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It was only a few months ago that Congressman Luis Gutierrez was on the line assuring me that there was no way -- absolutely no way -- he was going to run for reelection.
He missed Chicago. He missed his family. He missed his friends. He was tired of the travel. He couldn't wait to be done with the weekend shuttles to and from Washington, D.C.
When I relayed his comments to an alderman who's known Gutierrez for years, I was advised not to believe a word of it.
Sure enough, I got back from vacation this weekend to discover that the alderman was right. While I was gone, Gutierrez announced he had changed his mind and was running for reelection after all.
At his press conference Gutierrez said he had changed his mind at the insistence of allies and colleagues who had all but begged him to reconsider.
That explanation drew laughs of derision from several aldermen who tell me they're convinced Gutierrez engineered his own draft-Gutierrez campaign.
So what's really going on? The best explanation I've heard is that Gutierrez made his initial announcement in order to clear the way for a mayoral run. He chickened out of that race when it became obvious there was no way he could beat Mayor Daley. As we all know, he wound up trading his endorsement of Daley for a promise from the mayor not to use public money on the Olympics. Now Gutierrez's backed off on his word just as Daley backed off on his promise not to use public money to fund the Games. I suppose the big question is why anyone believes anything these guys say in the first place.
The only remaining issue is whether Gutierrez will have opposition in the February 5 Democratic primary. Most of Gutierrez's wannabe successors -- aldermen Rick Munoz (22nd) and George Cardenas (12th) and Cook County Board commissioner Roberto Maldonado -- immediately dropped out as soon as the congressman announced he was running.
However, First Ward alderman Manny Flores remains in the race, at least for the time being. Flores says he'll hold a press conference to announce his decision whether to run or not. "I'm not trying to be coy," he said. "I'll make my announcement next week."
Unlike many of his council colleagues, Flores apparently took Gutierrez at his word when he said he wasn't going to run for reelection. Flores even thought Gutierrez might endorse him.
Oh well. Flores is only 35 . He's only been in office since 2003. He's just got a thing or two to learn about Chicago and its politicians.
I don't think many people took him seriously when he said he wasn't running again. He wasn't exactly a smashing success in the private sector.
The reason I ask is that the district is steadily becoming MORE Mexican-American and LESS Puerto Rican, and in my experience Mexican-Americans don't have much love for Gutierrez.
Luis, Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out
'Professional' politicians have developed, and finely tuned, a system of propaganda and mass deception that would make the former Stalinists proud.
Every aspect of the populace's mental and emotional weaknesses have been analyzed, every potential conflict between groups, whether ethnic, religious, gender, generational, cultural, economic, etc., has been conceived and exploited.
Especially slick is the ability to fool the populace into believing that their opinions, desires, thoughts and beliefs actually matter to these professional manipulators, other than as dynamic tools to further their goals and agendas.
This particular article, along with the few comments it has so far generated, is an example of the particular propaganda tool which presents politicians as both 'competitors', akin to athletes, and 'celebrities', akin to actors/actresses, authors, entertainment personalities, etc., for the purpose of stimulating, in the minds of the populace, a range of feelings, primarily those of identifying with one politician or another, (and thus inspire support, approval and votes on election days) and animosity and demonizing of a politician's opponent, (and thus inspire criticisms, opposition and rejection of said opponents on election days).
Distracting discourses, however seemingly relevant to the citizens' governance, are also effectively used to avoid both the answering of important questions and the asking of same.
Notice how both this article and the comments it has inspired are much ado about nothing?
That they are essentially flavorful, emotional tirades, devoid of any substance concerning the actual actions, activities, and consequences thereof, that Mr. Gutierrez's past and present occupation of his office has engaged in?
Like skilled magicians, the politician, with the help of his cousins in the 'media' circus, distract the populaces' attention from the hand that's picking their pockets, destroying their economy, exploiting their stupidity and sending their children off the die, with the many distracting tools at their disposal.
Like retarded children, many are awed by the illusions of governing, impressed by the false facades put up for that very purpose, and have no idea that there's a HUGE difference between watching TV or a movie, and REAL LIFE.
Thanks, Ben, for being so cooperative a part of the continuing soap opera/popularity contest that the politicians want our elections to be.
If Ben, Mick, Kate, et al, were truly interested in inspiring citizens, (their readers?), to engage in the actions that would result in the beginnings of honest government, why, then, was these comments removed?
(Since it contained NO profanity, NO vulgarity, NO inappropriate slurs, the criteria stated by Kate Schmidt as warranting removal?)
"I suppose the big question is why anyone believes anything these guys say in the first place."
Maybe, because:
"Let's take a peek into the Political Hack's Playbook.
'1) If telling the truth HELPS you, tell the truth. (however rarely this is true for an incumbent)
2) If telling the truth HURTS you, tell a lie, particularly a lie that is impossible to prove is a lie.
3) When lying, coat your lies with as much truth as possible, so the lie APPEARS to be true.
4) When confronted with your lies, vigorously assert that you're NOT lying and accuse those who say you are of LYING.
5) avoid lying about things that can be PROVEN to be lies, tho, you can ALWAYS challenge the honesty of those who present the proof of your lies.
6) Do your very best to keep some sort of track of your lies, so you don't waste energy lying when you are confronted with conflicting lies.
7) Whenever possible, always have OTHERS lie for you, so you can denounce them, if and when they are caught lying.
8) When caught in a lie, change the subject and focus on telling those lies that have, so far, not been proven to be lies.
9) Tell the truth sparingly, as, if the truth were helpful to you, you wouldn't have to tell so many lies in the first place.'
