Virtual convention suits Lightfoot just fine

Mayor Lori Lightfoot took part in an online panel discussion Monday on the first day of the Democratic National Convention. | Screenshot

Mayor Lori Lightfoot can only imagine what a whirlwind this week would have been if the Democratic National Convention had been real and in Milwaukee, instead of virtual and on Zoom.

“I’m already tired. Just imagine if it was actually in person. The amount of socializing and after-hours, I’ll say, conversation,” the mayor said.

Even with Zoom as her vehicle, it’s been a delicate balance between politics and government.

Lightfoot popped up during virtual DNC meetings held by the Black and Poverty Caucuses, by groups promoting women, gay and lesbian candidates and on panels talking about election integrity and the impact of the coronavirus on city and state finances.

All while paying at least some attention to the fires burning at home.

Between convention events, she squeezed in announcements about reforms to the school resource officer program and a community policing expansion.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel was a former White House chief of staff who alienated parochial Chicago voters by playing too much national politics. He was forced to cut short his trip to the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte because of a teachers’ strike.

During an interview with the Sun-Times — her staff insisted topics be confined to convention week activities — Lightfoot denied any similar danger for her less than two weeks removed from a second round of looting that ravaged downtown, River North, the Gold Coast and Lincoln Park before spreading to Chicago neighborhoods.

“I never take my eye off the city. … Raising my profile really is about raising Chicago’s profile and making sure that we get our fair share of federal funding, because we need it,” she said.

Had there been no pandemic, overflow delegates would have stayed in Illinois hotels and descended on downtown and River North to shop, eat and enjoy the theaters and live music.

In that sense, Lightfoot is fortunate the convention was virtual. She was spared the embarrassment of delegates walking past looted stores and boarded-up restaurants.

A man sweeps up the morning of Monday, Aug. 10 outside Paul Young Fine Jewelers, 34 W. Randolph St., after looting broke out in the Loop earlier in the day.

“I’ve actually been in the downtown area during the daytime and the nighttime virtually every day since. And what I’m seeing is a city that’s incredibly resilient. Yes, people are concerned. Yes, they were fearful. And we haven’t allayed all of those concerns. But what I’m seeing every single day … is people coming back to the city,” she said.

Republicans who get their turn in the spotlight next week have had a field day accusing Democrats of ignoring rising violent crime and looting in Chicago and other major cities, all run by Democratic mayors.

Once again, Lightfoot pushed back hard.

She argued crime and violence was “top of mind for all of the mayors who are facing an increase in violence” and that Democrats aren’t sweeping those problems under the rug.

“We don’t hide from the realities of life on the ground in our cities. But, we’re doing it in a way that actually forges solutions and tries to bring people together. That is not what the President has ever done. From the time he came down the escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy, he has been about division,” she said.

During the panel on state and local finances and the coronavirus, Lightfoot warned she will have no choice but to resort to layoffs and furloughs without another round of stimulus money to replace revenue lost during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re looking for multiple hundreds of millions of dollars,” she told the Sun-Times.

All in all, Lightfoot said her first convention has been “inspiring.” One of her major highlights was the opening night speech by former first lady Michelle Obama.

“It was powerful because it was so classically her. It wasn’t shrill. She didn’t raise her voice. But it was laser-like in laying out the case for why Donald Trump isn’t up for the job,” the mayor said.

Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama speaking Monday, opening night of the virtual Democratic National Convention.

Although Biden has been forced to apologize for a series of insensitive remarks offending black voters, the mayor said she is “not concerned in the slightest” about African American voters sitting this one out. Not with Kamala Harris on the ticket.

“Each of us has said things that we wish we could take back. None of us is perfect,” the mayor said.

But that does not include Lightfoot’s infamous “begins-with-an-F-and-ends-with-a-you” remark to President Trump, who remains in a position to help or hurt Chicago.

“I said it in a context of him saying that he was gonna bring out troops and shoot protesters. That is an outrageous statement. I can’t believe it was uttered by the president of the United States,” she said.

“It needed a strong response. I don’t regret saying that one bit.”