* Sun-Times…
A “shock and awe” anti-Bruce Rauner campaign that is promising to turn the tide in the gubernatorial primary has officially launched with a full color, 12-page, tabloid-styled pamphlet hitting half a million Illinois Republican households beginning Saturday.
Laid out in an oversized, 11-by-17 format, the ad is an extensive trashing of the Republican front-runner in the four-way GOP primary, attacking Rauner’s support for abortion rights and calling Rauner’s wife “radically pro-abortion.”
Calling the wealthy venture capitalist “the insider’s insider,” the ad trots out Rauner’s weaknesses — from his ties to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, to his hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to Democrats to his flip-flopping on the minimum wage to clouting his daughter into a Chicago public high school.
“This is the opening salvo to what is going to be a shock and awe campaign,” Steven Shearer told the Sun-Times on Friday.
The very long, wordy mailer is here.
* From an e-mail from Steve Shearer, who sent me the mailer last night…
These tabloids are a signature piece of campaigns I run. Over the years I’ve done these in 48 races. 45 of those candidates have won… There was a possibility of some people receiving in the mail tomorrow but more likely on Monday.
This is, indeed, a signature piece for Shearer and this sort of thing has been effective in the past.
But, man, is it ever long and wordy. And it ain’t on TV.
So, “shock and awe”? When it hits TV, maybe. And “promising to turn the tide”? We’ll see.
- Samurai - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:44 am:
The design will give the mailer longer shelve life before it hits the recycling bin. The length and tabloid appearance make it the perfect bathroom reading companion. A glossy one pager gets a glance and is tossed.
- dave - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:48 am:
Sigh… this makes me sad. This is how people think they can take down Rauner? Really?
- Bored Chairman - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:48 am:
Worst campaign piece. Ever.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:49 am:
Wow, Rauner was in the pension business in Pennsylvania too? This guy couldn’t stay away from making money off of the government and union workers. Did the attack on “union bosses” start when he began running for governor? He sure didn’t hate union leaders when he was in the pension business, but then again, maybe he did. We’re all hypocritical from time to time, but this is what extreme hypocrites do.
- Just Saying - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:50 am:
Someone is going have to be really motivated to read it. In the meantime, Rauner keeps pounding gross rating points out and extending his lead. No one in the GOP Primary has the bucks needed to make a dent in Rauner’s armor…yet.
- Tom Joad - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:50 am:
So it looks like the spouses are fair game this election. These negative campaign hacks don’t care how much they hurt families of the candidates. That’s why Shearer and his ilk won’t run for office, They couldn’t handle coming out from the dark.
- Walter Mitty - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:50 am:
My ADHD kicks in… Too much.. Unless there is some follow up mailers that hit home a few narratives.. I personally look at it and say kitchen sink = desperation…. Even though they are all forms of truth… just too busy for my taste. Especially after the Farmer has gotten his message out…
- Commander Norton - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:52 am:
I’m not so sure about that, Samurai. If you’re the kind of political junkie who would read a campaign ad on the john, then sure. Maybe I’m cynical, but I’m guessing that’s not most people.
The research on successful mail pieces pretty clearly demonstrates, Shearer’s claims aside, that shorter is much better. People don’t hang onto glossy postcards forever, but they do tend to give them a once-over before they hit the recycling. Longer pieces turn voters off - both because they don’t have time to read them and because they feel they’re an annoyance (11×17? In my mailbox? No thanks) or a waste of money.
- IbendahlLuvsJBT - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:53 am:
About the mailer… 1998 called. They want their website graphics back. This is the crappiest, ugliest mailer ever. It’s wordy, repetitive, filled with typos and poor grammar.
- Whatever - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:54 am:
The ’70’s called, and they want their campaign back. Glossy mailer?? Maybe older voters will read it, but it is awfully long, wordy, and dense.
- carbaby - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:54 am:
It’s nice but that money would’ve been much better spent on TV airtime. This would’ve been more effective like maybe 30 years ago when people still read their mail and we weren’t in the internet and TV soundbite era.
