Getting out in front or opening the door?
Monday, May 8, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Zorn…
The first commercial from Illinois gubernatorial hopeful J.B. Pritzker smartly attempts to minimize what could be large issue for him.
Pritzker, a billionaire entrepreneur and one of a raft of Democrats hoping to face incumbent Bruce Rauner, the presumptive Republican nominee, in 2018, is a man of conspicuous size; girth of the sort that opponents might slyly try to use against him.
But unlike other hefty pols who wear concealing suit jackets and extra-long ties, Pritzker appears in the opening shot of the 60-second spot in button-straining shirtsleeves and an unflattering open collar.
“I’ve been thinking big since the very beginning,” Pritzker says, smiling to the camera next to superimposed photos of him as a chubby baby and husky boy.
The rest of the ad is well-executed boilerplate, but in that first 10 seconds Pritzker humorously deflates the potential overinflation issue by saying, in effect: Yes, I know I’m overweight, let’s get past that, shall we?
* Initially, I felt the same way as Eric. But then somebody reminded me of Chris Christie’s first governor’s race back in 2009…
It is about as subtle as a playground taunt: a television ad for Gov. Jon S. Corzine shows his challenger, Christopher J. Christie, stepping out of an S.U.V. in extreme slow motion, his extra girth moving, just as slowly, in several different directions at once.
In case viewers missed the point, a narrator snidely intones that Mr. Christie “threw his weight around” to avoid getting traffic tickets.
In the ugly New Jersey contest for governor, Mr. Corzine and Mr. Christie have traded all sorts of shots, over mothers and mammograms, loans and lying. But now, Mr. Corzine’s campaign is calling attention to his rival’s corpulence in increasingly overt ways.
Mr. Corzine’s television commercials and Web videos feature unattractive images of Mr. Christie, sometimes shot from the side or backside, highlighting his heft, jowls and double chin.
Christie didn’t make an issue of his own girth like Pritzker has done. Instead, he waited for Corzine to make the first move and then ginned up a backlash. Here’s one of Christie’s responses…
“There’s a lot of people out in New Jersey who have the same kind of struggles, and I think that kind of stuff is just beneath the office that the governor holds,” Christie said.
Christie also confronted Corzine: “If you’re going to do it, at least man up and say I’m fat.”
* And now that Pritzker has opened the door, the online insults have begun. Here’s just one of them…
So, now I don’t know what to think.
Your two cents?
- Crime Is Down? - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:30 am:
I don’t think it’s as big a deal as Pritzker does. Pun intended.
- MSIX - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:30 am:
If you point out that making an issue of a person’s appearance is childish bullying and they do it anyway, that says a lot about the childish bully. Right, Dan Proft?
- Truth - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:32 am:
If we are talking about size, Dan Proft should look down and go be quiet in a corner.
- Come on Man! - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:34 am:
First, who cares but if we are going to discuss…
Obesity tends to be a working and lower class ailment. Definitely gives JB the working man vibe he is so desperate to create.
On the other hand, I think of the Kathleen Madigan- no relation- bit where she says Oprah is so rich should could hire someone not just to trainer her in the gym but have someone who’s sole job it is to slap food out her hand. Far be it from anyone to talk about someones medical troubles without any other information other than visual, but JB’s girth is not a product of food deserts and lack of resources.
- The Way I See It - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:37 am:
No one is really paying attention other than the politically motivated. Now is as good a time as any to test out how to address the issue
- crazybleedingheart - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:39 am:
https://capitolfax.com/2017/03/15/caption-contest-332/
The fat jokes here appeared before the ad.
I don’t think it opened the door.
- Illinois O'Malley - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:42 am:
@Dan, stick to flying your plane. Your lack of knowledge really shows through- both Illinois and NJ are giver states, so kicking either one out reduces federal benefits for at least 40 other states.
- Rocky Rosi - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:42 am:
No one cares about a politicians weight. People only care if the politican can make the state more livable for working families.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:42 am:
To Proft,
Proft is already a caricature. Mocking people or yelling at people and things is his schtick.
Proft actually giving a thoughtful critique, on anything, would be the caricature of Proft. That would be funny. Proft being thoughtful to policy or politics, I mean, that’s hysterical. Proft here only reinforces that Proft’s crudeness is his way to mock his own Northwestern University pedigree and privledge view of those not Dan Proft.
I’m not surprised about the tweet. I’d be mite surprised had Proft not tweeted. He can’t help himself.
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:44 am:
Gotta own it. Honestly, in response to Rauner’s “I flipped burgers” ad, JB could have said “Well I’m a fat billionaire that inherited a fortune, but I never destroyed Illinois” and I would have cheered.
- hot chocolate - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:46 am:
Must have skipped your Monday morning coffee. Shouldn’t be persuaded in any way by Proft ever.
- Honeybear - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:49 am:
Look, I didn’t choose the name honeybear out of the air. I’m overweight as well. It’s a huge struggle for a lot of people. There are a lot of factors involved. Is it going to effect his ability to govern. I don’t think it would at all. As a matter of fact I think it’s an asset. For me it’s humbling and a reminder that we all struggle with things. it’s humanizing for me with Pritzker. It’s actually inspiring to me. I can achieve big things too. Even if I’m fat. Those who poke fun and judge only show their cruelty and bullying nature. It proves money can’t buy everything. And like me I’m sure he’s working on it so that he can be around longer for his children and spouse. Don’t judge. Applaud him.
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:49 am:
===People only care if the politican can make the state more livable for working families===
Um, no.
