EXTRA: Bernie ignores Rahm while doing Chi with batch of out-of-towners

Usually, somebody wishing to become president who passes through Chicago makes a point of seeking the mayor’s backing – or at least not his indifference.

SANDERS: Taking tourist approach to politics

Yet Bernie Sanders, the senator from Vermont who is taking on Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, made his Chicago campaign appearance at a point in time when Rahm Emanuel isn’t even in the country.

AND IN FACT is going out of his way to include an event Wednesday with Emanuel’s mayoral challenger – Jesus Garcia, the Cook County commissioner whom Rahm beat up on in this year’s election cycle.

It’s not like Garcia could be in the running for interim mayor if Emanuel were to depart (only the aldermen can be considered for that post), but I’m sure the images to result of Sanders with Jesus will stir up the resentment of those who wanted to Dump Rahm back in April.

Then with Sanders being sure to speak later in the day about the law enforcement issue that Emanuel gets hit with at every possible occasion. Bernie is bound to use Chicago to score points for himself at Rahm’s expense!

I find it interesting to see the crew of characters who will appear in Chicago with Sanders – including Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brands to go along with assorted activist-types, none of whom are from Chicago and reinforcing the image that all the Rahm-trashing comes from out-of-towners!

I’M SURE THAT for some people, the chance to be associated with free ice cream will be enough to sway them. Although I’d have to wonder if that were the goal, why couldn’t Sanders have enough sense to associate himself with a Chicago-based ice cream maker?

There are, after all, many besides those ice creams made by Republican political dreamer James Oberweis (then again, maybe GOP dreamer Oberweis and Dem fantasizer Sanders is a perfect pair).

The original Gayety's, destroyed by a 1980s fire, remains in spirit, which Sanders could have played off of

I’d recommend Bernie consider throwing some attention to Gayety’s chocolates and ice cream – which has been in business nearly a century beginning in the South Chicago neighborhood and now based out of suburban Lansing. (And yes, I have childhood memories of being able to convince my father to stop at that old Commercial Avenue storefront whenever we’d visit grandma, who lived nearby).

Heck, if Bernie had given this stunt that much local thought, I’d probably be willing to be swayed to actually consider casting a ballot for him come the March 15 primary.

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