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* A new ad being run by Democratic congressional candidate Bill Foster accuses incumbent Republican Judy Biggert of voting to “privatize” Social Security. Watch…
* The Tribune takes a look…
The spot accuses Biggert of voting to privatize Social Security, making reference to two 2001 votes the veteran Hinsdale Republican cast in Congress.
One case involved a procedural vote Biggert took against a Democratic plan opposing President George W. Bush’s Social Security Commission that was recommending a portion of the program be privatized. The ad also cites Biggert’s vote for a budget that year that included funding for privatized Social Security accounts.
What Foster’s ad doesn’t tell voters, however, is that the votes were tied to a proposal that was never implemented and has no bearing on current seniors. The Bush plan would have applied only to younger workers paying Social Security who could have invested 2 percent of their contributions in private accounts.
A procedural vote and a budget vote. Not much. But, I suppose I’ve seen less made into more.
* Democrat Brad Schneider has another unusual ad. This one uses archival footage of LBJ talking about Medicare. Have a look…
* And the NRCC has a new independent expenditure ad blasting Democrat David Gill. View it…
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 12:30 pm
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Ok …
Biggert Attack Ad, “C-” … White noise at this point, and flimsy at best. When watching it, I want to know more, but then I find myself sayin, “whatever”.
Dold Attack Ad, “A-” Got it, understood it, and the use of LBJ and hearing a different voice, and seeing a different face, then fading to the verbage. Well done. This ad is better “out of the can”
Gill attack Ad, “B-, C+”, the only likes for me in this ad are the background China images, and then fading to the empty factory land. Otherwise, just white noise, but those 2 images behind the message had some impact.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 12:43 pm
Actually, the attack on Biggert is very substantial policy-wise. Indefinitely diverting funds from the Social Security tax paid by current workers threatens the benefits of current retirees. Has to, because Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system. That’s why AARP and other senior groups were very much against that provision.
And you’ll recall when Bush tried something similar in 2005 it was so unpopular he had to abandon the effort.
Comment by Eugene Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 12:48 pm
I still don’t know what to make of the LBJ ad, but I keep watching it over and over. It certainly packs a memorability punch.
Unexpected, to say the least. Do North Shore seniors have nostalgia for LBJ? Maybe on Medicare, they do, but I just don’t know.
A fascinating character, LBJ, Lear-like. Or a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction, like Kris would say.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 12:55 pm
===Actually, the attack on Biggert is very substantial policy-wise.===
As for me, I am rating the Ad, and its impact on voters, looking at it from the voter’s eyes, not a political junkie’s eyes …this my rating.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 12:57 pm
===A fascinating character, LBJ, Lear-like. Or a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction,===
LBJ and Huey Long … my favorite walking contradictions, and incredible politicians. “Landslide” Lyndon as a case study / career study is just fascinating to see from his 1st election, to beinf sworn in on Air force One, and to paraphrase, “shall not seek, nor will accept” his party’s nomination.
Huey Long is all that is good about the Good Ole Boy system, which is what is ALL bad about the Good Ole Boy system. Things can get done, but at what cost, and at what “real” cost to the Treasury.
Concur about the senoirs in that district point, I am thinking of the idea the Ad remeinds us of the promise,and how long ago that promise was made. Hearing that promise in its context visually and to hear those words in the historic context … pretty powerful.
Someone hire Schneider’s Ad team away and get them for the Repubs … please.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 1:04 pm
Thought the attacks ads on Biggert and Gill are both C’s. Not really much interesting about either visually or in substance. don’t know that they will stand out at all.
The Schneider ad is different, but does anyone really see LBJ as an inspirational leader we want to harken back to? He doesn’t evoke nostalgic or positive emotions like FDR/ Reagan/ JFK.
One last thing on Foster ad: He loves to push the theme that he is not a politician, but he basis his attack ad on Biggert’s budget vote, but never voted for a budget himself, while still voting for all the spending bills. It’s a politicians move.
Comment by BFro Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 1:05 pm
Last point …- wordslinger -,
don’t you think this Ad, like the “paint” Ad, is smart, trying to be “smart, but not smug” … like the North Shore likes … “we’re smart we know it, so sned us a smart Ad and we’ll get it.”
That is the last reason i like it so much. Forgot to add that as a “like” for the LBJ Ad, but for me it’s an important part of it that makes it work, especially for that district.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 1:07 pm
Willie, I certainly agree that the ad is smart, and like the paint ad, is one of the most memorable of the season.
It really throws me for a loop, seeing LBJ in a spot in 2012. Maybe it’s a winner, just for memorability alone, but I don’t know.
I do know I’ll be stopping at the library tonight to pick up the latest Caro installment on LBJ that I’ve been putting off. Probably the Bechloss’ edited transcripts of LBJ’s White House phone tapes.
Some incredible stuff in those. Not just the creepy conversations with Jackie Kennedy. But tense, nasty stuff with and about RFK. Serious wheeling-dealing with Sen. Dirksen.
