Chuy, Chuy, Chuy.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

What have thou donest to thine fine opportunity?

You had it in your grasp, the mayorship, I mean. People actively disliked and mistrusted Rahm, but your "not ready for prime time" campaign and lack of any details reminded me of how Hilary is ducking the hard issues yet again. You were our best hope to fix what Rahm is breaking, with his corporate weasels and his close Wall street fiends. But when you came up to bat, rather than take a big swing, you thought about a bunt, while the pitches were zipping by.

Between Rahm and Rauner, I don't think we will recognize this state in the very near future.

I know you were short on time, short of money, and slightly ham-strung in getting campaign aides and advisors together. But, the very attractiveness (initially) of your campaign has turned into rust, even though I still believe you would be a decent mayor.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

1. Best thing to come of this is that there will be stronger challengers next time.

Rahm's thin support has been exposed and even if he chooses to run again, he's shown he hasn't got a Daley-level hold on the mayor's office.

[mopinko]

13. yet.

i think after surviving this, it will be hard to get someone to challenge him next time.
especially if it is the blow out that is starting to be predicted.

but he has run one sorry campaign.

[BlueCaliDem]

2. Is it already over then? That said, if Chicagoans were seriously interested in making a change,

they wouldn't need to be "sweet-talked" and entertained to do the right thing for them, their families, and their communities.

If they were truly ready to give Rahm Emanuel the boot (and I was hoping they were), then it shouldn't matter that Garcia ran a lackluster campaign! Instead, they should decide that any change is preferable to Emanuel's horrible governance and they should vote for the other Democrat on the ballot. Why is that such an alien thought to them??

It's so sad that Americans need to be "wooed" in order to do right by them, their families, and this country instead of using common sense and rationality to vote to make the changes they so desperately need.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. One thing that Cheney and Bush recognized is that fear is a huge motivator

Rahm is making people fear a Chuy mayoral victory. While he is not completely dishonest in his campaign, Rahm is spending his millions wisely and attacking Chuy before he has a chance to respond.

Plus, the campaign debates have been bad theater, at best.

[MADem]

4. I am not from Chicago--what is the context, here?

What did he say, or not say? Did he drop the ball during debate?

It's only a few days until the run-off, right?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. His luster has lacked.

His debate performances were ok, but barely. Actually, his whole campaign has been uneven, unpolished, and unprepared to a degree. Questions and issues which should have been the centerpiece of his campaign found him stuck, unprepared, and surprised. Not at all the ticket for victory.

Plus, Rahmbo has been stoking the fear factor on finances, business, and other issues, just to keep people, including Chuy, off balance.

Interestingly, both appeared at the NAACP, which loudly supported Chuy, and even more loudly, booed Rahmbo.

[MADem]

6. Interesting...that was kind of quick, the flash, and the crash...but I know better than

to count anyone out until the votes are counted.

GOTV will still matter--if everyone thinks the incumbent doesn't need help, they may not turn out.

Kinda surprised he didn't "gather a team" when he got the opportunity to challenge. I'm surprised a few up-and-comers didn't jump aboard, salary free for just expenses and experience. If they could bring him home, that would be a massive resume point come 2016.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. All true, all sad.

I would love to have Rahmbo lose. But . . .

[mucifer]

8. He has been making lots of promises that he can't keep

because the city has no money. People see through that. Yes, I'm voting for him. I even have a Chuy sign in my window.

I yeah and the other guy has a gazillion dollars more than him.

[MADem]

9. That's a kiss of death, 'pie in the sky' promising.

He should have identified the revenue stream first and then divvied it up with a "If we get this money, we'll do THAT with it..." kind of approach. If he can't say where the money is coming from, but he's playing the chicken-in-every-pot card, then it's a problem.

I heard there was a campaign cash disparity but I wasn't aware of the "promise problem." Thanks for the background.

[Stellar]

10. Well, this was the last day for early voting in Chicago,

and there were only two names listed on the entire ballot, Rahm and Chuy. I hope my vote pushed Chuy over on to the winners circle. Good luck Chuy.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

11. We shall see. And hope.

[Snarkoleptic]

12. Rahm has been flooding the airwaves with tv and radio ads.

Which makes this donor chart rather disturbing-