70 Comments - KGB - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 12:48 pm: In the “Light” ad, I was really hoping that the last image would be a scary ghoul with a screaming soundtrack. - KGB - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 12:50 pm: Given his inherent wealth and threat to create a PAC to swap out legislators he doesn’t agree with, doesn’t Bruce Rauner himself qualify as a “special interest”? Is he going to shake himself? - Just Me - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 12:52 pm: First of all, most of them don’t pass the Rich Miller test of making sense with the sound off, and secondly some of them are TOO clever. For example, I doubt most voters know what a boom microphone is. A part of me wants to see this guy win to see how he manages the States multiple problems by shaking things up. It is easy to say you’ll cut spending in a tv ad, but harder to donut in real life. - Almost the weekend - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 12:52 pm: Snow Globe and Table I liked the most out of the seven, but overall I think these commercials are much improved than his previous ones. What was the ad buy? Or should I just assume I’ll see each one of these 15 second ads during the Monday Night Football game? - wordslinger - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 12:53 pm: No Cliche Left Behind. Personally, I think he’s voiding on my shoes and telling me it’s raining. That, I don’t need to see. - Stuff happens - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 12:54 pm: I felt like I was watching clips from rejected Geico ads. - wordslinger - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 12:59 pm: –I felt like I was watching clips from rejected Geico ads.– There are no rejected Geico ads, lol. They just empty the notebook, like Rauner does here. - Montrose - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:02 pm: They are good. Clever, on message, memorable. The hammer and the snow globe seem to work the best. While I agree with the critiques of his message vs. the reality of what he can and will do, the ads work for him. The fact is he can keep generating ads like these and the other republican nominees can’t do much. They don’t have the money to compete. He is making it Bruce Rauner vs. the non-Bruce Rauners. In a four-way race with projected low voter turnout, that is where he wants to be. - OneMan - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:04 pm: Not bad, they are funny and some of them do worth without the sound…. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:05 pm: Snow globe? “Rosebud”? - Snucka - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:05 pm: Bruce Rauner, crusader against special interests and insider deals. Hilarious. I guess he’s against special interests unless the interest is term limits, or independent maps, or protecting legislators from the Speaker of the House. - 47th Ward - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:08 pm: It’s pretty smart use of social media to promote the ads and push traffic to them. Voting on which ad gets aired on TV is a smart use of social media too. Providing new content for FB and Twitter is generally a good use of a campaign’s resources. Me personally? I’d vote for the lunch spot or the hammer ad to air. Rauner looked most ridiculous in both of those. - Chi - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:10 pm: Baron von Carhartt continues to run a campaign that might be a social experiment: can a successful campaign be run simply on platitudes and cliches. It’s a great experiment for campaign workers too; if given unlimited resources, can they run a successful campaign without committing their candidate to anything. - PoolGuy - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:13 pm: for the “Shake” one. if you have seen There Will Be Blood, then Bruce is saying “I drink your Milkshake!!!” - Rich Miller - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:13 pm: ===without committing their candidate to anything=== He’s committed to several things, he just won’t talk about stuff he doesn’t want to talk about. By contrast, his opponents have not laid out much of a theme at all. - OneMan - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:16 pm: He’s committed to several things, he just won’t talk about stuff he doesn’t want to talk about. Like virtually everyone else who runs for office… - PolPal56 - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:21 pm: The snow globe was good, but there’s something about the announcer’s voice that bothers me in most of the clips. He’s almost flirtatious, and it’s kind of creepy. At least the valet washed the vest this time. Brucie’s clothes don’t look so straight-off-the-rack, and that’s a huge improvement. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:22 pm: OW “Rauner Ad #1″ (Bruce Rauner, stands, looks around, zips up the fleece he is wearing, exits right) V. O. Bruce Rauner - He will fleece the state workers for Special Interests. ——————————– OW “Rauner Ad #2″ (Bruce Rauner sitting, appears to be writing a check, tears check out of checkbook, shakes it, stands, with check and exits right) V. O. Bruce Rauner - Writing Checks his account can Cash on Hypocricy. ——————————— OW “Rauner Ad #3″ (Bruce Rauner takes stuffed “Donkey” and stuffed “Elephant”, places them in a Blender, turns blender on, looks at camera, smiles. Blender stops, camera pans to blender, Rauner opens blender, $100 Bills only in blender. Close screen) V. O. Bruce Rauner - Making Donkeys and Elephants …a nice shade of green. - 244LSF - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:23 pm: Too similar to a former gov’s ad: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2010/11/01/blagojevich-appears-in-pistachio-commercial/ - PolPal56 - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:25 pm: Come on, Bruce, sing it! “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they’re like, it’s better than yours, I can teach you, but I’d have to charge…” - Shark Sandwich - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:26 pm: With apologies to all of irish folk music: ‘Whenever merit was not enough, Rauner lowered the boom! Oh, the Clouter! Oh, the Clouter!’ - Chi - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:28 pm: Are any debates scheduled yet? - Obamas Puppy - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:31 pm: Hard to even dignify with commentary, childish. - Linus - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:33 pm: Dawn Netsch’s “pool sharp” ad did wonders for her in ‘94. And let me in no way appear to be equating stateswoman Dawn with this dude. But what Rauner lacks in her name recognition and years of solid public service, he might make up for in terms of sheer $$$ to spread-around the eye-catching ads and help tip the primaries’ balance. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:36 pm: OW “Rauner Ad #4″ (Bruce Rauner stands, unzips fleece, takes off fleece, turns around, puts on hooded sweatshirt, turns towards camera to show “Payton Prep High School” sweatshirt. Winks, exits right.) V. O. Bruce Rauner - Doing for the kids. His kid. ———————– OW “Rauner Ad #5″ (Bruce Rauner stands behind table with carboard box on table labeled “Ballot Box”. Rauner looks around, pulls out a wad of cash, feverishly stuffing “Ballot Box” with cash. Finishes, smiles and winks at camera. Exits right.) V. O. Bruce Rauner - Stuffing the Ballot Box with his love. ———————- OW “Rauner Ad #6″ (Bruce Rauner sitting on running Harley-Davidson motorcycle, revs engine, smiles, turns off engine. Disonunts, exits right.) V. O. Bruce Rauner - Revving up the Rhetoric to keep away the Questions. - Downstater - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:51 pm: Love reading the criticism about Rauner, while he has everyone hear commenting on the ads. A smart fresh approach to social media and increasing his name ID. His Republican are huddling, with their campaign staffs, designing inserts for the local papers and trying to figure out how many pens and campaign bumper stickers to buy. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:51 pm: Last one … OW “Rauner Ad #7″ (Bruce Rauner stands in front of rotatable board with roadmap clearly being of Illinois. Rauner pulls a black marker from his vest, appears to draw a line through the word “Illinois” on the map. Stops to do take at camera, smiles. Writes below lined out “Illinois” in bold letters - “Wisconsin”. Caps marker, smiles at camera, exits right.) V. O. Bruce Rauner - Striking out for a differnt Illinois. - ScoutingSI - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:58 pm: And here, Bruce, gets greater advice than money can buy. Rich, maybe you should send him a bill on the commenters’ behalf. - OneMan - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 1:59 pm: In other news, in an attempt to impress selected CapFax Blog users Bruce Rauner tossed a stick into a pond, as it floated there is dog ran out and got it by walking on water… When asked later one of the invited users said… You know his dog can’t even swim… - Samurai - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:00 pm: If this guy does not win he goes down as the biggest goof in history - Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:10 pm: Ok, for - OneMan - Bonus OW “Rauner Ad” (Bruce Rauner, in Carhartt coat, stands next to suffed golden lab retriever. Rauner takes stick out of coat, shows camera, then throws out of shot to left. Looks at “dog” which obviously won’t move. Rauner looks does “shrug” take towards camera, exits right.) V. O. Bruce Rauner - Leading the way, where even a Dog won’t follow. - too obvious - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:11 pm: Last week he opposed the only pension reform on the table, and had no serious alternative of his own. The whole ego tour is just embarrassing at this point. - OneMan - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:12 pm: If this guy does not win he goes down as the biggest goof in history Have you met…. Andy McKenna, Rod, William “The Hog With The Big Nuts” Beavers? The list goes on……. - ndaggerscfo - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:14 pm: These ads really reminded me a lot of pistachio ads, like the one Blagojevich did - Chicago Cynic - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:15 pm: It’s amazing to me how much most of the commenters here are incapable of giving this guy the props he deserves for his campaign. I am not a Rauner voter and I’ll probably vote for PQ in the end, but as a strategist, you have to give he and his campaign credit for running a clever, coordinated, modern campaign, not just on media but seemingly at all levels. I’ve said for a year he was going to win the primary and I have little doubt that will be true. But the sophistication of his campaign compared to the what will come out of the PQ operation should be fascinating to watch. I still put my money on PQ but they better be ready to roll on March 19th as Rauner ain’t gonna take a breath. - John A Logan - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:19 pm: These are good ads. 15 second buys are where the smart money is at, and they help cement the “outsider” theme. I still think Rauner is a man without principle, and will fail horribly in the republican primary. That said, good job on the commercials. - walkinfool - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:21 pm: He’s not entirely wasting his money, and he has plenty to play with. Another good move, given his budget. - Samurai - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:26 pm: One Man, I have not had the pleasure of meeting Big Nuts, unless that is Rauner’s nick name. But I have met Andy and he is a little leaguer compared to Big