55 Comments - Steve - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 8:03 pm: Two weeks ago Quinn had no chance of winning, now everyone’s on Brady’s case because of some new polls…funny how that works out. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 8:23 pm: Good simple ad … sometimes going with a clear message, no frills, and no quirky question will make an impact … - (618) Democrat - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 8:33 pm: Very good ad. Bill Brady has spent his whole adult career opposing people like this union welder. A worker represented by a union who has the power to bargain, wages, pension and health care with his employer. This ad will resonate with workers all across Illinois. - L.S. - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 8:43 pm: Hope they hired whoever wrote that. Best message they’ve done so far - Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 8:50 pm: I want one of those welder’s hats. It would come in handy during committee when Rep. Collins wears one of her neon ensembles. - Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 8:50 pm: O, great ad too. - Publius - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 8:53 pm: The best ads for resonating with voters are the simple ones. This one is good for the working to lower middle class voter who still needs to decide who to vote for. Overall an A - Richard Afflis - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:01 pm: Very simple, direct, and to the point. I can definitely see this one resonating. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:03 pm: Killer ad. Thinking it will shrink that gap in poll another 2 PTA. - Ken Po - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:18 pm: Ugghhh–has anybody looked at polling lately? Unions aren’t exactly popular. Why would a swing voter in suburbs like this? - Soccermom - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:18 pm: Nice. - P.T - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:19 pm: This dude is awesome. Love the visor “flip.” The guy is honest, straight forward and you can tell his message is no B.S. Go Matt the Welder! Whats the backstory on this? - anon - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:25 pm: Too bad this decent guy doesn’t realize Pat Quinn and the Democrats, who have been in charge for the last 8 years, have driven all the jobs and economic development out of this state. Just think how many more welding jobs would be available if Illinois was ranked in the top ten in job creation instead of 48th. - DoubleJ - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:25 pm: Matt comes from a family of union plumbers, he’s an officer in Local 149, and a really good guy. He helped get my brother through his apprenticeship and into a great job with the U of I. The Local has done their own commercials, usually on cable, to promote using Union plumbers. Very spot on messages. I’ll see him tomorrow and let Matt know people are noticing the ad. - hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:36 pm: “Unions aren’t exactly popular. Why would a swing voter in suburbs like this?” A swing voter in the suburbs probably doesn’t feel strongly about unions one way or another because if they did they’d already have found their candidate considering the clearly pro-union, anti-union stances of the respective candidates in this election. I would also guess many swing voters may not even realize/notice the “Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 149″ sponsorship means it is a union ad. And even if they did, since when is it the plumbers and pipefitters union everyone hates? I mean I’ve seen Republicans run against the UAW, teachers unions, public employee unions but plumbers and pipefitters? That’s like being against policemen or firefighters because they have a union. - Steve - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:38 pm: This guy is at least less annoying than Joe the Plumber. - Matt - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:38 pm: Good ad. Too bad it’s for a guy who spent years defending Blagojevich when no one else would. - Ken Po - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:45 pm: Swing voters in suburbs generally dislike unions, especially now. This might help Quinn with his base a little, that’s about it. - Newsclown - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 9:45 pm: I like that it doesn’t follow all the typical tropes of a negative ad: no “danger music”, no false voices of concern and outrage, no painfully assembled puzzle pieces of claims tortured out of pull quotes sans context. Not overly melodramatic and over-the-top with quirky special effects. It feels cleaner and more honest than many of those with it’s relative lack of guile and affectation. This ad seems pitched at labor, andis an expression of the things the base is already thinking about: Quinn and AFSCME are on strained but polite terms, but Brady is on record for lowering or rolling back minimum wages, for making Illinois a “right to work” state that inhibits