* I just can’t even…
…Adding… I’m not sure what this proves, but OK…
Hi Rich,
My name’s Jim Minardi and I am the Communications Director for the Curran campaign.
I am responding to the post you did today on your website of a tweet THREAD the campaign put out in response to the change in IHSA sports schedules. Why did you leave out the rest of the thread? There were two other tweets in the reaction Mark wrote. Please correct immediately and provide your readers the full context of Mark’s thought, tweets 1-3. The other tweets were written by staff as the account is primarily staff managed which is clearly stated in the bio.
Screen shot of tweet two and three (the remaining context of Mark’s thoughts) are attached. Please update your post accordingly. And clarify with your readers.
Thank you.
Here it is…
- Bruce (no not him) - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:34 pm:
Is he running on the “high school football is more important than your life” party?
- Politix - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:34 pm:
Why are sports people like this?
- Soccermom - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:35 pm:
That is one heck of a campaign slogan
VOTE CURRAN
Death will eventually come for everyone
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:36 pm:
That’s today’s GOP, a death cult. Can we all just call ourselves unborn? Maybe then the GOP would care about our lives. Herman Cain passed away today due to COVID. He went unmasked to Trump’s Oklahoma rally.
- Keyrock - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:36 pm:
As a guiding principle, I’d go with Deuteronomy: “Therefore choose life.”
- pawn - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:37 pm:
Let me guess…. this guy is “pro-life” also, amiright? And against “death panels”? SMDH.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:37 pm:
Who’s tweeting for him, Ivan Drago?
- Mr. K - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:37 pm:
Creepy — but that’s apparently how we’re supposed to weather this: forget about masks, it’s all about freedom, and, get this: you’re gonna die eventually — so get to it.
Americans at their finest.
- Moe Berg - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:38 pm:
If the death-cult label fits, GOP…
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:38 pm:
“How much more of my son’s childhood are we going to steal?”
Enough as necessary to stop people from dying or being permanently disabled. Too bad. Good thing he is gonna get stomped, as we have enough like him in Congress already.
- Donnie Elgin - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:39 pm:
Barnes to Red O’Neill
“Everybody gotta die sometime”
- The Way I See It - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:39 pm:
As he throws his arm over his son’s shoulders and smiles, he thinks, “Death comes for everyone eventually so I better be able to high-five other parents in the stands now …”
- Pundent - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:41 pm:
=Death will eventually come for everyone=
Finally a politician that is willing to eliminate all of the red tape and dispatch what we need right now. Why wait to die when you can do it now.
- don the legend - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:41 pm:
Senator Durbin just dodged a bullet. Up until this statement Curran looked like a lock to win in November.
- 19th Ward Guy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:42 pm:
Do you think the Democratic Party will take him back without a receipt?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:42 pm:
===looked like a lock===
You forgot the snark tag.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:43 pm:
“I’m pro-life, but get in the way of my kid’s football and everyone is expectable”
- Cool Papa Bell - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:46 pm:
@ - Politix - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:34 pm:
Why are sports people like this?
It’s not all of us. But it is very much part of the culture. Some of it can be linked to personal memories of past competition, misplaced idea that “your” kid is gonna get a scholarship from playing sports…
Its kinda like politics. There are plenty of loud obtuse people shouting at elected leaders or referees. But there are also so many folks who watch and react with reason. Don’t forget the rest of us.
- don the legend - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:46 pm:
I figured the snark would ooze through people’s screens.
- Bruce (no not him) - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:47 pm:
His wife appears to be blinking “Help me”
- Pundent - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:48 pm:
Yet another reason why the Democratic party needs Madigan’s continued leadership. How can you possibly compete with this. Clearly not a good day for Dick Durbin.
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:48 pm:
“Death will eventually come for everyone.”
To everyone who says this, I say “after you, Pal.”
- Dee Lay - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:50 pm:
That ratio is, uh, something.
“Death will eventually come for everyone” is a helluva campaign slogan.
- West Side the Best Side - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:52 pm:
Death will steal the rest of childhood and everything else life would have to offer.
- Rudy’s teeth - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:53 pm:
Maybe Curran will sprinkle Holy Water on everyone and the virus will disappear.
- Bertrum Cates - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:54 pm:
Really good attitude for someone in law enforcement.
- Reality check - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:54 pm:
We have lost more Americans in the last 5 months to Covid19 than the Mexican-American war, War of 1812, American Revolutionary war, Korean war and Vietnam combined.
