Politico – Rahm Wants to Run.
Yes, that Rahm. And, yes, for that office — the presidency.
Just as striking is to talk to anybody in high-level Democratic politics who knows Emanuel — which is to say most everyone — and hear how matter of fact they are about the inevitability of his candidacy.
I caught it last month when he came to Washington to appear before a conference held by Democracy Forward, a liberal group helping to lead litigation efforts against the Trump administration.
“I am done with the discussion of locker rooms, I am done with the discussion of bathrooms and we better start having a conversation about the classroom,” Emanuel said, drawing applause as he alluded to a new study showing more than two-thirds of eighth graders can’t read at grade level.
Welcome back to the conversation Rahm. It’s been a minute and you’ve certainly been missed.
Before we continue though, just a quick word on politics generally:
Spare me.
I find a lot of it interesting without taking almost all of it personally.
Most of national politics is smoke and mirrors, and most of local politics is widely overlooked for the significant benefit of a select few. The distance between what people care about and what they should care about is so wide, that I’m essentially reduced to a Steve-Buscemi-Armageddon-style-lawn-chair as we scramble to stave off seemingly-inevitable doom.
In other words, I just want to have a good time.
With that in mind, I think Rahm steamrolls a 2028 primary.
Do you guys remember his time in Chicago?
He’s supposed to be TERRIFYING behind closed doors and that’s because he has dirt and leverage on everyone. I don’t know the backstory but everyone says he can ruin anyone’s career at any moment. Like he’s constantly threatening people with their deepest and darkest secrets and that’s really fucked up to think about it.
It’s also kinda cool though, and I respect him a lot for it.
They – whoever they are – say he’s remarkably sharp and has a ridiculous memory. He’s also alleged to just enjoy pushing people around and being a dick for the sake of getting stuff done and maybe that’s just what Democrats need?
This is where things can get serious when you talk politics and I don’t want to do that.
I would rather say I think Rahm on a debate stage would be a ferocious little pitbull. Especially in the primaries coming at his own people that he most certainly hates. Expect blood.
And really – I don’t even think he’s a politician as much as he’s a power broker. And of all the things to say about him, we can all admit he’s an extremely interesting guy in a room full of the world’s most interesting people.
Ergo, my instinct says Rahm runs with billionaire big boy JB Pritzker. And then Obama would be on the tour start-to-finish because they’re all part of that same whatever-you-call-it. Basically another extension of the Obama regime and that’s where, again, this blog starts to get too serious.
That’s the problem with this political stuff. You can’t just talk about Rahm Emanuel the baseball fan. You can’t simply remind everyone that his brother is the guy from Entourage. You gotta get in the trenches and talk policy.
No thanks
But for real if we’re talking polilcy, he’s coming hard for education and I think that’s not a shabby talking point. Public education largely stinks unless you’re from a great school district. So it’s a delicate topic and really personal but if you scale up to however many feet, you’ll see it’s actually not great. And Rahm wants to ride the kids right on down the campaign trail.
“In seventh grade, if I had known I could’ve said the word ‘they’ and gotten in the girls’ bathroom, I would’ve done it,” he said. “We literally are a superpower, we’re facing off against China with 1.4 billion people and two-thirds of our children can’t read eighth grade level.”
Rahm Emanuel to Bill Maher
Juicy shit from the former Chicago mayor.
Personally though I’m fed up with these politicians using Chicago as their campaign HQ and then never doing shit down the road. That’s why I got beef with Obama right now if you didn’t read that blog. Barry loved us when he needed us but now? He’s court-side at Clippers game solo and I’m man enough to admit that kinda bothers me. Obama used to proudly wear White Sox gear.
Man FUCK the Clippers.
That’s why I’m saying early that I don’t want Rahm posting up in Chicago without cleaning up Chicago.
We need some help more than ever and Brandon Johnson might just light this place on fire if he has to. Like that drugged out emperor Nero who flamed all those peasants in 70 BC/AD so he could reconstruct the buildings in his image. That’s what Brandon Johnson’s preparing to do to Chicago right now in real time.
The Arson and Anarchy must be stopped. I demand it. The AMC in Streeterville is up for fucking grabs and that’s just one poor example.
If any or all of this leads to a better Chicago, then I would like to hear more about it.
But if we’re just doing this so we can get the band back together and then leave Chicago on inauguration day, then my fucking butt cheeks buddy.
In either event, Rahm on the campaign trail will make for sensational content and that’s good stuff whether you like it or not.