The only question left to answer in the Chicago mayor's race is will Rahm Emanuel surpass 50% of the vote and avoid a runoff with whoever finishes second.

CNN:

The major opponents in the race are hoping to force a runoff. Gery Chico, former head of the Chicago school board, greeted commuters both at stations and on trains as he rode throughout the city. City clerk Miguel del Valle rallied volunteers who were trying to get out the vote. Braun held a news conference near Emanuel's restaurant stop trying to portray herself as the true representative of working people.

Emanuel has been hit hard with the opponents charging he is a Washington insider and is avoiding answering questions about some of his controversial moves.

"He is a pathological evader of the truth," Chico said Monday. "When you put a question to somebody, and they will not answer the question but they are so well-rehearsed as to evade your question."

For his part, Emanuel seemed to try to stay above the fray since he has the advantage of being the front-runner.

"They can say whatever they want," he said Monday. "It doesn't matter what anybody says or what they say about me because if we don't turn this city around it is going to be harder for their kids. That has been my focus from day one."

Emanuel, well-known for his past demonstrations of anger and his colorful personality, has been low-key throughout the campaign.

Chicago may be one of the only places left in America where Barack Obama is considered a saint. Even liberal bastions like New York city have tired of the president's shtick (except African Americans who still adore him). They may vote for him in 2012 but the thrill is gone.

Not so in Chicago. Emanuel's ties to Obama have helped him in the African American community as well as the working class neighborhoods on the South Side. The Hispanic vote appears split which is also good news for Rahmbo.

The betting is on Emanuel taking the primary outright. If he falls short, it won't be by much and will make the runoff next month - if one is held - a foregone conclusion.