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Explaining the fight
Thursday, Jul 10, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller * John Patterson attempts to explain the feud between Madigan and Blagojevich…
Patterson admits there’s lots more, enough to fill a book. He’s certainly right about that point. Blagojevich is definitely an “optimist,” but sometimes that optimism is a bit bizarre. After getting roundly booed in Quincy last year, for instance, the governor’s face was glowing as he exclaimed, “We should do this every day!” * Patterson also delves a bit into how the fight has been made so personal…
Madigan’s staff and some of his top lieutenants have been getting personal with the governor for months, suggesting or outright saying that Blagojevich has some sort of mental illness, for instance. The Speaker, himself, usually doesn’t sink to those depths, but his people are putting out his message. Now it’s your turn to put both men on the couch and come up with your own explanations for why they don’t get along.
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- Anon - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 9:53 am:
Rich, the Speaker absoultely personally attacks Blagojevich. For starters, the “indescretions” remark, which amounted to absolutely NOTHING. He has also publicly blamed the gov for all the problems in Springfield and calls him untrustworthy. To suggest that the Speaker is somehow above the frayt is simply an inaccurate statement.
- Ghost - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 9:55 am:
Madigan is sane and is interested in coming up with real solutions. The Governor is a sociopath who is out of control and unwilling to come up with real solutions, just press ops.
applying Game theory, the best way to reach a solution is for both sides to give up somthing. The Gov refuses to give up anything, demanding it is his way or the highway. This basically creates a nash equilibrium by creating a scenrio in which there is no reason for any other person to alter their strategy since the oppoent is unyeilding. This typically results in neither side benefitting from their current positions as the best outcomes derives from all parties agreeing to alter their current strategy/position.
In other words, the Gov is unweilding so he can obtain nothing.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 9:56 am:
===and calls him untrustworthy===
That’s not a personal slam. It’s true.
Just sayin’
lol
- Ghost - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 9:57 am:
unyeilding too.
- jj - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:00 am:
From my point of view, Steve Brown is Michael Madigan.
There’s a reason they call it “Spokesperson”.
When Steve Brown goes out and says those things (which would be national news if any of the governor’s spokespeople said them), he is speaking as Michael Madigan.
Get rid of those two children and put Cross in charge.
- How Ironic - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:00 am:
We must remember however, that the vast majority of lemmings in this state have no interest in “inside baseball”. All they know is what they hear on the radio/TV spots.
Gov “I’m doing something” VS Speaker “Appears to be holding things up”.
Never mind that Madigan is keeping His Excellency from completly driving the state into the dirt.
Lets not forget that downstate wasn’t too friendly to the Gov in the last election. Upstate did plenty of voting for our fine leader. Not to mention the Republicans forgot to run a candidate.
- Dan S, a voter and Cubs Fan - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:01 am:
The root cause of this is that Blago is not qualified to do the job he was elected to and is not even trying to learn it. He thinks that by the “power” he holds with the title of Governor he can make everything OK. He has absolutely no clue what he is doing or a staff that has a clue. He needs to be removed from office and replaced by someone who can handle the job.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:02 am:
Speaker’s stepdaughter wants Blago’s job.
- Sweet Polly Purebred - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:04 am:
Madigan is a professionl politician. His actions are always with a defined goal in mind. He is the strategist. Blago is the “off the cuff” political diletante.
- Sweet Polly Purebred - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:05 am:
Rich:
Got the message!