union organizing, he’s a huge supporter of WalMart which has plenty of history with labor issues. He thinks he can unilaterally alter union and pension contracts. He wants to cut many more state jobs. His own development company uses no union workers, and neither does Plummer’s. Matt’s spot could have gone on for a litany, I really expected it to, but he chose basically one point (with a swipe about the taxes as dessert) and kept it simple, stupid. If I was advising, I’d say, do a few more, just like it, each one just one new, simple but powerful point of difference. Use a different Trades guy on each. At this point, the unions are already pretty much lined up on the side of the guy that’s less hostile to them, ( SEIU too? ) so maybe it doesn’t expand Quinn’s base that much, but OTOH, if it activates enough rank and file to each put a little effort towards GOTV, that *could* make a difference. - Cincinnatus - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 10:24 pm: Good ad, but will have no effect unless it gets some significant air time, which I doubt it will. The other alternative is a viral intertubes ad, and this just isn’t quirky enough for that to happen. Quality = A- Effect = D- - DoubleDown - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 10:26 pm: @Ken Po I think you hit the nail on the head on this - Amalia - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 10:59 pm: this ad hits the folks who seem to be going away from the Democratic party….white working people. exactly the people who are hurt by the Brady policies. good ad, heart felt. rock on, Matt and local 149. great job. - Marty - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 11:24 pm: It’s not going to change any votes, it might motivate some union guys who otherwise wouldn’t bother on election day. - Liandro - Wednesday, Oct 6, 10 @ 11:56 pm: FWIW, this is the best Quinn ad I’ve seen so far. Unions turn me off nowadays, but how can you hate on a working man? I disagree with a lot of what he said about Quinn, but it’s still a good spot. If only Quinn WAS the guy to bring back jobs…the past year or two would have showed some hints already, don’t you think? - Chubs Mahoney - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 12:20 am: Excellent ad. Liandro, Quinn has brought back jobs. Here are some big ones off the top of my head. Not accidents. Ford - Chicago Navistar - Lisle Boeing - Metro East Keystone -Peoria Wanxiang Solar - Rockford Capital Bill - Statewide Unemployment in Illinois is steadily declining. Keep shouting fire if you want to, though. - Liandro - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 3:58 am: Chubs, I knew someone would post a few random places that popped up with jobs, and pretend tons weren’t lost elsewhere. Part of it is, obviously, the environment. But part of it is leadership that has done little to nothing to help out the overall business environment. Sure, you can focus on one or two here and there, get your pic in the paper, etc. But that is not nearly the same thing as a sustainable impact on the overall environment. There’s a big difference…so until then, you bet I’ll keep shouting fire. The place is burning down. - Liandro - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 3:59 am: And the capitol bill…don’t get me started. State doesn’t have any money, and everything we spent in there actually cost us far, far more after we pay all the interest on it. It wasn’t a structural change, it was a band-aid, and one we couldn’t even afford. - WizzardOfOzzie - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 6:52 am: “Part of it is, obviously, the environment. But part of it is leadership that has done little to nothing to help out the overall business environment.” Though the Chamber endorsed Brady (like they have a choice) ask Doug Whitley and Todd Maisch about the Governor’s office efforts to create and retain jobs. It’s a very business friendly administration that has worked with the Chamber of Commerce and other businesses directly to help them with limited state resources. The uninformed Republican talking points are getting tiresome, but it is silly season. And one more thing, who was in charge of the country when all the majority of the jobs were lost. A Republican. http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-jobs-lost-in-the-bush-and-obama-administration-2010-2 - Davey Boy Smithe - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 6:59 am: He should’ve also mentioned that he doesn’t pay enough in state taxes and would like to pay even more. - Suburbs - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 7:13 am: Seriously? How many Union Pipefitters only make the minimum wage? Not many. If they want more of their union members employed then there is only one choice…vote for Brady! - conda67 - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 7:19 am: He is trying to go back his base he has lost. The couple of good numbers he has got in last poles gives the people that may have gave up on him hope so will put money in for more tv time. - bored now - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 7:19 am: Ken Po wonders “Why would a swing voter in suburbs like this?” the answer is obvious: because it talks about jobs (and honesty — which i agree, illinois voters couldn’t care less about), the number one concern of voters today. Liandro: i suppose you aren’t well traveled — or you live in an area where it’s roads aren’t in the terrible condition that they are in the rest of the state. illinois’ roads are the worst, by far, in the nation. the need is beyond that already appropriated by the capital bill. you already see transportation companies trying to figure out how to avoid illinois’ crappy roads, and the infrastructure deficit is, without question, the number one concern cited by round table members as to why they wouldn’t increase investment in the state. but i guess the ostrich is the state bird of illinois, so why be different? it’s much easier to pretend that the solutions to illinois’ problems are simple, and can be changed by simplistic proposals from a candidate destined to be under federal investigation from the moment he arrives in office for corruption. i may be the only person embarrassed by the fact that federal prisons seem to be illinois’ retirement plan for its elected governors. at least pat’s honest. truer words have never been spoken. it’s also the one thing illinois doesn’t seem to care about… - Returning Dog - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 7:35 am: Brady needs to counter with a ‘Floyd the Barber’ ad - ‘I know Bill Brady ain’t perfect, but he has a nice head of hair. Pat Quinn’s bald head is no friend of a barber’s….let’s cut some hair!’ - Raising Kane - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 7:50 am: Ken Po, I will be surprised if we see a lot of these ads up here in the suburbs. They pretty clearly seem aimed at the downstate market. Its a good ad…different than the rest so it will stand out in the clutter. And I think people can relate to that message. It also hits on the one thing that has kept Quinn in the game….people believe that he is honest. And a lot of folks think his heart is in the right place. That is why Bill’s ad on the AFSMCE endorsement hasn’t worked. Nobody believes Quinn is a crook….incompetent yes, crook no. - Betsy - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 7:58 am: No real comment here except to laud Returning Dog on his post about Floyd the Barber. Great to start off the day with a laugh! Perhaps then Quinn could respond with a Vince the Vet ad to attack Brady on his doggy gas chamber proposal. - wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 8:21 am: A. Real people testimonials with straightforward scripts, little direction and no dramatics are the best. The new Kirk Bright Start ad is the same. I’m assuming the folks the in the Halvorson Social Security ad are real (not actors) but the script is too harsh and it becomes obnoxious after a while. Phony testimonial spots with actors in fake settings are the worst. It says: “I can’t find anyone who agrees with me, so I had to pay these folks from the D-List.” - Niles Township - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 8:47 am: I agree it is Quinn’s best ad, and probably the best of the season. Why? Well, every ad this season has had splashy graphics, ominous music etc. Sometimes the simple approach is more effective,. It is here. This ad penetrates more on the tax and minimum wage issues than the splashier ads because it is real. The closest thing Quinn had done to this ad would be the finsher ad he used in the primary, “You know me…” I can see that ad or something similar making a comeback given the question “who is this guy?” - Ken Po - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 8:48 am: Was Quinn’s “heart in the right place” when he called Blagojevich honest and ethical when he knew he wasn’t? - VoterUSA - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 8:51 am: Not bad, they need to do more of this, and NOW. Brady/Plummer, one is no taxes paid, and one is AWOL on showing tax returns. - OneMan - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 9:56 am: Not a bad ad.. But using the Boeing Metro East thing as an example of the Jobs he is bringing to the state is a little weak.. http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Major-business-coming-to-Metro-East-airport-101064934.html 75 jobs… One Wall-Mart in the city adds more than that I expect. And Navistar was all good to go until some NIMBY stuff almost killed it. That was not Pat brining them here. - Niles Township - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 9:58 am: That was not Pat brining them here ————– That was Pat saving the jobs after NIMBY almost killed it. Her personally met with Navistar execs along with his staff (and Lisa’s). The Navistar CEO credited Quinn when he announced they were staying and expanding the job base they have here. