Reforming former federal prosecutor? Tell me more.

I have not been following the Chicago mayoral election. Given its degree of corruption, there is little return unless you are directly affected in investing the time to try and discern the drivers behind the power struggles. In addition, you know that it is all about power and little about principle. Virtually all our big cities have been single party elections for many decades now. There is no real political competition, it is all about factions.

I am seeing there is a new mayor named Lori Lightfoot and that many in the mainstream media are celebrating a black female lesbian as if social justice identity categories were anything but a spit in the eye. Such categories are only incidentally relevant to someone's potential executive competence. As we have seen in the past.

But this opinion piece suggests that Lightfoot should not be dismissed as just any old machine politics identity compromise between power factions. From Lori Lightfoot makes Chicago history — a fed as mayor by John Kass. A clean former federal prosecutor elected as mayor in Chicago? How did that happen?

Now that Lori Lightfoot is mayor-elect of Chicago, many voices will tell you how history was made:

The first African-American woman elected mayor of Chicago, a lesbian, and a reformer in a corrupt city. Lori, with that devilishly dry sense of humor, in the town historically bossed by pink guys.

You think that’s historic, and it all involves identity politics, but how about something even more fundamentally symbolic of change than skin pigment or sexual orientation:

Lori Lightfoot is the first former federal prosecutor, in modern times anyway, elected mayor of Chicago.

The details of how probably aren't especially interesting to a non-Chicagoan. But the why is really interesting. There is a suggestion that the global revolution against the insider Mandarin Class is also lapping at the shores of Chicago.

“The media coverage disturbs me,” Lightfoot told me back in September. “To see the media focused solely on the horse race and the powers that be anointing a winner without regard for citizens should be disturbing to everyone.

“This notion that city government and the mayor’s office is pirate booty ripe for the picking is offensive,” Lightfoot said.

Of course, it is offensive.

Her opponent became tainted with some too-obvious corruption. Lightfoot had a pathway to the mayoralty.

Chicago has elected its first black woman mayor. But her skin color is what she was born with.

Lori Lightfoot made herself into a federal prosecutor with her will and smarts and the content of her character. A fed as mayor of Chicago? Inconceivable a few years ago. Now, it’s necessary.

Good luck, Mayor Lightfoot.

Chicago needs you now.

I agree. We all need engaged, ethical, pragmatic politicians interested in serving the people rather than serving up the people in order to enrich and empower themselves. The old model of behaviors needs to go. There is nothing wrong with the system though, just the participants.

Black, female, lesbian? - those identities count as nothing.

Reforming former federal prosecutor? - Tell me more.