Race Spotlight: Emanuel vs. Kaszak for Chicago's Fifth
W A S H I N G T O N, March 4 -- Rahm Emanuel is his own man, something he doesn't need to point out.
But it's not often that a Congressional candidate attracts strategists of presidential caliber who have experience managing a White House. And Emanuel, a quick-speaking, laser-focused former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton who is now a candidate for an open House seat in Chicago, is flacking to voters his influence and knowledge of Washington, and a message of reform and economic conservatism.
He's running on the platform Al Gore didn't — Bill Clinton's prosperity got America where it is today. And Emanuel has the same link to the magic. (To be fair, though, Emanuel has the luxury that Gore didn't: he's running in an incredibly Democratic district, in which the pro-Clinton message makes sense).
But retail politicking is also a must in the fifth district, a Crayola box of ethnicities and economic diversity. Home to a mixture of white ethnics — Poles, Romanians, and Ukrainians — the 5th also sports a powerful gay community. It's home to moderate white citydwellers who live in expensive houses and who value safety and security. It draws chalk lines around part of O'Hare International Airport, adding to its international flavor. It gave Clinton big majorities in 1992 and 1996.
Emanuel, who is Jewish, claims that he's both a local — he was born here, grew up here, lived here for most of his life, and now makes his home in Ravenswood as an investment banker — and an outsider. Though he demurs when asked about conversations he may have had with sitting members of the Democratic caucus, he says his focus is on what will work for his constituents.
But his primary opponent, a lawyer and former Illinois state Rep. Nancy Kaszak, has institutional connections that Emanuel doesn't. And while it's somewhat of a stretch to call him a carpetbagger, as Kaszak's staff tends to do, ethnic ties can cut deeply in such a diverse district. Kaszak is Polish, and Poles constitute a healthy slice of the voters.
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