On a weekend when Cook County Democrats hoped to have a well-organized street push toward the Nov. 6 elections, the emergence of the all-black slate of the Harold Washington Party has some Democratic ward committeemen lying low or switching sides, while others are looking for direction from party leaders. With a complicated new punch-card voting system waiting for county voters, things are a bit tense for Democrats, with only two weekends remaining before Election Day.
”Here we are, each on their own,” said Ald. Luis Gutierrez (26th), who is also Democratic committeeman of that Northwest Side ward. ”Instead of having togetherness, it`s every committeeman for himself.
”The Washington Party`s been on the ballot since Thursday, but it`s the weekend and there`s no direction,” Gutierrez said, hoping that party leaders spend money on last-minute media campaigns.
”If the whole Democratic Party doesn`t take immediate steps,” Gutierrez said, ”then there will be problems.”
The U.S. Supreme Court`s order last week to uphold an earlier decision by the Cook County electoral board to put the Washington Party on the ballot has created unprecedented confusion at a most critical time for the Democrats.
In the black neighborhoods, many politicians are afraid of compromising themselves by supporting the Democratic ticket when they know the Washington Party will be around during citywide aldermanic and mayoral contests in February and April.
Instead of holding rallies in their wards to support the straight party ticket over the weekend, many black Democratic committeemen are talking about selectively endorsing party candidates while telling their voters how to vote for Washington Party candidates.
If the black vote splits away from the Democrats, even in small numbers, those defections could have a negative effect on close races, particularly on Democratic campaigns for Illinois governor, Cook County sheriff and Cook County state`s attorney.
”We`ve got to knock on doors beginning yesterday,” said Ald. Bobby Rush (2nd). ”It`s going to be a precinct captains` election right now.
”We`re going to go into the precincts and sit around the kitchen tables and explain to people what they`ve got to do in the voting booths and how to do it,” said Rush, the only black Democratic official who has gone out of his way to criticize the Washington Party and attempt to portray it as a Republican front. ”It will be difficult to vote in that new punch-card system.”
Rush said that organizational strength gives his party an edge over the Washington Party because Democrats have the troops and a network that can quickly pass out informational palm cards and make personal contact with voters.
But Rush, a former Black Panther Party leader who is vice chairman of the state Democratic Party, acknowledged that ward organizations have faltered and thinned out in recent years, in low-income black neighborhoods and in most white ethnic wards.
”But all I can do now is worry about the 2nd Ward,” Rush said.
”Everybody has to work this out in their own wards.”
Gutierrez is concerned that his black committeemen will be forced by circumstance to take a low profile rather than charge up their troops to ask for a straight-ticket vote.
”We should be on the radio more and other media, paying for more advertisements, telling people to punch 14,” Gutierrez said, referring to the Democratic straight-ticket punch number. ”We have yet to convene a meeting of the organization to find out how to proceed.”
What concerns Democratic Party soldiers is the complicated nature of the new voting system. In years gone by, the regulars had the workers and judges in the precincts to allay concerns. But now, most of the precincts are not covered, and instructing voters takes work.
When a voter enters the booth on Nov. 6, each will get a specimen ballot, or pamphlet listing all parties and candidates, with the punch-card ballot. The voter will refer to the pamphlet, find the number of the party or candidate and punch the corresponding number of the card.
The Democratic straight-ticket punch number is 14. The Republican straight-ticket punch is 12 and the Washington Party`s straight punch number is 20.
The procedure is expected to be lengthy. Voters who try to split tickets will take more time than in previous years. A number of votes may be invalidated if, for example, a voter punches a straight Democratic ticket and a straight Washington ticket.
In that case, the vote for statewide Democratic candidates will stand. Votes for the Washington Party and the Democratic Party would cancel each other out in Cook County contests.
As in other elections, however, a voter may punch a straight ticket for one party then move the stylus to vote for other party candidates. In that case, individual votes will cancel out the straight-party votes for the same particular offices, election board officials said.
The difficulty for the Washington Party is to get enough of its workers on the street and print enough palm cards to get its message across as well, said David Reed, chairman of the party. Democratic tacticians said the new party doesn`t have enough workers to staff West and South Side precincts.
”We`re going to be as deep as they will be,” Reed said. ”And they`ll be surprised. Our people will be saying, `Punch 20 and show your
independence,` and the people will respond.”
Strong Democratic political organizations such as John Stroger`s 8th Ward and Wilson Frost`s 34th Ward are not likely to experience staffing or planning difficulties. But in the South Side`s 3rd Ward for example, with challengers lining up against incumbent Ald. Dorothy Tillman, things are different. She is not alone.
”All these black guys are in a big jam,” said one prominent Northwest Side regular Democrat. ”What can they do? Go against a movement? The feeling is, `Maybe we shouldn`t stir things up even more in those wards with workers and a big push.` But how can they come out and go against (R. Eugene) Pincham? It`s not smart and it`s not likely.”
Thomas Lyons, the Cook County Democratic Party chairman, dismissed the complaints of Gutierrez and several others by saying that the party has begun purchasing television spots to run ads for a straight ticket punch. Literature and palm cards also will be going to the wards, Lyons said.
”I see statewide and Cook County candidates shifting their message somewhat to push for a straight party punch and also shifting to an economic message,” Lyons said. ”It`s not about the Washington Party but about poor economic planning by the Republicans.”