- OneMan - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:56 am:
Does anyone who doesn’t comment here really read a 12 page mailer?
If that is shock and awe I am looking forward to bore and snore…
- Soccermom - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:57 am:
TLDR
- Bobbysox - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:57 am:
Remember, these are Republican primary voters only, a much smaller and different universe than the general election electorate. It may reach those few voters that matter.
That said, with three opponents to choose from and diffuse the effect (if any), it would be difficult for any one of them to overcome Rauner’s lead.
- Downstate - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:59 am:
Mr. Shearer,
Regard your piece - it’s a little too “National Enquirer” for my tastes. But I probably hold the Republican primary voters at a higher level than you do.
- Siriusly - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:59 am:
I agree with all the comments, but in a weird way I sort of like it.
Part of thinks it is totally well-played into the hardcore GOP paranoia. It feeds into the natural distrust that many GOP voters have and it provides sources for information to back it up. Not enough to really move numbers against the Carhartt express - but I still think it will slow him down a little bit.
- Cassiopeia - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:00 am:
Last gasp of the establishment republicans. Its too late.
- Liandro - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:00 am:
I’m assuming the idea is that fewer will read it, but it will have a much deeper impact on those that do. Fine. The next question becomes: is it more likely to be tossed by those who have made up their minds, but more likely to be read by those on the fence and curious? If that is true, it could be an interested combo a broader ad strategy.
And that broader ad strategy is the key. This seems like it has the potential to follow-up on TV and radio pieces. But without those spots to get the initial interest/questions up…
- ZC - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:02 am:
As I’m not a conservative GOP primary voter, I’ll refrain from over-speculation here. If they didn’t test this versus other formats on a focus group of GOP primary voters, whoever funded this orgz should ask for his money back.
I am pleased to see “Baron von Carhartt” going more mainstream, but that passing reference in the mailer does suggest it may be a little too insiders-for-insiders.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:02 am:
I saw this kind of mailer used in support of Rep. Unes against Mike Smith a few years back. I heard about it at the door. Whether or not such a mailer is cost effective is another thing, but people did seem to look it over before throwing it away.
- WirePoints - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:02 am:
The Sun-Times headline, in their “exclusive” story on this where they apparently got the brochure early, say it’s from a “GOP group.” Hmmmmm.
- hot chocolate - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:02 am:
Schock and yawwn.
- x ace - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:03 am:
Long - yes - but has multiple barrel capability
Lengthy text and documentation targets the reader
Layout using subheads ,colored text and photos hits the browser.
Tagline grabs the one issue voter ” Gimme your Guns”
My guess: It works
- Samurai - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:04 am:
- Commander Norton - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 9:52 am:
===I’m not so sure about that, Samurai. If you’re the kind of political junkie who would read a campaign ad on the john, then sure. Maybe I’m cynical, but I’m guessing that’s not most people===
Trying to start my week off looking at the glass as half full. In addition to slick glossies, I would settle for the three Dillard ads running on TV.
Snark aside, the piece is much too wordy and tabloid–but, better than nothing. Be looking for more and better to come.
- Union Man - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:04 am:
Got mine on Saturday. Fits nice in the bird cage.
- Justsayin' - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:05 am:
The mailer could have been better designed. But hard-core GOP and conservative voters are a different animal. Maybe this is why these kind of mailers have worked for Shearer in the past. Conservative voters are voracious readers of paper. Even if the mailer succeeds in getting one or two pieces of information out about Rauner - that is an improvement over the blackout of information on his background. But me - I would have avoided the desktop publishing software look.
- BDuty6 - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:06 am:
Horrific piece. Way too wordy. Cheesy graphics.
It’ll never make it past the walk from the mailbox to the garbage can.