There's a lot more stuff in the Political Hack's Playbook, but I think this is enough for now, don't you?"
and
Instead of continuing to behave like trained dogs, instead of doing what you've been conditioned to do, why not try this:
"It's easy:
1) REGISTER TO VOTE
2) Determine who the INCUMBENTS are and make a list of same before every election.
3) Bring this list with you when you GO TO VOTE on election day
4) With FEW exceptions, DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY INCUMBENT
5) If there are 2 or more CHALLENGERS listed for a given office, cast your vote according to this formula:
a) If the INCUMBENT is listed FIRST, vote for the CHALLENGER who is listed LAST
or
b) If the INCUMBENT is NOT listed first, vote for the CHALLENGER who IS LISTED FIRST
And here's the beauty of this voting strategy:
No challenger needs to do anything but get on the ballot.
No challenger needs to raise a shitload of money, as the voters who apply this strategy will not be paying any attention to the specific names of who they ARE voting for, only to the specific names of who they ARE NOT voting for, namely, the INCUMBENTS.
Every challenger will have a shot at getting elected, their odds being based on both the RANDOM placement of their name on the ballot and the number of challengers in any given contest.
Should there be a suspiciously high percentage of shill candidates being placed either first or last on the ballot, this opens the door, (should the proper authorities refuse to investigate election fraud manipulation of the ballot order by the election board), for a class action lawsuit by the voters.
Now, if only enough citizens appreciate and apply this strategy"
Just wondering.......
We can ALWAYS depend upon 'orion' to be as negatively depressing as possible, he must live on the emotions of contempt and disdain.
What a superb catch he'll be, for some lucky guy.
"A few questions
July 28th - 4:47 p.m.
i have a few questions anyone is invited to answer.
1- What qualifications, exactly, are required for a person to vote?
In local elections?
In state elections?
In federal elections?
2- If a person meets the above qualifications, what can cause that person to lose or be denied their right to vote?
3- What are the legal basis for a person to be denied or have lost their right to vote?
As in federal and/or state constitutional basis?
4- What actions can a person who has 'lost' their right to vote take, in whatever arena, to regain their right to vote?
5- By race, religion and/or ethnic group, what are the percentages of the whole who have lost their right to vote?
By gender?
By age?
By political party affiliation?
By financial status?
By education status?
How many persons who once were qualified to vote are no longer allowed to?
And for what reasons?
I would have contacted you personally if you ever dared to submit your e-mail address.
He is a liar.
He has no real political legacy or accomplishment beyond rhetoric.
It really is time for change and real leadership.
I don't have an e-mail address, nor do I want one. (Save the macho posturing for those who care)
As for 'hi-jacking' threads, if you've decided that a viable, uniquely effective and unstoppable voting strategy, designed to:
1) efficiently remove from office firmly entrenched manipulators, both Retardicans and Dumbocrats,
and
2) provide a wide-open opportunity,
for those who visit this site,
for those who write the articles on this site,
and for those who are sick and tired of doing nothing, or, what comes to be effectively nothing,
3) that changes our governments from dishonest to honest,
4) changes our elected officials from lying assholes to honorable human beings,
5) provides an opportunity, based on irrefutable and simple mathematics, for ANYONE who can get on the ballot, to get elected,
6) and creates a good chance to change the manners in which we are represented/governed,
is an inappropriate use of these comment threads,
said threads being comments on Chicago, Crook County and Illinois politics
and the incompetent, dishonest, corrupted and consistently harmful ways and means that our entrenched, organized political party apparatuses impose upon it's citizens,
then, I guess you guys and gals at the Reader are just another small part of the problem
and not at all a part of any solutions to said problems that you present yourselves to be.
Congratulations, Kate, the Orion's, Randy Gordon's, Kozicki's and their ilk all thank you for your cooperative perspective.
Because, Kate, IF change is to occur, it will never be gained by the inch-by-inch attempts to elect honest people.
Not in this town.
Not in this county.
Not in this state.
Not in this country.
Being the well informed human being that you believe yourself to be, you know the many reasons why this is so.
The only remaining question is, have you decided that, because you cannot beat them, you'll just have to join them?
But then, what would you have to bitch about?
Surely not the same old shit most posters on this board bitch about, ie., naughty politicians, doing naughty things that no one can seem to figure out what to do about, other than bitch?
What, specifically and completely, is the process used, by the board of elections, to determine the ballot order in every contested race for public office?
Who, specifically, are the individuals authorized and responsible for actually performing this process and determining the ballot order of the names of candidates for elected offices?
What are the laws, both state and federal, relevant to this process of determining the order candidate's names are listed on the election ballots?
Who, if anyone, is charged with the responsibility and authority to oversee those who perform the process of selecting the order in which candidate's names are listed on the election ballot?
Because there are many 'anyones' who are incredibly gullible.
Actually, not only is the District becoming less Puerto Rican... it is also becoming less Latino, the raison d'etre for the District's formation. For that reason, wait to see how different the District will look after redistricting in 2010: Manny Flores, now living in the extreme northeastern spur of the District, may well be redistricted out in 2010.
August 24th - 11:48 p.m.
What, specifically and completely, is the process used, by the board of elections, to determine the ballot order in every contested race for public office?
Who, specifically, are the individuals authorized and responsible for actually performing this process and determining the ballot order of the names of candidates for elected offices?
What are the laws, both state and federal, relevant to this process of determining the order candidate's names are listed on the election ballots?
Who, if anyone, is charged with the responsibility and authority to oversee those who perform the process of selecting the order in which candidate's names are listed on the election ballot?"