The Next Four Years Week

The nation's future, dimly seen

by Michael Miner on November 15, 2012 at 9:13AM

The Republican Party will search its soul for answers, taking comfort in the knowledge that if their standard bearer hadn’t been such a stiff, and so many of the down-ticket candidates complete morons, they’d have taken over Washington. A bloodletting will loom on the horizon but cooler heads will prevail.

Nancy Wade and campaign workers Sam Holloway and Walter Pituc

Could the natives be restless?

by Kate Schmidt on November 14, 2012 at 6:45AM

On election night I was in one of presumably few places in Chicago where the name "Rahm Emanuel" drew boos. The campaign for Green Party congressional candidate Nancy Wade was hosting a viewing party at the Globe Pub, and the message to Chicago Democrats was "stop drinking the Kool-Aid."

Mr. Smith Screws Up Washington

by J.R. Jones on November 13, 2012 at 4:00PM

In the history of American movies, has there ever been a scene with more pernicious consequences than the filibuster in Frank Capra's classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington? Well, maybe Travis Bickle's mirror monologue from Taxi Driver, but even Travis could hurt only one person at a time.

This week we wonder: "What will the next four years look like?"

by Tal Rosenberg on November 12, 2012 at 8:36AM

When Barack Obama was elected to his first term four years ago, the Reader put out an issue with a cover that made some people upset: a drawing of Obama was featured with a banner that read, "Don't screw this up." After all, the enthusiasm surrounding Obama's election was so great that all people hoped was that the president-elect would follow through on all the promises—and act in accordance with the sparkling rhetoric—he spouted on the campaign trail.

Chicago Reader

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» topic: The Next Four Years Week

The nation's future, dimly seen

Could the natives be restless?

Mr. Smith Screws Up Washington

This week we wonder: "What will the next four years look like?"