F
- Commonsense in Illinois - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:06 am:
Really…this is what we’ve been waiting for? Someone paid money for this? I think I’d ask for a refund. This isn’t much more than hyperbole. It misses the mark in so many ways, I really don’t have the time or space to get into details. I’d say nice try, but even that would be dishonest on my part.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:07 am:
Mail starts the Ground Game, but could it be Too Wordy, Too Little Too Late?
Its like “emails are making the difference”, as Spam Folders all over the state get politcal “junk” emails.
You got 5 weeks, plus. Get on TV.
Steven Shearer, I am with you, but …
“The ‘3′, they are in the race of their lives. Please tell me their Attack PAC hasn’t pinned their hopes to a 12 page Mailer.”
- Commander Norton - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:07 am:
Now that I’ve actually looked at the whole thing… That piece is unbelievably unprofessional. They haven’t heard of margins. There are about eight different fonts, many of them hard to read. Following the arguments is confusing - what’s with the extended discussion of Reagan and Tip O’Neill? And how about the Sneed article that talks about Bill Daley, who dropped out of the race months ago?
There’s no “executive summary” - not a single page in the whole thing that gives the reader a few summary points and plenty of white space to help them sink in.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:11 am:
===So it looks like the spouses are fair game this election.===
“Bruce Rauner” has said his wife donates to Democrats all the time.
“Bruce Rauner” threw his wife under the bus, so it would not look as though Bruce Rauner and Rauner companies have given to Democrats.
You’re welcome.
- Norseman - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:13 am:
Definitely shock and awe here. I was shocked when I saw how bad the piece was. I’m awed by the poor quality.
Willy could have done a better piece with his eyes closed.
- Illinois Clean Energy Coalition - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:13 am:
“Steve Shearer drops back, three man rush, he scrambles out of the pocket, his receivers are running around wildly far down the field…clock down to two seconds…he rears back and gives it everything he’s got…”
I think we all know how this ends. The ball falls far short of target and the game ends.
- Mail Guy - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:13 am:
What Steve doesn’t understand is that this is far too little and far too late. Let’s pretend this was a two person race… let’s say you get tons of Rauner voters to move to the opponent… great! BUT IT’S A FOUR WAY RACE and all this does if it was to work (which it won’t) is move a few to Brady, a few to Dillard, and a few to the guy being accused of harassment.
Frankly, Steve should be embarrassed. This is the best a former CoS from the hill could come up with?
Sorry, ain’t gonna play.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:14 am:
- Commander Norton -,
It’s suppose to be “Tabloid” eye catching.
What, if it was all uniform and with an Executive Summary, are you going to say;
“Too boring, looks all the same, like reading an encyclopedia…”
The format is the least of its worries;
Timing, impact, follow-up, follow through, and an Air Game.
Format is like …much farther down the list.
- Norseman - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:15 am:
Willy, Shearer can’t handle the truth!
- Soccermom - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:17 am:
Okay. By my back of the envelope calculations, you probably need about 300,000 votes to win this thing. (I am basing that on the 767,000 votes cast in the last gubernatorial primary; I haven’t drilled down to figure out whether we’re likely to see more or fewer voters this time around.)
I’m assuming that Brady and Dillard will pretty much hold on to their base of voters from last time — they each got about 155,000. So they’re looking to persuade about 150,000 voters from the universe of about 400,000 voters who went for the other guys last time. I’m assuming that a lot of those voters are primarily focused on abortion as a top tier issue.
This mailer went to 500,000 GOP primary voters. So the question is, are 25% of them either undecided or weak leaning toward Rauner, and will the focus on Rauner’s pro-choice record erode his support?
I don’t know — but I think it might be possible (assuming that there are a good number of GOP voters out there who were unaware of Rauner’s views on abortion rights.)
- Mail Guy - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:18 am:
Should also add, it is so ugly… and while it is true that GOP primary voters like rich content, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t look good… I can’t believe people trust this guy with their money.
- Verdeal - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:18 am:
It might play well to the Stupid Wing of the GOP.
