Chicago election aftermath:

1) The big question is whether Rahm becomes more cautious or more vindictive, and most every activist I talked to thinks he'll become more vindictive and seek to harm everyone who opposed him as much as possible.

Local public school teachers are already saying they expect him to open up contracts and crack down on them, and are preparing for another strike, perhaps even 3-4 weeks long.

. . .

2) Local political operatives think that the campaign tanked any national aspirations Rahm had.

A figure from country government was telling me at the bar after the post-Chuy election results party, "Where can he go from here?".

In their opinion, national office has closed off to him, and he'd be a stretch even for state governor.

The flip side of that, though, is that Rahm might remain mayor for a while, since he can't do anything else.

. . .

3) Chuy voters really hate Rahm.

Basically, they whipped each other up during the course of the campaign, and most now totally can't stand him, though they may have felt only mild dislike at first.

That form of hatred is going to come out in weird ways, I think, including venomous opposition and badmouthing for however much longer Rahm is mayor, and more and more articles uncovering new and rehashing past cronyism and corruption.

You have to remember, 9/20 people in a city is a lot of people to hate a mayor.

. . .

4) Rahm is now publicly stigmatized, even if he did get enough votes to win.

Oddly, though people who voted approved him more than not, anti-Rahm folks won the battle of public opinion.

People not only snub him on public transportation - an Election Day tweet said no-one could be bothered with him in a stop in a downtown stronghold of his! - but in other venues too.

On Election Day, a fellow Chuy canvasser told me that when Rahm was at her (black) church that Sunday, she was watching, and no-one wanted to shake his hand, and only one person came up to him to take a selfie.

I told that to a (black) (female) security guard I know at the art school who voted for Rahm, and she was like, "Of course."

And she voted for Rahm!

To the extent that Rahm steps outside his bubble of wealth, his life in Chicago is going to be pretty unpleasant the rest of his life.

And, my hunch is that as he undertakes appalling new policies, and as people learn still more what he's done in the past, that number of people snubbing him will grow.

Gosh, that must stuck to be snubbed by other citizens like that.