Oh yeah, back in the glorious 1970s I was a proud Chicago Democrat precinct captain in the 43rd Ward. That charming slice of near North Side real estate sat between North Avenue and Schiller, Wells and LaSalle. My little 650-voter fiefdom was so deeply, wonderfully Blue you could have dyed Lake Michigan with it. Republicans? Adorable. They had about as much presence as a snowball in July. Election Day was always such a heartwarming scene. There would be a uniformed Chicago cop standing there, looking official and everything. But heaven forbid that poor guy actually tried to do his job. Next thing you know he would be transferred to the farthest, most miserable corner of the city. So naturally, the boys in blue developed a very convenient case of selective blindness. Eyes wide shut, baby. The only real political bloodsport was between the conservative Democrats, like Mayor Richard J. Daley and County Board President George W. Dunne, and those wild-eyed lakefront liberals. They were b...