The Republican candidate running for Illinois Governor, Senator Darren Bailey, has called Chicago a “hellhole” twice. The insensitive jive against the Windy City was made by Bailey on Twitter on Thursday.
In his tweet, he stated that Chicago was once a “great city” and that “it didn’t become a hellhole” because of Mayor “Lori Lightfoot and Kimm Foxx.” Bailey accused Governor J.B Pritzker of starting it.
The tweet continues by insinuating Lightfoot, Pritzker, and Foxx is “knee deep in corruption, and they don’t care about the working people.” Bailey first introduced the “hellhole” jab three months ago and now it seems to be his catchphrase.
On Tuesday, Bailey tweeted, “Chicago is a beautiful city and many people there live a privileged life. We will also fight for the areas that are not on the lake front or the loop who have been abandoned and don’t enjoy this privilege. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community.” However, his words have met an array of feelings amongst the residents.
One person replied, “‘Privileged life’ …dude, you’re a millionaire.” Another jabbed back at Bailey’s post, “You, sir, are a dyed-in-the-wool hypocrite. Every word you speak comes from a position of privilege that you can’t even recognize. God willing, you will be defeated in November, if for no other reason than your elitist rhetoric.”
Another Twitter user shared a screenshot of a previous comment Bailey seemed to have made calling Illinois “the stench of the nation.” That user then accusingly replied to Baily’s tweet saying, “Why is Illinois the “stench of the Nation” Bumpkin Bailey? So, by my account, you hate Jews, women, gays, Chicagoans and Illinoisans. Did I miss anyone?”
The day after Bailey called the city a “hellhole,” Mayor Lightfoot struck back calling his gubernatorial campaign a “dumpster fire.” She was not alone in her battle to restore the city’s honor. Chicagoans from all over the city shot back by posting beautiful pictures of Chicago with comments like L Forte’s post “Made it through #Chicago hellhole this morning. Corner garden at 64th and Dorchester.” Others called for residents to show Bailey that the city “isn’t a hellhole” by sharing pictures of anything other than the skyline and lakefront.
Many Windy City residents feel that Bailey blew his chance of becoming that state’s next governor when he made his harsh comments. Their feeling is shared by many other Illinois residents. The final tally in November should be interesting.
Chicago is a beautiful city and many people there live a privileged life. We will also fight for the areas that are not on the lake front or the loop who have been abandoned and don’t enjoy this privilege. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community. https://t.co/UYyhh8Vfzp
— Darren Bailey (@DarrenBaileyIL) August 23, 2022
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
Axios: Living in a “hellhole”
Chicago Sun-Times: Chicagoans show off their city after Darren Bailey calls it a ‘hellhole’
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Patrick Emerson‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Pam Broviak‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
