I
have always viewed news media endorsements as being more significant in
displaying what potential biases a news organization’s business end potentially
exerts over the coverage.
WE
GET A more blunt glimpse of what the priorities are for the publications in how
they view the world and the issues. That can emphasize what they consider to be
important when they put together news stories about the issues impacting us
all.
So
in reading the three endorsements for the Feb. 24 mayoral election (early
voting starts Monday), it becomes clear that the major metro newspapers and the
significant business-oriented publication are satisfied with the direction that
Chicago has been taking.
Because
the prominent angle emphasized by all three publications in their endorsements
(that likely will be in those not-quite-so-fat-as-they-used-to-be Sunday editions)
is that Emanuel is taking the city in the right direction.
And
as for those people who are miffed for whatever reason about his actions –
including the closing of some 50 schools in the Chicago Public Schools system –
well they just need to get over themselves!
THEIR
COMPLAINTS THAT Emanuel is too business-oriented to represent the peoples’
interests just aren’t all that significant.
It
is an attitude I find amusing in a warped sort of way because of all the times
we hear the rancid rhetoric from the conservative ideologues about the “liberal
media” that is causing great harm to our society with all their distortions.
If
we really had a “liberal” news media, there probably would have been someone
willing to take on the Emanuel campaign and give backing to the campaigns either
of Jesus “Chuy” Garcia or Robert Fioretti.
Instead,
all the newspapers dismissed all the challengers’ complaints and proposals by
calling them unrealistic or not all that well thought out.
NOT
THAT IT means the editorial writers are all that enthused about what city
government has done since Emanuel became mayor in 2011. Some of the incumbent
aldermen had their challengers formally endorsed because of the perception that
they were too closely aligned with Rahm’s rhetoric!
Now
insofar as I’m concerned, I’m intrigued by the thought of Garcia’s mayoral
campaign. I think he’d represent a segment of Chicago that has often been
ignored in the past. Although watching his campaign, he comes across as an
earnest public official – but also one who is just a little too soft-spoken to
reach out to all of Chicago.
I
can see where he dominates the vote in the wards where the Latino population is
overwhelming, but becomes irrelevant to the rest of Chicago. Perhaps he’s not
doing a good enough job of reaching out to all the electorate?
As
for the other would-be candidates, I can’t say any of them comes across as
somebody who should be in charge of city government. They come across as people
who are too reliant on voters voting solely for Anybody But Rahm.
THEY
DON’T REALLY give us reasons why we should specifically want them to be working
in the old office haunted by the ghost of Richard J. Daley.
Which
is why I have braced myself for the likely reality that Emanuel will get a second
term in office; although there are times it feels like he will merely fill the office
until the next generation of the Daley family feels he (or she) is ready to run
for the post.
It
makes it seem like an endorsement for Emanuel is the “safe” pick politically;
one meant to avoid making enemies of the administration right off the bat,
although I’m sure the newspapers will come up with stories that will offend
Mayor Rahm in the future.
And
we, the people of Chicago, will see what direction a business-oriented pairing
of Emanuel and Rauner (as in Gov. Bruce) will take us for the next few years!
-30-
No comments:
Post a Comment