- bored now - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:07 am:
my problem with the governor is that he’s basically self-deluded (and seems to expect everyone else to share his delusions).
this quote exemplifies this: “I didn’t run for governor or become governor because I want to inflict pain on people, I’m in the business of trying to ease the pain on families.” i don’t doubt a second that blagojevich believes this, but he certainly doesn’t do it.
blagojevich lacks leadership. he’s been unable to bring people together and has sought to impose his will regardless (we have a president who does this, too — another one of those bush-blagojevich similarities). i can’t think of a single analogy where a governor (or president) continued to pursue a failed strategy in getting his legislative goals passed. that’s a failure in (systems) analysis. there’s just something very bizarre about this particular governor, and i’m not sure it has anything to do with the speaker (with whom i have problems for altogether different reasons)…
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:10 am:
Revel in the spotlight, ear to the ground politicians afraid of pain have been around since Cicero was addressing the Roman Senate. They marry well, get prestigious positions and suffer their lack of convictions on the electorate.
- A Citizen - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:11 am:
Madigan and guv are part of a devious and sinister artifice designed to enrich Rich Miller over a period of several years by creating such a huge demand for information and inside scoops that only Miller can provide.
- anon - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:11 am:
Northside vs. Southside? But I also think that Patterson is at partially correct. The Speaker has fought and hard to keep a Dem majority in the House, losing it only once, and then for only two years. I don’t always like what the Speaker does but I do not think he is duplicitous. He is indeed an “old school” leader. On the other hand, from his first budget address when he publicly excoriated the State Board of Education with needless and hurtful, way over the top, name-calling, the Governor seemed to set a tone of uncompromising bullying and might-makes-right ethics. His demeanor was not pleasant then, and is not now. Maybe his is the “new school” of leadership.
- David Starrett - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:15 am:
As far as I can remember, this is the first Governor having spent time as a mushroom in Madigan’s House Democratic caucus.
Think that might be significant?
- Ghost - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:16 am:
JJ we want Cross becuase of the stellar job he has done rebuilding his party in IL? Or because he is niave enough to think he can cut a capital deal with the Gov that will be honored despite the Govs failure to honor other deals like with Lincoln etc.
- the Other Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:17 am:
The basic problem with Blagojevich is that he believes his own hype. Here’s a guy who got along in Springfield and Congress by being a nice guy — and never being in a position to have to make hard choices. He becomes Governor, and two things happen. First, he’s surrounded by sycophants who only tell him what he wants to hear. Second, he still believes that he’s a nice guy that people will like — and so he’s confused when people criticize him.
Basically this adds up to the creation of an ego-maniac who believes that every failure is someone else’s fault.
Madigan, on the other hand, is the guardian of the rules and traditions of the House and General Assembly. He believes in the legislative process, perhaps to a fault. He also believes in playing by the rules of Springfield. When brash, young newcomer Blagojevich disregards the rules, Madigan believes that it’s his job to discipline the young buck.
I’ve often thought that — at least for the first few years — the relationship between the two resembled nothing more than the relationship between a stern, traditionalist father and his young, inexperienced son who is trying to remake the family business.
- Anon - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:20 am:
Anyone remotely close to the unfortunate drama that is Illinois state government can see that our Gov has emotion/mental problems. He’s incapable of discerning truth from untruth, has no genuine concern for others, is egotistical well beyond the norm even for politicians, and is not particularly intelligent.
Madigan is a smart, hardball politician who simply has given up trying to find a way to work with the Gov. The mainstream press hasn’t been nearly tough enough on the Gov. Thankfully there are checks and balances to guard against the enormous damage the Gov would do to Illinois if he had his way.
It may not be pretty, but Madigan has kept a terrible administration in check.
- One of the 35 - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:25 am:
Blagojevich thought his election as governor propelled him to a stautus where rules and laws only applied to him if he agreed with them. The Speaker understands the limitations of rule and law better than anyone, and works within them. This fundamental difference in perspective has caused great conflict between the two. I offer 2 additional opinions/observations: 1. Any rational person would have trouble dealing with this governor and his unique view of the world. and 2. Never bet against the Speaker.
- Elegius - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:31 am:
Madigan may be an old-school politician, but in Illinois that’s not exactly a compliment. I don’t know of any honorable traditions in Illinois politics that need preserving.
