Prez of Cook County Board candidate forum

So at last we know (0.00 / 0)

The reason Cong. Davis skipped this forum is that he is actually running for reelection. I must say that, while I admire him in other ways, this prolonged foolishness hasn't enhanced his standing in my eyes.

Bill Thomasson

Permission to reprint explicitly granted

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by: wathomasson @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 10:24:17 AM CST

you're free to vote for someone else (0.00 / 0)

for Congress or State Central Committeeman.

I doubt everyone is gonna drop off the ballot.

My sense is that people are annoyed at Davis because he jerked around everybody who has a stake in either race.

I asked on his Facebook page what he thinks he accomplished.

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by: Carl Nyberg @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 10:35:32 AM CST

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Deal (0.00 / 0)

I think he was trying for a deal, and no one was willing to haggle with him.

My opinion only, nothing to back that up, other than his public behavior in collecting sigs for two mutually exclusive races.  

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by: maven @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 13:37:18 PM CST

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i definitely agree... (0.00 / 0)

especially after what he said at ndfa...

"We have a lot of kids on the ground acting like adults and we have a lot of adults in this room acting like kids," President Obama told his advisors about all the infighting

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by: bored now @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 18:41:02 PM CST

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running interference for Todd Stroger (0.00 / 0)

seems the simpler (more parsimonious) explanation to me.

The questions left unanswered about holding out for a deal.

What did Davis want?

And who did he expect to give it to him?

Without answers to these questions in the form of speculation, I think the most likely deal was with Todd Stroger's mother.

Also, Davis' former chief of staff, Richard Boykin, is making good money as the federal lobbyist for Cook County.

Isn't it a little strange that a Davis person could be banking money in that job while Davis was challenging Todd Stroger in the primary?

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by: Carl Nyberg @ Tue Nov 10, 2009 at 08:24:46 AM CST

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How does Davis being in the race (0.00 / 0)

end up a net plus for Stroger?  I buy your argument that the most likely deal was with Stroger's mother, but I don't see what good it did Todd to have Davis collecting signatures in the race -- esp. since by the accounts I've heard Davis did a better job at collecting than Stroger did.  How does showing him up in political organization as well as policy do anything but show how truly inept Todd is?  

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by: maven @ Tue Nov 10, 2009 at 10:29:43 AM CST

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remember how NDFA delayed getting behind Preckwinkle? (0.00 / 0)

Danny Davis has a bunch of loyalty built up from the 70s and 80s.

With Davis in the race, it caused those people to align with Davis or stay neutral. They mostly would be natural Preckwinkle supporters.

Also, Davis has been spending a whole bunch of energy framing the issue as keeping the President position Black. The implied message (in the case of the Malcolm X forum it was practically explicit) is that Blacks will get more jobs if Davis (or Stroger) gets elected.

Preckwinkle is arguing for a diverse group of talented people to manage county government.

And, as someone pointed-out on the Capitol Fax Blog, with Davis sorta in the race, it made it less likely that a bigger name than Preckwinkle would run.

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by: Carl Nyberg @ Tue Nov 10, 2009 at 11:39:54 AM CST

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this may sound inane.... (0.00 / 0)

Your theory makes sense, but I how about this?:

Perhaps Davis was just waiting to see where he would end up on the ballot for Cook Brd Pres?  My understanding is that he didn't withdraw until he drew a third place position behind Preckwinkle in the first spot.

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by: Disputo @ Tue Nov 10, 2009 at 19:43:04 PM CST

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word leaked out about his decision before... (0.00 / 0)

the lottery.  but i think your inclination is right: davis waited until the last possible moment to make a decision that many thought should have come easily...

"We have a lot of kids on the ground acting like adults and we have a lot of adults in this room acting like kids," President Obama told his advisors about all the infighting

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by: bored now @ Wed Nov 11, 2009 at 07:43:48 AM CST

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