海角大神

Former President Bill Clinton injected star power into the Chicago mayoral race Wednesday, delivering a speech in downtown Chicago to support candidate Rahm Emanuel. He said that his former fundraiser and top advisor would become 鈥渁 gale force of leadership鈥� for the city if elected.

Mr. Clinton called the involvement of Mr. Emanuel in his first presidential campaign one of the 鈥減ivotal鈥� reasons for his election and said he possessed 鈥渢he skill set and the values and the sheer raw determination鈥� to be mayor.

But did Emanuel need the help? He is already polling in the double digits ahead of his competition, he has the greatest name recognition and war chest, and the challenge to remove his name from the ballot due to residency issues appears to be languishing in the state court system.

US Rep. Danny Davis (D), an early candidate in the race who dropped out to endorse former US Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, warned Clinton in late December not to come to Chicago on Emanuel鈥檚 behalf, saying it would jeopardize the former president鈥檚 goodwill within the black community that had supported him for nearly two decades.

鈥淪ome of that relationship may be fractured and perhaps even broken should [Clinton] 鈥� participate overtly in efforts to thwart the legitimate political aspirations of Chicago's black community,鈥� Davis said in a statement.

Clinton ignored the call and arrived in town anyway. His appearance shows both the resilience of his support within Chicago鈥檚 black community, and also Emanuel鈥檚 need for credibility within those circles.

鈥淭he combination of Clinton and [President] Obama is overwhelming鈥� in Chicago鈥檚 black neighborhoods, says William Grimshaw, professor of political science at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, so it鈥檚 no surprise that Emanuel is exploiting his White House connections: six years as Clinton鈥檚 political director plus two years as Mr. Obama鈥檚 chief of staff.

But Dr. Grimshaw, author of 鈥淏itter Fruit: Black Politics and the Chicago Machine, 1931-1991鈥� calls Clinton鈥檚 connection to the black community dubious, a perception born in 1998 when writer Toni Morrison dubbed him the nation鈥檚 鈥渇irst black president鈥� and that he embraced thereafter for political advantage. The reality about his relationship with black voters is more complex than what Grimshaw calls 鈥渟uperficial links.鈥�

鈥淸Clinton] was kind of duping them,鈥� Grimshaw says. 鈥淗e would go to church and then reform the welfare system in a way that put them at a disadvantage.鈥�

Emanuel鈥檚 commitment to Chicago鈥檚 mostly black and low-income South and West sides has been questioned, as he has made few public appearances at forums and other public meetings there. For instance, over the past weekend, as other candidates participated in candidate forums or made speeches at local churches and halls in mostly black neighborhoods, Emanuel stuck to the West Loop near downtown, where he greeted diners in a local restaurant.

His opponents frequently use his absences to suggest a lack of accountability. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important that [Emanuel] be held to account to he fact that [he is] not here tonight and we are to answer your questions,鈥� Ms. Braun told a group of about 300 people at a public forum Saturday morning.

Emanuel鈥檚 鈥渞ose garden strategy,鈥� a preference for controlled, as opposed to open, forums, will not put his campaign at a disadvantage, Grimshaw says, because he is outspending his competition with advertising. 鈥淗is money is the key, his connections are the second key on the South Side. So he鈥檚 reaching a lot of people but he鈥檚 using money more than public appearances,鈥� he says.

While no other candidates have had an endorsement as high-profile as Clinton鈥檚, most have enjoyed single-issue support from local and even national leaders. For example, US Rep. Luis Gutierrez is endorsing the immigration reform of Gery Chico, former chief of staff to departing Mayor Richard J. Daley. Mr. Chico鈥檚 education agenda is similarly backed by former Chicago Public Schools President Paul Vallas, who is now the superintendent of Louisiana鈥檚 Recovery School District. The National Organization for Women Equality PAC endorsed Braun for her work with women鈥檚 issues.

Vying for endorsements that have national visibility is new in Chicago, says John Mark Hanson, a political scientist at the University of Chicago. 鈥淭his is the first celebrity election in a good while. [Chicago] has tended to be a place with pretty well-defined career paths and you just sort of waited your turn,鈥� Mr. Hanson says.