December 26, 2018
DURBIN, DEMOCRATS HEADED FOR SENATE MAJORITY IN 2020
U.S. Senators in Illinois and elsewhere have a political shelf life. The bar code usually expires after 18 years, or three 6-year terms. By then the incumbent has become tiresome, or the political environment prevalent 6 or 12 years earlier has vanished - or both. Illinois' Dick Durbin (D) has crossed the threshold. He has, after 22 years as a senator, become boring, annoying and irksome. But he has also become the Democrats' Senate Minority Whip, the number-two position, which makes him a major player in Washington, and gives him a platform to make comments on everything. Full Article...
December 19, 2018
DEMOCRATS SHOULD FOCUS ON ELECTORAL COLLEGE, NOT IMPEACHMENT
Forget about impeachment. All it takes is a cumulative switch of about 200,000 votes in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa and/or Wisconsin -- states with a cumulative 52 electoral votes -- and Donald Trump is the ex-president. Trump won 304-227 in 2016, 34 more votes than he needed. The 2018 election results showed those states trending Democratic. The emerging 2020 field is not particularly impressive, but if Democrats nominate a leftist presidential candidate who cannot carry those states, then Trump won't be an "ex" until 2025. Full Article...
December 12, 2018
"THE MIGHTY MARTWICK" WITHSTANDS PROFT'S $440,000 ONSLAUGHT
He's not quite ready to be dubbed "The Mighty Martwick," but the fact that he withstood a blistering $440,000, 2-week media and mail onslaught and managed to get comfortably re-elected was a notable accomplishment. In the 19th Illinois House District, incumbent Democratic state Representative Rob Martwick defeated aggressive Republican challenger Ammie Kessem 21,389-13,852, a margin of 7,537 votes, with Martwick getting 60.6 percent. In the 15th Districh, State Rep. John D'Amico easily crushed Amsanda Biela (R) with 61`.4%. Full Article...
December 5, 2018
"TIME OF TROUBLES" AWAIT NEXT CHICAGO MAYOR, ALDERMEN
The "magic number" is 225,000. With 21 candidates having filed for Chicago mayor (and 243 for alderman), and with a Feb. 26 turnout in the realm of 975,000 (65%), 200-225,000 votes is what it will take to move on to the April 3, 2019 runoff. 12 mayoral candidates are black, 2 Hispanic and 7 white. Updated 2016 census figures put the city's population at 48.7% white, 31.3% black and 29.1% Hispanic.Winning one's base is the key, not necessarily money. The top tier includes Preckwinkle, Daley, Mendoza, Chico and McCarthy, but the huge black field dilutes Preckwinkle's vote, Daley is another Jeb Bush, and Mendoza's petitions are being challenged, putting her campaign in limbo for a month. Only McCarthy is assured of 20%-plus. Full Article...
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