And an amazing monologue, delivered to Sen. Russell, on the recently passed Civil Rights legislation, and how it would transform the South economically, opening it to investment and freeing white Southerners from the burden of maintaining an apartheid system.
And how it would also destroy the old Solid South Democratic Party forever.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 1:29 pm
- wordslinger -
ALL of that, way within my likes and loves of history, politics, and people-driven stories that lead to great plot twists.
I pick up “The Pharoah” sometimes to re-read something or recall something from the Richard J. Daley times and I get the “roll of the eyes” at home. I appreciate and understand where you are coming from. LBJ and RFK? difficult to get better than that, especially in the political and historical context.
Not good, but Great Stuff.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 1:35 pm
LBJ? The LBJ the liberals on the North Shore protested against? The “Hey, Hey, LBJ, How Many Babies Did You Kill Today?” protests from the Vietnam War? And now those liberals have a glow in their hearts remembering LBJ? And Dold voted to “end Medicare” so that Tax Breaks Can Be Given To The Rich? Where is the connection on that one?
Schneider has run a God awful campaign and his messages are flat out screwy at times. The “Paint” ad painted Dold as “Just Another Republican” which was more effective in this District, but LBJ? LOL!
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 2:28 pm
This fascinates me! The very 10th district boomers who soon will be, or are currently moving into the Medicare system (and are not all that happy about it because it means society considers them old and they don’t consider themselves to be old yet) are the very same ones (Repub and Dem) who were losing friends in Nam and protesting and demonstrating against LBJ the warmonger on their respective campuses 40 some years ago.
I agree with those who’ve said this is an “interesting” ad because I often appreciate the use of archival footage. But it has to to be appropriately applied archival footage– which means I also agree with those who question this ad’s value to Schneider. I suspect both the technically talented ad creators and Schneider himself are too young to fully understand why this ad doesn’t work for its target audience and may actually be a negative for Brad. History’s a funny thing. It leaves indelible images in people’s brains that time does not erase. LBJ as hero to the masses? Not so much.
Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 4:37 pm
To me the most damaging charge against Biggert in Foster’s ad is the simple true one. 30 years in politics. Makes people think.
As to the Gill ad –the minute I heard the word “extreme” I just automatically tuned it out because that word has lost all its meaning and power to shock from overuse and misuse. In other words, both Dem and Repub candidates rely on that word to the extreme (hah), and it’s sickening. Both Democrats and Republicans running for office would do well to strike that word from their vocabulary when describing their opponents.
Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 5:13 pm
I liked the LBJ ad until the very end.
The text on the screen seemed to have no relation to LBJ’s words. Watching it once, I had no idea what the numbers were or how they were relevant.
It went from “Wow, this is really moving” and ended with “What?”
Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 5:15 pm
- Responsa -
Great post. Gave me lots to think about. Also, it made me look at the LBJ Ad again in a diffeent light, thru your post, and everyone else who seem to see it in a way I had not.
Thanks.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 5:17 pm
Is that ad trying to say that ending Medicare will cost seniors only $6,400 per year? That seems remarkably low and takes away a lot of the urgency of the ad.
Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 5:18 pm
OW–I appreciate the feedback. I got here so late today I wasn’t sure if anybody’d even see my comments.
Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 5:51 pm
Gill has to win. And go on to make some headlines nationally. He’s perfect to portray by Fred Armisen on SNL.
Comment by thechampaignlife Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 7:48 pm
- Responsa -,
Gotta give props when props are do. Everyone who posted like you did a good job explaining, your post gave more clarity to all those as well.
Thanks again.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 8:55 pm
I’m still fascinated by the LBJ Medicare spot. It must be a winner for me because I keep thinking about it.
I saw it a couple times after work while tipping a beer at one of my favorite watering holes behind the Board of Trade. The Usual Suspects — not exactly a liberal crew — were enthralled as well.
The spot has legs. Produced by the same crew as “in the can?” Well done.
Surfed a little bit when I got home and spotted a few pictures of the Medicare signing ceremony. There’s LBJ and Lady Bird with Harry and Bess Truman, beaming like spotlights.
Harry and Bess, those old 19th Century Kansas City Bolsheviks.
For the record, plenty of Republicans up North voted for Medicare (they’re now Democrats). And many Democrats down South voted against it (they’re now Republicans).
The spot is a bittersweet reminder of when, starting with TR and those nasty Progressives, we were committed to taking care of our own, and willing to devote our labor and treasure to something other than endless, pointless land wars in Asia.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 11:26 pm
Concur, still talking about, thought about it last night … heck, replayed it last night to try and understand others point of view …
Bottom line … great Ad …because it has made me think about Medicaid and I know that Schneider is sayay about it, and what Schneider is saying about Dold and Medicaid.
Well done …and when you add the “paint” Ad, has to be the best 1/2 Ads of the season.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 7:00 am