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Just a small critique

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* Comproller Susana Mendoza was asked by a reporter yesterday to respond to Republican comptroller candidate Darlene Senger calling her a “Mini Madigan with a Mouth” this week and asked whether she viewed Senger as a legitimate opponent…

Regarding those comments, I would just say that alliteration is nice, but a little considerations for those dead veterans in Quincy, their families and the remaining veterans would’ve been nicer.

I have yet to hear her apologize yet for trying to blame Tammy Duckworth - a decorated war hero who left almost half her body on the battlefield fighting for our country - for trying to pin the blame for these deaths, when it was in fact her boss.

You’ll recall that she sent an e-mail suggesting that they should blame this, maybe we can pin this on Duckworth. That is just so unacceptable, so lack of character and this is the woman Gov. Rauner chose to run against me.

Also, most importantly I would say, beyond that just morally corrupt stuff, the fact that she herself is running for the position of comptroller at the same time that she was working against the greatest transparency reform in the history of the comptroller’s office. The Debt Transparency Act. I mean, honest to God, does that make any sense? Again, no, just on Opposite Day, right? This is just par for the course for the Rauner administration, of which she was still a part of, where she was working against the very legislation that would shine a light that’s a critical light for the comptroller’s office to have. The person running for that job believes in less transparency. That just doesn’t make any sense and I think that voters see very clearly through that.

I was looking for a solid hook when transcribing her response, but while she makes some good points, her speaking style doesn’t allow for easy quotations. Almost every sentence includes an aside, or is incomplete or includes extraneous or repeated words.

…Adding… MrJM in comments…

Say what you say, then say the bumper-sticker version. It’s politics. People not only forgive repetition, they expect it.

So say it again, but shorter.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 10:39 am

Comments

How many times has Mendoza voted to raise my taxes? Voters should clearly see that I suppose.

Comment by Soapbox Derby Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 10:43 am
There are a lot of heroic tales you can associate with Tammy Duckworth. Her service in that agency isn’t one of them and would be best not mentioned at all.

Comment by A guy Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 10:47 am
=There are a lot of heroic tales you can associate with Tammy Duckworth. Her service in that agency isn’t one of them and would be best not mentioned at all.=

Nice deflection. We all see what Senger did and how reprehensible her suggestion of pinning 13 deaths on Duckworth was. I’d beat that story like a well worn drum. It says a lot about her and the Rauner administration.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 10:50 am
“Almost every sentence includes an aside, or is incomplete or includes extraneous or repeated words.”

Say what you say, then say the bumper-sticker version. It’s politics. People not only forgive repetition, they expect it.

So say it again, but shorter.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 10:50 am
==There are a lot of heroic tales you can associate with Tammy Duckworth. Her service in that agency isn’t one of them and would be best not mentioned at all.==

Did you read what Mendoza said? She didn’t mention Duckworth’s service in that agency at all.

Comment by Henry Francis Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 10:52 am
Senger isn’t the brightest bulb on the tree but on this, she is correct. Mendoza spends more time bashing Rauner and campaigning than actually doing her job.

Comment by Flat Bed Ford Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 10:53 am
==than actually doing her job==

Do you have some examples in mind to back up this assertion?

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 10:54 am
===than actually doing her job.===

Nice line. Hyperbolic as heck, though.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 10:54 am
==Mendoza spends more time bashing Rauner and campaigning than actually doing her job.==

Did you read what she said? She is bashing her opponent in the race.

And if you are against office holders who spend more time bashing political enemies and campaigning than actually doing their job, well then do I have a guy for you . . .

Comment by Henry Francis Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 10:58 am
ABC, always be campaigning, it is her job to bash Rauner

Comment by Blake Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:02 am
=Senger isn’t the brightest bulb on the tree but on this, she is correct. Mendoza spends more time bashing Rauner and campaigning than actually doing her job.=

LOLOL. Senger is in good company with the BTIAtm crew. Lot’s of genius moments with this team.

First, Mendza was responding to an attack from Senger. Rauner attacks Mendoza often with the same Madigan shtick. So your words are beyond hollow.

