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The Tragicomedy of Lori Lightfoot

Posted on Thursday, March 2, 2023
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by Shane Harris
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90 Comments
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AMAC Exclusive – By Shane Harris

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On Tuesday, Lori Lightfoot became the first Chicago mayor in more than 40 years to lose reelection, finishing in third place in a nine-candidate field. After attracting fawning mainstream media coverage in 2019 for being the first Black woman and first openly gay person to lead the nation’s third largest city – as well as for her outspoken opposition to former President Donald Trump – Lightfoot’s tenure was marred by numerous scandals, rampant government incompetence, and soaring violent crime that ultimately left her on the receiving end of voters’ ire.

Lightfoot’s ouster represents a stunning fall from grace for a candidate who won all 50 wards four years ago. After securing nearly 74 percent of the vote in the 2019 general election, many observers assumed Lightfoot would cruise to another easy victory this year. However, the 60-year-old Ohio native fell nearly 17,000 votes short of the second-place finisher, Cook County Board member Brandon Johnson, who received 20.3 percent of the overall ballots cast.

The top vote-getter at 33.8 percent was Paul Vallas, a former public school executive who notably expressed more conservative views on policing and made public safety a central pillar of his campaign. Vallas and Johnson will face off in an April 4 runoff.

Lightfoot initially appeared to be an ascendant figure within the Democratic Party ahead of her election as mayor in 2019. As a Black LGBTQ woman, she was a natural fit for a Democrat Party obsessed with identity politics. The former federal prosecutor was also a vehement critic of Donald Trump, variously publicly blaming the former President for mass shootings, saying that “racism is part of who he is,” accusing Trump of “not respecting the law,” and even lobbing a coded F-bomb at the president during a press conference.

But cable news pot shots don’t govern cities, and signs soon emerged that Lightfoot was far from the visionary leader the media and Democratic establishment billed her as. Soon after taking office, Lightfoot found herself in a spat with the powerful Chicago Teachers Union that left parents frustrated and teachers feeling slighted.

Lightfoot’s leadership failures continued during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the city imposed some of the strictest lockdowns anywhere in the country. In April 2020, Lightfoot was caught violating her own quarantine rules to get a haircut. Instead of apologizing, Lightfoot defended the decision with perhaps the most tone-deaf response imaginable, saying that she “takes her hygiene very seriously,” and is “the public face of this city,” so the rules don’t apply to her. The comments drew sharp rebukes from residents and other city leaders, including many fellow Democrats.

At the same time, schools in Chicago remained closed longer than almost anywhere else in the country. As late as the spring of 2022, many schools were still shut down. In October 2021, the mayor’s office also sued the Fraternal Order of Police over its opposition to the city’s vaccine policy, which required that all public officials report their vaccination status. Chicago did not remove all mask and vaccine mandates for private businesses until February 2022.

Lightfoot’s tenure has also been marred by a number of other damaging and sometimes bizarre incidents that likely left voters questioning her fitness for office.

In June 2021, for example, Lightfoot came under fire for sending a deranged email berating a staffer for not blocking off enough “office time” in her daily schedule. (City Hall has reportedly struggled to retain staff throughout Lightfoot’s tenure.) In another Zoom rant revealed as part of a lawsuit against her, Lightfoot allegedly screamed at a city lawyer that she has the “biggest d*** in Chicago” and questioned his credentials. A cringe-worthy campaign ad from November of last year that features Lightfoot rapping about her supposed successes drew head scratches from both sides of the political aisle.

But it was rising violent crime in Chicago that ultimately sparked the most pushback to Lightfoot’s agenda and sealed her fate in Tuesday’s election. Following anti-police protests and widespread rioting that broke out in the wake of the death of George Floyd in 2020, Lightfoot pledged to cut $80 million from the police budget and further embraced the radical Defund the Police movement. When a city alderman questioned her response to the riots, Lightfoot told him that he was “full of s***.”

Lightfoot’s policies predictably led to a surge in violent crime throughout Chicago. 2021 marked a 20-year high in murders in the city, forcing Lightfoot to plead with the federal government to send more resources after she gutted her own police department. While homicides dipped slightly in 2022, other crimes like armed robbery and carjackings continued to rise. 

