Could Brandon Johnson Keep JB Pritzker Out of The White House?

Illinois is no stranger to political drama. The latest soap opera features the ongoing rift between Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who is eyeing a run for The White House. But just like the streets on Wacker Drive, Pritzker's road to becoming the Democrat nominee in 2028 is filled with potholes that Johnson won't fix.

Johnson, the latest in a string of increasingly feckless Windy City Mayors, is not as incompetent as his predecessor, Lori Lightfoot. Lightfoot was like a deer in the headlights of a CTA bus. I find Johnson to be a very shrewd politician. He knows exactly what he is doing. He is a devout racist and Marxist ideologue, and he governs as such. Johnson ran for office on the perceived struggle of "black labor versus white wealth."

White wealth, huh? That would put him at odds with Governor Pritzker, the scion of the Hyatt Hotel fortune. Black progressives like Johnson have animus towards all white people, not just white conservatives. Pritzker is not spared of Johnson's hatred for whitey because they're on the same team.

“The left always eats their own. In 2008, the Clinton campaign subtly fanned the flames of the Obama birther controversy. Could Johnson’s allies leak something damaging about Pritzker to take him down a peg?”

According to the Chicago Tribune, tensions between Pritzker and Johnson have increased. Pritzker, who fashions himself as a "pragmatic progressive," has become frustrated with the rookie mayor who leans into the far-left activist wing of the Democrat base. Their budding rivalry reflects the larger ideological struggle within the party at the national level.

Last year, Pritzker rejected Mayor Johnson's calls for a bailout to pay the demands of the Chicago Teacher's Union's contract. Johnson gave CTU $170 million to cover pension costs and was "asking for the moon" during contract negotiations. After rejecting the bailout, Pritzker said, "I don't think that that's the job of Springfield, to rescue the school districts that might have been irresponsible with the one-time money they received. Poor fiscal management on the part of a local government is not necessarily the responsibility of Springfrield."

Ego matches and pissing contests are standard among Chicago mayors and Illinois governors. Richard M. Daley, who served as Chicago mayor for 22 years, butted heads with Governor Jim Edgar. His father, Richard J. Daley, who served over 21 years as Chicago mayor, was kneecapped by Governor William Stratton. The key difference? Those battles were fought across party lines—Democrat mayors versus Republican governors. Today, in deep blue Illinois, it's Democrats fighting Democrats.

The Tribune writes, "Pritzker and his staff's ambitions for higher office have contributed to self-importance and a hypersensitivity to criticism, some sources have said. Meanwhile, other sources have pointed to the belief that Johnson's background in progressive organizing repels him from anything that looks like kowtowing. Combined with frequent personnel turnover, the sources claim that makes the mayor's team disorganized and at times difficult to work with." In layman's terms, Pritzker wants to become president, but Brandon Johnson is getting in the way.

Unlike most progressives, the Jewish billionaire Pritzker doesn't need to rely on party fundraising. That's a luxury few candidates have, and it gives him the freedom to shape his image without answering to deep-pocketed donors. He has crafted a far better national image of himself than some of his fellow Democrat governors. Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer exaggerated the threat of a far-right kidnapping plot. California's Gavin Newsome comes off as a slimy snake oil salesman while the most populous city in his state, Los Angeles, is on fire. Compared to them, Pritzker looks like a safer bet.

But Pritzker does have his own image issues. The most populous city in Illinois, while not on fire, is in crisis. Rampant taxation, violent crime, pollution, contaminated drinking water, poor education, and the potential departure of the Bears. Worse yet, Pritzker could become a target as a billionaire running in a party obsessed with economic inequality. Johnson's "black labor versus white wealth" rhetoric may have been aimed at conservative elites, but it could just as quickly be turned against Pritzker himself.

The left always eats their own. In 2008, the Clinton campaign subtly fanned the flames of the Obama birther controversy. Could Johnson's allies leak something damaging about Pritzker to take him down a peg? It's not unthinkable. As a matter of fact, it seems very likely. The governor's wealth makes him an easy target, and black progressives and the populist left are known for their unforgiving nature. Don't forget that Trump and Republicans will be there to pounce on the opportunity to drive that wedge between Democrats. I'm sure Trump already has some clever nicknames for J.B.

John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, told the Chicago Tribune, "The moment is too big, the challenges are too great for any of these leaders to harbor personal grudges or have personal acrimony or have some of their tense feelings filter down to the staff level. I mean, no one expects the governor and mayor to become lifelong friends or close political allies, but it's imperative for the future of Illinois that they find ways to have a productive working relationship."

Nah. I'm rooting for pure chaos. As a Trump-voting conservative, I want this Democrat family feud to get as ugly as possible. I'm going to put my popcorn in the microwave right now.