52 Comments - MissSmartyPants - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 1:52 pm: As usual with the Rauner campaign, both are good ads. - A guy... - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 1:55 pm: Both about a B+. Quick, efficient, easy to understand. :15 a lot less expensive to run a lot of. Interested to see what the placement looks like i.e. back to back or bookended on other spots. - Big Muddy - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 1:55 pm: Like Rauner, don’t like Rauner. The guy is running a top shelf campaign. - Norseman - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 1:59 pm: Both ads play to the base. I have to agree with Big Muddy. The killer ad better live up to its billing. The fat lady is getting ready to start singing. - Walter Mitty - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:01 pm: Very well done… Quite a box PQ is in.. Awaiting the new killer ad from unions… Should get it out yesterday… Rauner will just roll out an ad attacking all of them…the other 2..and PQ.. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:04 pm: “Why take a chance?” Covers the bases until the “Killer Ad” surfaces. Of course the Loch Ness Monster surfaces, but like that, will people see it and believe it? Tick tock… Tick tock - Just Saying - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:04 pm: Good ads; outstanding strategy. Rauner seems to be saying: Go ahead and attack me. I’ll attack the others and we’ll keep the status quo. Smart. - Rod - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:14 pm: The Rauner ad attacking Senator Dillard for being a registered lobbyist is dishonest. In 2000, he was dinged by the Center for Public Integrity, which criticized Dillard for being a registered lobbyist while serving as a lawmaker. Then with the law firm Lord, Bissell & Brook, Dillard said he registered to err on the side of caution but never lobbied for the firm. Because of the way the current lobbying law is written that is not an absurd explanation is it? Moreover, Rauner is trying with this add to turn registered lobbyists into some type of insider criminal class operating in Springfield. Does that include the registered lobbyists for the Illinois Manufactures’ Association too? Please let Jerry Peck know that ok. - Anonymous - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:17 pm: I`m still not picking anyone till march 18 but leaning. - phocion - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:17 pm: Dillard ad rates an A. Rauner is remaining on message attacking “career politicians.” The legislator/lobbyist hit will be particularly effective. Brady ad gets a B. Maybe lower-information voters may be aghast that legislators get pay raises like everyone else, but I don’t find it a problem. Nor is it a problem (for me) that Brady voted for “hundreds of millions for pork.” Isn’t it his job to support public infrastructure investments? Agree with what other commenters here are saying. Rauner is running a great campaign tactically and strategically. Rich, any hints on what the hit will be in the “killer ad?” - Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:19 pm: ===but I don’t find it a problem=== That pay raise issue always polls well. ===Any hints=== All will be known soonish. - veritas - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:20 pm: B+ - if I was completely uninformed I would vote for BR based on these ads. - A guy... - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:23 pm: Is “soonish” the same as “anonish” was in the time of Shakespeare? - Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:24 pm: I would like to see that picture of Rahm and Rauner … “holding” each other with an ominous script. Rahm is polling at 50% “unlikely to vote for someone close to Rahm” in a GOP primary… but that is “just me”… - Raunerbot - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:25 pm: Rich, Is there any truth to the rumor that the “killer ad” will feature family members of the plaintiffs in the resthome cases? - wordslinger - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:25 pm: The spots are fine, in and of themselves. Nothing special, but the montage of Brady stills is pretty funny. I’m not so sure about the media strategy. The other guys aren’t going to get on TV. Why bring them up, on TV? Why not produce fresh, positive spots on yourself? Seriously, Bruce, you’ve done the intros. Don’t you have a testimonial in your bag-of-tricks? A couple of sympathetic characters who will say what a swell guy you are? C’mon, dude, that’s basic — make your peeps work for it. They’re phoning it in because of air superiority. It’s kind of like the commenter earlier who saw the response to the nursing home spot five times in one night, but has yet to see the spot that prompted it. Why bring it up in markets where it’s not on the air? And if you’re going to go negative against the Other 3, why not continue with the sneaky PAC spots? Why put your name on it? I bet it has something to do with the buy and who-gets-what. There’s a big pie there to be cut up and a lot of voices howling for a piece, I’m guessing. - MrCR - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:27 pm: Where does Rauner cite anything in his ads? For all we know, it could all be BS. - Chicago Cynic - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:29 pm: Disagree Word. The point of these ads is to prevent anyone from becoming the Rauner alternative. He knocked off Rutherford (or helped him knock himself off) and now he doesn’t want either of these guys to get any traction. Very smart. - Almost the Weekend - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:39 pm: Would have liked to see the negative Rutherford ad before he executed