Newspapers in Illinois should take this thing and rake it (and the establishment candidates) over the coals.
- Walter Mitty - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:19 am:
OW… Great points… But format stops the casual person this is aiming at to take the time to read and digest… I think all of it matters…
- Rahm'sMiddleFinger - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:20 am:
This is pathetic. Will not resonate at all. Better have a lot of gross ratings points to follow this us with. In the meantime, please correct your spelling and grammatical errors. As Marty Huggins once said, “It’s a mess!” As a Dem, I’m not sure what Steve Shearer’s reputation was, but I would have to say it’s taking a hit.
Dillard misspells in the name of the Mayor of Chicago in his web ads. Rutherford allegedly sexually harasses staff and has a bizarro press conference. Now this piece of junk. Rauner probably could have saved his millions.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:24 am:
- Norseman -, I would hope many others could do “better”, but that is what Shearer gave us. Mail work is “fun”, but I never worked on a “magazine”.
- Soccermom -, nice assessment on what needs to get this “done”, and I had thought about the “Abortion” angle for the Primary, but I would usually leave that to Pro-Life Groups, who are deafly silent on “Bruce Rauner”.
- Walter Mitty -, All I was coming from is 12 pages of “12 point Courier New” might lead to “recycle” before “Wacky” formatting and colors and splashes and differnt fonts and sizes. Mr. Shearer never asked me my opinion, and I can safely say he has been very successful without it. I can only speak sitting and watching as Shearer is working and doing…
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:26 am:
Maybe it they’d just sent it out a page at a time it would hold people’s attention.
- Soccermom - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:26 am:
A friend of mine who sells a lot of stuff on Ebay says she is careful to put in misspellings and grammar errors, because she gets more buyers that way. I don’t know why, but she says it’s a significant difference.
- Sunshine - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:29 am:
Perhaps they were hoping that most Republican primary voters are tabloid readers?
That said, it would have been more interesting if Bruce was “photo shopped” visiting Blagojevich in prison.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:41 am:
A couple of thoughts: First, I am not the target audience, so what I think of this doesn’t really matter. Second, I assume this is going only to Triple R Households, and from what I know of this universe, the length of this piece isn’t a bug, it’s a feature (think senior citizens).
Third, and maybe most importantly, none of the actual candidates running against Rauner has been able to communicate all of this info to large swaths of the electorate. If it’s bad it is still better than nothing.
I really hope there’s more coming though.
- Mokenavince - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:46 am:
I received this rag last week, it’s a real piece of right wing dereck . Rauner right now is the only Republican who can beat Quinn.
The Republican party is in a complete free fall
in Illinois.
- Commander Norton - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:46 am:
47th Ward -
A lot of senior citizens can’t read print that small.
- I don't know - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:47 am:
I’d love to see the research referenced on political mail. I’m not convinced that this is in fact a bad piece.
Liandro hits it. The question is the overall strategy. If this is the focus, then we might have a problem. I have no doubt that this could be an effective part of a broad strategy.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:48 am:
The biggest, most glaring mistake about this 12 page piece?
That the narrative about ALL this should have started well before State Fair, and been the running narrative, if this was how it was going to come “out of the box” with “shock and awe”
Months and months passed. No one thought about starting this narraive even before State Fair.
That is the “failure”, and it could very well lead to election failure in the Primary.
- Carl Nyberg - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:49 am:
I would be interested to see polling on how effective this piece has been.
It runs against conventional wisdom in politics, but conventional wisdom evolves.
Remember Larry Sabato pulling together the research on ballot position?
Ballot position matters more on down-ballot races and less for high profile races.
Perhaps a mailer making multiple arguments works better for top-of-the-ballot races.
But I could see it working worse too.
I want to know what the research shows about this kind of mailing.
- Downstate - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:51 am:
A piece like this has supposedly worked for Shearer in the past. But a negative piece is promulgated on the idea that voters can enter the booth to cast an “ANTI-vote” by voting for the other candidate.
