At past Democratic national conventions, nobody showed more naked political muscle than Chicago's mayor, Richard Daley. As boss of a large, tightly controlled bloc of Illinois delegates, he was diligently courted by presidential candidates, whether they liked him or not. This year the mayor is destined to play a diminished role. Reform has made the kingmaker all but obsolete in the national Democratic Party.
In 1968, Daley hand-picked most of the Illinois delegates to the convention. Only 48 out of 154 were elected, and even many of the 48 were controlled by the machine....
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
