Mayor Emanuel can be a hard guy to get to really know.
Politicians like President Obama, who gave him street cred by backing him in 2011, and Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) have confirmed what some suspect – that Emanuel is “a little hardheaded” as Obama called him in a radio spot urging voters to pick the president’s one-time chief of staff. Emanuel also needs to be “less arrogant and more collaborative,” Austin has reportedly said. And that’s coming from his supporters.
Emanuel faces Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd), Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, William “Dock” Walls and businessman Willie Wilson on Feb. 24.
With four candidates trying to shove him out the door, a recent baiduhai poll showed he’s in the lead but didn’t cross that 50 percent threshold of support needed to win outright and avoid a runoff between the top two voter-getters. He’s got the endorsement of many unions and major Chicago newspapers.
Four years ago, he campaigned on his reputation for being tough and billed himself as being the right person to make tough decisions for the betterment of Chicago. Now he’s asking voters for another chance based on his City Hall record.
His schmoozing has led to corporations relocating their headquarters in Chicago. He often talks about how he fought for a longer school day but rarely mentions the teachers union strike or nearly 50 school closings. He pushed for a minimum wage hike in the city; it will rise to $13 an hour minimum by 2019. He points to the 2016 opening of a Mariano’s in Bronzeville and a Whole Foods in Englewood as signs that he’s working to eliminate food deserts and create jobs. He says he’s been able to balance the city’s budget without hiking property, gas or sales taxes. And, he’s boosted film production in Chicago.
So, how would he grade himself on his first term? Well, he wouldn’t. “I would give it an incomplete because I’m not done doing the things that are necessary to continue to secure Chicago’s future for every family,” he said. Emanuel says his to-do list includes rebuilding all 325 playground and the CTA’s Red Line.
While crime, including homicides, is down in 2014, shootings are up and violence is still a pressing issue in many communities where some residents refer to the city as “Chiraq.”
“It does make me mad because I know the hard work that happens in the city of Chicago and throughout every neighborhood but it doesn’t also reflect what is happening here,” Emanuel said, when asked about the nickname.
After serving in Congress as well as in Obama’s and President Clinton’s administrations, Emanuel is well-versed in politics and tends to stick to script when addressing the media, even steering the conversation back to his topic if it looks like questions are veering off course. That was never more clear than last year when the baiduhai obtained emails revealing Emanuel’s aides and producers for CNN’s “Chicagoland” coordinated some of the scenes for the documentary.
Emanuel has been known to show his playful side too. He does a decent impression of Clinton. He challenged Jimmy Fallon over Twitter and the two ended up jumping into Lake Michigan for the Polar Plunge fundraiser. He tested Conan O’Brien’s Chicago knowledge at O’Brien’s Chicago Theatre show.
He sent “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart a pizza with anchovies and tweeted a photo with the sign that read “Jon, Deep Dish With Dead Fish, Love, Rahm” after Stewart ranted about Chicago’s deep dish pizza. The special delivery played off the legendary story of Emanuel sending a dead fish to a pollster.
Chicagoans like to tease him as well. Remember when he got caught on video dancing
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to Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” performance at the Taste of Chicago or when the fashion police mocked him for wearing an unbuttoned denim shirt over a Hawks shirt to a hockey game?A triathlete, Emanuel’s obsessive about his workout regimen: swimming a mile three times a week, biking or getting on the elliptical twice a week and yoga twice a week. Who knows how he finds the time to read a book every three weeks, visit the David Bowie exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art and catch a play at the Steppenwolf Theatre.
What he does make time for is his family. Together, they have breakfast three days a week and dinner four nights a week.
He is very private about his family life to the point where he can come off as defensive. When asked what he’s like outside of the mayor’s office, the father of three is the first to bring up his family and then made the point he doesn’t need the media to basically butt into his family.
“My role as father is probably the most important thing to me. I love my job, but I love being a father to my kids,” he said.
RedEye posed a series of questions to the candidates about everything from creating jobs in Chicago to tamping down crime. Click here to read the candidate’s answers.
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