Rahm wins! Chuy says “we tried”. Right. Too bad more of those who had the most to gain or lose by either voting or not voting would have tried harder to get off their butts and cast a ballot for Chuy. Whom am I referring to? Certainly not the Loop area high-rise condo/apartment dwellers or Lincoln Park yuppies and Old Money corporatist types vested in the wink-and-nod pinky-ring wearers who are always welcome into that 5th floor office at City Hall

No, I mean those denizens of the West and South sides of Chicago. You know, where the crime rates are so high, and kids dream of making it to puberty, not getting whacked going to or from school, or sitting on their stoops, or even in bed in their own homes. Where there are “food deserts,” but plenty of liquor stores and “pay day” shark-loan franchises. Those neighborhoods where most of those 50 public schools were closed.

If just another 6% of those folks in the mean streets of inner-city Chi-raq, those “people of color” would have voted for the minority dude, Chuy, then Mr.Mustache wins by a nose.

But they didn’t. How any working stiff African-American or Latino could vote for  The Pompous Patrician known as Rahm is beyond comprehension. I know Mr.Mayor managed to get some of the South and West side ministers and flunky ward heelers to become snake-oil shills for his raddled campaign, but why would any of their constituents not realize that thinking about themselves, instead of listening to the sell-outs with similar skin color, was very important to their lives? For chrissakes, over thirty years ago the underclass of Chicago banded together to help get Harold Washington elected Mayor.

As I said before, a Chuy win would have repercussions  both in Chicago and across the country. It was a major story when Rahm was held to 45% of the vote in the primary. How much bigger an actually victory? What happened to the 55% who didn’t like Rahm in February? Well 45% came back, but what of that other 10% They got converted? They believed the prevarications and downright fabrications in Rahm’s ads? They were too busy deconstructing how Wisconsin blew the title game on Monday night?

It was Chuy’s and those 55% who voted to force a runoff’s election to lose. And lose it they did. Sure, maybe Mr.Garcia wasn’t the best candidate, but why not get rid of the corporatist and try Chuy’s brand of “reform”. If he were to fall flat, find and support another fresh face in four years. Get up and get moving. Once every four years? Too demanding?

Paint brush ballot? Nah. More like finger painting for the slacker set. Just dabbling. Idling away a little time. Nothing much else to do. La de dah de dah.

Hmm. Now stand back a few feet and admire the crappy results. But please, 55%-ers, do not complain. About any damn thing. And watch out for those gang-bangers, and don’t hold your breath waiting for Rahm to reopen the schools or those mental health clinics in your hoods. DePaul needs that basketball court. Marriott needs another Marriott.

Oh, never mind. Nothing to see here…