 15,696, but Capparelli got only 5,684 votes -- a showing so dismal that it substantiates Capparelli's claim that Banks sold him out.

Why would Banks back McAuliffe? According to Capparelli, Banks told him that it all relates to the 39th Ward. The deal back in 2001 was that Capparelli would run in the 15th District, which is centered on the 39th Ward, and then resign some time in 2003 so that D'Amico, the nephew of Alderman Marge Laurino (39th), could be appointed to the seat. "But (Bugielski) lost, so the deal was off," Capparelli said. "How could (Banks) expect me to resign the seat and then run for re-election in the 20th District?"

Banks has a different version: "He promised to resign. He failed to keep his word. So we decided not to endorse him."

But there is another explanation: the Italian/Elmwood Park connection. State Representative Skip Saviano of Elmwood Park, McAuliffe's roommate in the so-called Springfield "bachelor pad," runs the Illinois House Republican Campaign Committee and is a former aide to state Senator Jim DeLeo (D-10), Banks' chief ally. Saviano also is allied with Elmwood Park Mayor Pete Silvestri, a Republican county commissioner, who also is close to Banks and DeLeo. McAuliffe's "Italian connection" eclipsed Capparelli's ethnicity. Clearly, the members of the Banks-DeLeo machine deemed it to be in their interest to keep McAuliffe and to oust Capparelli.

And then there is Rosemont. Capparelli has worked for years to get a casino for Rosemont, and he is a close pal of Rosemont Mayor Don Stephens. But this year Stephens' political operation, captained by Jack Dorgan, a onetime aide to the late state Representative Roger McAuliffe, poured its precinct army into the 41st Ward on behalf of Mike McAuliffe. As Capparelli learned, gratitude is fleeting.

Lastly, there is 2006. After arduous campaigns in 2002 and 2004, will McAuliffe face another ordeal that year? In 2002 McAuliffe beat Bugielski in Norwood Park Township (Norridge and Harwood Heights) by 991 votes (57 percent); this year, he won by 1,179 votes (59 percent).

Marge Fuller, a Harwood Heights trustee, is running for village mayor in 2005, and if victorious, she intends to run against McAuliffe in 2006. But the 2004 results were not auspicious for her. Fuller backed Capparelli, and Mayor Norb Pabich backed McAuliffe. McAuliffe won all nine precincts in Harwood Heights, and he won the village by 489 votes. If Pabich beats Fuller in 2005, McAuliffe will have a free ride in 2006.