84 Comments - Blue dog dem - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:06 am: It’s a great,great video. I needed a good belly laugh to start my week. Thanks for all you have done Gov Rauner. - Saluki - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:24 am: He never does say if he is seeking the Republican or Democratic nomination. /Snark. I give it a B + - What's in a name? - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:28 am: Doesn’t he have something like 9 homes? Maybe he could go fight for one of the others. - Get it Solved - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:31 am: Is this the new Harley Davidson commercial? Introducing the new Governor edition Ultra Classic. The only thing missing was the Sons of Anarchy theme song playing in the background. What ever happened to the old VW van? - Carhartt Union Negotiating Team - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:36 am: At least Chrysler had something worth buying… https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FIVjCghMo2E - Anonymous - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:40 am: I guess someone had to fill the Republican ticket. Failed governor? Yes. Failed legislature? Yes. - Gruntled University Employee - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:41 am: Hey Bruce, you forgot the part about Illinois now being the only state in the union to offer State funded, on demand, abortion. - Henry Francis - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:42 am: Well, I guess this bumps the Governator down to #2 as the toughest, most bada$$ governor of all time. And I think the music is different enough from Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” so he won’t get sued like that New Zealand political party did. I think we are going to see a lot of this Macho Man going forward. The privileged north shore venture capitalist has been able to pull it off with some of the people all of the past 4 years. I can’t see any of the dem candidates (a) trying to or (b) being able to pull it off. So the Guv will keep beating the drum that he is the toughest guy in the race. And with the Madigan Hate Machine cranked up as high as it ever has, we need the toughest guy to fight it. - Arsenal - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:43 am: I can’t rate it because 1) I can’t rate any of these; and 2) It’s pretty much nothing but more of Rauner’s TUFF BIKER GUY cosplay, so it’s only going to be effective if people still buy that. I have no way of knowing that. If that thread last week about toxic incumbents needing to basically hide in their ads is correct, this is a failure. - dbk - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:49 am: “They said it couldn’t be done … that it was crazy to think this place couldn’t be saved.” As an Illinoisan, I don’t especially enjoy having my state referred to as “this place” in a rather derogatory tone. Depressing, too long by about 30 seconds, and too much biker imagery. And that “historic technology partnership,” etc. - is that what he announced like, last week? - Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:54 am: I’ll rate it in a second, but the counter argument to this whole phony ad, which will be great for Rauner is this. Here’s the transcript of the Bret Baier interview, a snippet that counters this phony… ===BAIER: All right so you talk about Madigan, you demonize democrats in Springfield, but basically there is gridlock here. You’ve got rising state debt; you have increasing taxes, and kind of a lousy economic climate right now…. RAUNER: Yes. BAIER: Businesses may leave your state. RAUNER: Oh, they’ve been leaving. BAIER: So what would be different in a second term?=== If you are running what you “think” is a credible campaign for governor against Bruce Rauner and you “decide” to take on this video and forget to include these huge omissions of Rauner failures… You are indeed doing it wrong. Rauner admits he’s s failure, Baier asks what would be different, for the love of Pete, you just say “Rauner is wrong” without these Rauner omissions… please find something else to do for the next year, your own competency is in serious question. To the Ad, It’s an “A-” that if let unanswered will be a beginning to the revisionist history that Rauner has admitted has been a failed first term and not change will occur within a second term. Also, this social agenda wins were not why Rauner was elected, but are touted here as the cornerstone of a second term, and it’s done really well, trying to seem thoughtful and sane as the Right and that anger will fuel Rauner’s chance at rehabilitation. Good to see Ole Slip and Sue… and the costumes they wear will work and keep this in the “A-” catagory Why not an “A”? Closing arguments are where you make the personal appeal. Kickoffs are about others calling upon one to “make a difference”. Narrators and Rauner making his case is done really well, but closing arguments are where you want those, not a kickoff. It’s an “A-” - Crazybleedingheart - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:54 am: Ohhhhh. This rebel’s only competition is “career politicians”! “More like Daniel BOSS, amirite?” - Kid - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:58 am: A. And that’s what I expect his video team to keep producing. No one is even close to his video crew and it continues to prove beneficial throughout the last 4 years. - Demoralized - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:59 am: He chooses to fight. Because that’s been successful to date. He didn’t limit his attack to Madigan. He’s once again thrown the entire legislature under