Bucks Rauner. - A guy... - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:29 pm: Given the reaction I’m reading in the thread; these ads are working here. Some folks love them, a lot here seem to hate them. No one’s passive. They are clever quick reads and my guess is they’ll work. - OneMan - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:32 pm: Samurai, I would argue calling yourself “The Hog With the Big Nuts” automatically makes you the biggest goof (by far)… As for Andy, thinking you can run for governor in this modern age with the charisma of drying paint is another sign of being a huge goof… The way some people respond to Rauner you would think it was him to did actually cut your pensions not PQ… - Irish - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:36 pm: Ads below listed as they appear above. Ad #2 should be named ” Bruce Rauner - just another tool.” Ad #3 “Bruce Rauner finds out what the common man puts in a plain paper bag.” or “Bruce Rauner opens his very first brown bag lunch.” Ad #5 - “Bruce Rauner at his meeting with the state employees and union folks that agree with him.” Ad #6 - “Bruce Rauner finds out what happens when your soundman belongs to a union.” - Tom - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:39 pm: I’ve been saying it for months. Rauner is going to win and win big in the Republican primary. I am the last guy you would ask about Republican primary voters, but I can tell you this: He has assembled a first class staff, has great media, and the money to run it, plus he is surprisingly disciplined. Quinn better try to take him out now or he is going to have his hands full in the Fall. - Irish - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:44 pm: Ad #4 should be ” Nightmare on Main Street…..Bruce Rauner is your Governor.” - Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:46 pm: ===I am the last guy you would ask about Republican primary voters, but I can tell you this:=== If you are the last guy I would ask, why am I asking you to begin with? That is like asking me wether your million dollar airplane is going to fly. Telling us you are uneducated, does not mean your response is educated, according to you. - Chicago Cynic -, Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The fact that, for me, I came up with ads should tell you how I feel about them. To their value and impact, I have no idea as of yet. You risk a bit looking silly in ads to make a point, but when you can write $500K checks weekly to correct your image and your opponents cant rase that in totality, your margin for error is quite large. - Irish - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:49 pm: And Ad #1 - Bruce Rauner’s snow job… He won’t be affected by special interests. He really cares about the blue collar taxpayer.” - Samurai - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:55 pm: Ok, Big Nuts Beavers wins the biggest goof award. - Chicago Cynic - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 2:58 pm: Willy, These ads aren’t necessarily brilliant, but they are reasonably clever and part of a sophisticated and integrated campaign. Maybe at Rich’s City Club appearance, we could place a real wager on the race. - Biker - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 3:04 pm: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rZdAB4V_j8 - Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 3:05 pm: - Chicago Cynic -, I only bet Cannoli now, and it better be fresh. To your Post, I don’t think they are overly brilliant, nor do I think the concept is genius, but at least Bruce is trying to sell the Hypocricy in a different package, and that package is fun for me to mock at the same time. I am just “impresses” at the amount these ads are going to soak Rauner at the clip this Crew is producing them. AWillyWord Con$ulting, I apologize to you. No CLEO wins with these, but really, how many times can you point to a watch? - Sir Reel - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 3:13 pm: I really hope there’s some debates or the media hounds him. Untested candidates running lots of slick ads isn’t good for informed voting much less democracy. - Mittuns - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 3:18 pm: Cliches are this nation’s backbone. - langhorne - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 3:18 pm: the ads are cute, to the point of being precious. they reinforce his basic theme, but who do they motivate or educate? it may generate some traffic in social media, but will these really be primary (new, additional) voters who pull repub ballots? i doubt that. he can plaster them all over, but i just dont see them getting new voters to vote repub on a cold march morning. and there is nothing there there to convince established repub voters to vote for him. - DuPage Rep - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 3:55 pm: “Cliches are this nation’s backbone.” Best post of the day. - Rich Miller - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 3:59 pm: Agreed. - Willie Stark - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 4:08 pm: The praise for these ads is not so much an indication of how good they are, rather it’s a demonstration of just how low the bar is when it comes to political advertising, most of which is formulaic and stale. Definitely grading on the curve. - Arthur Andersen - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 4:20 pm: AA Rauner Ad 1: Rauner unzips (washed) vest, unbuttons (whoops) Brooks Brothers shirt half way, points to his chest and says “Not Another Stuffed Shirt Politician.” - Robert the Bruce - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 4:26 pm: “Light” was creepy. “Hammer” was wimpy. You’re going to raise that sledgehammer, swing it like the guy from Bar Rescue (or is it Restaurant Impossible?), son! - Endangered Moderate Species - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 4:26 pm: Rutherford and Brady must be frustrated. They know they must attempt to define Rauner, but can’t afford it this early in the game. OW makes a lot of good points, but I don’t see those points resonating with the GOP primary voters. They want change and Bruce is promising to give it to them. A skeleton in the closet is the only thing that will derail Rauner. Peyton Prep is not a skeleton. Many of the GOP primary voters will see the Peyton Prep incident as a badge of honor. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 4:33 pm: ===Many of the GOP primary voters will see the Peyton Prep incident as a badge of honor.=== So, GOP Primary voters, who poll that athey would not like a candidate close to Rahm Emanuel, and those not “liking” Chicago, or the Democratic Machine in Chicago … those GOP Primary voters will not have a message resonate that … Bruce Rauner called a Rich Daley Appointee, bought a condo, a 9th House in total, to deny a Worthy Child, so his Denied Daughter, who doesn’t even live in Chicago until the Condo, could take the spot of a Child who earned the right before Rauner’s Denied Daughter, because GOP Primary Voters don’t understand “merit” versus “Clout through Democrats”? Really? Character is an issue, I guess you don’t think GOP Primary voters care about character? - Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 4:45 pm: ===Many of the GOP primary voters will see the Peyton Prep incident as a badge of honor.=== So, I guess than Bruce Rauner will just come out and admit the Clouting, since it is a “Badge of Honor”? Funny thing, Bruce Rauner, calling it “Political Baloney” could just release all that information and clear it up pretty quickly, like the tax returns … Couldn’t he? - Rod - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 5:06 pm: I think Republican primary voters will like these commercials. Many Republican voters seem to believe there are no special interests on their side of the ideological spectrum. In the general election, well that is another question all together. Speaker Madigan based on his sharp comments about Mr. Rauner and the pension deal appears ready to turn out the vote for Quinn who is let us say not his favorite Governor. I especially like the Republicans on Rich’s blog providing good ideas for ways to attack Mr. Rauner, the help is appreciated. Let the beating begin. - Abandon Ship - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 5:55 pm: Totally lame. I do not see how this helps unless Rauner is trying to corner the simpleton vote. - MrCRPresident - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 6:40 pm: BREAKING: (Chicago, IL) Rauner continues to spend millions of his own money on pointless ads. This time, he buys 7 ads, for a total of 1:45. No watch this time! No flee…well, still the fleece. The twist? No words. Can this man give us a break? Really? Give us some proposals, Bruce. I only see one adult in the room, when it comes to running for governor. A guy who acts like he has been their before (oh wait, yes, he has by actually working the Gov’s office). Kirk Dillard. - Anonymous - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 7:05 pm: =Bruce Rauner today launched a new interactive, multimedia ad campaign across television, mobile and digital platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.= lol Look at me! Look at me! I’m not even bothering to watch anymore. Mr. Rauner, you need more of this…whatever it is. They certainly saw you coming and are only there to help you, for which I’m actually glad. - Just The Way It Is One - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 7:48 pm: Ugh. One silly cliche after another is NOT going to solve ONE SINGLE PROBLEM “in Springfield.” Ha ha–we get it with all of the silly imagery though. And one thing’s for sure, though–when ya have as much dough to throw around as THIS guy does, you can try just about ANYthing in terms of some slick, or different, Ad campaign to win. Such silliness–I couldn’t decide if I wanted to laugh or cry as I watched each new play on words…! - Anonymous - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 7:55 pm: =…you can try just about ANYthing in terms of some slick, or different, Ad campaign to win.= Or pay alot of people with dubious talent (but the right “resumes,” of course) a heckuvalot of money…for whatever reason. What an incestuous cesspool Illinois politics have become–and it is quite unbecoming. - Percival - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 9:13 pm: The others may not have the money to declare war this early, but Rauner is not defining them (yet). They are pounding him at every event on the Democrat ties. It may not be enough. - Percival - Monday, Dec 9, 13 @ 10:19 pm: Take away Bruce Rauner’s vest, the cheap watch, the bag lunch, and the other false window dressing of the common man, and all you are left with is a well-financed, slickly packaged iteration of the old Conservative tradition of demagoguery, now turned at various parties, some old, some new. Many campaigns turn to demagoguery, but it is remarkable how much Rauner has made it his cornerstone from the start. It may be puzzling to some why Dan Proft is sharply differing with Rauner, but I suspect it is because Rauner is merely aping elements of the “transcendent conservative” ideology of Proft without either the brains or the details. - Cook County Commoner - Tuesday, Dec 10, 13 @ 9:31 am: I feel left out. I haven’t seen a single Rauner ad. But I’m in near north Cook County. Guess Rauner knows better. - Think About It - Tuesday, Dec 10, 13 @ 10:19 pm: Quite honestly, I don’t want the cutsie, slick ads. I want to know the guy can run our government. So far, all 15 his 15 second ads don’t show me that he’s able to do anything. Slick is what put the last two governors in jail. Again, all show….no substance. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.