Candidates waste worry on Clinton

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If Rahm Emanuel wins the mayor’s race, it will be a good example of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

From the start, black mayoral candidates have spent too much time worrying about Emanuel’s business instead of taking care of their own.

This latest faux pas by Rep. Danny Davis illustrates my point.

Davis shouldn’t be the least bit stressed that former President Bill Clinton is planning to appear in Chicago to support Emanuel, who was a fund-raiser and top White House adviser during the Clinton White House years.

But instead of down-playing Clinton’s influence among African-American voters in Chicago, Davis exploded with a warning that can be interpreted as “playing the race card.”

Here’s what Davis said in a written statement:

“The African-American community has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the Clintons; however, it appears as though some of that relationship may be fractured and perhaps even broken should former President Clinton come to town and participate overtly in efforts to thwart the legitimate political aspirations of Chicago’s black community.”

If all it takes is a stump speech from Clinton to “thwart the legitimate political aspiration of Chicago’s black community,” then what is the point of any black person running?

Obviously, Clinton is still a political juggernaut. But I doubt seriously if he would be able to change one African-American heart or mind when it comes to the mayor’s race.

Divided they fall

Those African Americans who see Mayor Daley’s departure as an opportunity to elect a black mayor aren’t going to be swayed by Clinton’s charm. And given Emanuel’s relationship with President Obama, blacks who support Emanuel don’t need Clinton to give them cover.

None of the black candidates need worry about the Clinton factor. What these candidates need to be concerned about is the possibility that they may end up canceling each other out on Feb. 22, since early polls show Emanuel has the lead in this contest.

With Miguel Del Valle and Gery Chico in the race, there is no guarantee that either Davis, Carol Moseley Braun, Patricia Van Pelt Watkins or any other black candidate will make it to the general election.

The possibility is so real, on Wednesday night the Rev. Jesse Jackson was behind closed doors with the top-tier black candidates trying to broker a deal that would leave only one of them in the race.

“There is a lot of pressure on Davis to drop out because he is a sitting congressman and is on the powerful Ways and Means committee,” said a source close to the Braun campaign.

But others are pushing for Braun to step aside.

Both politicians have stature in the African-American community and it would be difficult for either one of them to back down.

Jackson declined to discuss on the record his role in trying to persuade the candidates to come to a consensus about who should remain in the race.

“But with all the machinations around this, there has been no discussion about foreclosed homes, or the homeless setting houses on fire to keep warm, or the expanding population in the prison population or Cook County Jail,” he said.

When state Sen. James Meeks folded his tent last week, he said he had urged black candidates to consider dropping out of the race in the interest of unity.

At that time Davis said he was “moving ahead” and Braun gave no indication that she would be willing to step aside.

Ironically, Meeks started his campaign pointing out that he did not want to be viewed as the black candidate.

The difficulty that the black community has run into is that no one black candidate has clearly captured the hearts of the people. Braun has her loyal followers. Davis has the West Side clergy and politicians in his corner. And I would not discount Watkins’ candidacy because she has worked closely with the grass roots and non-profit community for decades.

While the unnecessary race talk heats up in Chicago, Emanuel is vacationing in Thailand with his family and won’t return to Chicago until after New Year’s Day according to Lynn Sweet, the Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief.

How’s that for acting the part of a winner?