the bus as “corrupt.” It’s deja vu all over again. I didn’t much care for the ad. But then again I pay attention to politics. If you aren’t paying attention I’m sure you’ll eat this ad up. Illinois is “corrupt” where nothing gets done. That just reinforces the thoughts a lot of people already have. To me, though, this ad solidifies what I already know. He didn’t get anything done his first term and he isn’t likely to get anything done his second term. - Demoralized - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:00 am: Forgot to rate it. It’s a good production. It’s an “A” ad. - Iggy - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:01 am: A. A resounding A. His voice is clear it didn’t sound like he dropped many if any G’s. The imagery was perfect, and he basically admitted that he hasn’t been perfect but there is room to achieve. I notice a lot of comments have already called him out for using a tough guy persona but they wont admit how smart it is especially when your current opponents look like they would turn their backs in fear if a football was thrown towards them. I think its a great look, a much needed shot in the arm, and honestly as much as I dislike tax payer funded abortions, thats not anything JB or Kennedy can use to attack the gov. This is a race of smoke and mirrors, who can dress up better. Both JB and Bruce are playing characters and at this moment I think Bruce is more believable. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:02 am: - Kid - I’m sure you see this as a cornerstone to that 70% Downstate plurality… Harleys are Union-Made while trying to diminish and hurt Labor, it’s like the spoof ad mocks Bruce in hopes no one will notice. Right now, the small ball lunacy of the “Big 3″ make this ad so much stronger. - Roman - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:07 am: Not bad, given the lack of material he has to work with — B+ Lots of Dem talking points: crim justice reform, ed funding, holding corporations accountable, clean and renewable energy. I’m sure Jeanne Ives will notice. - Honeybadger - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:09 am: At one point in his ad, he says he looked people in the eye, but he fails to tell us, how he LIED to the people. He did have a social agenda, he was out to destroy unions and he almost single handedly (with the help of unknowing Raunerites-LOL) destroyed Illinois’ institutions of higher learning. I agree with OW, if this goes unchecked, he will have succeeded at revising the real history of what he has happened. So, with all of this in mind-it does get an A. I hate to admit it. - Honeybadger - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:12 am: On another ad that has been produced for him featuring a “housewife”, is that the same woman his campaign people used 4 years ago? The one that was used in multiple tv ads by different people running? Sorry if this was asked before or on another day. - The Bronzed Statue of Michael Jordan - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:13 am: Everyone pointing out there aren’t any black adults in this video is wrong. I’m in it. They didn’t make me sign a release or anything but it must count. - Crazybleedingheart - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:17 am: ==Lots of Dem talking points: crim justice reform== LOL. You read “reform” into the script, which (appropriately) left it out. Neat trick, though, I noticed it. People who want reform assume that’s what it means. But it’s an image of CPD promoting is position, whatever that may be, on criminal justice. So if you want to fly a blue line flag, you too can feel free to imagine yourself into this ad. - Cassandra - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:20 am: Good ad, and hardly a surprising decision. Not to run would be an admission of failure by a highly competitive individual,as I said last year when the question came up. I’ve stopped making predictions about who will win having failed utterly with Quinn and Hillary’s last runs-I thought both were unassailable. Not sure I’ll vote for guv either, as we look towards a race between two massively rich persons. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:21 am: This was also the rejected “Dad’s Home State” open because HBO said having people laugh too hard in the open sets up episodes that may fail to live up to the comedy that IS the “Bruce” character. Plus, HBO made clear that Bruce in the biker costume should be a punch line, the running gag, not the plot line, unless a person who dresses up phony to be taken seriously… So we scrapped it. - Big Jim - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:23 am: Trying to sell a used car that admits failure, literally. It gets a D. - Kid - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:25 am: 30,573 That’s a decent amount of miles on the ole girl. He must genuinely enjoy riding considering his schedule the last couple of years. - Iggy - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:25 am: wow big Jim, maybe you should try viewing something without your partisan goggles on. that was not a D ad and you know it… - Roman - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:40 am: I have to amend my previous post. I watched the video on silent because I was in the quiet car on the train. I assumed the campaign statement Rich posted was the text of the script. Having watched it with the sound, I know I’ll give it a C. I don’t think anyone’s gonna buy Bruce’s Halloween dress-up routine. - Anon - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:44 am: The ad is slick — i’d give it a B. He threw in the “cross” near Effingham. I guess that was just a subtle poke in the eye who still believe that this man has any core beliefs. - Lunchbox - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:50 am: This is a good video. That being said, when he mentioned “Looked people in the eye” I couldn’t not think of his broken promise to state legislators on HB40, heh. - Obamas Puppy - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:50 am: Fraud - Truth Squad - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 8:57 am: Obviously you aren’t going to get objective critique from the Lake Shore Liberal peanut gallery in this comment section. As a Rauner critic on the center-right, I think this admitted some failure with a broad opening gusto of things he still wants to accomplish. Obviously a little too much DC ad firm flair, but still a good video. A here. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:00 am: ===Obviously you aren’t going to get objective critique from the Lake Shore Liberal peanut gallery in this comment section.=== Whey did Oswego get moved to the Lake Michigan shoreline. Don’t claim victimhood for as the rationale of critiques. Thank you. - Neveranonymous - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:05 am: So is this idea to get Congress to override the Illinois constitution what a rebel, Harley-riding politician does? If you want to change the state’s constitution, there is a process available to do that. It isn’t easy of course, but it wasn’t intended to be. If the governor persists in this nutty campaign to undermine the state’s constitution, something he vowed to uphold when he took office, there is a process to resolve that problem, too. - AC - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:14 am: ==Lake Shore Liberal peanut gallery in this comment section== Is that Lake Springfield, Rend Lake or the bastion of liberalism, the north shore where Rauner has one of his homes? - Scott Cross for President - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:17 am: Grade:B Well produced, little substance, won’t break through and resonate. - Montrose - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:20 am: I am clearly not the target audience, because I thought it was awful. The faux machismo, bashing of our state, the inability (or unwillingness) to name what he has done since he took office. I rate it a D. - Nick Name - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:23 am: Why does he have an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor patch on his vest? He never served in the Marines. Fraud. - Rod - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:25 am: Harley-Davidson has been laying off employees and sales are declining for several years now. Simply put as a market analyst was quoted in the Chicago Tribune business section in July: “Younger Millennials, thus far, have shown dramatically lower interest in riding motorcycles than have prior generations.” Rauner is simply playing to his base, of middle age and even senior men who who envision themselves young through their toys. A younger working person who is carrying thousands of dollars in student loan debt or a struggling non-college graduate isn’t going to pony up to pay for a new $25,000-plus bike, along with insurance and other related costs. The mechanically inclined can buy a used Harley, there are thousands of well maintained ones on the market being sold by seniors who simply can no longer safely ride or want to convert their bike to three wheelers. This Harley thing with Rauner is wearing thin. - Anon - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:26 am: Slightly off topic, but I pray that Jeanne Ives gets on the ballot. - VanillaMan - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:27 am: A stomach-churning fraud. - Flynn's mom - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:32 am: It’s really bad for so many reasons…..he’s not the man of the people, he fought against school funding, he tried to decimate social services and the middle class and his costumes are old and tired. It’s time to turn off the lights and say good night Rauner. - Sideline Watcher - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:33 am: OMG…this is disgusting. 7 state universities were downgraded to junk bond status in ONE DAY. So now the biker jacket with all the patches and pins is replacing the Carhart jacket and plaid flannel shirts? If this is what fighting for me gets us…please. Stop. Our universities, businesses, and credit rating can’t take much more of this. - wordslinger - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:36 am: If you buy the old MTV video premise of Biker Bruce toolin’ round the state in his Robocop costume fightin’ for the little guy, it probably works just fine for you. I wouldn’t have had Rauner do the narration. He can’t fake sincerity very well. He sounds like he’s studiously sounding-out unfamiliar words for the first time, like a child learning to read. Why’d they go with the Eminem knockoff? The imagery is all “Little Pink Houses,” they should have got a Johnny Cougar needle-drop knockoff. Some of the people, all of the time, still probably want their MTV. I’d suggest a second version with the lt. gov. riding along in an Aussie cowboy hat and fringed buckskin to a knockoff of “Born to be Wild.” - Rabid - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:37 am: i thought good guys wear white, black bruce wants a towel fight - Rabid - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:44 am: i don’t understand the crucifix, is that Illinois sanctioned religion, or a jab at his opponent - Happy Retiree - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:46 am: -I choose to fight.”