By Steve Rhodes
In the midst of the most hagiographic treatment yet of our hero mayor, a triumphant Richard M. Daley returns to the scene of his crimes to totally escape even a slightly serious question, instead regaling viewers with bromides about what a great problem-solver he was.
Never mind that the Current Occupant conveniently blames Daley not only for all the problems he inherited, but all the problems he’s created.
In fact, the Chicago that Rahm inherited was so bad – though for two decades Daley was hailed as the greatest mayor the universe had ever produced – that Rahm’s motto, narrator Mark Konkol tells us, could be “Building A New Chicago.”
Could be!
“Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who championed many of the initiatives comprising the plan, is a master of message control and media packaging who attempts to sell his plans as new, even when they’re not,” the Sun-Times reported last June.
“In March, 2012, the mayor unveiled, what he called, ‘Building a New Chicago,’ a $7.3 billion plan to rebuild Chicago’s infrastructure and create 30,000 jobs.
“But it was little more than political packaging by a new administration that had fast become famous for it.
“Most, if not all, of the CTA, water, sewer, parks, schools and City Colleges project had been announced before. So had the $1.7 billion Infrastructure Trust the mayor hoped to use to bankroll some of the projects.”
As I wrote then:
“Rahm can only be a master of message control and media packaging if the media goes along with him. You’re the one he’s controlling!
“The end result is basically writing a story as if it came out of Rahm’s PR shop and then declaring at the end that ‘We’ve been had because he’s really good at this.'”
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#Chicagoland has become so tedious it’s anti-trending on Twitter.
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) April 11, 2014
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“As mayor.. you learn things all the time.” That’s why @RahmEmanuel loves his job! #Chicagoland
— Sundance Productions (@SundanceProd) April 11, 2014
Rahm Emanuel approves of this message.
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Dear Dwindling CNN Viewers: #Chicagoland not telling you the reasons behind Rahm’s dismal approval rating: http://t.co/jXsQFvsK4t
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) April 11, 2014
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“@RahmEmanuel: There are kids that I’ve met that have had their youth stolen from them…” #Chicagoland
— ashlyn (@ashlynshockley) April 11, 2014
So I closed their schools.
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#Chicagoland Why did the head of cps security think it was funny to say. No kids died yet this week. But it’s only Thursday. #fired
— James Blackburn (@skippy5979) April 11, 2014
Followed by superintendent Barbara Byrd-Bennett saying that in all hoopla of her week, she had “missed” that. Thanks for bringing that to her attention! (Remember, last week she yada-yada-yada’d the shooting of one of her students.)
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So glad Rahm Emanuel spent $7 million to build a grocery across the street from another grocery store http://t.co/zYG4tt2U2v #Chicagoland
— CPSChatter (@CPSChatterBlog) April 11, 2014
For some reason this wasn’t mentioned while CNN described Rahm’s heroic efforts at solving food deserts.
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ANNNNND the Rahm propoganda continues. Whole Foods CEO doesn’t believe in the Afordable Care Act, just FYI. #Chicagoland
— Ryan (@ChiRyanL) April 11, 2014
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Wow! did this chick just say this shit. Am I the only one who caught that? #chicagoland #wow… http://t.co/KoVIOt5rF0
— Cobb e (@E_CORNERS) April 11, 2014
Nancy Harty, WBBM Newsradio. (McCarthy’s full response was actually totally on-point; gangbangers have mothers too.)
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#Chicagoland paints chicago as a rich city and a poor one, but refuses to investigate how the two are linked
— José Olivarez (@JayOhEssEe) April 11, 2014
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RT @mifarmer: Tonight on #Chicagoland, Rahm raises property taxes to underwrite a second season of the show.
— Grassroots Collab (@GrassrootsChi) April 11, 2014
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#Chicagoland is the most elegant city in the United States @cnnOrigSeries @BrickCity_TV
— Sundance Productions (@SundanceProd) April 11, 2014
Not watching their own show.
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#Chicagoland has a white savior narrative going.
— Evan F. Moore (@evanFmoore) April 11, 2014
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#CPS #Rahm cut $2K per kid closed 50 schools 3 more this yr gave millions in tax breaks robbed TIFs & found $5M for furniture #Chicagoland
— David Stieber (@D_Stieber) April 11, 2014
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Liz Dozier – and others – must cut $100,000 so CPS execs can buy $10 million in new furniture: http://t.co/rniNxIJh16 | #Chicagoland
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) April 11, 2014
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Chicago Public Schools miraculously finds $70 million one year after cutting $80 million! http://t.co/D9E0wXh1kf | #Chicagoland
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) April 11, 2014
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George Lucas gave back by building a new $25,000,000 wing for the exclusive private school where Rahm Emanuel’s children go. #Chicagoland
— CPSChatter (@CPSChatterBlog) April 11, 2014
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After 20 years of watching jobs disappear, folks welcome a Walmart. #Chicagoland sure knows how to open a store here.
— Sundance Productions (@SundanceProd) April 11, 2014
Walmart got $11 million free tax dollars, and pays poverty wages. We need living wage jobs in #Chicagoland cmties http://t.co/JIbExHBKLK
— Grassroots Collab (@GrassrootsChi) April 11, 2014
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During the great migration – #Chicagoland‘s African American grew from 2% to nearly 1/3 of the population in the 70’s.
— Sundance Productions (@SundanceProd) April 11, 2014
And in the last decade, Chicago has lost 175,000 African Americans – while Hispanics now make up a third of the city’s population. Maybe get up to date, CNN.
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I can’t wait for that #Chicagoland where @CNN interviews an educator in #CPS who disagrees with #Rahm instead of just showing us yelling…
— David Stieber (@D_Stieber) April 11, 2014
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Watching #Chicagoland, I’m still very confused why Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist is Mark Konkol is part of it.
— Drew Taylor (@MrDrew_Taylor) April 11, 2014
The confusion is really how he won a Pulitzer in the first place.
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O’Hare International Airport was once America’s busiest! @RahmEmanuel is doing everything to reclaim that. #Chicagoland @cnnOrigSeries
— Sundance Productions (@SundanceProd) April 11, 2014
You mean he’s cutting the ribbons on Daley’s ill-advised projects out there. Do some friggin’ research, Pulitzer dude.
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@RahmEmanuel is determined to keep #Chicagoland in the top 50.. and moving! @cnnOrigSeries @BrickCity_TV
— Sundance Productions (@SundanceProd) April 11, 2014
Unlike other would-be mayors, who would not be determined but just sit on their ass all day.
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Previously:
* Tweeting Chicagoland | Episode 1: Oh My Lord, I Hate It Already.
* Cracking The Chicagoland Code 1: Docu-Series Or Docu-Wank?
* Tweeting Chicagoland | Episode 2: Brought To You By Allstate, Billy Dec & The Central Office.
* Cracking The Chicagoland Code 2: Fixing The Facts.
* Tweeting Chicagoland | Episode 3: Get Me Rewrite.
* Cracking The Chicagoland Code 3: Our Fact-Challenged Heroes.
* Tweeting Chicagoland | Episode 4: Did We Mention That Rahm Loves (Black) Kids?
* Cracking The Chicagoland Code 4: LollapaRahmza.
* Tweeting Chicagoland | Episode 5: Back To Black.
* Cracking The Chicagoland Code 5: Yada Yada Yada.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on April 11, 2014