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The Joy of Kass
Chicago by Daniel Schwen – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0.
I’m not a believer in past lives, but if I had one, I must have lived it in Chicago. I’ve been enamored with the city since my first visit some thirty years ago, and I’ve often marveled at how it can produce some of the finest people I’ve ever met while, simultaneously, producing some of the most loathsome politicians ever to walk the earth. Perhaps there are some Chicagoans among the Ricochetti who can inform me on this phenomenon in the comments.
Putting the loathsome politicians aside for the moment, I call your attention to a new podcast from Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass, whose writing I have enjoyed for years and whose unabashed conservatism must make him a lonely figure in the Tribune’s newsroom. In January, Kass began a weekly podcast, “The Chicago Way,” which you can find here or on iTunes. Each week, Kass and WGN Radio producer Jeff Carlin sit down for a discussion on the latest news out of Chicago, which of course often includes some talk about those loathsome politicians. It’s like listening to two guys talking about life over a beer at some Chicago bar, which I suspect is exactly what they do after completing their recording sessions.
Sometimes, a guest or two will drop in, as was the case on Feb. 10 when Kass and Carlin were joined by two young women who crew the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, and by Tribune cartoonist Scott Stantis, perhaps the only other conservative with a regular byline in the paper. That episode is especially worth your time for its discussion of Valentine’s Day, and for Kass’s reading of one of his old columns in which he recounted how he met, won, lost, and won again his wife Betty. It’s a beautifully touching bit of writing, made all the more so by his reading it aloud.
Please give it a listen, then report your thoughts in the comments.
Published in Culture
Thanks. Downloading the Feb. 10 episode now.
In response to your puzzlement on Chicago politicians I would like to point out that, like most places, Chicago politics is actually very simple, all you need to do is follow the money.
A friend of mine who was very connected in the city once told me he had been approached many time to run for office over the years and each time he turned down the offer. With his background and connections I asked why he wouldn’t get into the mix for the greater good of the city. His reply was, “Here in Chicago it’s better to own a politician than to be a politician.”
I hosted a Ricochet Meetup in Chicago a few days ago. Two different people compared Chicago politics to a medieval system. It’s not that bad politicians are polluting a decent system, it’s that the Chicago political system is intentionally designed to promote corruption, and reformers will be punished.
How did I not know about this? I live in Chicago and happen to be a big Kass fan, and it takes a LA cop to tell me about this…
I love John Kass. Thanks for this.
John Kass is the best writer on the Tribune, even if he does suffer from the severe moral failing of being a White Sox fan.
As Jeeves would say, I endeavor to be of service.
And a soccer fan. There are some defects of character one must overlook.