* Those “//” marks were also all over legislators’ copies of the State of the State Address last month…
There apparently were two printed versions of Gov. BRUCE RAUNER’s budget speech last week.
One, which wasn’t given to the news media, contained double slash marks — like these // — after several sentences.
“This is the budget speech he handed out,” said Sen. JOHN SULLIVAN, D-Rushville, clutching a copy of the speech with slash marks. “Wherever the hash marks are, that’s where the Republicans were supposed to applaud. I’m following the speech and about on this page I’m like what are those? And all of a sudden it hit me. Every time he got to that point the Republicans all applauded.”
Rauner spokesman LANCE TROVER said “it’s unfortunate Democrats are more focused on hash marks in a speech” than passing a balanced budget.
I think they used to call Lance’s response a “non-denial denial.”
- Michelle Flaherty - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:13 am:
Trover’s line was supposed to be followed with this …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NtksEHYtK4
- Keyrock - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:17 am:
Have all applauded who wished?
- Norseman - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:17 am:
Who can follow Michelle’s comment. Nuff said.
- Stones - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:17 am:
One of Governor Rauner’s greatest deficiencies seems to be that he can’t operate outside of his script.
- Give Me A Break - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:19 am:
Mike Madigan and the clappers he controls.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:19 am:
Are you sure these marks coulda meant “// gonna drop ‘g’ ” ?
- Dilemma - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:19 am:
Thank you Rich Miller for pointing out the “non-denial denial.” //
- Henry Francis - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:20 am:
It’s unfortunate that the Governor is more interested in controlling the GOP members public fealty to him instead of introducing a balanced budget.
Fixed it
//
- Collinsville Kevin - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:22 am:
Business as usual in Illinois state government. It’s almost getting beyond embarrassing!
- 47th Ward - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:22 am:
Somebody forgot to tell the Republicans then, because there were some long awkward moments of silence on more than a few of these applause lines.
- Earnest - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:24 am:
How else would the Republicans know which things they were supposed to like? It’s not like his positions are the same as their to a large extent.
- Johnny Pyle Driver - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:24 am:
I guess it’s better than poor Jeb! Bush: “Please clap”
:: sad face ::
- Mouthy - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:25 am:
^//^ = Clapping standing ovation…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:25 am:
Aw, they’re cute when they’re pretending.
It’s always the little nuances that lead to the glaring embarrassments.
It’s pathetic because they felt it was needed. It’s embarassing because the $20 million is still not enough to control minds. It’s comical because no one thought passing this out like this could backfire.
Hilarious.
- @MisterJayEm - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:31 am:
Maybe the Rauner Superstars are using double slash marks to indicate sarcasm and snark. That would certainly explain a lot. //
– MrJM
- Wensicia - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:31 am:
I thought the Rauner GOP were programed to automatically cheerlead his every word.
Why would they need a script?
- A Jack - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:33 am:
Rauner should have used $$ since he already paid for those claps.
- Austin Blvd - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:42 am:
Round up those GOP members who did not clap and give them a piece of Bruce’s mind.
Orange Whips for everyone else.
- pundent - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:49 am:
OW - In the scripted version of “Dad’s Home” is there an applause sign of do the audience members get a copy of the script with hash marks so they can follow along?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:55 am:
- prudent -
The scrips are written “mockmentary” style, allowing each cast member to improvise their scripted premise for the episode, be themselves, and pauses are just natural breaks in the insuring comic genius that is the Bruce Rauner caricature and his merry group either truly helping or “accidently” hurting either the narrative or the caricature.
The editing for time helps the comic timing of the absurd too, so there’s that…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:56 am:
Ugh, “- pundent - ”
Apologies.
- Vote Quimby! - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:05 am:
First United Church of Rauner
- VanillaMan - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:05 am:
Republicans!
Those are NOT hash marks reminding you to applaud!
Those symbolize the strings Rauner has over you!
