Dems shouldn't take voters for granted in county race
Dems shouldn't take voters for granted in county race
BY MARK BROWN SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
July 19, 2006
Copyright by THe Chicago Sun Times
If the election were held today, Republican Tony Peraica would have an excellent chance of defeating Democrat Todd Stroger for Cook County Board President. Democratic leaders are counting on the fact that it's not for another 111 days. Tuesday's coronation of the younger Stroger as his father John's replacement on the fall ballot by defiant Cook County Democratic committeeman did little to soothe the brewing voter anger over his inherited candidacy that would make such an upset possible.
If anything, the meeting brought added emphasis to the serious disconnect between Democratic Party leaders and the 47 percent of their primary electorate who cast a ballot for Commissioner Forrest Claypool, John Stroger's opponent.
'The people want to be heard'
"I tell you the drums are rumbling, and the people want to be heard," said Congressman Danny Davis, the only candidate to present himself Tuesday as an alternative to Todd Stroger.
But in the sauna-like hotel meeting room where Democratic officials met Tuesday, there was little indication that such a drumbeat had penetrated, as Davis wound up with just 23 percent of the weighted vote of the committeemen.
Over and over, party leaders indicated Claypool was the pariah for his budget-cutting campaign threats and blamed the news media for creating the possible voter backlash, as if people couldn't see for themselves that one of the most important offices in Illinois was being handed down to someone best known to them for joining in the secrecy over his father's pre-election stroke and subsequent health status.
Lucky for the Democrats, the election isn't today. It's not until Nov. 7, which might give them time to repair the damage if they are to keep control over county government. Get ready for a heavy barrage of television commercials.
They'll need to find some way to convince more conservative Democratic voters from the Northwest and Southwest Sides -- the old Reagan Democrats who are definitely going to be tempted to stray -- that it's in their best interest to stay in the fold. Plus, they'll have to convince Claypool supporters, who are in a throw-the-bums-out mood, that Peraica just isn't their kind of guy, either.
Guns, gays and abortion at play
The most obvious way to make Democrats, who form a sizable majority in Cook County, to look before they leap is to focus attention on social issues such as abortion, gun control and gay rights.
On abortion, Peraica is pro-life. He said he recognizes abortion rights as "the law of the land" and would use his authority as board president to "provide a greater degree of counseling" and "a full range of alternatives" to women considering abortions. His goal would be to "make them think twice about aborting a life," which probably has the pro-choice community on alert.
The last pro-life County Board President, George Dunne, used his authority to halt abortions at the old County Hospital. It took his successor, Richard Phelan, to reinstate them by executive order, which gives you an idea of how much a president can exercise on this matter if he chooses.
On gay rights, Peraica voted against the county's Domestic Partnership Registry, and just recently pulled his name off a seemingly non-controversial resolution welcoming the Gay Games to Chicago with the explanation: "As a matter of public policy, I did not want to celebrate or encourage that kind of a situation."
Just last week, Peraica, a staunch gun-rights supporter, voted against a resolution seeking the state Legislature's support for an assault weapons ban, which he calls a "feel-good measure that doesn't do anything."
Thinking twice
"I don't think I'm an extremist by any means," Peraica said Tuesday.
I'm not saying he is, but a liberal Democrat looking at his conservative record is going to think twice before giving him a vote.
A few weeks ago, Peraica told me he'd get 20 percent of the African-American vote. I bet him he wouldn't get more than 5 percent. While many African-American voters undoubtedly share in the dissatisfaction over the Stroger situation, I can't see many of them opting for Peraica.
Peraica said he doesn't expect social issues to play as large a role in the election as "good government vs. bad government." He plans to focus on pocketbook issues such as taxes, waste and corruption -- the arena that will allow him to milk the voter resentment created by the Stroger succession debacle. Sounds like a pretty good plan. There's plenty of material.
I never expected the party bosses to show any deference to Claypool who, after all, was the loser, but you would have thought they might have made some nod Tuesday in the direction of all the Democratic voters who expressed their dissatisfaction with the current county regime by voting for him. Instead, they gave them the finger.
