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"'Chicago-style politics' is mainly just a way for him to call Obama corrupt without coming out and saying so", according to ] of '']'', referring to Romney.<ref name=dogwhistles/><ref name=ChicagoStyle>{{cite news |last=Weisberg |first=Jacob |authorlink=Jacob Weisberg |date=23 July 2012 |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_big_idea/2012/07/mitt_romney_s_campaign_is_attempting_to_link_barack_obama_to_the_corruption_of_chicago_style_politics_of_a_different_era_.html "'Chicago-style politics' is mainly just a way for him to call Obama corrupt without coming out and saying so", according to ] of '']'', referring to Romney.<ref name=dogwhistles/><ref name=ChicagoStyle>{{cite news |last=Weisberg |first=Jacob |authorlink=Jacob Weisberg |date=23 July 2012 |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_big_idea/2012/07/mitt_romney_s_campaign_is_attempting_to_link_barack_obama_to_the_corruption_of_chicago_style_politics_of_a_different_era_.html
|title=Chicago Style |work=]}}</ref> "'Chicago-style politics'...seems to have become a generic insult for just about any politics one disagrees with", wrote Chicago-based political consultant and columnist Don Rose in '']''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/79131.html |title=In praise of 'Chicago politics’ |first=Don |last=Rose |publisher=] |accessdate=2014-04-28 |date=July 30, 2012}}</ref> The '']'' characterized the refrain as an attempt to discredit Obama through "guilt by geography," saying "...Chicago has seen a goodly share of high- and low-profile officials and operatives shipped off to prison over the decades, and Republicans would like to prod voters into thinking that some of that dirt surely must have rubbed off on Obama."<ref name=tribune20120720/> ] professor of ] Dennis Goldford, an expert on presidential politics, said the meme was used by Republicans to imply that Obama was an product of a outdated large urban political organization based on unethical behavior and the use of force.<ref name=tribune20120720/> McCutcheon, Mark, and Greenfield wrote that the attempt to portray Obama as "born of a corrupt Chicago political machine" had no factual basis.<ref name=dogwhistles/> ] wrote in '']'' magazine that "even if you buy into the Fox News caricature of slimy government and practitioners, Obama was never a product of the system."<ref name=atlantic20120106/> Political commentator ] writing in '']'' magazine positioned the meme in the context of "a decades-long, almost systematic GOP program to debrand cities of their Americanism."<ref name=esquire20130511/> |title=Chicago Style |work=]}}</ref> "'Chicago-style politics'...seems to have become a generic insult for just about any politics one disagrees with", wrote Chicago-based political consultant and columnist Don Rose in '']''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/79131.html |title=In praise of 'Chicago politics’ |first=Don |last=Rose |publisher=] |accessdate=2014-04-28 |date=July 30, 2012}}</ref> The '']'' characterized the refrain as an attempt to discredit Obama through "guilt by geography," saying "...Chicago has seen a goodly share of high- and low-profile officials and operatives shipped off to prison over the decades, and Republicans would like to prod voters into thinking that some of that dirt surely must have rubbed off on Obama."<ref name=tribune20120720/> ] professor of ] Dennis Goldford, an expert on presidential politics, said the meme was used by Republicans to imply that Obama was a product of a outdated large urban political organization based on unethical behavior and the use of force.<ref name=tribune20120720/> McCutcheon, Mark, and Greenfield wrote that the attempt to portray Obama as "born of a corrupt Chicago political machine" had no factual basis.<ref name=dogwhistles/> ] wrote in '']'' magazine that "even if you buy into the Fox News caricature of slimy government and practitioners, Obama was never a product of the system."<ref name=atlantic20120106/> Political commentator ] writing in '']'' magazine positioned the meme in the context of "a decades-long, almost systematic GOP program to debrand cities of their Americanism."<ref name=esquire20130511/>


==See also== ==See also==

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Chicago-style politics was a political meme used in the rhetoric of conservative United States Republican politicians and commentators during the presidential campaigns and presidency of Barack Obama to attempt to associate Obama with aspects of political corruption, including bribery, patronage, nepotism, and authoritarianism, in the political history of Chicago, Obama's home town.

