Call
it odd, not that the Ricketts family is one of significant wealth that feels
compelled to use their financial power to influence our government.
Ricketts family has its hands …
But
that the family most definitely isn’t one that is united behind any given
candidate or cause.
THE
PATER FAMILIAS of the Ricketts clan is Joe, who made the family fortune by founding
TD Ameritrade. His children serve on the board. The one thing that does unite
them is that the family is the primary owner of the Chicago Cubs, with son Tom
serving as the ball club’s chairman.
In
fact, the ball club is a factor in the family’s politics. They want to bolster
the area surrounding Wrigley Field to help enhance the team’s profitability,
and have felt that Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Alderman Tom Tunney have been
standing in the way.
So
it isn’t a surprise that Tom came out with his own endorsement for mayor and
offer of some campaign cash ($25,000, for now, for William Daley’s campaign). What
should we make of the fact that Tom’s sister (Joe’s daughter) Laura has her own
pick?
She’s
backing the mayoral bid of Susana Mendoza, while also having made donations to
the mayoral aspirations of Mendoza, Toni Precwinkle and Lori Lightfoot. For
what it’s worth, Laura Ricketts has a past history of being the family’s
Democrat.
… in many different …
THE
IDEA SHE’D be inclined to want to see a woman prevail isn’t surprising. But
just how will the two of them co-exist? Or do they just have one of those
relationships where politics is off the table for discussion at family
gatherings?
Or
is Laura used to be the odd-person out amongst the family politically, since
she is a supporter of Democrats while the rest of the family has been amongst
the financial supporters of President Donald Trump
… and varied political places
With
brother Todd, who nearly got a cabinet appointment last year from Trump,
serving as Republican National Committee finance chair and being appointed a
member of Trump Victory Committee – which is supposed to be the connection
between the RNC and the Trump presidential campaign.
So
does this make Chicago Cubs baseball the uniting factor between individuals of
varying political leanings? Or is it just evidence that White Sox fans are the
Chicagoans sane enough in their approach to electoral activity?
Remember
back to March when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made
derogatory remarks about the Ricketts family; implying they ought to keep their
opposition to his candidacy quiet lest he start revealing their “dirty laundry”
so to speak?
TRUMP: Trying to unite Republicans
Well,
it appears the family that founded TD Ameritrade and whose members now own the
Chicago Cubs are heeding Trump’s advice. Because they’re showing support for
Trump in the clearest way possible.
THEY’RE
GIVING HIM money.
As
in $1 million being donated by family head J. Joe Ricketts to a political
action committee that is backing the Trump campaign, according to the Wall
Street Journal.
What
better way for them to indicate support than to give campaign cash to the guy
who theoretically is as capable of self-funding a serious presidential bid as
anyone in this country? In fact, to a guy like Trump, cold hard cash probably is the only form of "respect" he appreciates!
Of
course, it can be argued that Ricketts is not making the donation to Trump himself.
Rather, it is to a political group that will benefit Trump’s presidential aspirations
by expressing its belief that we ought to have anybody EXCEPT Hillary Clinton
as president resulting from the Nov. 8 elections. So much for Cubs ownership showing its appreciation for one of their most prominent (even if she has claimed New York Yankees fandom during her residency out east) fans.
WHICH
IS PROBABLY the best way to describe what the Ricketts family may feel about
this election cycle. They probably still don’t think much of the man, but are
willing to put their money where their mouth is – so to speak – by expressing
opposition for the opponent.
RICKETTS: Tom's family in line behind Trump?
In
short, the Ricketts answer to “Who do you hate the most?” is Clinton herself.
Either
that, or there really are some serious Ricketts family secrets that Trump could
have unveiled – which is what he hinted at when the Ricketts family members
started making too much noise in his opposition back during the primary
election cycle this year.
Of
course, Trump tried to play the thing for a laugh by then by saying he’d be
airing campaign advertising spots reminding us of Chicago Cubs ineptitude
throughout the years and tagging it to the Ricketts family.
CLINTON: Cubs fan can't say Cubs owners in her bloc?
WHICH
WOULD WIND up being ridiculous these days in light of the fact the Cubs
actually were the first team to qualify this season for a playoff spot on the
path to the World Series. Although that doesn’t rule out the possibility the
Cubs could blow it in the playoffs, thereby creating more ineptitude that can
be laid in the Ricketts’ family lap.
Not
that the Cubs are really a factor in this political equation. It’s more about
the confusion caused by the fact that many people who usually lean Republican
don’t have a clue what to do about the garishness that is the Trump persona.
Take
former President George H.W. Bush (as in father of “Dubya,”), for whom it
became publicly known this week that he will cast his ballot for Clinton. The
man who is about as Republican establishment as you can get is just that
displeased with the notion of The Donald as The President.
Although
I found it amusing that the reason this tip got out was because of a Kennedy
family member (about as establishment Democrat as the Bushes are GOPers) let
the word leak publicly, according to Politico.
WHICH
IS TO say that I doubt Bush himself would ever have said anything aloud, and
probably regards the tidbit about his ballot to be as gauche as Trump himself.
It
will be intriguing to see how many Republican types Trump can actually keep on
board his campaign. Too many defections ensure loss to Clinton come Election
Day.
I’m
sure there will be many people rationalizing their reasons for voting the way
they do. Take the National Rifle Association, which the Washington Post reports
says is fully in line with Trump because they’re concerned about the Supreme
Court – which they want to remain as a judicial body with conservative
political leanings. They want the court biased in their favor.
Although
there are just as many other people who are eager to vote for Clinton solely
because they want the shift in the high court’s leanings. Which is to say that
anybody who says they know now how this election cycle will turn out is
seriously stretching the truth.
