Election over/Rahm wins/Obama library? (Chicago, Washington: neighborhood, law school, college)

[edsg25]

so now the election that was holding up any possibility of an announcement of the Obama presidential library site until it was over is over. Rahm, Obama's candidate, has won, as expected.

so what next? did Obama wait for the election to conclude before announcing because he did not want to influence the results? because he feared an endorsement for Rahm would have had a negative effect on his reelection?

and with Rahm having won, do you suspect that Chicago will be the site chosen? is it really the one that it wanted all along and reports of Chicago not being the "front runner" were designed to make Chicago strengthen its bid?

do you expect an announcement over the next couple of weeks…..and do you suspect it will (or will not) be Chicago?

[Vlajos]

Yeah, I think the library will end up in Chicago.

[Manigault]

I believe the library will be in Chicago. I hope it will be in Washington Park, which is large and somewhat underused.

I was hoping that Dyett school in Washington Park would be torn down and the library located there, but that won't happen.

[chet everett]

I suspect that those closest to the president may very much NOT want to change anything in the parks that serve Kenwood & Hyde Park. Picture yourself as the mom of a couple of school aged kids, as Michelle Obama was when she lived in Chicago. The various "outsiders" that were part of the daily mix of people headed to either UofC academic or medical families did not improve the neighborhood for the kids...

In contrast if the Obama Presidential Library is located in Hawaii it gives the President & former First Lady a fantastically attractive reason to have their "base of operation" in a place with much better weather, a far better ability to deal with tourists, and the kind of place where current interest in poltics is so low that only positive feedback would be the results...

Even if the library went to NY it would never get associated with the kinds of "you're taking parks from the poor" rhetoric that is common in Chicago. Nor would NYers ever talk about Barack's history of voting "present" in the Illinois Legislature, his initial losses, his failed community organizing days on the southeast side or any of the weird payments to reward Michelle as the wife of Senator Obama for a made-up role at UofC or his "lecturer status" in what remains a very conservatively oriented law school...

The best way to paint Barack Obama's legacy is from Hawaii roots or college days in NY.

[marothisu]

No idea where it will go - won't be surprised by any of the choices whether it's NYC, Chicago, or even Hawaii. I hope it's Chicago, but who knows..if it goes in Washington Park though, that would be really cool.

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I suspect that those closest to the president may very much NOT want to change anything in the parks that serve Kenwood & Hyde Park. Picture yourself as the mom of a couple of school aged kids, as Michelle Obama was when she lived in Chicago. The various "outsiders" that were part of the daily mix of people headed to either UofC academic or medical families did not improve the neighborhood for the kids...

Well, I was in that position, although never a 'mom'. If you don't think a horde of folks descending on the neighborhood to spend some shekels there improves the area, then you are mistaken.

I have seen the tour buses in Hyde Park stop at some of the local facilities and disgorge folks (in one instance) from Lichtenstein. Not a problem for me.

Originally Posted by chet everett

In contrast if the Obama Presidential Library is located in Hawaii it gives the President & former First Lady a fantastically attractive reason to have their "base of operation" in a place with much better weather, a far better ability to deal with tourists, and the kind of place where current interest in poltics is so low that only positive feedback would be the results...

You seem to believe that a presidential library is an attraction to be used by the former president or the president's family. I don't think that has proven to be the case for any president.

Originally Posted by chet everett

Even if the library went to NY it would never get associated with the kinds of "you're taking parks from the poor" rhetoric that is common in Chicago. Nor would NYers ever talk about Barack's history of voting "present" in the Illinois Legislature, his initial losses, his failed community organizing days on the southeast side or any of the weird payments to reward Michelle as the wife of Senator Obama for a made-up role at UofC or his "lecturer status" in what remains a very conservatively oriented law school...

You know, I am not going to comment on conservative paranoid talking points.

Originally Posted by chet everett

The best way to paint Barack Obama's legacy is from Hawaii roots or college days in NY.

Well, I disagree. I think Obama's political legacy is mostly connected to Chicago.

[Vlajos]

Obama said a few weeks ago he wants it in Chicago.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Obama said a few weeks ago he wants it in Chicago.

I stopped paying that much attention to it a month or two back. Do you have a link for this?

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by marothisu

I stopped paying that much attention to it a month or two back. Do you have a link for this?

Obama says he wants presidential library in Chicago - CBS News

[marothisu]

Thanks. That's awesome. I have a feeling it will come to Chicago now, especially with Rahm winning. I hope it goes in the Washington Park site.