Earlier usage

The phrase "Chicago-style politics" originated before May 2008. In 1986, Pulitzer Prize winning Chicago Tribune editor and columnist Clarence Page lead his review of Dempsey Travis' An Autobiography of Black Politics with "It should surprise no one to find that black politics in Chicago have a history that is no less intriguing, raucous, wheeling, dealing, back-biting or cajoling than any other Chicago-style politics." In 2003, David Brewster, the founder and former editor of Seattle Weekly said "Chicago-style politics is coming to Seattle," which he described as "this whole muscling-the-opposition, reward-your-friends and punish-your-enemies, tough-guy politics," in reference to political campaign contributions from the owners of a strip club seeking a zoning change to expand their parking lot.

Wider usage as a political meme

The term was employed by conservative Republican politicians and pundits. According to Chuck McCutcheon, David Mark, and Jeff Greenfield, writing in 2014 in Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Political Speech, the phrase "took on new resonance" in the political campaign advertisements of Republican presidential candidate John McCain when Democratic US Senator Barack Obama of Chicago, Illinois ran for President in 2008. McCain's political campaign said Obama practiced Chicago-style politics. In August 2009, Republican political consultant Karl Rove wrote, in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal in opposition to the Obama administration's health care reform effort, that threats were in the spirit of "Chicago-style politics." Wider usage as a political meme began in October, 2009 when Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) said during a weekly press briefing "Chicago-style politics is shutting the American people out and demonizing their opponents" in reference to the Obama administration's health care reform effort.

In December, 2011 Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus wrote in a solicitation e-mail entitled "Help Fight Big Brother Obama" that "it's time to fight back and stop the Obama campaign and the Democrats from dividing our nation with their sleazy Chicago-style politics and demagogic class warfare rhetoric." Republican presidential primary candidate Mitt Romney introduced the phrase into the rhetoric of the 2012 presidential campaign when he described a recess appointment by President Obama as "Chicago-style politics at its worst." Romney supporters used "Chicago" as an epithet and referred disdainfully to "Chicago-style politics." Former Republican National Committee chair Ed Gillespie said the 2012 Obama campaign engaged in "classic Chicago-style politics," mentioning the meme at least three times in a conference call with reporters. In February 2012, Rove said Chrysler's Halftime in America Super Bowl advertisement featuring Clint Eastwood was a sign of Chicago-style politics.

In March 2012, in the Republican primary in Illinois, candidate for the US House of Representative Don Manzullo criticised his opponent Adam Kinzinger for his "Chicago-style politics."

Reaction

"'Chicago-style politics' is mainly just a way for him to call Obama corrupt without coming out and saying so", according to Jacob Weisberg of Slate, referring to Romney. "'Chicago-style politics'...seems to have become a generic insult for just about any politics one disagrees with", wrote Chicago-based political consultant and columnist Don Rose in Politico. The Chicago Tribune characterized the refrain as an attempt to discredit Obama through "guilt by geography," saying "...Chicago has seen a goodly share of high- and low-profile officials and operatives shipped off to prison over the decades, and Republicans would like to prod voters into thinking that some of that dirt surely must have rubbed off on Obama." Drake University professor of political science Dennis Goldford, an expert on presidential politics, said the meme was used by Republicans to imply that Obama was a product of a outdated large urban political organization based on unethical behavior and the use of force. McCutcheon, Mark, and Greenfield wrote that the attempt to portray Obama as "born of a corrupt Chicago political machine" had no factual basis. James Warren wrote in The Atlantic magazine that "even if you buy into the Fox News caricature of slimy government and practitioners, Obama was never a product of the system." Political commentator Charlie Pierce writing in Esquire magazine positioned the meme in the context of "a decades-long, almost systematic GOP program to debrand cities of their Americanism."

