Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Different regions = different ads

Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The Tribune did a story back in May about about how CMAG has tracked Gov. Blagojevich’s campaign spending, but the Post-Dispatch has a slight twist.

Barely a month after the March primary elections, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich spent $500,000 to go after Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka with a rolling pin. In a major television ad buy beginning in April - far earlier than statewide campaigns usually start spending serious money - Blagojevich’s campaign aired a debate clip about banning assault weapons, in which Topinka says: “It’s very difficult to define what is an assault weapon. I mean, a rolling pin could be an assault weapon if you really want to look at it that way.”

As a photo of a rolling pin appears above Topinka’s head in the commercial, an announcer intones: “Topinka opposes an assault weapons ban … because she says it could ban a rolling pin. What’s she thinking?” […]

The rolling pin commercial, for example, ran almost 500 times over two months in Chicago, where there tends to be strong support for gun control. It didn’t run once in the Metro East area, where even Democrats often consider themselves pro-gun. Instead, Blagojevich has used his St. Louis television buys - almost $100,000 worth so far - to tout his own record on safer issues like education and jobs.

“There are different levels of interest in different issues around the state,” said Blagojevich spokeswoman Sheila Nix, explaining why the campaign didn’t focus on the assault weapons issue in the Metro East area.

I didn’t think he had run those ads downstate, and now we know he didn’t run them at least in the Metro East.

11 Comments

- Me - Monday, Aug 28, 06 @ 7:17 am:
Is anyone surprised? Come on, the Blago bunch is in the business of getting elected, and nothing more. It has become more disggustingly obvious over the years that the voters are here to serve Blago and his people. Too bad, as it should be the other way around.

What’s worse, there are still so many people (voters) who buy what he’s selling. Wake up, Illinois.

- todd - Monday, Aug 28, 06 @ 8:01 am:
Seem to recall seeing the gun ad in southern Illinois when I was down there turkey hunting. It just floored me that the ad would run during one of the most popsular hunting seasons.

I also recall seeing it in springfield after the primary.

Todd

- Roomie - Monday, Aug 28, 06 @ 9:00 am:
Is this even a story? I mean, I can see the logic behind it and I agree with it. Illinois is a diverse state with different viewpoints. Highlighting certain issues in certain areas is smart. Its not like any of the ads contradict one another. The governor has always said that he is for an assault weapons ban, but not at the expense of sportsmen.

- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 28, 06 @ 9:11 am:
Yes, advertisers (both commercial and political) tailor their message to their audience and segment the market. Welcome to the first week of freshman year business school.

I guess there’s no course for common sense business concepts in J school.

- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 28, 06 @ 1:14 pm:
Nice work by the J school in highlighting B school attempts to manipulate and mislead the public on this issue.

The public needs to know where politicians really stand on many issues and J school grads understand their role is critical to democracy, not just selfish-interests.

Keep up the great work!

- Buck Flagojevich - Monday, Aug 28, 06 @ 2:00 pm:
Crafty group those Blago people. I guess GRod and gang really believe that there couldn’t be a comparison of his conficting messages in two parts of the state. I mean there is no information transfer across I-80. Right?

- Captain America - Monday, Aug 28, 06 @ 2:29 pm:
I see nothing shocking or newsworthy about this selective political marketing. Just skimmed an interview with Tom Hamburger, author of One Party Country, whcih discusses Republican microtargeting/niche marketing strategies .(BuzzFlash.com)

It is common political practice by both political parties to emphasize different issues in different areas of large political jurisdiction. Everyone plays to their own strengths and downplays their own weaknesses when creating a political message strategy.

I think a problem arises only when a politican intentionally takes two contradictory positions on a public policy issue simply because they are addressing two different audiences.

Objectively, I think the JBT rolling pin quote is foolish on its face regardless of where this foolishness is exposed and marketed.

I want to emphasize that I do not dislike JBT personally or politically even though I am supporting the Governor for reelection. I’m interested in observing if she can build on the momentum that she has established the last week or two.

- In the Sticks - Monday, Aug 28, 06 @ 7:56 pm:
The Governor out in the cornfield and standing with the farmers is interesting. Is there any understanding how odd he looks in those new jeans and a long-sleeved purple shirt to those of us who have actually spent more than an hour or so in rural areas?

- Angie - Wednesday, Aug 30, 06 @ 11:10 pm:
Rod’s campaign is such a sham. It seems to consist of spending money, just because he has money to burn, on attack ads that run ad nauseam. I mean, I got called for jury duty earlier over the summer, and I must’ve seen at least three or four anti-Topinka ads that morning. Thank God we got out of there by noon.

He needs to explain away all of the investigations instead of just trying to attack Judy. I predict it’ll be close, but that the redhead is going to kick his tail come November. I

- Azzurra - Saturday, Nov 4, 06 @ 4:03 pm:
Buon luogo, congratulazioni, il mio amico!

- Amore - Thursday, Dec 7, 06 @ 12:43 pm:
Luogo interessante, buon disegno, lo gradisco, signore! =)

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