If you want to know where America is headed under Obama - look at Chicago!

In fact, you should look at the whole of Illinois but concentrate on Cook County which contains Chicago.  Edward McClellan at Ward Room sets the scene:

Illinois is the most Democrat-dominated state in the union, measured by the party’s control over state government and its votes for U.S. Senate and president.

The Democrats have controlled the governor’s mansion and both houses of the legislature since January 2003. They stayed in power even after their two-time governor was impeached following one of the biggest corruption scandals in the state’s history. [...]

Why are Republicans so powerless in Illinois? As the saying goes, geography is destiny. It’s all about Cook County, which contains half of Illinois’ voters.

In other words, it is all about city versus suburbs and countryside.  And now you can see why the Dems, in all their various guises as community organisers and such, have infiltrated the cities, in this case Chicago, and by means of State and City funds they have metastasized.

It's not that the Republicans haven't tried to break the Democrat grip.  The last gubernatorial candidate carried 99 out of the 102 counties that make up Illinois - and still lost!  All a Dem candidate for governor has to do is carry Cook County and he's home and dry.

So, you might ask, particularly if you are an American voter, how are things going up there in Illinois and 'Windy Democrat City'?  Well, of course, as we all know the last State governor, 'Blago the Blagger', had a spot of bother and is currently serving 14 years inside:

On State Street, that great street, I just want to say
They do things that they don't do on Broadway

Yeees, you can sing that again!  But really it is time that Chicago changed its name to Daleyville or something because the Daley family have had the place in their back pocket for two generations.  Daley Snr. was Mayor from 1955 to 1975 and his son ran the joint from 1989 to 2011:

Bet your bottom dollar, you'll lose the blues in Chicago

Well, you will if your name is Daley!  But today there is a new Democrat at the helm, the deeply unlovely Rahm Emanuel:

He used to hold Obama's hand in his early days as a 'community organiser' in Chicago and continued to do so at The White House until, in my opinion, Valerie Jarrett bit it!  So he retired back to Chicago and as an ex-machine pol who had risen through the ranks of the Chicago political 'mob' he slipped effortlessly into the Mayor's office, there being, I assume, no Daleys available!

They have the time, the time of their life

Oh yes, in Democrat Chicago, where you have to go back to the late '20s to find a Republican mayor, they are certainly having "the time of their life", albeit, for many Chicagoans it is a short life and definitely not a merry one according to Bethany Mandel at Commentary:

The city of Chicago, the third largest in America, is crumbling into anarchy. The murder rate is so out of control that federal authorities have agreed to assist the Chicago Police Department in their efforts to curb soaring violence. The city has seen over a thirty-percent rise in its murder rate this year and in the last eight days of August, 82 people were killed or wounded by gun violence. With his city in a violent downward spiral, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been focusing on what’s important: banning Chik-fil-A from Chicago.

Perhaps we should leave the final word on what life is like in a Democrat-controlled conclave like Chicago to:  

The Kebbeh family of Gambia came to America and settled in Chicago in search of a better life for their children. The Chicago Sun Times reports, “They are considering going back to Africa after [their son Muhammed] became the city’s 370th murder victim this year and second of his six siblings to be gunned down on the South Side in the last six months.” (My emphasis)

Says it all, really!

 

Comments

[rogerh]

Perhaps thou doth protest too much DD.

I know you don't like the Democrats but Chicago politics has been corrupt for as long as anyone can remember - longer. The corruption has survived two world wars and many many governments, I doubt even the Republicans could sort it out, worse the taint might rub off. There are limits, even to Romney's capabilities.

As for the cause, Oh Sir, I did not look so low.

[David Duff]

I agree, Roger, that Chicago politics have been corrupt since whenever, however, what is different now is that the corruption has been infected with Marxist ideology. In other words, they are not just looking for the moolah but for social collapse which will provide the sort of scenario the Left thinks will open up the path to even greater power.

And thank you for the quote which I had to look up because whilst it was written by Will, than whom etc, etc, nevertheless, I simply cannot swallow a play dependent on not one but two pairs of twins!

