Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool has endorsed Mark Pera in IL-03 the the race to unseat machine heir Dan Lipinski. Claypool worked to unseat the Stroger wing of the machine. This endorsement constitutes a natural alliance. As important as a candidate's positions on various issues is their community of support. Candidates can make all the statements they want as to what their beliefs are and we can scan their history of actions and votes all we want. But just as important if not more so are the associations they bring and form. When new issues arise, issues which have to be fit into a value system, often we validate our thoughts through our associations. When Mark Pera garners a Claypool endorsement or speaks highly of a Jan Schakowsky, then the patterns of his associative circle gain clarity.
Forrest Claypool is a member of the disestablishmentarian camp. The camp that seeks to discontinue the hereditary political practices of the Chicago machine.
