Rahm Emanuel's Fake Poll

Internal polling I've seen doesn't show Rahm winning his Chicago reelection bid. In fact, polls don't show a reasonable path for Rahm getting to 50%. But yesterday, his campaign-- which includes the Chicago Tribune, one of the leading Radical Republican newspapers in the whole country-- was ballyhooing a poll by APC Research that showed Emanuel picking up gigantic support from a very unlikely place: Chicago's African-American communities.

Emanuel is buoyed by continued gains among African-American voters, who were primed to cost him a second term before the mayor’s multimillion-dollar television ad blitz. Now, Emanuel holds a 21-point lead among black voters, 52 percent to 31 percent. That’s equal to Emanuel’s advantage among white voters.

This week Rev. Jesse Jackson led a long list of prominent African-American political and community leaders endorsing Chuy Garcia, including third place primary finisher Willie Wilson, former state Senate President Emil Jones, Congressman Danny Davis, and Rev. Ira Acree, pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church in Austin. Then yesterday, the SEIU International, following the wishes of their Chicago members, endorsed Chuy. That's a big deal-- and don't be surprised to see Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinckle come on board next.

Back to the right-wing Tribune for a minute. The brass there have a well-known and well-documented bias against progressive candidates. Its history of so-called "independent polling" reflects that regressive Republican bias. Whether it was the insurgent mayoral campaign of Jane Byrne in 1979 or the revolutionary mayoral victory of Harold Washington over the Chicago machine in 1983 or Pat Quinn's remarkable win over Bill Brady in the face of a Republican tide in the 2010 gubernatorial race-- the Tribune poll never had ANY of these candidates in the lead, EVER!

Each of them-- Jane Byrne, Harold Washington and Pat Quinn, a woman, an African-American, and a progressive independent, respectively-- were, at this point in their respective campaigns, between 20 and 30 points behind their Tribune-backed and endorsed opponent.

That's the pattern-- try to smother the progressive candidate with negative "polls." That's the playbook of the Radical Right. Hide the truth.

Nothing demonstrates the inherent conflict of the Radical Republican press better than their regressive editorials, which are reinforced by slanted so-called "independent" polls-- run as headlines as "news" in the very same paper!

Clearly, Big Brother is watching.

Let the history be clear: The Chicago Tribune "poll" predicted a clear resounding Emanuel victory without a runoff in the first round.

Emanuel fell woefully short then, and he will fall woefully short on Election Day, April 7. That's when the people have their say. And that's Judgment Day for Rahm Emanuel and his band of corporate thieves.

Chuy Garcia is winning this race, no matter what any type of "fake poll" published in the reactionary Republican Chicago Tribune may claim.

Let the Chicago Tribune try to prop up their Republican mayor in disguise, Rahm Emanuel, supported by his Republican toadies, Bruce Rauner and Mark Kirk. It won't work.

No matter what they do, no matter what lies they spread, you can't stop a movement of the people.

Chuy Garcia will be the next mayor of Chicago. With your help.


UPDATE: Hillary Clinton... Kind Of A Hometown Gal

A Blue America member asked me to get some questions to Hillary about the Chicago mayoralty. I can't imagine how I could get her to focus on that. She never liked or trusted Rahm anyway and now not even Obama is exerting much effort on his behalf. But I will publish the questions he would like Hillary to think about and address. Hill, ball's in your court:

• Will you disavow Rahm's advertising campaign against Chuy?

• Do you agree that the Chicago Tribune is being excessively polite by commenting as follows? "Emanuel's latest spot takes liberties with Garcia's positions on the issues and the numbers it uses, while including out-of-context video clips to build the attack."

• Will you condemn Rahm if he continues to do so?

• What will you do for Chuy's supporters that Rahm has not done?