With public backlash mounting, Lightfoot desperately attempted an about-face at the end of her campaign, hypocritically accusing Johnson of wanting to “cut your police” and appearing at several campaign events with police leaders by her side. But it was too late, and the move only served to alienate progressive voters.

However, despite the clear rejection of Lightfoot’s failures as mayor, there are some signs that Chicagoans may not yet be done with her failed brand of politics. Though the first-place finisher in Tuesday’s contest, Paul Vallas, has earned the endorsement of local police unions and promised to clean up crime, second-place finisher Brandon Johnson is a progressive Democrat in the mold of Lightfoot. Assuming those who voted for Lightfoot and 4th-place finisher Jesús G. García, a far-left U.S. House member, cast their votes for the more liberal Johnson in the runoff, the Windy City may yet again find itself under the control of a far-left Democrat.

Moreover, Chicagoans still have a radical left-wing governor, J.B Pritzker, and Cook County State Attorney, Kim Foxx, who have played a perhaps even greater role in turning the city into a dystopian nightmare. Until voters reject progressive ideology wholesale, and not just one eccentric adherent to it, Chicago will likely continue to suffer.

Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on Twitter @Shane_Harris_.

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SAMSON
SAMSON
1 year ago

They need to get Illinois under republican control or they will continue to be a sewer.

Marnie
Marnie
1 year ago

I’m surprised she was actually 3rd! Chicagoans must love suffering!

Rik
Rik
1 year ago

Lori Lightfoot became Lori Lightweight!

Michael J
Michael J
1 year ago

Cut of the head and another will rise up or so it seems. The only benefit to we who reject these types of tyrants is less smugness and arrogance from the propaganda news outlets. May others like her suffer the same outcome.

Andy
Andy
1 year ago

Good riddance. Maybe she will star in a Beetlejuice remake.

Paul W
Paul W
1 year ago

I think zombiephobia kept her from winning the primary. Ooof!
That war zone will elect another dim as mayor and, as the article stated, they still have pritzker as governor and foxx as cook county state attorney…nothing will change in that blue-run dumpster fire…guaranteed.

Bill Nelsen
Bill Nelsen
1 year ago

Lightfoot was and always will be a light weight in the political realm. Obviously, Lifghtfoot, a proven looser and in her absence, Chicago will hopefully regain its stature in the prominence of great American cities. Enough is enough of these demo destructive office holders and more power to those with values that are congruent with true American ethics and moral values. AMEN !!

Dan W.
Dan W.
1 year ago

Lightfoot was a ‘my way or the highway’ type of leader. Maybe good for a federal prosecutor but not so good for a big city mayor. (This does not bode well for Paul Vallas in the upcoming runoff who exhibits the same leadership trait.)

Bob Chase
Bob Chase
1 year ago

Seems appropriate to have a wider conversation in conservative ranks to consider why so many folks vote for these left loons. Maybe there is a better path to appeal to those folks than just hard right. We were governed by politicians willing to compromise towards the middle at one time.

teresa Ann d'alessandro
teresa Ann d'alessandro
1 year ago

she was a nasty person who had no business being mayor! she was a bully and def not for the people

HomerSimposon
HomerSimposon
1 year ago

This is great news!!! Now all the black children who were murder under Lightweight’s term can roll over in their graves and Rest in Peace knowing that the worst Piece of Schiff got purged like a nasty bowl of pea soup. Sh*tCargo-inns are the dumbest voters in America and they got exactly what they voted for, I CAN’T WRITE THE WORDS BUT I RECTUM YOU GET MY DRIFT. Nevertheless, the same voters chose another DUMBOCRAP to replace a BOWL FLOATER aka the name “lightweight”… Sadly, what Sh*tCargo “voters” do not realize; they have lost millions of visitors who will never venture to that Third World S-Hole and spend their money their for fear of being shot and disappointed by their woke ways! GOOD RIDDANCE YOU RACIALLY BIAS PIG, I hope you die penniless!

anna hubert
anna hubert
1 year ago

Lightfoot is not the only one elected into the office based on color of the skin and sex This is the only qualification needed Results are all around us It as not she who is an idiot but the voter

Jeri
Jeri
1 year ago

Stats are showing that less than 40% of voters actually voted. Tells me that the people are ok with the crime and wrong doings in their city. Maybe we need to stop worrying about it. Hard to care when the victims don’t care. What think you?