- Norseman - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:51 am:
Size would be a minor issue if Pritzker can stick to a coherent message. Message discipline is the BIG factor for the candidate. Hopefully, he and his campaign are fine-tuning the messages he needs to convey to the electorate.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:52 am:
His weight doesn’t bother me. The vaguely passing facial similarity to Blago does make me wince a bit.
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 9:58 am:
===Shouldn’t be persuaded in any way by Proft ever===
The dude has spent millions of dollars on campaign ads. So, you’re wrong.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 10:00 am:
With Illinois having grave problems, and with Rauner being one of the worst if not the worst governor in Illinois history, I didn’t pay much attention to Pritzker’s weight in the commercial.
There is one angle that Pritzker might be able to use to his advantage if he possesses it–authenticity, as it applies to appearance. Rauner wears those phony working class costumes. That’s something Pritzker can exploit.
- Cool Papa Bell - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 10:04 am:
@Ron Burgundy - I thought I was the only one who saw that.
Anyway, watching TV last night and the JB Big ad came on and I asked my very non political wife what she thought of the ad and even primed the pump saying that guy (she didn’t know him) was trying to diffuse a potential problem, and asked her to identify it. She couldn’t come up with it till I told her. Then she kinda got it and said like Christe. So that’s a focus group of one from the outside.
- Altois - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 10:14 am:
Democrats? Fat shaming? Tsk, tsk, tsk. How insensitive.
I don’t care how fat, or thin, a guy is as an elected official.
I do care about his ideals, his ethics, and his record. He could weigh 150# or 450#, for all I care.
- A guy - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 10:21 am:
There are a number of caricatures for
- A guy - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 10:27 am:
There are a number of caricatures for people of large girth i.e. Fat Cat Politicos, or sloppiness on the negative side. But, there are positive ones too i.e. Jolly people or people who are real…and do in fact struggle with weight.
Being a little self-deprecating is a tool for people in a public forum. Making a plus size person more fun, more real, more human. The commercial didn’t do it as well as it could have. But, I think it was the right approach.
Heck, even good pics of JB are going to demonstrate he’s a big guy. Might as well brush it off, as I’m guessing he’s done many, many times in his private life among friends and acquaintances. Acknowledge it and move on with the conversation. i.e. “I may be more curvy in stature than my opponent, but my delivery is straight”.
- Arsenal - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 10:28 am:
I mean, it’s basically both, right? I doubt anyone’s going to vote for or against Pritzker “just because” he’s fat, but if he projects an air of authenticity and self-deprecation about the issue, that will be attractive to voters, and make his opponents look even more churlish when they inevitably go after his weight.
- DeseDemDose - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 10:40 am:
Proft (bust out talk show host) and Rauner (bust out governor) are both sour and insincere with ulterior motives. JB Pritzker can crack a smile, and has a likeable Jackie Gleason persona. Looking forward to the debates.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 10:47 am:
Rich, I’m not sure why you think he opened the door. Nobody with eyes is going to be confused by the fact that Pritzker is not svelte.
As we all know, likability goes a long way in politics and he comes across as super warm and likable, partially because he’s making fun of himself. He shows he’s genuine and has a self-deprecating sense of humor in a way that neither our governor nor president can pull off. Best indication I’ve had that it was successful is all the GOPers who’ve told me how much they begrudingly like the ad.
Taunts from Proft are like breathing for him -
they were inevitable.
- DuPage Saint - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 10:49 am:
The guy is a billionaire as everyone says. Maybe the weight issue humanizes him. It certainly makes him more like the “common man” than riding around on some motorcycle in a carhart jacket wearing cheap watch and trying to talk like the good old boys. Rauner just screams phony
- Not It - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 10:58 am:
Other than on this blog, I don’t think I’ve watched a commercial in over a year, except during the Super Bowl.
- Up North - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 11:01 am:
“Rauner just screams phony”, and, wow, I can just imagine Proft as a child bully. It makes the contrast with JB even more dramatic.
It boosts JB’s trustworthy/honest/adult image… or reality… even more.
- A Jack - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 11:11 am:
It has always been Christie’s loud mouth more than his weight that bothered me.
If Proft and company want to start making jokes about JB’s weight, they will just alienate a lot of voters.
And the other side can start making joke about how scrawny Rauner looks, like Rauner could be blown away by a strong Chicago wind.
- Retired Educator - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 11:27 am:
Aaron Del Mar is the one politician with real sumo wrestling experience. He’s posted the videos to prove it.
Is Del Mar sweating the bill to dissolve township road commissions?
- Responsa - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
JB (and Chris Christie) have both dealt with the girth jokes and taunts their whole lives I bet. So much so that it has become part of their personalities. CC did have a surgical procedure and lost a little weight but he is clearly still on the obese side of the scale. JB has a year and a half to show he can lose some weight consciously and safely. And I think he should try to do that–both for his own health and, while he is a candidate, as a purposeful inspiration to others in IL fighting the same battles with weight.
Every person I know who has lost 20- 40- or 60 pounds and kept it off has gotten a new lease on life because they feel better all around and they know and show they have taken more control over their own bodies and health.
- yinn - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:36 pm:
==JB has a year and a half to show he can lose some weight consciously and safely. And I think he should try to do that–both for his own health and, while he is a candidate, as a purposeful inspiration to others in IL fighting the same battles with weight.==
JB has a year and a half - in fact the rest of his life - to do whatever the heck he wants. He is a grownup. You don’t get to set goals for him. And unless you are a part of his inner circle, it is a conceit to assume you have a handle on people’s health just by looking at them.
- Boone's is back - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:59 pm:
Proft is no twig himself. Those in glass houses Dan…
- Michael Westen - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 1:02 pm:
Being called a loser by Dan Proft. Now that’s gotta really hurt.