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In reply to the discussion: Ocasio-Cortez Confronts Crowley Over His 'Third-Party Challenge' [View all]former9thward
(33,424 posts)The Daley machine called him a "Harvard elitist" among a lot of other things and he was crushed in his attempt to become a Congressman. After that episode Obama went, hat in hand, to the fifth floor of City Hall to meet with Daley. He agreed to never again criticize the corruption of the Daley Chicago machine and in return Daley agreed to back him for Senator. Obama to this day kept his word and has never said another word about the machine after attacking its corruption in 2000. Daley also kept his word and backed him for Senator.
When Obama ran for president his main political strategist was David Axelrod, a long time Daley guy. When Obama was president his Chief of Staff were always a Daley machine guy like Bill Daley and then Rahm Emmanuel.
Everyone involved in Chicago politics knows the story, it is no secret. Why people outside of Chicago want to defend machine corruption which has always been used against progressives I don't know.