Ann S
Ann S
1 year ago

That Lightfoot came in third in a field of 12 shows that the sheep are alive and well. That the top two vote getters are from the same cloth as Lightfoot shows the brainwashing the Democratic Party has done. Chicago deserves what they get for the people voted them in. Merit doesn’t play a role in the Democratic Party only diversity.
How anyone could still vote for Lightfoot is a mystery to me and should be to every thinking American.

CoNMTX
CoNMTX
1 year ago

There has to be an open sewer for her to “accidentally” fall into after dark sometime. She is a complete waste.

Doug C
Doug C
1 year ago

Trust me, there is NOTHING comical about the piece of human garbage known as Lori Lightfoot. This SKANK should be tarred & feathered

Melinda
Melinda
1 year ago

Chicago has been governed by demoncats for how many years? 50, 60, 70? I don’t think that will change. We’ll just keep watching the circus.

Mayor Daley
Mayor Daley
1 year ago

Hey Chicagoans voted for identity politics, and look what they got! A gay black woman who had zero talent or management ability. The female version of Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

johnh
johnh
1 year ago

How many people on this board realize how tough it is to be Mayor of any city? I suggest that you serve on a city council & work with Mayor on others to keep a city functional. And the bigger the city, the bigger the responsibility gets. You can never please 100% of the people & will always have the Monday morning quarterbacks that tell you what you should have done. And lawyers are not helping this country any with their softness on crime.

Casey C Matt
Casey C Matt
1 year ago

Perhaps in the future Chicago citizens, the ones still alive that is, will never again vote for a Communist, lesbian, incompetent, insanely and permanently angry, stupid catfish headed moron.
But of course, they will.

zoe frost
zoe frost
1 year ago

The BLM raciiiist piece of garbage Commie Demonrat mayor, Beetlejuice Lightfoot, has taken the city the demon ran, into the depths of hell…similar to many other Commie Demonrat mayors and governors, and the rest of the traitors currently in powerful positions. Yep, spawn-of-satan corrupt pedo, fraud pResident traitor joe, destroyer of freedoms/opportunities/culture/economy/energy, that means you, your anti-Republic handlers, especially the most evil, corrupt ultra raciiist, Commie Traitor Obamie. Gotta add “your” fraud administration full of similar corrupt, evil degenerate expletives. Of course the traitors are aided and abetted by more evil, corrupt traitors, including compromised anti-Republic SCOTUS and activist judges, proggy Communist Demonrat and RINO anti-America Senators/House Reps, and the linchpin, their enablers, Commie/Globalist owned/run evil MSM propaganda spewing traitors.

Dr. Truth
Dr. Truth
1 year ago

Lightfoot is a depraved sodomite with an unhealthy mind who was elected by being a Black female. She was incapable of dealing with the complexity of Chicago s violence. She was arrogant and showed anti-white racism in her news conferences. She claimed that she was rejected because she is Black. I ask what color was she when she was elected. Chicago is finished, much like most American cities. Rohm Emmual another depraved follower of Bary Hussane Sotoro, set the tone and it has continued.

jocko
jocko
1 year ago

lori, THE QUEER, QUEEN OF MURDER, OF THE MURDER CAPITAL OF THE U. S. AND SUB HUMAN, RACIST, LYING, CHEATING, ANTI-AMERICAN, MENTAL MIDGET WITH THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF BLAK BLOOD ON her HANDS, SHOULD FACE A FIRING SQUAD. IF NOT, HOPE SOME illegal OR chimp KILLS HER

jocko
jocko
1 year ago

EVIDENTLY her MOTHER RAN OVER her FACE/HEAD WITH THE FAMILY CAR AS AN INFANT

Bruce
Bruce
1 year ago

Maybe the Dems will make her a Supreme Court Judge if they get the chance; she’s totally qualified by their standards… Black ✓, woman ✓, far left ✓, gay ✓. Heck, she’s a grand slam!

Ed J
Ed J
1 year ago

The Idiots of Chicago elected an inmate to run their asylum. Fortunately, enough voters woke (no not “woke ideology”) up in time to end the reign of this totally incompetent person. Even a homeless person off the street would make a better mayor than Lightfoot (or is that Litefoot?).

Barb
Barb
1 year ago

Left that city and state over a year ago and will never look back. Haven’t been happier!!