[Hank]

David

Once upon a time CIA wanting to learn the mechanics of a one party system such as the late USSR, so they sent researches to Chicago.

You need to consider that the Republican Party in Chicago has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democratic party since at least the 50's. And Cook County since the 80's. and and good part of the state wide party since the 2000 election. (The first Mayor Daley was first elected as a Republican, good and loyal work fot the Democratic party and he was allowed to fly his true colors.)

If the Republican Party leadership would get organized the party give the Dems a run for their money, until the 80's/90's it was 50/50 split at the state level. It is still possible for a recovery

With no effective opposition, like any group will be able to do what ever they want. No party should be allowed to have no oppostion or the same thing will happen.

-------------------------------------

In 2000 Governor Ryan (Republican) was under Federal criminal investigation, but also head of the Bush Election effort. Reportedly he made deal with the Dems to throw the election (20 electoral votes) in illinos if they would quash the investigation if GOre won. Well Bush won and prosecuted and Ryan is still in jail but the party has not recovered from being sold to the Dems.

For a story that is sordid by the standards of D%N see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Ryan
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060912084552AAfddGa

http://eclecticmeanderings.blogspot.com/
Hank’s Eclectic Meanderings

[JK]

Good links Hank.

Here in Arkansas we've a few, well a whole damn big bunch of former unionized people retiring to Arkansas screwing up our comfortable old system of just paying people to hand over absentee ballots for a paltry chicken dinner or a pint of cheap vodka.

Now - since all Cook County's Republicans're moving South, even the Obama DoJ is stepping up efforts to keep the cohort in line.

(Notice David? DM ain't gonna get me for pluralizing cohort?)

Anyway Hank. We Ol' Boys down here in Arkansas're taking notes and've discovered our recent immigrant's pressing problem is they're "Ill" and make alot "anoise."

(Which, in and of itself, might not be a bad idea - but we're a 'Right-To-Work-State' - Yankees spouting off "I'd never work for less than the Federal Minimum Wage" is slowing down Wal-Mart.)

The way we figure is, Arkansas anyway, needs absolutely, the world's largest Chinese Flea Market.

[Andra]

Well, don't forget the man who danced with his wife.

[JK]

Didn't figure anybody'd get that Andra.

[David Duff]

Hank, thank you for that fascinating link. I am just amazed no-one has made a film about the man. But best of all I liked this line:
"Ryan became the third of five Illinois governors since 1968 to be convicted of white-collar crimes, following Otto Kerner, Jr. and Dan Walker and followed by Rod Blagojevich."

JK, Arkansas clinched it s reputation by producing 'Slick Willie' as president!

Andra, I tried to get that line in but it just wouldn't fit the context - particularly as "danced with" is obviously a euphemism!

[backofanenvelope]

I hesitate to intrude on these American matters; but I did spend a weekend in Little Rock once. Why don't you introduce passport controls?

[JK]

We'll get right to it Envelope - soon as you take Piers Morgan back!

(There's a 'saying' up here in northermost Arkansas - Just spent a year in Little Rock last night!

[backofanenvelope]

I think I have protective memory failure - I can't remember anything of my weekend in downtown Little Rock! I do remember using my special MOD credit card to buy 40,000 lbs of kerosine for our Vulcan. It didn't work in KFC...... And on Monday morning, as we came to depart, a starter fuse blew. High in the wheel bay, I couldn't reach it. The starter crew were a couple of American OAPs, and one of them kindly allowed me to stand on his shoulders. In fact, I had to put one foot on his head to get enough height. A particularly good example of Anglo-American military co-operation.

[JK]

HELLOOOO DAVID!!!

SLATHER ON SOME SUNSCREEN AND GRAB YOUR MITTENS!!!

We're invited to take part in a snowball fight in Hell:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/paul-ryan-chicago-teacher-strike-stand-rahm-emanuel-211106035--election.html

[David Duff]

Quite right but clever politics, too.