But that anti-vote gets split three ways in this Republican primary.
Seems like Shearer is trying to thread a very small needle here.
- Jack - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:52 am:
Everything is awesome for future Governor Business. Can’t wait for Taco Tuesday. (Lego movie snark)
- Jimmy - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:53 am:
Schock and awe?
- lake county democrat - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 10:55 am:
Yeah, voters love being treated like idiots who can’t tell a bogus newsletter from a real one - I expect this is as effective on GOP primary voters as those newspaper ads for Amish-made heaters (oxymoron alert) and tv antennas that look like “real” news stories do.
- CollegeStudent - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:09 am:
===OW… Great points… But format stops the casual person this is aiming at to take the time to read and digest… I think all of it matters… ===
How many casual people vote in the GOP Primary?
- dunno - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:11 am:
If you just scan it, I still think a number of themes come through with just the headers and pictures. I think the “what the heck is this thing” aspect to it will get people to at least flip through it. It’s not a game changer, but it’s a start. They need to be up on TV ASAP.
- MrJM - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:12 am:
This piece reminds of nothing so much as it does the magazine version of NewsMax. And it probably has the same target audience
This gaudy, over-the-top piece was designed to outrage its recipient — and then be taken down to the VFW, the beauty salon, the break-room or diner, where it will then spark and support a PO’d anti-Rauner rant.
And like NewsMax, it’s not FOR anything. It’s strictly against. While it’s tough to argue someone into voting for a hero, it’s much easier to argue them out of voting for a villain.
That’s the goal of this piece and I wouldn’t be surprised if it does a good job of it.
– MrJM
- Living in Machiaville - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:22 am:
I’m reminded of the phalanx of jets sent against the alien ship in Independence Day. A ton of high hopes tossed aside by an inpenetrable shield. Unless Shear has a sober Randy Quaid or Jeff Goldblum back there, not betting the farm.
- Jake From Elwood - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:33 am:
We received the mailer. I will admit that I did read the entire thing. But only for the comedic value.
I would compare it to the National Enquirer but that would be an insult to tabloid journalism.
Try harder please.
And I am no huge fan of Bruce Almighty.
- dogboy - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:36 am:
This mail piece is tough as nails. It’s the kind of thing that will grow as it is read and re-read by ordinary people. As far as beoo much info, I don’t think so. Think of it this way, would you want someone saying these things about you
? Trustd me, after reading and re-reading every word Rauner and his pro-choice wife, didn’t sleep well last night.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:37 am:
How is there not a headline, “Headless Body in Topless Bar” (from the great “New York Post”).
Where is the Page 3 Girl, a la “The Sun”?
The information is there; why does it have to be presented in such an unsophisticated way?
This is Shearer’s “signature” thing, huh? He knows his peeps and this is what works?
That is very sad, if true. But Fox News is a goldmine, so…..
I’ve been shocked and awed by Rauner’s cynicism, prevarications, hypocrisy and contempt for the people.
But, clearly, Rauner is not the only one out there who thinks GOP primary voters are a bunch of s-for-brains rubes.
I’m going to pull a GOP primary ballot and vote anybody-but-Rauner, despite this.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:42 am:
I gotta wonder how many of those alleged 45 winners where pieces like this appeared were actual contests…
- langhorne - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:44 am:
i think it will be effective. everyone is a first time rauner voter. if you are for rauner, based on his (trite, phony to me, convincing to some) themes, and you have been replaying them with friends at the diner, you are likely to give this a fair look. you want to know what is being said about the new guy, to either stay with him or waiver.
this piece, and whatever may follow from this source, need not win the election for one person. it only needs to keep another person from winning.
it doesnt need to move anyone up to 50% plus one. it only needs to bring rauner back into the pack. that means blunting his momentum, and bleeding off as much as 15% of his 35% assuming 15% defectors, and they stay in the game, they move one or two others equal or past rauner.
that said, this is one shot. it will take more. thus far, rauners response is more of the same he has been slinging.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:45 am:
===as it is read and re-read by ordinary people===
Not so sure that’ll happen. We’ll see.