JimmyD
JimmyD
1 year ago

Two for two, Mayor Bozo, and VP Bozo, good picking by the demondrats…

Phyl
Phyl
1 year ago

We will continue to get the Lightfoot types as long as people continue voting based on race, gender and sexual preferences. It’s time we vote based on qualification.

Adonis
Adonis
1 year ago

Good riddance, not only incompetent, but bigoted, corrupt and flat out evil.

David Millikan
David Millikan
1 year ago

The next Mayor of Chicago will be as big as a LOSER as Mayor KAREN Lightfoot.
I’m willing to bet that the next Mayor of Chicago will have even higher crime rates and will have the Police force protecting only the new Mayors home while crime continues to run rampant.
Watch and see.

Centurion
Centurion
1 year ago

The winner of the run-off will be the one who can cheat the most.

Jack
Jack
1 year ago

TYPICAL, TYPICAL liberal crying when they don’t get their own way. “It’s not my fault, everyone is racist, It’s racist whites” etc., etc., etc.. I never knew of a liberal who could admit defeat and take it like a real adult – not sulk like a child and blame the world for their own shortcomings. Lightfoot couldn’t run a Bingo game and she is the only person to blame for that. With any luck, Chicago will elect a mayor who will start cleaning house and bring back some semblance of order to the Windy City – but if it’s another DemocRAT, I highly doubt it.

Sue
Sue
1 year ago

She came from OHIO??? I’M SO EMBARRASSED! My only solace is that she isn’t here anymore!

Joe Bidone
Joe Bidone
1 year ago

So the racist bigot is finally done

DAVID
DAVID
1 year ago

I don’t know how these losers ever get elected in the first place, Biden is another example whom I definitely didn’t vote for.

Dan
Dan
1 year ago

The people of Chicago should look at New York City and Eric Adams ..In his campaign he vowed to be tough on crime and has done the opposite,vote for the other guy!!!!!

John
John
1 year ago

Lori Lightfoot is the poster child for the Democrat Party. She is ugly inside and out. She is the epitome of identity politics. Democrats are more interested in the bazaar, and weird than they are in effective governance. They make decisions based on feelings and emotions that are not close to being right. Facts only matter if they have been “narrative approved”. I have lost faith in the Leftist, Elitist, totalitarian Democrat Party. If there is anything evil, destructive, coercive, anti-God, anti-USA and incompetent they seek after those things. Their level of Group Think is astounding. They are like lemmings running to jump off the cliff, but they insist you go with them.

Larry Hill
Larry Hill
1 year ago

The worst Governor in American history.

Tom
Tom
1 year ago

Chico go deserves every turd ???? it produces!

The Old Crab
The Old Crab
1 year ago

“Until voters reject progressive ideology wholesale, and not just one eccentric adherent to it, Chicago will likely continue to suffer.”

Seriously?

IMHO, until voters demand laws that support election integrity such that every vote counts, Chicago (and other democrat-controlled strongholds, be they states or cities) will likely continue to suffer.

The way things are now, once the dems get in, they can cheat their way to continual control through manipulating the loopholes and failures of current voting law.

Just sayin …

Marie Langley
Marie Langley
1 year ago

Why are these woke liberals so arrogant and never think anything is their own doing? She blames her losing on racism. Such a common word now people are almost numb to it. See ya Lori! I hope we never hear from you again!!!!

Randall L. Beatty
Randall L. Beatty
1 year ago

She was never tough on crime about time they got smart and she is out she plays the race card like many that cannot except there loss. She should have been gone many years ago they need to get tough on crime to many have died there time to say enough is enough.

TOMASD
TOMASD
1 year ago

Just more proof that you shouldn’t vote for someone simply because they are a certain, race, sex or sexual orientation. This is the media’s fault as well. Of course, then you have the current administration break the law and publicly state that the VP of the US candidate would only be a woman of color. How did that illegal move get through? Oh yeah, because the media is now an arm of the democratic party. Imagine publicly saying that the only white males will be candidates for VP of the US.?.? The media would be screaming from the rooftops and pushing whatever charges they could muster.

Steve
Steve
1 year ago

I’ll only believe that Chicagoans are serious about changing things when they elect a real hard ass mayor that will stomp out the violence by any means necessary and rid the place of woke-ism. Until then, you’re just full of it.

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