What did you see as you watched Mayor Daley announce his retirement yesterday? I witnessed a stranger. Daley was flat and scripted. I challenge the news media to find a clip of Mayor Daley being stoic and reading from a script. He abandoned his normal passionate communication style for a tightly controlled delivery of a message that sent tremors across the nation. The result of his ‘speak no evil’ presentation leaves us empty. Not a typical emotion after a Daley press conference. No jokes about how good his golf game will get, or quips about his wife chasing him out from under foot. His face was drawn, the family sad and yet all he really said was, I quit. It is difficult to know what his goal was. But as a student of communication I am curious what emotion he worked so hard to control. The possibilities are endless.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
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3 comments:
Richie has always seemed, ironically, as not terribly comfortable in the limelight. His "charm" is him being defensive at having to justify his insecure self. Like his old man, the mayor's best speeches are when he's pissed off.
He was obviously emotional in the beginning and in the end. Perhaps he was overcompensating in order to keep his emotions under control and the result was, unfortunately, his flat tone. Even the most emotionally reserved person would have a hard time keeping it together for such a monumental announcement.
In my opinion, Daley definitely seemed nervous throughout the announcement. His delivery caused me to question how "sure" he was of the decision. The content of his statement suggested he was aware others would question the motive and rationale for quitting. His desire to "convince" others about his decision might have caused a disconnect with the rest of the viewing audience.
In the last minute of the press conference, it looked like he was holding back tears.
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