=How many times has Mendoza voted to raise my taxes? Voters should clearly see that I suppose.=

I don’y know but Rauner just signed off on spending more of my tax dollars and he cost us all an extra billion just to get to that point.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:04 am
==Mendoza spends more time bashing Rauner and campaigning than actually doing her job.==

First, Rauner deserves to be held accountable, and deserves every bit of bashing he gets for the disaster of a tenure he’s had, and then some. Start at Quincy, holding the budget hostage for two years, and decimating universities and work your way down.

Second, if your assertion were remotely true, Senger may actually have something to stump about instead of her self-proclaimed triumph” of “beating Madigan” by a whopping 650 votes in a district drawn for a Republican.

Comment by John Deere Green Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:12 am
Mendoza’s entire statement as embedded here is a deflection away from the reporter’s “mini Madigan with a mouth” related question. Her defense of Duckworth may be admirable but wandering into Duckworth territory in the first place with a long dis-jointed dissertation instead of dealing more forthrightly with the crux of the reporter’s question looks rambling, evasive and unfocused on Susana’s part especially when seen on the printed page.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:17 am
What does mini Madigan with a mouth even mean?

The bots are trying hard with Mendoza but coming up empty. Would love to see a debate between these two.

Comment by Original Rambler Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:25 am
Responsa says …instead of dealing more forthrightly with the crux of the reporter’s question looks rambling, evasive and unfocused…

Yeah good thing Rauner never does that. Show me any politician, business person, professional athlete that doesn’t do that. It’s the reporter’s job to get the answer.

Comment by don the legend Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:27 am
“My name is Kwame Raoul. Next question.”
That’s succinct.

Comment by ProTip Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:33 am
The critique is accurate. For context this was part of a jocular, interminable parade of candidates media availability. At the same time, anyone catch Darlene on Wednesday. She should have one of those student driver bumper stickers on her: Not ready for prime time.

Comment by Sonny Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:38 am
Madigan! Madigan! Madigan this! Madigan that!

This is the official platform of the IL state GOP. They have nothing else. I used to be a strong republican but have come to hate them at the state level.

Comment by Alex Ander Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:43 am
She could call Senger a “mini-Rauner with rancor”.

Comment by A Jack Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:46 am
== Mendoza spends more time bashing Rauner and campaigning than actually doing her job. ==

Funny you say this when this is all Rauner has done toward Madigan for four years.

Comment by Alex Ander Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:48 am
This is an interesting sample of Mendoza’s rhetorical style - as it happens, I re-watched her campaign ad videos and listened to a couple of interviews with her yesterday after reading Mary Beard’s book “Women and Power,” which argues, briefly (as in, it’s a brief book) that women in power/politics are evaluated differently than men as regards their entire rhetorical style.

Cf. the slogan sb chose for Senger, “Mini Madigan with a Mouth.”

Women politicians aren’t supposed to be talky + assertive (OK, Mendoza can also be aggressive) - but why shouldn’t she be talky and mouthy? She’s a fighter and unless someone wants to argue that she’s not doing her job (my impression from reading this blog is that she is doing it, and doing it well), I’m kinda blown away by all that talk and in-your-face style.

Also: Mendoza can be quite short bumper stickery. I re-watched her 2014 campaign video - it was 0.30, and it was effective.

Comment by dbk Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:53 am
Looks like she succeeded in reminding people that Darlene Senger tried to pin the blame for veterans dying on Tammy Duckworth. Mission Accomplished. Even made a rhyme about alliteration/a little consideration in the process.

Comment by Sweatin' at the Fair Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 11:56 am
Is it nitpicking to note that Madam Comptroller misstated the title of “the greatest transparency initiative in the history of the comptroller’s office”? It’s Debt Transparency, not Deficit.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 12:13 pm
JBT had a knack for calling things like she saw them and being assertive/aggressive. It served her well.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 1:00 pm
AA, that was a typo on my part.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 1:12 pm
Rich, noted.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 1:31 pm
It’s so refreshing to have a person give long form answers. too bad for anyone looking for a bumper sticker. maybe the problem with our society is that there is too much of a look for bumper stickers. start demanding more. think.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Aug 17, 18 @ 3:48 pm