- Upon Further Review - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:45 am:
It is an effective “hit piece.” It does not have to be read cover to cover as the headlines and illustrations are sufficient to call Rauner’s political affiliation into question.
If the twelve pages had to be read cover to cover to make the message explicit, it would be a failure as many people do not read papers closely, but this can be skimmed.
Whether or not the piece fails is dependent upon how widely disseminated it is.
I expect Rauner to take his cue from Rahm and keep spending in order to buy the nomination.
- MrJM - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:51 am:
Do “ordinary people” vote in off-year GOP primaries?
– MrJM
- Hit or Miss - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:53 am:
This mail piece may outrage many of its target recipients against Rauner. However, I am uncertain who it will motivate anyone to vote for, even in the primary. It is way too negative, about 11 pages too negative, in my view.
- Nick's my name - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:56 am:
I received this by e-mail over the weekend from several Rauner supporters all laughing their tails off. I have never seen a negative piece go viral so fast by supporters of the “target”. It is a joke of a piece. Equal parts bad design and Unibomber-esque Manifesto.
- Bill White - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:58 am:
@MrJM
== Do “ordinary people” vote in off-year GOP primaries? ===
Is that a rhetorical question?
The trajectory of the IL GOP appears to be from tragedy (2012) to farce (2014).
- Hans Sanity - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 12:09 pm:
The mailer should work.
A shorter presentation may not be as effective.
Plenty of info.
You don’t even have to read it all.
Illinoisans with a history of voting in GOP primaries won’t feel bad about not voting for Rauner.
As for crossovers?
Unless one or more of the remaining three present compelling reasons give a vote, this flyer is another reason to stay away from the GOP.
With a few weeks to go it’s cash availability more than ideology or issues that separates them from Rauner.
- Judge Cooked - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 12:18 pm:
The fact that this piece MIGHT be successful in a GOP primary is nothing but a sad, sad commentary on the modern state of the Illinois GOP electorate. Fractured. No mission. 100% focused on gossip instead of winning. All summed up in one word: Pathetic.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 12:32 pm:
===…100% focused on gossip…===
What is gossip, the giving of monies to Ed Rendell or Rich Daley? The vacationing with Rahm Emanuel? The Clouting of the Denied New Trier Living Daughter into Payton Prep?
What gossip?
- I don't know - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 12:32 pm:
A little confused about the criticism.
First, I’m like Rich. The jury is out on its effectiveness. Time will tell, although like most political advertising, we’ll probably never really know.
Sure, it reads like a tabloid, but at its root the information is accurate. And it’s pretty damning stuff. Will voters read it, believe it, and care? once again, I’m not sure.
To call it “unsophisticated” seems absurd. Isn’t every political ad unsophisticated? 30 seconds or 20 square inches of pictures and bold type is “sophisticated”?
This piece has far more substance than most political stuff.
As I said before, I’m waiting for the rest of the program before judging this campaign.
- independent - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 12:33 pm:
The mailer reminds me of a written version of fox news, something put out by one of R Murdocks scandal sheets. Since many republicans love Fox maybe they will love this also.
- Soccermom - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 12:42 pm:
Judge Cooked, you are missing the point. This mailer is not about “winning” — it’s about somebody else losing. So all the notions of message discipline and focus go out the window. They’re hoping that, between abortion and Rahm and guns and libruls, something’s gonna stick. And I think it might work.
- anonymous - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 12:50 pm:
So a campaign mailer, which is funded by Democrats (unions) is being sent to Republicans attacking Rauner for donating to Democrats.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 12:53 pm:
===…Democrats (unions…===
Not all Unions, support ONLY Democrats.
It is in the best interests of any Union, with a history of supporting Dems or the GOP to not elect a “Raunerite”. Period.
Please, learn.
