38 Comments Pingback IlliniPundit.com » Blog Archive » Topinka Ad - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 5:26 pm: […] (Hat tip: Rich Miller) […] - Gordy Hulten - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 5:29 pm: Sorry, rich, Bloglines archived the URL. - B Hicks - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 6:20 pm: This would be a good time for Judy to have Bush come to Illinois and stump for her. - Bubs - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 6:52 pm: I’m of two minds about it. On the one hand, Proft’s assertion that she is hiding behind Edgar is a fair hit. On the other, she is a GOP primary candidate whose integrity has been repeatedly slandered, and for her to simply say on TV “Gosh, none of it’s true!” requries everyone to believe just her. She is being pounded by pretty heavy artillery in well financed, hugely negative ads, and needs to respond in kind. While he is hardly a god, especially after the dalliances with prior races, in the Illinois GOP today there is still no higher caliber artillery than Jim Edgar. He is asking the GOP voters to listen to him, and I think they will. It is an effective reponse ad for the primary, but only for the primary. - HoosierDaddy - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 6:55 pm: Wow. Good ad. It will carry some weight where she needs it most- downstate. No picture of Brady. I guess if you play nice, you don’t get an ugly pic in her ad. - Political Hack - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 7:14 pm: Good ad Nancy and Carter. I’d hide behind Edgar all day long. I also like the positives on Judy delivered by Lit’ Jimmy. The hack loves negative but Dairy boy went overboard. It ain’t fair making up your own headlines. Even negative hacks like me have a moral sense of what’s right and wrong. Omni Communications is bush league. They do business stuff–not political. Can’t believe they made $h*t up. - B Hicks - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 7:15 pm: As she noted in her announcement, she is ready for a “brutal” campaign, and that is what she’s getting. The ads are definitely raising eyebrows on a lot of voters. The supporters that claim the ads won’t hurt her are crazy. If she has to run ads of her own just to control a little of the damage, her war chest is going to be depleted in 3 weeks. After that, it’s the 17 million dollar shotgun barrel pointing at her. Not even the great Jim Edgar will be able to save her. - Howie - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 7:45 pm: If we’re lucky, two things will happen after March 21. Oberweis will no longer run for elected office, and Proft will never be hired again. - In the Land of Silos and Cows - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 7:54 pm: After catching the ad in the link from IlliniPundit.com, I thought it was a very classy way to answer some dopey ads. I would say Judy and Brady have had the best ads this primary. Judy had the right message to refute the attack ads, and just as important, the right messenger in Jim Edgar. Difficult to attack her for name-calling when the press calls out her opponents for being less than truthful. This was the best senerio ad to “answer the lies, without giving in to the liars” when candidates face the type of attack ads Judy faced: discredided and wrong. Defending your integrity is not saying other candidates matter, or are even making a move, it says the truth needs to be told, and that is how I saw this ad. Great ad. - scoot - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 8:14 pm: B Hick- Edgar won’t have to save her….who’s going to throw rod a life preserver??Ummmmmmmm - SalukiDog - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 8:42 pm: Good ad - great response. This is just what the doctor ordered for JBT. - Bill Baar - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 8:48 pm: It’s a good ad. - roy slade - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 9:17 pm: For this upcoming primary election, this ad is gold. It won’t completely shut up the wackos- but it will make an impact with the normal GOP primary base voters. - Darrell Democrat - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 9:21 pm: Off topic, but I just noticed it tonight… Edwin’s website no longer has “Where’s Edwin?” on it….. a few days ago there was a small discussion about it here (regarding the Tribune editorial/endorsement). Does this mean he has officially quit? - Anon - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 9:25 pm: I think this was the expected ad that was going to come out to try and save her from a fall. And, in all, it is executed very well. EXCEPT… What the heck is up with that phony smile-and-turn at the end? Was that tongue-in-cheek? I mean, seriously! Anchorman - Judy? - Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 10:25 pm: I think the ad made some big mistakes. Mentioning the attack ads is one thing, but featuring them so prominently just makes people want to see them, if they haven’t already. Also, her two positives mentioned are her fiscal management and strong leadership. I’m sorry, when I talk to GOP voters, no one says “I want a strong bookkeeper”. And afterall, she’s