- XDNR - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:05 am:
Raunerbots need cues “//”. Sad!!
- Gruntled University Employee - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:14 am:
Hey! I didn’t get a Harrumph out of that guy!
- NoNameNick - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:14 am:
Actually, I think the hash marks were intended for them to mutter “harrumph, harrumph”.
- Joe M - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:22 am:
Perhaps another Rauner money gift to GOP members would have generated more enthusiastic applause. Giving money to GOP members worked on getting them to vote the way he wanted them too. Worked on Dunkin too. Oh, I forgot, Dunkin got campaign contributions from Rauner PAC’s, not checks in the mail like GOP members did.
- Cubs in '16 - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:25 am:
/////:)= furious clapping with a big smile
- Michelle Flaherty - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:30 am:
Do the //s mean Sandack is out of a job?
- So what? - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:42 am:
So Republicans in Illinois have finally professionalized. Sounds like bitter grapes from the party who fielded a guy who flipped through loose leaf legal pad scribbles during his time at the podium.
- A Jack - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:43 am:
The // is used in programming to indicate items for the compiler to ignore. Perhaps he was indicating to the Raunerbots to ignore the budget speech. Otherwise their circuits might be overloaded by Rauner’s out of balance proposal. A malfunctioning Raunerbot is not a pretty site and they do odd things like carrying sleeping bags around the state house.
- A guy - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:45 am:
The copy that contained those marks is really designed for the person speaking. It’s an alert to ‘expect’ some reaction, so as not to have the reaction carry over the dialogue. It’s a notation to expect to repeat a line in a speech that might otherwise get lost in a reaction. Sometimes those notations even take into account the possibility of a negative reaction where, again, the line might need to be repeated and even emphasized. I’ve written a lot of speeches and used this technique.
What shouldn’t happen is that it gets into hands of people to use as instructions. That’s a dopey thing to do. These audiences are predictable. Shouldn’t have even needed to do it.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:45 am:
- So what -,
Your comment is compelling, but you really needed to add ” // ” so I knew where you wanted other Raunerites to applaud your comparison to Quinn that no one made.
But, it was compelling, but please add the applause break for the rest of us.
- Past the Rule of 85 - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:48 am:
Wireless technology at its best. I couldn’t see the puppet strings on tv. //
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:50 am:
Michelle got it.
A laugh track would have been much more appropriate.
- Union Leader - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:55 am:
their, not there….
- Beaner - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 11:03 am:
To my Caucus,
If you applaud enthusiastically at the appropriate marks (e.g. “//”) in my speech, there will be a little something extra in your next envelope from me.
Fake Governor Rauner
PS You don’t want a problem, do you?
- zatoichi - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 11:19 am:
I assume someone ran the scorecard to track the important AOC (applaud on cue) stat. Who had the highest AOC percentage? Very useful for campaign season assistance.
- Whatever - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 11:21 am:
Was this supposed to remind the Republicans of Solzhenitsyn’s story about the endless applause given for Stalin on occasion, because no one dared to be the first one to stop clapping?
- Liberty - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 11:25 am:
This is lame Rich, punctuating pauses in speeches has always been done and such pauses are practiced. You know this. Using a slash in a unconventional but it seems to fit the Rauner personality.
- TinyDancer(FKA Sue) - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 12:06 pm:
Well, that explains everything.
I was wondering why the applause was so sparse.
They took the training wheels off too soon!
Better reattach those little strings to their wrists, fast.
- WhoKnew - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 12:43 pm:
All those // !
Can I get an App for that? /s
- Finally Out (and now very glad to be) - Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 12:45 pm:
Governor Rauner and the applause he controls!
- Buckeye - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 5:44 am:
You’ve got it wrong. At those points in rhe script, Republicans were supposed to chant this response: Help for the poor? “Slash! Slash!” Programs for the elderly? “Slash! Slash!” Higher education? “Slash! Slash!”