I see two powerful men who want the reins in their own hands and have no interest in sharing with anyone else. Of course they’re in conflict with each other. It’s basically a fight for the top dog position.
- Larry Mullholand - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:31 am:
Blago “is a dead ender. In the last throws of (his personal) insurgency, if you will. Desperate means by desperate people”…
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:34 am:
Once Cross has 60, he can be “put in charge,” JJ.
- Huh? - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:41 am:
He has forgotten that there are 3 branches of government with equal power.
- Flower Child - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:42 am:
Where one party is extremely intelligent and competent they can find it nearly impossible to accomplish something with another party who is their total opposite. There is no way to find any common ground when you have totally different skill sets. If Rep. Flowers were Speaker there could be a much more free flowing discussion.
- Sweet Polly Purebred - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:43 am:
Madigan is a Democrat - Blago is Bush’s seperated at birth twin.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:44 am:
These men do not speak the same language.
Madigan is an old professional that does not need public relations. He has decades of inside experience and personal relationships within state government. He doesn’t have to talk, bloviate, or brag. He just does his job as he understands it and gets it done. He has seen many governors and seen many other state leaders through the years. He knew Blagojevich as a state legislator and considers him a lightweight. Nothing that Blagojevich has done over the years impresses Madigan.
Blagojevich is a lazy salesman. He radiates enough charm to sell ShamWows! Instead of a washable rag however, Blagojevich sells himself, which isn’t half as valuable. Instead of working his way through government and demonstrating interest or ability in government, Blagojevich sells himself and does nothing. Like a fly searching for supper, Blagojevich found reasons to hang with Vrdolyak, (through his sons), and reasons to hang with Mell, (through his daughter). He did it the old fashioned way; he married to launch his political career.
Blagojevich isn’t respected by Madigan because Rod hasn’t proved himself to be more than an empty smile. Consequentially, Madigan has written Blagojevich off as he saw others discovering the same things and turning against the Governor as Blagojevich failed to demonstrate an interest in the jobs he has held and currently holds.
- irishpirate - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:48 am:
Mike Madigan is an adult, a policy wonk at some level, and as George W Bush might say a “strategeryist”. The man generally thinks long term. He is interested in power both for his own ample ego and also for the good it may allow him to do.
Blago, is like some overly “sugared” toddler running from place to place and yelling “mine,mine mine”. He’s all haircut and no brains. He has little interest in policy and is more interested in acting like some high fiving frat boy after a Cubs victory than as a leader who sits down, talks and compromises. Compromise isn’t weakness. Admitting mistakes isn’t weakness. It is strength. Today’s “victory” may turn out to be a “loss”. He is running a perpetual campaign and not a government.
On a personality level Madigan seems to be an introverted introvert. He doesn’t seem to need the attention just the power.
Blago is an extroverted introvert. He strikes me as the loud mouth at the party who below the surface is unsure of himself. Of course in his case he may not even realize that.
Remember, I’m not a psychiatrist, but I play one on the internet.
- Huh? - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:49 am:
blago is a narcissist with a bottomless ego. How else can someone say that a 0-107 (y-n) vote was a good day?
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:51 am:
The Madigan-Blagojevich relationship goes back many years, to when Rod was given his state representative seat by his father-in-law. As a state legislator, Rod demonstrated the same aloofness he now displays, rarely working hard on anything. He simply waited for another spot to open higher up, then moved on.
Ironically, I think Blagojevich (and his roommate Jay Hoffman) always felt Madigan didn’t respect them. They were (and are) probably correct in that because Madigan only respects legislators who work. Period.
If you’re handed a safe seat and come to Springfield to schmooze and party, don’t expect to rise on the HDem leadership ladder. Rod wasn’t respected then because he was a lazy, self-centered legislator.
Flash forward to today (and the antics of the last 6 years), this is Rod’s way of trying to get revenge on the Speaker for all of those perceived slights of the 1990s.
