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* The 2018 Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter goes to RNUG…

RNUG gets my nomination for the best commenter for his in depth knowledge on a variety of topics, but especially his pension expertise, and pension topics continue to dominate this blog. He is also timely and even when others may throw a barb or two his way, he is the model of respectful discourse in this medium of communication that can bring out the worst in the best of us.

RNUG, is the most deserving recipient.

He is an absolute treasure.

* Runner-up is MisterJayEm…

As for commentator, we are all here fools, but MrJM is the one who, when we disagree, I check my own reasoning, not his. And what takes most of us 100 words, he gets across in 10.

MrJM received several nominations as did many others. But that one was by far the best because it’s so true. He also received nominations for best Twitter account. It’s really good.

* Honorable mention goes to Sue because of this nomination from her regular sparring partner Honeybear…

I’m going to nominate someone who has really stepped up their game this year. Someone whom I disagree with 100% of the time. But in a democracy that’s what I have realized I need probably the most in order to derive the temporary better. I nominate Sue.

She has moved from being annoying to enraging me, which tells me she’s improving and adapting. But the biggest compliment that I can give her is I’ve never wanted to call her a bot. She is consistent in her positions but not so much that she doggedly sticks to the same tired talking points. I hope you get what I’m trying to write. She is a competent and formidable adversary. I am made better for her and I have learned the most from her.

I wrote some pretty fierce stuff at her this year. I don’t regret the content or the tone. What I regret is not seeing a new way forward until just now. I will still wrestle with you but with the pledge and intent to make Illinois and her people a better state. That’s the way forward

But with respect.

My nomination of you, Sue is my pledge of respect to you.

If a single comment could sum up what I want this little website to be, it’s that one.

* The 2018 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Illinois-Centric Twitter Account goes to Illinois Working Together (@IllinoisWorking)…

There was silly content that was funny, but plenty of serious content that he came up with on his own, fact checked, and put out there. For me and for many of the folks who follow this stuff, it made an impact and best Twitter account shouldn’t be just funny memes, but something impactful to people’s thinking. People not only followed him, but learned, and reacted to the races a bit differently. As a guy who hangs on Twitter a bunch, I think that’s rare and Jake deserves the nod.

It wasn’t even close.

* Runner-up goes to Amanda Kass…

@Amanda_Kass is not the hero we deserve, but the hero we need. If you want to talk about fact checking before you Tweet it, Amanda is the standard. Statute, administrative rule, procedures, reporting styles - she has them down. She is not throwing stuff out there HOPING it is right. She knows it is, and if she does not she is transparent about it. That is how we solve the pension crisis.

She is indispensable.

* Honorable mention goes to the hero of 2017 Radical Candor….

Created to highlight the deficiencies of the Best Team In America ™ who took over state government following the infamous Purge, RC quickly grabbed the attention of Illinois political circles.

From the day it came online with its insight and wit, RC drove media attention, drove people to truly laugh out loud, and, most importantly, drove Bruce and Diana Rauner crazy.

Rarely does the creation of a twitter account with 2,000 followers push a politician to start a manhunt in order to find out who could possibly be behind it. Of course, not all politicians are Bruce Rauner.

RC did all of that.

Restaurant quality, as Oswego Willy would say.

* And now, per tradition, I will sign off for the holidays with three videos. Suzy Snowflake…