48 I CHRONICLESnA tour of South Philadelphia isnincomplete without a weekend eveningnvisit to the Triangle Tavern, a barnand restaurant where the band andnsinger are criminally inept, know it,nand revel in it as much as the crowd.nThe elderly singer takes every opportunitynto sit one out with a drink whilena patron fills in with a song or two (if atnleast two band members can be persuadednnot to have a drink with thensinger).nThe best part of the act is when thendrummer, a man with a seven-inehhighnartificial pompadour and oldnenough to know better, does an awfulnand funny impersonation of BrucenSpringsteen. It’s better than the realnthing, especially at these prices.n* * *nNext week, we’ll be treated to anprimary election. There are two majornDemocratic contenders, W. WilsonnGoode and Edward Rendell.nGoode, the current mayor, has annumber of firsts to his credit—firstnblack mayor, first mayor (so far as Inknow) with an MBA from The WhartonnSchool, and first mayor to launchna tactical air strike to evict a groupncalled MOVE—an unruly house fullnof people who disapproved of the existencenof civilization as we know it.nEleven members of MOVE, includingnfive children, died in the resultingnfire that consumed two blocks ofnhomes in a black, working-class neighborhood,nbut very little of the smartnmoney says Goode will be held responsiblenby the voters, especiallynmany black voters who feel frustratednthat the first of their own people tonreach the mayor’s office may havenpoisoned the well for those who mightnfollow. Sandy Grady, a local columnistnwho writes from Inside the Beltway,nreports that out-of-towners arenamazed that Goode hasn’t been impeached,nlet alone that he has a goodnchance for reelection. It could be thatnPhiladelphians don’t have a chance tonforgive or not forgive because theynforgot so quickly.nRendell, the former district attorney,nrecently lost his shot at the governor’snjob, and one of the hot issues isnwhether or not Rendell promisednGoode he would not run against himnin the mayoralty. If Goode is boringnbecause of his style, he is at leastnfascinating because he is the object ofnso much heated debate over his performancenas mayor. Rendell is just plainnboring, and is perceived by many as annuntrustworthy opportunist.nIn South Philadelphia, the focus fornthe first time in memory is on thenRepublican primary. Registration innPhiladelphia has been overwhelminglynDemocratic (by four to one) since thendawn of time, and more so in SouthnPhiladelphia, where the major blocsnare the blacks and the Italians. Thenfocus has shifted because Frank Rizzo,none-time mayor, one-time policencommissioner and loser to Goode in ancomeback try in the last Democraticnprimary bout, is now the endorsednRepublican candidate. At last count,nsome 35,000 people had become Republicansnjust for the fun of being innthis fray.nLIBERAL ARTSnOut of the Mouths of Babesnand Communistsn”The deeper, more profound secondnthoughts tens of millions of Americansnare having about Iran-Contragate willnbegin to crest just as the primaries getnunder way. This will inevitably turn then1988 elections into a pitched battlenbetween the ultra-right and the ailpeople’snfront and a referendum on thenReaganite conspiracy. …n”It is obvious to all realistically mindednpeople that, in practical terms, defeatingnthe Republican presidential candidatenin 1988 means electing anDemocrat. . . .n”However, the present seven, possiblyneight or nine, candidates in thenDemocratic primaries will divide keynsegments of the independent forces andnbasic sectors of the all-people’snfront. …n”The maximum unity on policy andnthe minimum disunity over personalitiesnis decisive to controlling divisions innthe primaries. This tactical approachnwill allow the independent forces tonpush, pull, and pressure the candidatesnthey support toward policy positionsncorresponding to the consensus positionsnof the labor movement, peacenforces, the racially and nationally oppressedncommunities.”n—from Gus Hall’s report to the 24thnnational convention of the CommunistnParty, USA, printed in People’s DailynWorld, 20 August 1987.nnnRizzo is the pride of South Philadelphia,nor at least of white South Philadelphia.nHe has been branded a racistnand right-winger in the past, and isnnoted for his zingers (or gaffes, dependingnon the observer). When toldnof Gary Hart’s challenge that the pressnwould be bored if they followed himnaround, Rizzo remarked that anyonenwho followed him around would nevernbe bored. Indeed, both those who lovenhim and those who hate him wouldnprobably agree that he’s the only localnpolitician in memory who truly excitesnpeople. Philadelphia pols, as a group,nare generally dull (often dull-witted),neven the corrupt ones.nRizzo goes up against John Egan,nwho is one of a generic brand that’snbecome dangerously popular in recentnyears—the “businessman” who cannmake government work more efficiently.nCandidates like Mr. Egan ought tonrecall two things. To begin with, mostnbusinesses, large and small, are badlynrun—a leading cause, the experts say,nof bankruptcy. Second, the rare personnwho is truly competent in managing anbusiness ought to stay put and contributenwhat he can to the GNP, notnfigure out more businesslike ways tondrain it off into the swampland ofngovernment spending programs.nI’d sooner handicap a field of threeleggednhorses with blind jockeys thannguess the outcome of the primaries,nespecially since the phrase “race is notnan issue” has been repeated so often bynso many people that it surely must benan issue by now, and one with unpredictablenconsequences.nI’d very much like to see a rematchnbetween Rizzo and Goode in the generalnelection because the styles offernsuch a great contrast. Goode speaks inna plodding manner, full of MBAismsnand endless interruptive phrases liken”in fact” or “at this point in time.” It’snlike hearing someone read the pamphletnfrom an aspirin box.nRizzo is bombastic, with a real talentnfor inventing state-of-the-art grammaticalnconstructions that would confoundnYogi Berra. Local pundits havendug out their old copies of “The Sayingsnof Ghairman Frank,” a collectionnof Rizzoisms published by liberal interestsnto embarrass Rizzo when he wasnthe most powerful politician in the citynthrough most of the 70’s.nGoode has the technocrat’s blindn