Still and all, if the Rod Blagojevich was seriously trying to best Mike Madigan, wouldn’t you think he’d at least work as hard as Madigan does? His lazy, ego-centric, contempt for government attitude plays right into the Speaker’s hand. There are plenty of ways a governor can outmaneuver the Speaker, but it starts with hard work and a strategy. This governor still doesn’t understand that simple fact.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:59 am:
From Madigan’s perspective:
–Blago insults his work ethic. No matter what you think of him, you have to admit that Madigan takes his position seriously and will be outworked by no one. No matter what you think of Blago, you have to admit….. not so much.
–Blago has been contemptuous of the constitutional roles of the General Assembly in general and the speaker in particular.
–Madigan wants to be the top Dem in Springfield. Just as Chicago mayors have preferred GOP governors, I think there is a similar dynamic here.
–Madigan doesn’t respect Blago’s intelligence or the easy road he got to the top job.
–Blago can’t be trusted; impossible to make a deal with him.
–Blago needs to get out of the way so Lisa and Hynes can move up.
From Blago’s point of view:
–He is the Democratic governor. Everyone in the party in positions of power should defer to him. Madigan won’t.
–Madigan is not charmed by his “smile and a shoeshine” hustle.
–Madigan does not respect his intelligence.
–Madigan is an impediment his quest for a third term.
For the record, I don’t believe Blago is a “New Age” anything. He’s a hustler who got elevated beyond his intellect, competence and work ethic by people who should have known better. Sad thing is, he’s the only one that doesn’t know it.
- Siyotanka - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 11:04 am:
Anagging question keeps coming to mind. We all bash and hash Rod and Mike…what about Emil. Is he above the fray? From what I can gather he is not the brightest bulb in the box…but commands loads of power. What is his interests in the State…or is it just “his” interests he looks out for?
- Ghost - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 11:13 am:
Jones is craftier then he sounds.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 11:14 am:
Much.
- Irish - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 11:15 am:
Madigan is pragmatic - He has never been for anything that will cost more than what we have.
Blago is an idealist - anything is possible if you want it bad enough.
Madigan is old school - if you want something let’s sit down and talk about it maybe we can work something out.
Blago is “It’s my way or the highway” - He is a bully and an egomaniac.
Now too many things have been said and happened to ever go back to where this could be resolved.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 11:18 am:
Jones is a pretty sharp guy.
- Anon - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 11:21 am:
In order to see the whole picture, you have to put Emil Jones on the couch as well–the rest of the dysfunctional family. I doubt the Governor has the intellectual or emotional capacity to change things up and help himself. Both Madigian and Jones know this. I’m no fan of Madigan, but at least he realizes you can’t fail to address a problem like this–for the good of the state and the Democratic Party. Jones keeps hoping that he can get an advantage over Madigan if he keeps using the Governor just a little longer. After all, he probably doesn’t relish the prospect of Lisa Madigan winding up Governor. If Jones could work out his own ego problems, all the citizens of Illinois would benefit.
Right now the situation reminds me of what happens when adult children cannot put away sibling rivalry long enough to take care of a senile parent who is still driving his pickup truck all over town, backing into parked cars, running stop signs, getting lost, and endangering pedestrians.
- Ringmaster Ned - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 11:52 am:
Madigan has been the Shadow Governor most of my lifetime. He’s content to remain where he is as Speaker, where he wields a huge amount of influence from a politically secure position, considering the actual office of Governor to be a demotion. Mike is a very-long-term strategic thinker, surveying the chessboard and working his plan towards a deliberate endgame, making appropriate deals along the way. deals that require mutual trust, whether you like him or not, you have to believe each side will do what has been agreed.
Rod grabs a stray pawn, jabs it ten spaces into the opposite corner and says “king me!”
