Machine stays well-oiled

I think the most telling sign that Mayor Richard Daley had a strong grip on the race for reelection is the fact that the Chicago Tribune only used four paragraphs to announce his win Tuesday night.

With what will end up being in the neighborhood of three-quarters of the vote, he cruised to a record sixth term and it was greeted with a big yawn by the Chicago media. I guess it frees up more reporters to cover the problems with the El rehab project.

When people ask about politics in Chicago, and espcially the allegations of corruption dating back to The Machine's heyday, my best answer is that for your typical resident, they get their trash picked up and their streets clear of snow. What more could you want?

Is it disheartening to hear about corruption in your government? Certainly. Does it matter to most people on a daily basis? See above regarding trash collection.

So, congrats to the man who was gleefully unapologetic about plowing under Meigs Field and has to take this vote as a clear sign that he's bulletproof in the world of Chicago politics. However, he should be keeping tabs on the weather reports in a few years, especially if anyone can raise a candidate with a pulse or a mean streak who will be willing to take more than a bluffing charge at him.

Need proof? Just go Google Jane Byrne.

(Photo from InTheseTimes.com)