the plan “How to lose a campaign in 10 days.” - IbendahlLuvsJBT - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:42 pm: No citations to back up claims. Weak ads. C- - Arthur Andersen - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:42 pm: Tactically they may be smart but they’re dirty, mean-spirited and misleading in the case of Dillard and I don’t like them. It’s also outrageously hypocritical to tweak Dillard for his vote on the Pension Bonds “$10b in debt” when it’s very possible that Rauner’s firm GTCR got a slice of that cash from TRS or ISBI. As they say, follow the money. - PoolGuy - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:44 pm: Didn’t Rauner just say last night during the debate that he doesn’t attach his opponents? oh wait not until after the debate is finished. - PoolGuy - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:46 pm: attack. ugh - too obvious - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:50 pm: Good. Maybe it will motivate Dillard and Brady to stop running such wimpy campaigns. Their time is almost up. - Reformed Public Servant - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:51 pm: The lawyer letters will FLY on these - patently false and without backup to any source. Rauner launched his lawyers at attack ads that were cited with authority. These are self-serving with no attribution for viewers to verify. Rauner must think (know) it’s a no-intel voting base! - Commonsense in Illinois - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:52 pm: Good ads…short and unmindful of actual facts explaining what the charges are. Reminds me of Buddy Bishop ads from the 70s and 80s. - wordslinger - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:56 pm: CC, I have no problem with negative spots. But you don’t want to look mean-spirited or kicking someone when they’re down. As far as one of them becoming the Rauner alternative, I guess they’ll have to tear each other to shreds before that happens. I would have had the spots in the can, but I wouldn’t have spent any money on them now. Looking at the polling, I can’t see a reason to. This might be the only time these two guys get on TV. Positive spots featuring Uncle Bruce would have been better. - wordslinger - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 2:59 pm: –The lawyer letters will FLY on these - patently false and without backup to any source. – Lot of good that will do. Somebody contracted to produce and place the negative spots and they want to be paid before the train leaves the station. Lot of money on the Rauner Train. - Polls - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 3:00 pm: After 11 million spent, the panic begins. Let’s hope the GOP voters continue to make Bruce nervous as they turn from him. - Just The Way It Is One - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 3:11 pm: Well ya just knew THIS was comin’, and that it was just a matter of time, for good ‘ol Brucie to show that he’s up to the old tricks again. Obviously, with the lead and as such, a BIGger Dagger and Slice of the GOP “Contribution$” Pie (shucks he practically OWNS THAT Pie!), ya just knew he’d come out like a shark with vicious attempts to try and cut each and every one of his opponents down to size and chop them up into bits and pieces WITH that same, huge dagger. And all of this hypocritcally coming on the very HEELS of how Brucie was boasting pontifically just last NIGHT in the Debate about how HARD he’s tried to aVOID slamming his GOP Opponents…yeah RIGHT! As to the Ads, oh, they respectively have GOT to sting each of ‘em somewhat, but they’re ALso lightweight in some regards: C on the whole. - Raunerbot - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 3:17 pm: ==lightweight in some regards: C on the whole== There is nothing lightweight about an ad with D-Lard. - William j Kelly - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 3:44 pm: Who said Brady and Dillard couldn’t get on tv? Wow that rauner is sure generous if it weren’t for his commercials nobody would even know there was a campaign going on! - Wensicia - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 4:05 pm: He who controls the airways controls the universe! With all due respect to Frank Herbert. - Illinois Man - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 4:34 pm: Rauner’s air war has been superb. Only thing that could trip him up would be if all the people convinced by the ads stay home, and only the hard core GOP voters show up. Given how weak the remainder of the field is, however, I’m not sure if even record low turnout would make any difference. - Anonymous - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 4:36 pm: I just saw these ads on tv. They are running back to back to create a full 30 second spot. It makes them lose some effectiveness… - Grandson of Man - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 4:43 pm: “Rich, Is there any truth to the rumor that the “killer ad” will feature family members of the plaintiffs in the resthome cases?” The nursing home legal mess is ongoing. In one case, the estate of one of the deceased former nursing home residents is trying to collect the lawsuit settlement and is alleging that the nursing home company fraudulently tried to evade liability. If one wants to apply the business model in running the government and was a businessperson, it’s only fair to scrutinize the business activities. If I got anything wrong, I apologize in advance. My brain is fried. Another winter storm is coming down the pike. I wish everyone the best in Springfield and central Illinois, where the storm is supposed to be at its strongest. Uncle! - Think About It - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 4:47 pm: Lousy - DuPage - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 4:49 pm: @2:51PM=Rauner launched his lawyers= Rauner claim is the nursing home cases were “overturned”, (he did not claim they were untrue). That doesn’t mean the people did not die. It just meant his lawyers got him out of it. Kind of like OJs California trial. If you have good enough lawyers, you can get away with almost anything. Rauner has enough money to buy an army of good lawyers. - Just The Way It Is One - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 4:59 pm: ==the rumor that the “killer ad” will feature family members…== Oh I wouldn’t be shocked at ALL to see that angle presented with suffering Loved Ones revealed as to how deeply and horrendously the Nursing Home Debacle has devastated their lives and that there would be more residual Fall-Out from the Rauner company Lawsuits ,because when I hear different people talkin’ about it at work and how despite all those deaths and mistreatment of innocent Senior Citizens, Rauner still made “BILLions?!” When ya hear comments like that from “regular” folk who sound really now instanTAneously turned-off by Rauner as a result, I KNOW it’s having a real impact, and they as Voters ARE looking to find out more… - Oneman - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 5:07 pm: Well, hate to say it but most people in nursing homes die there… The question kids if it was due to consistent negligence and if that can be pinned on Bruce and his company. (Commented a while back the nursing home ad would work better if the family was involved) Also what is false about the ads about Dillard and Brady? Was Dillard not a registered lobbyist while being a member of the legislature? I don’t think the issue is someone was a lobbyist, but being one while a member of the legislature will rub some folks the wrong way. Dill Brady never vote for a capital program? I think you could say the same things about anyone who has been in the legislature for 20 years regardless of party. That’s the downside of being a legislator you have a record and anyones voting record (or a list of bills the submitted) could be cherry picked to make them look bad. It’s a fact of life. - Wensicia - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 5:11 pm: ==Well, hate to say it but most people in nursing homes die there== Well, they’re going to die anyway, so what? is not the best defense. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 5:12 pm: ===Well, hate to say it but most people in nursing homes die there…=== Thanks for sharing. Really made my Friday. - Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 5:16 pm: ===“killer ad” will feature family members === From what I was told a week ago, at least one, yes. Stay tuned. I think it’ll be any minute now. - Spike - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 5:20 pm: I am deeply offended by Bruce Rauner’s characterization of Illinois being in a death spiral. I am deeply offended by all politicians dragging Illinois and all Illinois politicians through the mud for their own personal political benefit. - Oneman - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 5:25 pm: == Well, they’re going to die anyway, so what? is not the best defense. == True but outrage will come from cause of death not death it’s self. The other question is, considering how well the ad work has been for Bruce so far, do they have a couple of counters already ready and if so will they overwhelm the Union stuff? - Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 5:32 pm: ===True but outrage will come from cause of death not death it’s self.=== That makes it all better I guess, instead of … ===Well, hate to say it but most people in nursing homes die there…=== Still, a nice Friday gift… - Bocephus - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 6:05 pm: Rauner’s people are always spot on. They are running some of the best and most polished campaign ads I’ve seen in a state that tried to roll out Squeezy the Pythoon. Money is one thing, but a campaign team that stays on message and produces these kinds of ads looks like a winner to me. Very impressive. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 6:14 pm: ===Rauner’s people are always spot on. They are running some of the best and most polished campaign ads I’ve seen in a state that tried to roll out Squeezy the Pythoon.=== Squeezy the Python was not a campaign Ad. Even the Rauner Crew knows its not a campaign Ad. Lot of commenters seem to just brag on the Rauner Crew and “woosh”. Maybe Scrimpf has Schrimpferbots? lol - Bocephus - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 6:56 pm: Never said Squeezy was a campaign ad. But it did come from PQ’s people who are way overmatched this time. “I’m just an old Cracker Barrel guy” is not going to play this time for PQ. Maybe he can tell people he’s “the Education Governor” again. Good luck with that. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 7:25 pm: Quinn just hired a Campaign Manager and using his Ad people from last time, so saying “they” created Squeezy…well, that is a bit “misinformed” Good luck with that, lol - MyTwoCents - Friday, Feb 28, 14 @ 9:01 pm: What bugs me about Rauner’s ads is his lack of decent sources. None in these attack ads (which I saw twice on different network stations in Springfield tonight), no dates or questionable sources in others. Yes it’s a minor thing that most people don’t care about but it’s just a basic thing they cannot grasp. - Donkey Dem - Monday, Mar 10, 14 @ 9:41 am: Quinn better start saying his prayers… Right now it looks like Rauner is going to clean his clock no matter how much money the mob ( excuse me, unions) dump into his campaign ! Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.