Rod is, to Madigan’s mind, unqualified to even be a puppet governor. I have a theory as to why. There are unsubstantiated rumors aplenty regarding those “indescretions” Mike once publicly alluded to, some that go very far back. I will not repeat them here. But I believe the old proverb, that “people will never forgive you for doing them a favor”. I think Mike bailed out Rod from one of those “problems” long ago when Rod was a back-bencher, probably at Mel’s behest, and whatever that event was it has defined their relationship from that point forward. Mike knows the man’s true character from that episode and will never respect him or trust him because of it. Mike probably expected Rod to to the gracious thing and exit the stage quietly. Rod remains full of ingratitude and envy at the lost “face”, and in every way acts out the way Mike has painted him to be. Rod will not be happy until he can “get one over” on the Speaker to even some karmic score with him from the old days. Madigan likely could destroy Rod by revealing whatever that old dirt was, but finds it strategically a bad decision to use that final weapon, when other opportunities abound. Which is no doubt galling for Mike as well, but he controls it much better.
The thinking and character is just diametrically opposed: we have Michael versus Sonny here. Well, Sonny with more than a touch of Fredo, to be precise.
- Observer Too - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 11:57 am:
You have to wonder how much Jay Hoffman has helped to divide these two men? Using his relationship with the Governor to posture that he is “the power” in the House cannot have been helpful, I would imagine.
- Bill Baar - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 12:05 pm:
If Obama wins, the Gov would do well to rid himself of a problem and put MJM in the US Senate, and then we’ll find this sage insight repeated with only the names changed,
The basic problem with Blagojevich is that he believes his own hype. Here’s a guy who got along in Springfield and Congress by being a nice guy — and never being in a position to have to make hard choices. He becomes GovernorHere’s a guy who got along in Springfield and Congress by being a nice guy — and never being in a position to have to make hard choices. He becomes Governor…
- David Starrett - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 12:55 pm:
47th Ward: I think you nailed it.
- 2for2 - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 12:59 pm:
I believe Madigan thinks he takes government seriously and thinks Blago looks at it as game. That Blago doesn’t have any core convictions. Not saying it is correct but that is my 75 cent analysis.
- Joe D's Cousin Ralph - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 1:03 pm:
Somebody is going to have to take the fall for all the corruption since 2002. Madigan wants it to be Blago and he wants his stepdaughter to be Governor. The rank and file Democrats have to become comfortable with Blago taking the fall. Madigan cant afford to have the Democrat base demoralized and believing they were betrayed by more than just Blago, otherwise their turnout is down in 2010 and the GOP breaths new life. For Madigan, a relatively small swing in the vote South of I-80 and he is no longer Speaker. Blago is a typical liberal Democrat doing what typical liberal Democrats do. He operates like every other Chicago Dem. pol. does. He does’nt want to take the fall for a corrupt system and he still wants to be Governor.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 1:08 pm:
Stop with the stepdaughter stuff. She’s adopted. So she’s his daughter. Period.
- The Ibenidiot - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 1:41 pm:
I am not a fan of Dem leadership, but I think Madigan is a leader and Blago is a sham.
It has become a war because Madigan isn’t going to let Blago run things into the ground.
Blago has an unfettered ego. With no connection to be grounded, he will eventually be slammed back to reality either by Madigan, Feds, or voters. It will happen and it will be sweet.
And I’m not pro-Madigan. I would love to see him swallowed up in this fiasco also. Too much control is never good.
- see Jane run - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 2:05 pm:
Madigan is Good.
Blago is Bad.
- jim - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 2:43 pm:
Madigan is not an adult in the sense that he’s concerned about good policy decisions. He’s not opposed to them, it’s just that power, perks and politics always come first with him. He is an evil man, not in the sense that he’s a monsters, but in the sense that he’s representative of almost everything rotten about Illinois’ rotten state government.
Blago is in a world of his own, ambitious to be something but not to do anything. He’s just clueless in the sense of providing effective leadership, although he does have political skills. But his tenure has been a disaster and still would have been even if the Godfather of Illinois politics was not devoted to his destruction.