Trump is an abject failure.
- Grandpa2 - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:57 pm:
Maybe he’ll drop out of the race and move to Indiana.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:58 pm:
“May the odds be forever in your favor”
- Katniss Curran, maybe
- Reality check - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:58 pm:
And we have lost almost 40,000 more Americans to Covid19 than from WW1
- NIU Grad - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 2:59 pm:
If he gets over 35% this year, I’ll be very concerned.
- Frank talks - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:01 pm:
What are his thoughts on climate change?
Global warming is just God hugging us closer …Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
- Blue to the Bone - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:05 pm:
Curran’s response to his original tweet doesn’t help either. SMH.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:11 pm:
About Mark Curran:
Married
Ornery
Really big on the lord
Old school
Never going to get elected
- @misterjayem - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:21 pm:
My favorite Curran quote comes later in the thread: “Faithful folks don’t fear death because we believe in the afterlife.”
Ok, but a month on a ventilator struggling to breathe before eventually smothering to death still looks like a fate worth avoiding.
– MrJM
- billy boy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:24 pm:
are Curran and Bailey just friends or are they related
- GregN - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:26 pm:
Other than his being an unfit parent, and his lack of concern for coaches, trainers, and grandma, what REALLY gets me is his lack of awareness of the Lake Zurich HS team with 36 positive cases. Lake Zurich, I believe, is in his own Lake County. And he wants to represent all of IL?
- cermak_rd - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:26 pm:
Liked it better in the original Klingon. Heghlu’meH QaQ jajvam.
- ZC - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:26 pm:
Sounds less impressive when translated from the original High Valyrian, “valar morgulis”
- DuPage Saint - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:27 pm:
These type of candidates are why this state is so Democratic
As a life long Republican I just wish the party would shut down for a few years and reform. Getting wiped out and losing seats hasn’t made any impact.
- Huh? - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:36 pm:
When comparing the numbers of covid19 deaths and cases, let’s make it a bit closer to home.
More people have died than live in Naperville, Joliet, or Rockford, cities with population of roughly 147,000 residents. In a few weeks, the country will be closing in on Aurora, with nearly 199,000 residents.
Just today, more people got sick than the population of Lacon.
The total US cases equal about 2/3 the population of the Chicago metropolitan area.
In Illinois, the number of dead exceeds the population of Princeton.
What would be the response if everyone in Aurora died of covid19? How would we be handling this disease?
- Soccermom - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:39 pm:
Hello.
My name is Mark Curran.
You are a Republican.
Prepare to die.
- Amalia - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:41 pm:
so glad you have Fmr. in your handle because you will be using it again. Fmr. candidate. loser.
- Nick Name - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:42 pm:
Dear Coronavirus,
Thank you, for all you’ve done, to get Republicans to expose themselves as the anti-science, selfish people they’ve always been.
Sincerely,
Civilization
- thoughts matter - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:44 pm:
Obviously the 60+ adult years his child( and others) could have is less important than playing sports for 3 months /S.
This is what people think makes for an acceptable human being these days? Did he say that same nonsense in response to a relative of a murder victim when he was sheriff?
‘ They were going to die sometime anyway’.
Comments and behavior like this is why I no longer vote GOP. Character first, then policy. He fails my character requirements.
- Comma Chameleon - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:44 pm:
The former Sheriff is true in principle, but has forgotten another immortal truth that has much more practical import:
“Everyone trembles at the stick, everyone is in fear of death, … for all of them life is dear. . . .”
― Gautama Buddha, “The Dhammapada”
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:46 pm:
You first Mark.
- tea_and_honey - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:46 pm:
Judging by the absolute meltdown I’ve seen across social media about this you would have thought they banished football forever, not just delayed it by a few months.
- that's it - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:50 pm:
This poor, poor kid. His high school football career is RUINED!
(aide rushes over to whisper in my ear)
….wait a minute…. the football season is just delayed three months? That can’t be right.
- Abbey - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:52 pm:
Moloch walks among us. So called pro-life Republicans will sacrifice their own children. For what?? Does his child want to be sacrificed for some unforeseen political gain?
- Bourbon Street - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:54 pm:
==Death will eventually come for everyone==
Well, yes, but most of us prefer that it not come tomorrow or anytime soon for that matter.