See also

References

  1. ^ Pierce, Charles P. (May 11, 2013). "The Political De-Branding of America". Esquire. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  2. Page, Clarence (December 28, 1986). "Black Politics: Dempsey Travis Expands His Autobiography". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  3. Kershaw, Sarah (August 27, 2003). "A Tale of Sex, Money and Politics, in 'Mayberry'". The New York Times. p. A11. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  4. MacAskill, Ewen (4 June 2010). "Republicans accuse White House of 'Chicago-style politics'". The Guardian.
  5. ^ McCutcheon, Chuck; Mark, David; Greenfield, Jeff (2014). Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Political Speech. p. 72. ISBN 978-1611687002.
  6. Leibovich, Mark (September 27, 2008). "A Form of Political Flattery?". The New York Times. p. A14. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  7. Rove, Karl (August 27, 2009). "Obama Targets Medicare Advantage". The Wall Street Journal. p. A13.
  8. Silva, Mark (23 October 2009). "Obama's Chicago-style politics:' Boehner". Chicago Tribune.
  9. "Boehner Statement on the White House & Democrats "Chicago-Style Politics"". Speaker Boehner's Press Office. October 21, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  10. Sweet, Lynn (January 20, 2010). "Those from City of Big Shoulders shrug at 'Chicago-style' insult - Slams of Windy City politics 'hype,' 'not fair'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  11. Taranto, James (December 15, 2011). "The Draft Dodger and the Spammer; History repeats itself: first as sitcom, then as farce". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  12. ^ Secter, Bob; Pearson, Rick (July 20, 2012). "GOP uses association with Chicago against Obama; 'Chicago-style politics' enters lexicon of presidential campaign". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  13. ^ Sweet, Lynn (July 17, 2012). "Romney's 'Chicago-style' attack". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  14. ^ Warren, James (January 6, 2012). "'Chicago-Style Politics at Its Worst'? Fact-Checking Romney's Jab at Obama". Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
  15. Cooper, Helene (January 6, 2012). "Obama Tactic: Jab Congress To Hurt Rivals". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  16. Trumbull, Mark (January 5, 2012). "Romney, Santorum bash Obama recess appointment. Why that could backfire". The Christian Science Monitor. p. 12.
  17. Leibovich, Mark (August 29, 2012). "Feel the Loathing on the Campaign Trail". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  18. Baker, Peter; Shear, Michael D. (July 17, 2012). "Obama and Romney Step Up Accusations on Jobs". The New York Times. p. A16. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  19. Kendall, Brent; Devlin, Barrett (July 15, 2012). "Fight Over Romney's Bain Tenure Thunders On". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  20. Peters, Jeremy W.; Rutenberg, Jim (February 7, 2012). "Republicans See Politics In Chrysler Super Bowl Ad". The New York Times. p. A13. Retrieved September 5, 2015. "The leadership of auto companies feel they need to do something to repay their political patronage," Mr. Rove said on Fox News, where viewers of the network's morning program "Fox & Friends" rated the ad their least favorite of the game. "It is a sign of what happens when you have Chicago-style politics, and the president of the United States and his political minions are, in essence, using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising."
  21. Bennett, Jeff; Vranica, Suzanne (February 9, 2012). "Corporate News: Super Bowl Ad Goes to OT --- Chrysler, Dealers Deny 'Halftime' Ad Was Political; Furor Draws Web Shoppers". The Wall Street Journal. p. B2. The following day, the advertisement became fodder for talk shows after Republican commentator Karl Rove said he was offended by the commercial. He described it as "a sign of what happens when you have Chicago-style politics and the president of the United States and his political minions are, in essence, using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising."
  22. Weiner, Rachel (February 6, 2012). "Karl Rove 'offended' by Clint Eastwood's Chrysler ad". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 5, 2015. "I was, frankly, offended by it," said Karl Rove on Fox News Monday. "I'm a huge fan of Clint Eastwood, I thought it was an extremely well-done ad, but it is a sign of what happens when you have Chicago-style politics, and the president of the United States and his political minions are, in essence, using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising."
  23. Rivoli, Dan (February 6, 2012). "Clint Eastwood Super Bowl Ad is Chrysler's Pay Back for Auto Bailout: Karl Rove". International Business Times. Retrieved September 6, 2015. I was, frankly, offended by it. I'm a huge fan of Clint Eastwood. I thought it was an extremely well-done ad, he added. But it is a sign of what happens when you have Chicago-style politics and the president of the United States and his political minions are, in essence, using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising and the best wishes of the management, which is benefited by getting a bunch of our money that they'll never pay back.
  24. Horsey, David (February 8, 2012). "Clint Eastwood's Super Bowl ad riles Karl Rove". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 7, 2015. Rove said he was offended. He said it was Chicago-style politics at work.
  25. Joseph, Cameron (March 21, 2012). "Rep. Kinzinger defeats Manzullo; victory a relief for GOP leaders". The Hill. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  26. Catanese, David (March 20, 2012). "Tea party backs veteran Illinois politician in House race". Politico. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  27. Weisberg, Jacob (23 July 2012). "Chicago Style". Slate.
  28. Rose, Don (July 30, 2012). "In praise of 'Chicago politics'". Politico. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
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