- ….and so far that’s worked out so well. S/ Actally it’s turned out well for him… 2015:$188 Million. 2016: $91 Million - A guy - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:50 am: His video crew has been the most solid thing about him. This ad is excellent from start to finish. They know how to do it. Every campaign should be studying just how well this crew does a video from concept to completion. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 10:15 am: ===The man asked you to rate it, not start a diatribe into the economics of Harley Davidson ownership and the plight of millennials.=== Welp, why have Rauner on a Harley then? It’s a prop, and in ads, what’s in them make them what they are. Further, who sees the ads and the target audience and who can be moved by what they see or hear is very germane to the ad itself too. So, you claim since 2013, and rating the ad by also looking at the props used and who it might connect with is an… ===… open-therapy sessions for leftists across the state.=== Yikes. Maybe you are a “Kid” and you should let the adults discuss it(?) - Cubs in '16 - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 10:17 am: My takeaway…. We’ll get Fonzie if he’s reelected. - 47th Ward - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 10:19 am: ===I’d suggest a second version with the lt. gov. riding along in an Aussie cowboy hat and fringed buckskin to a knockoff of “Born to be Wild.”=== I was imaging Sanguinetti riding in a side car, with Munger riding on back, sort of like George Hanson. But as A guy already noted, this is an academy award nominee for sure. A tour de force, a magnum opus, it cannot be topped, except by the next Rauner video, which will be even more excellent. AAA+++ - wordslinger - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 10:31 am: Kid, do you plan on being a whiny victim all your life? At least get paid for it. There are certainly some media outlets where it’s lucrative. I’m sure you’re familiar with them. - Avelt - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 10:31 am: Great ad! Rauner will win in 2018 and the state workers and paid public employee union functionaries can spend another four years sobbing away while he accomplishes real reform with a Republican House. - Rich Miller - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 10:34 am: ===Kid, do you plan on being a whiny victim=== Kid is actually banned for attempting to impersonate Oswego Willy the other day. But he keeps changing his IP address and handle. - Lamont - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 10:45 am: Some people (Madigan) wear the minimum amount of flair on their biker jackets. Governor Rauner is just bursting with flair on his biker jacket. Illinois is all about flair! - DeseDemDose - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 10:59 am: Rauner rerun of “Harley Barbie dress up day” and with more phony baloney pins and patches. - Anon221 - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 11:05 am: Third try with edits: The opening makes Illinois look apocalyptic, will really win over those Amazonians. I stopped the video at the 1:24 mark, and took a good look at the odometer. 30573 miles. Now, I realize most people won’t do that, especially if the ad runs on TV, but consider this- Lone Wolf Rauner brags about travelin’ the state on his Harley with “Governor” tattooed on his jacket. 30573 works out to 8735 miles per year. Not very impressive. And, it’s laughable to think that he never has a police escort. Rating not on cinematic “value” but on how he continues to falsely portray our State in order to win re-election. D, and I’m being generous. - Trapped in the 'burbs - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 11:18 am: Visually, the commercial is beautiful and will appeal to voters who don’t pay attention. The reality is that the Democrats have to point out his many failures, his lies and his habit of saying different things to different groups. His has gone this far without ever answering direct questions. So, like Trump University or any of the countless products sold on late night tv, we will learn that the product we actually receive doesn’t look anything like the commercial. - Trapped in the 'burbs - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 11:19 am: *He has gone… Sorry for the typo - Blue dog dem - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 11:28 am: Ok. I was wrong. No way I thought he would run. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 11:46 am: ==No way I thought he would run.== I, too, fantasized that a second run would be too damaging to bother with. That he could just declare Springfield shaken up and move on to a new project. Then I woke up and realized that running is the only thing he’s done and the only thing he knows how to do. What else is there. - don the legend - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 12:15 pm: …Bruce ended illegal patronage hiring conducted by Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn…. Leslie “Wingman” Munger may be a legal hire but Bruce sure does stretch the concept. - Barrington - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 12:16 pm: Beautiful and well done video. Nice to see local shots, recognized one in my neighborhood. Targeted to current Rauner supporters, though the Harley image seems to be a misfire. Rauner also seems to be trying too hard in reading his lines and there are the dropped gs. A professional video that works with very little material and accomplishments. Would be an A if this was not an ad for an