There are no cooler heads to prevail.
- Joe D's Cousin Ralph - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 3:10 pm:
This is what it looks like when the voters give one party absolute power and those in charge royally screw things up through a combination of greed, corruption, pettiness, incompetence, nepotism and duplicity. Who are you going to point to when you cant blame Bush and the Republicans. No need for psychoanalysis, its no more complicated than trying to blame the other guy. Thanks for correcting the statement regarding Lisa as Mike’s daughter.
- Lefty - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 3:29 pm:
Governor Blagojevich came into office with great promise.Especially in the beginning, he seemed to be able to laugh at his own little gaffes. The problem is that he has no idea how to lead. Also, his loyalty can be questioned. How could he have a falling out with his father-in-law who was basically responsible for his political career? I don’t think anything more needs to be said.
- Cogito - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 3:37 pm:
The Speaker understands two things that I don’t believe the Governor does: that in this business the only thing you’ve got is your word, and that politics is a game of addition rather than subtraction.
- Observer Too - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 7:12 pm:
Cogito. The Governor’s people understood and understand all too well the beatitudes of politics, especially the one about addition. The problem is they’ve added and subtracted the wrong people.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 7:49 pm:
I think 47th’s got it. Furthermore, they’ll now never get along because no matter how dedicated Madigan is, he’s hit the point of no return with the pup and there’s nothing else on his mind but distancing himself even further as he watches it bounce straight toward the oncoming car.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 8:07 pm:
I’ll add, too, that the Other Anonymous had it half right because the scenario reflects what Madigan tried to do. I’m not sure that Blago ever made it to the point, though, where he had any goal in mind–let alone “remaking the family business”.
Huge disappointment, I’m sure, for Madigan. He had a potential star on his hands, who went far just on the “appeal” factor alone. Could have gone far if he just would have listened to some sound advice from Friends.
- Jack - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 10:11 pm:
The Governor rubs everyone the wrong way, the Legislature, with the exception of Jones, state employees, and everyone in Illinois except for that 13% living in a cave somewhere.
- Heartless Libertarian - Thursday, Jul 10, 08 @ 11:33 pm:
Blago does have a mental illness. There. Problem solved.
- Sweet Polly Purebred - Friday, Jul 11, 08 @ 12:03 am:
We could commit him - but the budget/staff cuts are crippling the Mental Health facilities. I doubt there is barely funding enough for the residents they currently have and the cost his hair products alone would bankrupt us.
- Quizzical - Friday, Jul 11, 08 @ 12:05 am:
Hypo:
Madigan might be indifferent to Rod as a person, but he’s intolerant of him as a person to work with. Madigan is a skillful politician, and he would be placating Rod if he could benefit from that.
My speculative hypothesis is that Madigan is fighting with Rod to provide cover for Obama. The national press will eventually ask him about Rod, and Emil and Jesse Jackson too.
No politician of any importance in Illinois has completely clean hands when it comes to allies, cronies or relationships of convenience. Rod is a notably bad one for Barack.
My hypothesis is that Barack needs to make a ‘flight to safety’ (Wall Street term) in his Illinois political associations. Right now, he’d rather be seen beating up kindergardeners with Mike and Lisa Madigan than feeding puppies with Rod.
The tradeoff for Madigan’s aggressive stance on Rod is that Barack agrees to support (or go neutral) on Lisa’s next run. Barack gets to look like a voice of reason when he’ll eventually be asked about Rod by Terry Moran, Gwen Ifil or Charlie Rose, and I bet he’ll refer to the Speaker’s comments to provide cover.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jul 11, 08 @ 8:30 am:
Great call, Quizzical!
- Ahem - Friday, Jul 11, 08 @ 7:42 pm:
I really don’t know enough about Madigan to get a feel for him. I know too much about Blagojevich, like most people. A more humble person would have tried to fix what’s broken by now or else just tried for a graceful exit, in my opinion.