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 3:57 pm:
Since they delayed the season a few months, he should be thrilled. Now he can spend those weekends showing up unannounced and unmasked at people’s doors to campaign. And singing loudly unmasked in church, and stuff…
- Pundent - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:03 pm:
With this attitude, and given his prior roles in law enforcement, I would be very interested in his take on police reform.
- Anyone Remember - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:05 pm:
The new GOP mantra. Life begins at conception and ends at high school football season. /s (I think?)
- Just Wondering - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:09 pm:
This one will cause you to take a step back.
You have to wonder how Jr. Curran feels about his Dad’s strange tweet.
- Lt Guv - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:09 pm:
Beginning to think Dart is the only Sheriff worth a hoot.
- IlliniSpartan - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:13 pm:
Well, in the words of Andy Dufresne, “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
- revvedup - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:14 pm:
Curran for Senate: Making death and taxes even more inevitable for the 99%. /snark.
- Curran Campaign - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:19 pm:
Hi Rich,
Why did you leave out the rest of the thread? There were two other tweets in the reaction Mark wrote. Please correct immediately and provide your readers with the full context of Mark’s thought, tweets 1-3. The other tweets were written by staff as the account is primarily staff managed which is clearly stated in the bio.
Screenshot of tweet two and three (the remaining context of Mark’s thoughts) have been e-mailed to you. Please update your post accordingly. And clarify with your readers.
Thank you.
Curran Campaign
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:24 pm:
To the update;
Did they delete the tweets?
I can’t find them now?
If so, why?
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:26 pm:
To the update… Yeah that really doesn’t help.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:26 pm:
Curran Campaign - So the entire staff is pro-death, not just the candidate. Thanks for clearing that up.
- Derek Smalls - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:28 pm:
Reaction before clarification: Wut?
Reaction after clarification: Wut?
- JoanP - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:29 pm:
Those additional tweets are just as goofy as the first.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:29 pm:
Also to the update;
An email of clarification is…
If we don’t get football, suicides, opioid deaths and gang violence will ensue… and with football… you’re going to die of something anyway.
That’s a Crew and Staff that really is utterly clueless and isn’t helping.
Also… “play the fight song”
- Just Wondering - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:34 pm:
So is Curran running for Senate or Mr. Doom and Gloom?
The update from the staff was clear as mud and kind of strange. Maybe Curran and Bailey are cousins.
- Bruce (no not him) - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:37 pm:
To the update
Not helping. Looks like he thinks if kids can’t play football, they going to do drugs and kill themselves?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:37 pm:
===Screen shot of tweet two and three===
Are they still even tweets?
If you deleted all three… why?
- Fixer - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:41 pm:
Curran is currently running for third place in a two person race.
- AnonymousFool - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:41 pm:
Tweets 2 and 3 do not help your position of not sounding like a loon.
- Fixer - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:44 pm:
Also, if that was such a big deal to the campaign to have to “fix” a blog post, why the deletion of the tweets?
- Steve Polite - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:46 pm:
How is playing football tied to a person’s eternal destination? As a Christian adult who grew up going to Church, I have heard many sermons, and read and studied the bible. I haven’t found the football passage yet.
- Rudy’s teeth - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:47 pm:
Since Curran mentioned the afterlife, I hope he realizes that there are three locales: Heaven, Purgatory and Hell. I’m envisioning Dante’s Inferno as a final resting place for Covidiots.
- NIU Grad - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:50 pm:
Ohhhh my goodness this campaign staff actually thought those two additional tweets would help. We have some real heavy hitters when it comes to GOP campaign staffers left in this state…
- Frank talks - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:50 pm:
That didn’t make it any better.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:52 pm:
Dear Jim Minardi, Communications Director, Curran campaign
I woulda just had one tweet. It woulda served ya better.
“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose”
But I’m not part of pushing death.
Be well, wear a mask.
Oswego Willy
Capitol Fax Reader
Driver of the Winnebago
- Froganon - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 4:56 pm:
Poor kid, get busy dying son so I can look good on the campaign trail. Really creepy dad.
- Last Bull Moose - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:01 pm:
Did they ignore the rule about helmets when they played?
- frisbee - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:02 pm:
If those are his expectations of youth I feel sorry for his son.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:16 pm:
I decided I had too look up the person that thought adding the two tweets to the story was a good idea. From his bio at his website:
“Jim Minardi is an Eagle Scout with a proven track record of success in messaging, branding, social media, political strategy, and public service.”