BY MARK BROWN SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
July 19, 2006
Copyright by THe Chicago Sun Times
If the election were held today, Republican Tony Peraica would have an excellent chance of defeating Democrat Todd Stroger for Cook County Board President. Democratic leaders are counting on the fact that it's not for another 111 days. Tuesday's coronation of the younger Stroger as his father John's replacement on the fall ballot by defiant Cook County Democratic committeeman did little to soothe the brewing voter anger over his inherited candidacy that would make such an upset possible.
If anything, the meeting brought added emphasis to the serious disconnect between Democratic Party leaders and the 47 percent of their primary electorate who cast a ballot for Commissioner Forrest Claypool, John Stroger's opponent.
'The people want to be heard'
"I tell you the drums are rumbling, and the people want to be heard," said Congressman Danny Davis, the only candidate to present himself Tuesday as an alternative to Todd Stroger.
But in the sauna-like hotel meeting room where Democratic officials met Tuesday, there was little indication that such a drumbeat had penetrated, as Davis wound up with just 23 percent of the weighted vote of the committeemen.
Over and over, party leaders indicated Claypool was the pariah for his budget-cutting campaign threats and blamed the news media for creating the possible voter backlash, as if people couldn't see for themselves that one of the most important offices in Illinois was being handed down to someone best known to them for joining in the secrecy over his father's pre-election stroke and subsequent health status.
Lucky for the Democrats, the election isn't today. It's not until Nov. 7, which might give them time to repair the damage if they are to keep control over county government. Get ready for a heavy barrage of television commercials.
They'll need to find some way to convince more conservative Democratic voters from the Northwest and Southwest Sides -- the old Reagan Democrats who are definitely going to be tempted to stray -- that it's in their best interest to stay in the fold. Plus, they'll have to convince Claypool supporters, who are in a throw-the-bums-out mood, that Peraica just isn't their kind of guy, either.
Guns, gays and abortion at play
The most obvious way to make Democrats, who form a sizable majority in Cook County, to look before they leap is to focus attention on social issues such as abortion, gun control and gay rights.
On abortion, Peraica is pro-life. He said he recognizes abortion rights as "the law of the land" and would use his authority as board president to "provide a greater degree of counseling" and "a full range of alternatives" to women considering abortions. His goal would be to "make them think twice about aborting a life," which probably has the pro-choice community on alert.
The last pro-life County Board President, George Dunne, used his authority to halt abortions at the old County Hospital. It took his successor, Richard Phelan, to reinstate them by executive order, which gives you an idea of how much a president can exercise on this matter if he chooses.
On gay rights, Peraica voted against the county's Domestic Partnership Registry, and just recently pulled his name off a seemingly non-controversial resolution welcoming the Gay Games to Chicago with the explanation: "As a matter of public policy, I did not want to celebrate or encourage that kind of a situation."
Just last week, Peraica, a staunch gun-rights supporter, voted against a resolution seeking the state Legislature's support for an assault weapons ban, which he calls a "feel-good measure that doesn't do anything."
Thinking twice
"I don't think I'm an extremist by any means," Peraica said Tuesday.
I'm not saying he is, but a liberal Democrat looking at his conservative record is going to think twice before giving him a vote.
A few weeks ago, Peraica told me he'd get 20 percent of the African-American vote. I bet him he wouldn't get more than 5 percent. While many African-American voters undoubtedly share in the dissatisfaction over the Stroger situation, I can't see many of them opting for Peraica.
Peraica said he doesn't expect social issues to play as large a role in the election as "good government vs. bad government." He plans to focus on pocketbook issues such as taxes, waste and corruption -- the arena that will allow him to milk the voter resentment created by the Stroger succession debacle. Sounds like a pretty good plan. There's plenty of material.
I never expected the party bosses to show any deference to Claypool who, after all, was the loser, but you would have thought they might have made some nod Tuesday in the direction of all the Democratic voters who expressed their dissatisfaction with the current county regime by voting for him. Instead, they gave them the finger.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 9:57 AM
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