The Long Goodbye

The Chicago Daily Observer ^ | May 12, 2011 | Daniel J. Kelley

[PBRCat]

The rope line stretched from the Washington Street entrance to City Hall, wound its way past the City Clerk’s office and continued to the bank of elevators servicing the fifth floor. Surprisingly, the expected overflow crowd never fully materialized. There was a modestly respectable afternoon turnout that inched forward at a leisurely pace, but not much more. A private reception for invited guests had occurred earlier in the day. Mayor Richard M. Daley welcomed visitors to his office, shaking hands and posing for photographs one last time yesterday. Some of the mayor’s morning guests were even entertained by the Shannon Rovers.

I wonder how “Viva La Vida” sounds when played on Irish bagpipes?

Like many Chicagoans, my feelings about the end of the second Daley Era are decidedly mixed. I liked the mayor on some levels while, as a long time city resident, I have also chafed at some of his policies. I particularly dislike the parking meter sell out and the obscenely high taxes.

Notwithstanding the praise being trumpeted about now, assessing Richard M. Daley’s proper place in Chicago history in an objective manner is going to be extremely difficult. How future generations view Daley may well depend upon how quickly Chicago recovers from its current economic woes, if it does so at all.

[PBRCat]

Had Richard M. Daley retired in 2003, he might be ranked as one of Chicago’s greatest mayors with. Regrettably, he sought re-election two more times and the final eight years added several layers of tarnish to his historical reputation. Most, but not all of the major blemishes on Daley’s record occurred subsequent to the 2003 municipal election. Every accolade that Daley rightfully deserves seems to be counterbalanced by a possible demerit.

[Dilbert San Diego]

I bet he would have run for re-election again and again if the 2016 Olymics had been awarded to Chicago.

He would have retired after the Olympics if they had happened. Instead, he decided to leave sooner.

[Red Badger]

I thought this was a thread about Alzheimer’s..................

[PhiloBedo]

He will always be remembered for sneaking in, in the dead of night, and tearing up one of the country’s most interesting airports.

[PBRCat]

That was awful, but Daley’s worst crime was assisting a lowly state legislator in his campaign for the US Senate rather than permitting the man to remain in Chicago where he was viewed as a potential mayoral rival.

All Americans are living with the results of that huge miscalculation.