At the Chicago Tribune Gregory Platt reports that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot attributes the criticism she’s receiving to her race and gender:
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday night that “about 99%†of the criticism she receives over her temperament is due to the fact she’s a Black woman.
The mayor made the comment during an interview on WTTW-Ch. 11 after being asked about questions people have raised over temperament and how she reacts to criticism. The mayor has been known to be tough on staff and confrontational with critics, contributing to significant staff turnover.
When asked how much of the criticism has to do with the fact she’s a Black woman, Lightfoot said, “About 99%.â€
“Look at my predecessors. Did people say that Rich Daley held tea sessions with people that he (disagreed with)? Rahm Emanuel was a polite guy who was a uniter? No,†Lightfoot said. “Women and people of color are always held to a different standard. I understand that, I’ve known that my whole life.â€
I accept that’s what she believes. That is what it means to have been radicalized. Once radicalized you attribute every bad thing that comes your way to whatever it is you have been radicalized on. In Mayor Lightfoot’s case it is race and gender. It is to be expected under the circumstances that she attributes criticism to being black and a woman.
But she’s wrong. Any mayor who used the Chicago Police to disperse protesters at her home but allowing Michigan Avenue to be sacked would have been criticized. Any more Under whose tenure the number of homicides (and carjackings) soared would have been criticized.
There is a lesson here but I doubt id will be taken. Chicago can have a black woman mayor but choose carefully. I don’t believe that all black women have been radicalized with respect to race and gender. Were that to be the case Chicago should not have a black female mayor. It should not have a radical mayor. Radicalization impedes your ability to govern well. You will inevitably make bad choices for the wrong reasons.
Mayor Lightfoot was elected mayor for three reasons:
- Not to raise taxes.
- To improve the Chicago Police Force.
- Not to be Toni Preckwinkle.
She has only succeeded at the last. Otherwise she is a failure as a mayor.
I saw that article yesterday. Self awareness and honest self-assessment don’t appear to be her, um, strongest attributes.
The question is: is she a poor enough performer to be thrown out next election? In the context of the heavy burden of being black, female, and, egad, a lesbian of course……….
What percentage of the mayoral race votes she received would she attribute to the same cause?
I’d say 99%.
Look! Black AND a gay woman! How Progressive!
Then they got to know her.
Her opponent in the run-off was another black woman (Toni Preckwinkle). I think intersectionality had very little to do with her election and her pledge not to raise property taxes had a lot to do with it.
I’ll play devil’s advocate here. But was Mayor Lightwood saying 99% of the criticism was tinged with racism and/or sexism or saying 99% of criticism of bad temperament and treatment of staff has racism and / or sexism to it.
Maybe the two responses are not substantially different but in my mind they are.
The closest I’ve been able to find to the literal quote is:
(from WTTW). She didn’t say “it’s a factor”. She said “it’s motivated”. I would agree that there is may occasionally be a tinge of racism or sexism. 99% motivated? That’s nonsense.
I was curious (pun unintended) and found the original interview.
https://news.wttw.com/2021/06/29/aldermen-demand-hearing-crime-lightfoot-dismisses-rancor-city-hall
The controversial part of the interview starts at 8:08.