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 10:25 am: OneMan, you can’t really compare a WalMart job to a Boeing job. - Swing Vote - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 10:31 am: This ad only talks to Union members, thats very telling. The average non-union workers loath union workers and they are the unlikely voters that will be showing up to vote this year. The ad is terrible, unless Quinn’s target audience is union workers and if thats the case he would seem to be in the same situation as Phil Hare. - Bill F. - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 10:50 am: “This ad only talks to Union members” How do you figure? - Swing Vote - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 11:40 am: It is clearly a union message. Workers that are non-union will identify this very clearly and like I said before, non-union workers loath union workers. Nobody else will relate, therefore, this is an ad that clearly only targets Union members. Same as Hare’s ads that have been running for the last three weeks, doesn’t seem to be working for him either. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 11:52 am: ===non-union workers loath union workers=== Yeah? You must hate me then. - Swing Vote - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 12:13 pm: Are you in the trades? Have you been turned down contracts/jobs because of the power of these unions. We are talking about trade unions with this ad. I come from a non-union contracting family and I think I have a good understanding on the relationship between the two camps. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 12:23 pm: LOL. So, you’re a non-union contracting family. Say that. Don’t say non-union paople hate union people. - Swing Vote - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 12:34 pm: I said loath which means “not keen” or “against or opposed” it does not mean “hate”. Non-union carpenters and steel workers bid work for large contracting companies all the time. That’s where I come from, a one truck three employee carpentry family. It doesn’t matter, if the ad works, I’m wrong if it doesn’t maybe I’m right. In any case, I don’t hate anyone because they have a job, union or not. I especially don’t hate you. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 12:36 pm: You have found a very uncommon definition of loathe then. And, my main point was speak for yourself, not others. - Irish - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 1:21 pm: So the bottomline is, this plumber is against the Plummer. - hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 1:40 pm: This ad is even better after hearing about that ridiculous embarrassments had in other state races with paid actors, like the WV Senate race where they had to go to Philly to cast actors to appear as “hicky” blue collar people in “John Deer” hats and talk about why they needed to vote against the Democrat to stop Obama. - Just The Way It Is One - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 2:19 pm: An “A” ad. Direct. It says “Hey, I”M here workin’ and putting in an “honest” day’s work! Hey, if we have to put up with politicians and vote–and you’re daren right I’M votin’–it’s what Americans do, and ya see that American EAGLE on my hard hat (i.e. I’m patriotic, too, like you, Mr. Undecided Voter–especially when you’e like me, have to work HARD n’ value every dime ya earn–hey, and speakin’ of THAT, can you even BELIEVE that some Millionaire guy–who didn’t even pay TAXES (i.e. I, and you, buddy, dag nabit, we pay OUR taxes every year!) wants to be OUR leader–and even has the nerve to suggest cuttin’ back on–somebody who works hard like me–on their MINIMUM WAGE??? (And won’t, at least symBOLically even vote to lower his OWN salary, and yet is willing to cut back on the little bit us hard workin’ folks make–forget about it!!) The message is simple, INCREDIBLy effective, and right to the point: Hey, I might not be tickled with Quinn, but at least he’s HONEST (like us,) and tells it like it is, so heck, that’s the bottom line, that’s who honest, hard-working, scraping to get-by, true-blue/patriotic folks like me are votin’ for–so if you’re unsure, hey, I gotta get back to work, but you should play it safe and go with QUINN too! (By the way, the accent is A #1 Downstater, where we all know that Quinn and Simon need a boost). No, you’re right on with your assessment on this one, Rich–also, I thought I read earlier that PQ is introducing this fella to the President today while he’s here? - P.T - Thursday, Oct 7, 10 @ 9:27 pm: Looks like a fly around is planned on Monday with the Governor and Matt the Welder. This guy is gonna be huge!!! Hahaha - Flatlander - Friday, Oct 8, 10 @ 8:50 am: This is the definition of a grass roots commercial. The Quinn campaign had no hand in writing or producing this, it came out of a meeting of five people trying to figure out how to get a message out. Matt then wrote the ad himself. It is sincere, heartfelt, and honest. For those who view this as a union issue, you missed the point. This ad is to highlight an attack by Brady to diminish the earning power of the middle class. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.