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* How’s that Latino outreach going, ILGOP?…

.@susanamendoza10 we bought some chips and guacamole for your concession party. Where do we send it? #chimayor19 #TeamSusana #twill

— IL Republican Party (@ILGOP) February 27, 2019

Oof. The ratio.

* They eventually offered up an explanation…

Background: "Dear Leslie, Enjoy the guacamole and tostada chips. Make sure not to double dip! Love, Susana A. Mendoza, Comptroller Elect."

The chip-and-dip was a dig at Munger for campaign commercials she ran that claimed Mendoza had double-dipped… https://t.co/K7YyKn1Zhe

— IL Republican Party (@ILGOP) February 27, 2019

It didn’t work.

…Adding… From comments…

“We doubled down on the thing we said was a jerk move”

Yep.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:39 am

Comments

When you have to explain your joke…

Comment by Former Downstater Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:41 am
“No, see, we were just referencing our PREVIOUS racist attack on Mendoza, so it’s OK.”

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:44 am
GOPies always get a little off balance when dealing with women and/or minorities. It will be better when they run out of GovJunk cash

Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:45 am
Always good to see the state party in sync with the national party.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:47 am
And it’s not like she is out of a job now.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:47 am
“our PREVIOUS racist attack on Mendoza”

Taking “double-dipping” as a racist attack is … interesting.

Comment by Chris Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:48 am
The online racial strife “is it racist or not” really has gotta stop.

Comment by Name/Nickname/Anon Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:50 am
Cindy Lauper’s “True Colors” is running thru my head.

Comment by We'll See Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:50 am
Thick-headed attempt at humor aside, for some reason, the ILGOP decided to reveal to the world that they were too lazy or incompetent to figure out where to send the “gift” to Mendoza — on election night, where her location was broadcast on all the TV channels.

That explains a lot.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:50 am
Obscure references are clever to a few and obscure to most.

BTW, did you know Mendoza played soccer years ago?

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:51 am
Hey ILGOP, I got a minivan to haul your entire GA delegation.

#Proftlodytes #biggestloser #twill

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:53 am
=== Taking “double-dipping” as a racist attack is … interesting. ===

Here, let me fix it for ya: Taking an obvious racist dogwhistle as an obvious racist dogwhistle is interesting.

Comment by olddog Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 9:54 am
I get why the ILGOP would want to get back at Mendoza over the Munger jab, but the original tweet was terribly executed. You have to realize that most people wouldn’t get the reference. Poor attempt at a joke, do better.

Comment by Anon225 Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:02 am
An absolutely stupid move on the part of the GOP. Even if it was to retailate for SM move, the fact remains you guys need to expand your base w the fastest growing population.

You may have just added to Mendoza’s fighting reputation among Dems.

Does anyone, anyone at all, have a clue there anymore?

Comment by low level Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:05 am
This party is so doomed.

Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:07 am
Yes the original Mendoza stunt was cheap and unbecoming, but it was also forgotten by the public. Because of that, the tweet standing by itself looks pretty darn racist. Better to leave it alone or if you must, jab back privately.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:09 am
Great job ILGOP… as my wife likes to remind me, if you have to explain the joke, it’s a bad joke.

Comment by Fixer Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:15 am
Susana Mendoza, Comptroller-Still

Comment by The Big Salad Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:16 am
–Does anyone, anyone at all, have a clue there anymore?–

Kid stuff. They used an official party communications platform to grind some personal axes. There was no upside for the party itself.

There’s a lack of maturity and thinking-beyond-their-noses in that crew.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:17 am
The comptrollers office

Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:17 am
“We doubled down on the thing we said was a jerk move” - entire IL GOP brand.

Comment by lakeside Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:22 am
lakeside pretty much nailed it.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:23 am
When you’re explaining you’re losing. Dumb move, ILGOP. Is there social media person in junior high?

Comment by Just Me 2 Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:28 am
The explanation is sort of entertaining.

Even if you believe the “double dip” thing, why not just reference potato chips?

Nope. Not the ILGOP. Then they wonder how they lost every statewide office.

Comment by Gooner Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:33 am
=Where do we send it? =

To the state comptrollers office. If you had any state-wide elected officials you might know that.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:34 am
To their credit, they were going to make an Alamo reference and/or say “trying to take a job that most people wouldn’t touch”…but thought better of it. /s

Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:36 am
Thanks, Rich.

Not sure what it says that I’m only at my best exhausted after a 16-hour day of election judging… but maybe that’s my brand.

btw -all you Chicago-based commenters should really do the election judging thing. It’s an insane blast (emphasis on the insane), they need folks, and some of the folks they have… not so good. Really, it’s fun.

