Speculation stories – Deep thoughts of news, or just whole load of hooey?

At heart, it’s just a speculation story, as in the Chicago Sun-Times thought they could sell newspapers on Thursday with a story about the load of people who could possibly be considered as contenders for the post of Mayor of Chicago.

Will they really ALL run for mayor?

The newspaper went so far as to publish a front page depicting 38 people they’re saying are potential mayors (or “may nots,” to use the Sun-Times’ bad pun).

I’M INCLINED TO think that Rahm Emanuel is telling a tidbit of truth when he said this week the person who will replace him in the mayor’s office is someone who has yet to declare themselves a candidate.

As in the dozen or so people who have publicly stated a desire to run for mayor aren’t really credible candidates. Which means we should probably give more credence to all of the last-minute arrivals to the mayoral competition front – rather than taking seriously anybody who’s been campaigning for months, but has yet to capture the public’s imagination.

Now I’m not bashing the Sun-Times as somehow publishing nonsense information. I’m sure there are some people eager to pick at the newsgathering organization who will toss out the “fake news” label and try to proclaim this the ultimate evidence.

In reality, it is the work of some of the Sun-Times’ more experienced political reporters dredging up the information they do have to try to figure out who might well become the next mayor of Chicago following the February election and potential April run-off.

Who is Trump's anonymous critic?

PERHAPS EVEN GIVE the public a sense of just who these people are and what they might offer to the city of Chicago now that Emanuel has decided that a third four-year term as mayor just isn’t worth the electoral aggravation it would take to achieve.

Particularly since this particular election cycle in 2019 is going to be such a free-for-all – what with no incumbent and a batch of candidates with limited appeal amongst the masses of Chicago’s population.

Personally, I’m inclined to think one-time Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas is a part of Chicago’s political past, while former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy has the stink of Laquan McDonald’s death on him just as much as those people who are determined to believe that Rahm Emanuel bears all the blame.

Gave competing paper some publicity

It’s only by comparison to those two so-called front-runners amongst the people willing to challenge Emanuel that potential candidates such as Amara Enyia or Ja’Mal Green can think they have much of a chance of succeeding.

OF COURSE, THE concept of speculation stories isn’t unique to this happening.

For another story I stumbled across on Thursday was off the CNN.com website – a piece of copy contemplating the anonymous commentary the New York Times published about high-ranking presidential staffers who supposedly are working to undermine the desires of Donald Trump out of a sense that they’re protecting the nation.

CNN decided to do a story that listed names of people who could potentially be the anonymous commentary’s author – the one who has committed an act of “treason!” (as Trump thinks it) or is the “rat” (as I’m sure a mob boss would term it).

I don’t think CNN has a clue, particularly since their list of potential political blabbermouths includes Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, or first lady Melania.

Is the public more interested in this?

I’D THINK THE chances of either Trump femme turning out to be the fink is about as likely as the Sun-Times being correct when they say one-time presidential advisor (during the Barack Obama administration) Valerie Jarrett or aging Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White (he’s 85) will become the new mayor.

It may be fun to contemplate – at least for politically-geeky types who take seriously the nuances of public policy.

Whereas I suspect many others will consider the big celebrity-style story of Thursday to be more interesting – actor Burt Reynolds died at age 82.

Perhaps they envision Reynolds approaching the pearly gates with the late actor Jackie Gleason’s “Buford T. Justice” character ready to resume their “Smokey and the Bandit” films pursuit?

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Nearly four decades later, we’re still stuck with ‘Star Wars’ It could be worse; we could have an aging ‘Bandit’

I wasn’t amongst the people who felt compelled to watch Monday night’s football game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.

For one thing, I have never thought much of football. For another, the half-time presentation of the film trailer for the upcoming “Star Wars” sequel wasn’t enough to overcome my personal apathy for “Monday Night Football.”

ALTHOUGH I DO wonder if my apathy for the “Star Wars” franchise is even more intense than that of professional football (whose cheerleaders look downright trampy compared to the ladies who dance on behalf of college football squads).

So I’m not amongst the people who felt compelled to watch the game so they could see the trailer for what ought to be referred to as Star Wars VII – put the roman numerals on it to make it feel like a Super Bowl-type event.

I did check out the trailer on Tuesday just out of curiosity, and couldn’t help but notice how old Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher looked.

Particularly since I’m old enough to have seen the original “Star Wars” when it came out in movie theaters.

I REMEMBER THINKING it was a cute film. A few moments worth seeing. The scene in the cantina with all sorts of living creatures from across the galaxy was amusing enough that I suspect I’d still remember it even if “Star Wars” had flopped and never resulted in a single sequel.

I’ll admit the initial sequel (which I was in high school when it came out) was mildly amusing. But the next sequel felt more like a toy commercial – just think of all the different action figures that could now be sold, and those cutesy ewoks?

I thought they were silly then, and think that Wal-mart commercial now is tacky for showing us a modern-day day doing the ewok dance with his daughter – as a sign of how “Star Wars” has so thoroughly permeated our pop culture.

It makes me think I would have detested that dad when I was a kid. I do remember thinking the film was not as big a deal as all my junior high counterparts did when it originally came out.

BUT A LARGE part of why I have come to detest the “Star Wars” franchise is the next round of three films – which just struck me as a way for George Lucas to show off his technical skills and see how many space creatures could he digitally insert?

Almost as though the real-life acting that takes place in a “Star Wars” film doesn’t matter one bit. And forget about the writing!

It is the reason I didn’t feel compelled to see the most recent film ever – and certainly don’t think I’ll rush right out on Dec. 19 to see the newest sequel. Which strikes me as more of an attempt to leach a few moments out of the old “Star Wars” characters before they die off (Ford is now 73).

So the idea that anybody tuned in to watch Monday Night Football just to catch a film trailer? It strikes me as weak as those who watch the Super Bowl just to watch all the commercials!

BUT I’LL ALSO concede that the masses feel differently. There was something about the “Star Wars” franchise that has caught the public imagination in a way that another big hit film from 1977 did not.

After all, there may have been a couple of “Smokey and the Bandit” sequels, but I can’t envision anyone seriously thinking of dragging actor Burt Reynolds out of mothballs to make another such film today – even though I’m sure he’d jump for the chance.

Let alone the big award-winning hit film of 1977 – “Annie Hall,” which took Oscars for best film, best actress for Diane Keaton, and became the film that let director Woody Allen keep making many more films even after his public image became so creepy that the masses wish they could ignore him.

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