incumbent. - Chris P. Bacon - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 12:16 pm: Note he doesn’t drop his ‘Gs’ this time. Just more confirmation that whole shtick was always a sham. Just being on the bike I guess checks the hillbilly box. - Rich Miller - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 12:22 pm: ===Note he doesn’t drop his ‘Gs’=== He drops one. - Ghost - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 12:39 pm: It’s an effective ad, but it sure leaves him open for a counter attack. Will be interesting test to see if the JB gets a counter ad out. - Barrington - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 12:55 pm: In the spirit of accuracy, “then there is the dropped g.” I will note that there was one word that ended in ing in the video. Smart stript writing. - Boone's is Back - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 1:11 pm: Grade- C+ I actually watched this for the first time after reading the Fax earlier that described it. I had higher expectations after reading about it. The one thing that really stuck out to me was the image of him… all alone. Nearly throughout the entire ad (save for a few shots of b-roll around a kitchen table and at a job site). But that image reminds me of his dark, desk video address for the budget. If I were him I wouldn’t want the solo image being what sticks out for a reelection bid. There’s a stark difference between fighter and winner. - Responsa - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 1:32 pm: ==Will be interesting test to see if the JB gets a counter ad out.== You mean JB on a Harley? - Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 1:35 pm: ===You mean JB on a Harley?=== Pritzker on a Spree scooter… - Anonymous - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 2:04 pm: “Pritzker on a Spree scooter”. That would never work JB’s saddlebags would leave it at a standstill. - Mike Cirrincione - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 2:12 pm: So the former day trader/nursing home cafeteria manager went from Carharts to Harleys? Worst. Governor. Ever. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 2:41 pm: The JB ad will have the Speaker on the Harley and JB in a sidecar as he is clearly being taken for a ride. - IllinoisBoi - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 2:44 pm: Remember the old “Keep America Beautiful” commercial that ended with a face shot of an actor dressed as a Native American with a tear running down his face? That’s almost how I expected to this commercial to end, but with Rauner’s face, and biker gear, of course. - Suzie - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 3:28 pm: Here is my take on this. To win the election; the suburban vote is in play - significantly the female suburban vote. This add appeals to a different demographic than that one. First, as was mentioned motorcycle riding is declining because of safety concerns - riding a motorcycle is viewed as “risky” or “unsafe” behavior - sends a subliminal message that Rauner takes risk - not sure that is a good quality to promote. This video also is very negative in nature - you end the viewing by almost needing a drink and honestly I think people are tired of that fighting mentality. Is it really a fight? There is fighting in Washington, neighbors on opposite political views are fighting, we have a President that wants to start a fight with everyone — and now this Gov wants to keep fighting?? In the end, I think people just want someone who will get the job done and this negative ad focuses too much on the bad and not enough on the good. I think he loses on this and the green pizza ad. D+ - Team Warwick - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 3:49 pm: Montrose said it. Im not in the demographic for the intended target audience it seems. Not intellectual enough. And women in their 50’s have jokes about mid life crisis males on motorcycles dontcha know? They mistakenly belueve they are “chick magnets”. So i winced kinda. Cliche. Harley owners term for owners of other motorcycle brands is -posers. As in strike a pose. Gimme a peace sign eh. - Moderate Condor - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 5:48 pm: They misspelled Leslie Munger’s name at the end. - Da Big Bad Wolf - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 7:08 pm: Meh. A C. Anyone with a fair amount of disposable income and a sense of balance can buy and ride a motorcycle. There are some cute kids in the ad. Some nice landscapes. - Generic Drone - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:11 pm: Grade C- If Rauner had more flair on his jacket, that’d be grreaat. - Rabid - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 9:12 pm: bedazzled - Shannab - Monday, Oct 23, 17 @ 10:06 pm: I hope Maze Jackson will ask him what in it for the black people? Since the Governor’s video thinks we were not worth fighting for. - Rabid - Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 8:33 am: ultra classic white male - TinyDancer(FKASue) - Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 9:03 am: Easy Rauner? Biker Brucie? It’s a little early for Halloween. - TinyDancer(FKASue) - Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 9:11 am: Can’t help it - I keep picturing him breaking into song: The Jets are in gear, Our cylinders are clickin’! Madigan’ll steer clear ‘Cause every Democrat’s A lousy chicken! Here come the Jets Like a bat out of hell– Someone gets in our way Someone don’t feel so well! Here come the Jets: Little world, step aside! Better go underground, Better run, better hide! Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.