Per the Daley dynasty, Chitown seems to love ruthless, larger-than-life, politically hyperconnected Democrats as mayor. Based on that job description, maybe the only guy in America who could have beaten Rahm is Bill Clinton.

CNN says it’s all over, but the Tribune’s being scrupulously cautious at the moment:

With 81 percent of precincts counted, Emanuel had 54.9 percent to 24.5 percent for Gery Chico.

Emanuel is trying to score more than 50 percent to avoid a runoff election on April 5.

City Clerk Miguel del Valle had 9.4 percent and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun was at 8.7 percent…

Despite a tremendous amount of attention on the mayor’s race and a slew of hotly-contested aldermanic races, election officials say turnout could be as low as 40 percent. That’s far less than the 50 percent turnout officials were hoping for on Monday.

Last month, before he was temporarily thrown off the ballot by an appellate court ruling, he was polling at just 44 percent. A few days later, the Illinois Supreme Court handed him a 7-0 victory and all the triumphant free PR that comes with it. Tonight, not only will he avoid the runoff by clearing 50 percent, he might well clear 55. Fantastic.

Exit question: Am I mistaken or did Obama decline to campaign for Rahm in the mayoral race? For most presidents that would be a simple judgment call about not using the power of the office to meddle in local affairs, but of course we know by now that that’s no obstacle to The One.