Comment by lakeside Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:39 am
Unrelated- The ILGOP has filed a bill not to pay the bills. What great governance. /s

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:42 am
=some of the folks they have… not so good=

The judges at my polling place are uniformly efficient and nice.

But then there are folks like the one in Humboldt Park, who, according to the Trib, “reportedly engaged in electioneering for an unnamed aldermanic candidate and then had two associates threaten other workers at a 26th Ward polling place.”

Sheesh.

Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:45 am
This has nothing to do about promoting the ILGOP or one of its candidates.

Does Leslie Munger have influence at the ILGOP? Or was this just a petty personal shot taken for the sake of taking a petty personal shot?

Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:46 am
==Taking “double-dipping” as a racist attack is … interesting.==

Yeah, but since I didn’t do that, I’m pretty boring.

Look, I get why you need to pretend that literally using chips and guac in an attack on a Latina candidate didn’t happen, but it did, and it was racist, so live with it.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:54 am
===btw -all you Chicago-based commenters should really do the election judging thing. It’s an insane blast (emphasis on the insane), they need folks, and some of the folks they have… not so good. Really, it’s fun.===

You might be the most upbeat person ever.

Comment by Eyes Open Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 10:55 am
The Illinois GOP should just quit as an organization. There isn’t a need for that anymore in Illinois. The people have spoken, and one party rule shall reign supreme.

Comment by Unpopular Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:03 am
==Look, I get why you need to pretend that literally using chips and guac in an attack on a Latina candidate didn’t happen, but it did, and it was racist, so live with it.==

So there are people out there who are really digging in on this, huh? A completely non-racial joke (Mendoza’s original petty stunt) becomes not only racial but racist when it is turned back around in nearly identical form. Forget double dipping, talk about doubling down. Can’t even imagine the tedium of viewing everything this way.

Comment by The Big Salad Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:04 am
===Can’t even imagine the tedium of viewing everything this way===

Not everything, just this. But triple down. Congrats.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:11 am
==Not everything, just this. But triple down. Congrats.==

I found the tweet and explanation as lame as anyone. I want to know how anyone can credibly go around claiming racism here, and everyone, including you, just accepts it as middle-of-the-road commentary.

Comment by The Big Salad Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:15 am
–Can’t even imagine the tedium of viewing everything this way.–

Can you imagine what the intended upside was for the ILGOP in posting the tweet on its platform?

Because I can’t.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:17 am
@The Big Salad

Personally, I can’t even imagine the tedium of defending every race-based dog whistle or tasteless joke. To each their own I guess.

Comment by Chicago_Downstater Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:19 am
Cityzen, no way, girls can’t play soccer

Comment by Wumpus Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:23 am
“literally using chips and guac in an attack”

Y’all made me google around to find the origin of the “explanation” quote (which was, of course, inadequately context-ed, being on twitter)–look for HOLY GUACAMOLE:

https://www.politico.com/tipsheets/illinois-playbook/2016/11/president-elect-trump-duckworth-mendoza-unseat-republicans-gop-picks-up-statehouse-seats-217307

So, ILGOP suggested doing the same thing that Mendoza’s campaign actually did. Dumb and gross, for all involved.

Basically, tho, the GOP’s error was in not asking where to send the ruffles and french onion dip. I guess. Which *still* would have been a “jerk move”, but would have avoided being called racist.

Comment by Chris Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:25 am
==Can you imagine what the intended upside was for the ILGOP in posting the tweet on its platform?

Because I can’t.==

I can imagine what they thought it would be, as delivering sick burns on Twitter seems to be part of the job description for many comms staff these days.

I never defended it. It wasn’t funny. I also do not understand how anyone can credibly allege racism here, given the history.

Can you?

Comment by The Big Salad Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:28 am
==I want to know how anyone can credibly go around claiming racism here,==

Let’s see. Latino and chips and guacamole. No stereotyping at all there.

We can’t help you if you can’t see the obvious racial overtones. Are you really that dense?

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:44 am
Munger employed by Illinois, making more money than Mendoza?

Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:46 am
The first rule of comedy is any joke you need to explain isn’t a joke.

But seriously folks, when are people in the public view going to learn? Should I feel I have a special talent in that I look at this and think “No way” and yet they did not see this?

Should I put a resume together as a social media editorial consultant? Sheesh.

Comment by Winderweezle Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:48 am
To a degree I kind of agree with Salad. The ILGOP attempted to return the same jab that Mendoza did, she said and sent guacamole and chips. Their big mistake was assuming people would remember the backstory, which was dumb. It came off racist. I don’t think that was the intention when accounting for the history, but this misstep could have and should have been easily avoided by including the background in the original tweet.