- Norseman - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 12:55 pm:
=== So a campaign mailer, which is funded by Democrats (unions) is being sent to Republicans attacking Rauner for donating to Democrats. ===
That’s Illinois, gotta love it.
- veritas - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 1:29 pm:
Agreed that it is redundant to the point of being wordy, but the claims that were made were legitimate and keep in mind Rauner was the one who set the rules by attacking Schock then Rutherford and then the “3 others”. ALL this piece has to do is plant a seed of doubt in some voter’s minds. Then it becomes a question of substance over style - ironically the reverse of the Rauner strategy - and substance MAY prevail. At worst - it is a significant shot across the bow.
- Aldyth - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 2:07 pm:
It resembles a supermarket tabloid. My elderly mother reads them cover to cover and discusses it with her friends, who also read the supermarket tabloids. There is an audience for this.
- CicrcularFiringSquad - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 2:52 pm:
The authors do not care who wins as long as it is not Mitt Rauner….this ought to scare the whack jobs away from the ballot box…bye bye FarmerBrucey.
BTW why is Brucey skipping the IPI “debate” ?
- A. Nonymous - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 3:24 pm:
I hear page 12 was supposed to have ads for Carhartt barn jackets and Miller Lite but Shearer ran out of room…
- Michelle Flaherty - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 6:36 pm:
Only thing missing was an Amish heater ad.
This thing looks like a layout/design class assignment from a “using Quark XPress” class from 1996.
The assignment would be: make this better.
- Just The Way It Is One - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 6:57 pm:
Impressive Ad, but LONG INDEED, and just who specifically is it intended to HELP–now, that, like it or not, face it, Rutherford’s just not going to be able to make it?!
A clear GOP Beneficiary needs to be identified, or else the effort–already not on TV where it’s SUREly reach the largest Audience–will likely end-up being too watered down to help ONE remaining Candidate enough, so that, (Heavens!), such a fine Attack Piece, although it may tighten the Race somewhat, could end-up for naught!! Just as with Dillard’s fine Ads, as they’ll only be appearing on the Internet, the Audience just probably won’t be large enough to put him over the top–because you just KNOW BR is going to continue his daily and nightly Pounding with HIS TV Ads, since obviously only HE can afford such a Gold Rush of Self-Publicity Puff Pieces, and RIGHT up to Election Day…!
The REAL Objective now is to counteract that Rauner pounding by using Mailings like this as one way to combat it, as they can make some difference as every little bit helps–but more urgently and importantly, what is needed is for Anti-Rauner GOPers to determine NOW just WHO the #1 Alternative WILL BE now for the GOP as the Main Beneficiary of such an Ad, howEVer you describe it, and to use just Ad Campaigns to benefit HIM–whether it’s Brady or Dillard. The Clock is REALLY running now, and if the Republicans have any real hope besides Rauner now (and I sure wouldn’t want to hang my General Election Hat hopes on him!), the anti-Rauner forces must choose to mostly align behind one of the two remaining, (and UNtainted) alternatives…!
- Bill F. - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 6:58 pm:
Amateur hour, as evidenced (in small part) by the “Baron von Carhartt” thing. You know why they call it an inside joke?
- Just The Way It Is One - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 7:00 pm:
That was meant to read above, “…where it SUREly reaches the largest Audience…!”
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 7:19 pm:
Shearer is an amateur. Professionals will tell you that his stupid fake newspapers are a hot mess of confusing garble. It leaves the reader with no central theme that sticks. Bobby Schilling lost his congressional seat using these ineffective pieces.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 10, 14 @ 11:13 pm:
This was a union funded attack piece. The PAC received a big chunk of change from the electrical workers based in Countryside, IL. That union usually plays Democratic.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 11, 14 @ 8:26 am:
Mailer just hit our mailboxes. It is long, but heavy on photos of Rauner, Rahm and Rendell. I guess the biggest revelation is that Rauner has given over $870,000.00 in contributions to major Democrats and his wife is a big supporter of Personal PAC.