I'm talking about the original, often imitated but never duplicated, Hizzoner Himself, Richard J. Daley of Chicago. "Ghost voters" - literally: dead people kept on the rolls - were just part of his quadrennial constituency. For an intersting read, try Mike Royko's Boss [NYTBR review by the inimitable Stud's Terkel, here.

I realize that the comparative numbers of non-Democrats employing old school 'machine' tactics may be fewer - after all, it's easier to pull off in old, densely populated cities where records are to too cumbersome to check closely, and the concentration of low- or no-income people in those places tends to preclude a Republican majority...

On the other hand, when Philadelphia's Daley-wannabe Frank Rizzo switched parties (from Demo to GOP), he took all of his cronies and goons and ghosts with him - and lost, btw.

You ganders keep forgetting: the sauce splashes both ways.

Fox