Comment by Anon225 Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:54 am
Dear ILGOP, Susana still whipped your a#* last year.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:54 am
=But seriously folks, when are people in the public view going to learn?=

Probably never. Witness Joe Moore’s comment on losing to Maria Hadden: “The handwriting is on the wall as the fat lady waits to take the stage.”

Really? Think before you open your mouth.

Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:03 pm
–I also do not understand how anyone can credibly allege racism here, given the history.–

The given “history” includes that of the contemporary GOP. The rationale provided after-the-fact was more than four-year-old inside baseball trivia.

So, yes.

The ILGOP…. they’re not sending their best people.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:23 pm
@Anon225 & @BigSalad

Ok, I’m trying to understand what you’re saying. Thus far from what I’m reading you’re basically saying that folks shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that things that look racist are racist. Is that correct?

If that is correct, then you’re asking that the onus be on the audience to give the joke teller the benefit of the doubt. That hardly seems fair to me–even leaving out a lot of present and historical context.

On the other hand, when I criticize this joke, I’m asking that the onus be on the joke teller to think through what they’re planning on saying before saying it. And if they don’t think through it enough, then I’m asking that they apologize. They can still give their excuses (that I’m allowed to judge for legitimacy), but they need to own up to how it came out.

Comment by Chicago_Downstater Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:32 pm
The explained their tweet well over an hour after the original tweet, and even then, only after someone replied back saying they need to and provided the link to the article.

Comment by Lost in Chicago Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:36 pm
==I also do not understand how anyone can credibly allege racism here==

It was more of an insult to comedic principles. And do you think ILGOP is shelling out extra for guacamole?

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 1:04 pm
As your first day as intern we want you to post every 3 hours on twitter.

Okay, who do I send my drafts to for approval?

Eh, don’t worry about it. You got this kid!

Comment by twowaystreet Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 1:05 pm
The only thing more disappointing than the IL Democrat party for the past 20 years has been the IL Republican Party.

I do have to say I am glad she lost. The best statewide elected official in my opinion and glad she is not isolated to Chicago.

Comment by the Patriot Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 1:12 pm
Further evidence that “Never Tweet” is the best advice some people will receive during their lifetimes.

Comment by Bourbon Street Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 1:21 pm
If I were mendoza,i would call their bluff. Chips and guac is delightful.

Comment by Sox Fan Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 1:48 pm
==Can’t even imagine the tedium of viewing everything this way.==

Man, you are so close to getting it.

Yes, correctly identifying racism, as I’m doing here, does get pretty tedious.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 1:52 pm
==Democrat party==

It’s Democratic Party.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 1:52 pm
==Can you?==

Absolutely. ILGOP mocked a latina candidate with Mexican food. That’s racist. It doesn’t matter that it was in reference to a previous racist attack. When you’re in public life, your actions define themselves. Your intent is irrelevant.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 2:00 pm
==It doesn’t matter that it was in reference to a previous racist attack.==

Which one was that again?

Comment by The Big Salad Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 2:16 pm
Arsenal, I think you have the roles reversed on the first attack.

No argument about the second one though.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 3:03 pm
==Which one was that again?==

You aren’t doing yourself any favors with your continued absurdity.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 3:07 pm
This is in part why we have Dem Gov. Pritzker and a super majority in both the house and senate.

Comment by Shytown Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 3:20 pm
@The Big Salad @anonymous

I have linked the original attack ad by Leslie Munger. The double dipping was a valid criticism using tortilla chips, guac, and salsa to make that point when referencing a Latina candidate is racist. As someone else mentioned they could have used potato chips and onion dip to stay with the Seinfeld reference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=3v_tJRZ73o8&app=desktop

Comment by cmdrshepard Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 3:36 pm
IL GOP wonder why they don’t win elections.

Comment by Etown60120 Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 4:09 pm
@Chicago_Downstater

I completely agree with you that the onus was on them to make it clear. They didn’t and they should have apologize for that mistake.

I personally don’t think they meant for it to be racist, but it certainly came off that way. I think they could have avoided that by making the background clear in their original tweet.

What would have been even better is if they let what happened four years ago go in the first place. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Comment by Anon225 Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 7:02 pm
I’m a downstate republican. Comments like this are insensitive, heads need to roll at the state GOP organization, starting with Schneider.
I feel sorry for Bill Brady and Jim Durkin and their causes trying to legislate meaningful legislation in the face of this type garbage.

Comment by the old man Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 7:53 am

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