And, “Mr. Minardi has demonstrated his ability to deliver results on time while exceeding expectations.”
- Nobody Sent - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:33 pm:
They wanted to other tweets posted thinking that would help, huh? WoW!
- Springfieldish - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:37 pm:
He won’t even get 40% of the Lake County vote.
- TheInvisibleMan - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:41 pm:
On that, for lack of a better word, follow up tweet.
Nope. I thought I had words for it. I don’t.
- TheInvisibleMan - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:49 pm:
Looks like the awesome follow tweet has been removed.
Turns out insulting your audience and voter base isn’t a wise campaign move.
The internet never forgets. I’ll make sure to take screenshots for posterity.
- TheInvisibleMan - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:51 pm:
Oh man, now they put a reminder on their twitter account.
Someone please tell them to stop digging. This is just sad now.
- Chambanalyst - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:53 pm:
Well those extra 2 tweets added essentially no constructive context to their argument, so I’m not sure why they wasted the energy.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:54 pm:
=Please correct immediately and provide your readers with the full context of Mark’s thought, tweets 1-3.=
If we have to read multiple “tweets” for context, then you clearly don’t understand the platform.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:56 pm:
=== Oh man, now they put a reminder on their twitter account.
Someone please tell them to stop digging. This is just sad now.===
As a Capitol Fax Reader, it’s safe to say if a candidate is distancing him/herself from campaign Staff or Crew, that campaign is truly a disorganized mess.
But, they know how to email and look more ridiculous.
That’s fun.
“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose”
- Pundent - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 5:59 pm:
Anonymous at 5:54 was me. And BTW, when your argument is that death will eventually come for everyone and you’re linking football, opiates, and gang violence in your “theme” it’s really hard to see the nuance.
- Huh? - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 6:04 pm:
“Jim Minardi is an Eagle Scout”
Must have forgotten a few salient points of the Scout Oath and Law when he became a rerublican’t political hack. “On my honor …” “A Scout is trustworthy…”
I can’t remember if I ever added my BSA Eagle Rank to my resume. Big deal, so what. 30some year old guy still living in the 15-16 year old BSA glory days?
- Pundent - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 6:14 pm:
And now having read the entire thread I’m left with a question. Is the message play football and die or is it play football or die?
- A - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 6:31 pm:
How old is this guy? Certainly old enough to be at much higher risk than his son
Although it was never said I do have to wonder if there’s an ageism issue. Let the older folks and older parents take the bullet so the youngsters can have some fun. Move out of the way.
- MyTwoCents - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 7:22 pm:
“Everybody is going to die” is a great winning slogan, way go to Mark Curran. Plus, with the studies coming out now about possible long term effects of COVID, you would think the fiscally conservative thing to do is prevent as many infections as possible, keep health care costs (including Medicaid and Medicare) related to COVID, both short term and potentially over the longer term as low as possible. But I forgot the GOP abandoned fiscal conservatism a long time ago.
- thoughts matter - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 7:53 pm:
Ok, I’ve read tweets 2 snd 3. So now I know he’s one of those that thinks Sports is the only thing that will keep people from turning to drugs and gang violence. And that even though sports ( and not God) is the only thing that will save his son from drugs and gang violence, his son will be ok dying because God. At least I think that’s what was meant by those two tweets. I think he’s also implying that his son will die from Covid, football, drugs or violence and will do it soon? Yeah, that’s not creepy at all.
- Proud Papa Bear - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 8:30 pm:
Now maybe Willie Wilson can pull off second place.
- crazybleedingheart - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 8:34 pm:
Curran is hoping his own kid risks covid to pursue traumatic brain injury?
He should be careful not to assume too much about his “final destination”
- the Patriot - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 8:44 pm:
He got 5 pts from JB yesterday could get to even 60-40 now.
- PublicServant - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 8:51 pm:
=== Death will eventually come for everyone ===
Just as that statement did for his campaign.
- Graduated College Student - Thursday, Jul 30, 20 @ 11:05 pm:
So he’s arguing football REDUCES the risk of suicide? um, dude, there’s a growing array of scholarship that the brain injuries sustained in playing modern football increase the risk of mental illness and suicide.
- Pundent - Friday, Jul 31, 20 @ 7:15 am:
I think he’s saying if football doesn’t kill you drugs or gangs will so play football. I guess in Curran’s world these are your three options.