already said she’d consider a tax increase, so she’s really opening up herself to another attack. And Edgar’s alright, in Sangamon County or Eastern Illinois, but I don’t think he has that much pull anymore. He’s been out of office for 7 years, and people may feel warm and fuzzy about him, but few people are voting for Topinka on his say so. Contrast that with the Obama ads this year or the ads Poshard did for Blagojevich in southern Illinois in 2002. What Edgar does do is remind you that Topinka is part of the past. For voters looking for a change — and I believe that is alot of Republicans and Democrats — Topinka and Edgar represent more of the same. Let’s remember, witnesses testified at George Ryan’s trial that SOS employees were doing the same thing when Edgar was in charge. Edgar might give Topinka a little shot in the arm among women voters, but if they weren’t already solidly in her corner, she’s in deep do-do. Plus, he did seem really insincere. - Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 10:43 pm: Go get ‘em, Judy. It was a classy ad. - Old Elephant - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 11:25 pm: This ad is darn near perfect. It takes her two most vocal opponents, lays them out on the table and guts them — Voters come away seeing “venom” and “liar.” Since neither one had the name recognition to sustain a negative ad campaign, their negatives go up. Yet, since it’s a defense ad, Judy’s negatives either come down or don’t move. Edgar’s greatest strength is his believability. People trust him and the ad used that to great effect. It’s not just a primary ad, but the same message works in the general as well. Someone said it before — JBT is a tough politician. People have been wondering if she’s ready to play hardball. This ad shows she can not only play, she can hit a grand slam. An early poster credited Carter and Nancy. No doubt they deserve credit, but I suspect Eric Robinson had a hand in this one too. For the first time, I’m thinking “Public Official A” could be in serious trouble. - 47th Ward - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 11:40 pm: Home run. She has the varsity team on staff and it shows. - These are our choices? - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 11:47 pm: “And Edgar’s alright, in Sangamon County or Eastern Illinois, but I don’t think he has that much pull anymore.” Well YDD, Edgar had enough pull just last summer/fall to hold the Republican primary hostage for several MONTHS. His support in the primary is big EVERYWHERE downstate besides Bill Brady’s house. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 12:31 am: These are our choices?- Edgar has alot of clout among Insiders, which is why the primary was put on hold, but there are few voters in Illinois who are Edgar loyalists. Edgar’s popularity just doesn’t have coattails in the race for Governor. That’s why you won’t here many people say “If she’s good enough for Jim Edgar, she’s good enough for me.” Again, it’s not like an endorsement from Obama, Poshard, the late Paul Simon. The ad also makes her look like Edgar’s puppet. Couldn’t they have given her one speaking line? If I was going to do a testimonial ad, Ditka would have been better. I would’ve given Da Coach 60 seconds without a script to talk about what a weenie Gidwitz is and how Oberweis’s helicopter flight is the closest that milk-sucking pansie will ever get to a football field. “We need a Governor who will stand up and fight. I know Judy Baar Topinka, and I can tell you she’s got more cajones than those two — put together.” - Mr ANON. - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 5:35 am: Maybe she could get Obamarama and Lexi to do the next ad! The message could be ” Lexi is such great guy/ballplayer that I bet Judy was his mom” P.S. Lexi is refiling A1s to make it look like he is not self funding his campaign - vole - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 5:48 am: “She is not a crook. Illinois state government has not rubbed off on her.” Best sums up the ad. Why am I not inspired by the choices this season? - DOWNSTATE - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 6:25 am: Sorry to all you negitive JBT types but it gets Edgar in the picture campaigning for JBT.Which is going to be a lot of help.It is not unusual for 1 politican to help another if you have a common goal and a united front.This is a big step in uniting the Republicans after the primary.The only real problem you have is no one is campaigning for Blago.Where’s Obama,Durbin,and Lisa Madigan has already said she wouldn’t touch him.So who does your hero have Jones and Madigan isn’t that a hoot. - political hack - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 6:42 am: YDD–You don’t know republican politics. The most popular republican bar none statewide is Lit’ Jimmy. Sometimes I agree with you, but today, you don’t know what the hell you are talking about. It is also very obvious you are out of politics because “not repeating the negative message of your opponent in your ad” is backwards 1990’s thinking. People need the reference in the ads so your full ad makes sense. Get out of the lakefront, attend a focus group ot two, and do a bit more hacking before you speak about stuff you know little about. It’s a good ad. Plain and simple. Hack that!! - KO - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 7:00 am: both obie and giddy were told avoid negative but their greedy advisers hid their sedatives so they sharpened fangs and beared yellow teeth and today they weep - B Hicks - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 7:15 am: Hey JBT lovers, if you don’t think that this stuff is having an affect on Judy’s numbers, you’re definitely living in la-la land, too. The recent damage control ad, the increased number of anonymous Judy loving posters tells me that the numbers aren’t looking that good. In order for Judy to have even a remote shot at Rod’s office, she is going to have to win the primary, BIG. Otherwise, she’s the one that barely beat Obie. I don’t see that happening. As a matter of fact, at this point, she’s going to have a tough time winning at all. Hmmm, sounds to me like Judy needs the water-wings. By the way, what are those internal numbers looking like. - Reagan Democrat - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 7:18 am: Wow It is good to see the JBT staff on the boards today. How does reminding everyone that you were your second choice for governor make you lokk strong? The charges are true! There was ahotel deal, there was a federal investigation, there was a charge of shredding, what does Jim Edgar saying I know Judy do for that? Judy’s going out on a limb. Remember what she said 2 weeks ago when Gidwitz started going after her? You don’t shoot at dead ducks, she must be plummiting in the polls for this kind of ad with this kind of buy. - leigh - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 7:19 am: I thought the ad was very good and an excellent response to the negative ads that have been released. JBT is a class act. As a woman, I am very excited to see someone of her caliber in this race. Especially when the men are going out of their ways to look foolish. - DOWNSTATE - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 7:25 am: Speaking of ads Arod has done it again.An ad running down here for the Dept. of Agriculture ends with “brought to you by the governor of the State of Illinois Rod Blagojevich in conjunction with the Dept. of Agriculture.I wonder how much his campaign is kicking in to help implement this new farm program. - The Col is dead - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 7:37 am: Hey Jim I thought you didn’t want to be Governor! Did they fly you in just for this? The combine in a little trouble? Come on who’s next Big Jim? Judy you better save some of that campaign money for retirement. BTW Jim everyone knows the charges are true, they have been around for over 10 years how dumb can you be? - Do the Dan - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 7:43 am: Brushing up my resume Licking my envelope Where’s my next millionaire To keep me afloat - roy slade - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 7:55 am: I know I have said this before- Dog- it is evident that you are not a Republican- nor do your opinions impact Republican primary voters. You are a Democrat- the party that brought us Blago- stick to commenting on what you know- grand juries, fraud, stupid appointments, mismanagement, inane behaviour, and the ability to blame everything on every one else! - Cassandra - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 8:19 am: I have no expertise in ad evaluation but it does seem as though JBT is benefiting from her decision to graciously wait for Edgar’s decision before she announced. Would he have done the ad if she had blasted him for the delay. Of course, she is going to need a lot more of them going on to the election. One election at a time, I know, but how aggressive are her campaign’s fundraising efforts. I don’t know if she had to pay Edgar for this one but most of the ads won’t be free. - scoot - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 9:06 am: Hicks you are the one in la-la-land…get with it dude. Blago has nobody else to stump for him in his ads because nobody wants to get close to him or endorse him. I’ve lost track of the fed indictments….3-4?? I’m sure with more to come. - The Col is dead - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 10:36 am: Hey Roy I thought you told YD to stick to the Democratic party then you bring up Judy’s office “grand juries, fraud, stupid appointments, mismanagement, inane behaviour, and the ability to blame everything on every one else.” - SenorAnon. - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 12:01 pm: Good ad. I don’t care for any of the participants…but it is a good ad. Though JBT’s Rose Garden strategy is starting to fly in the face of her reputation as a brassy, tough Southwest Suburban brawler. - roy slade - Saturday, Mar 4, 06 @ 10:00 am: Col- you know, and I know, that blago is full of crap, and under at least 13 seperate investigations. You can try to change the subject- but you can’t run from the facts. The next investigation is just around the corner- and we can only wait for he and his band of incompetents to implode. (Can you say 05 audits just around the corner)? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.