* The Tribune profiles the Republican primary for governor…
For his part, Rauner might have been slow to take Ives’ candidacy seriously, but once the money started pouring into her campaign, the governor quickly pivoted to an offensive strategy.
He started airing TV ads and sending out mailers that labeled Ives “Madigan’s Favorite Republican,” pointing to less than $7,000 in campaign contributions she’d received from a Madigan-allied labor union, and comments she’d made touting Madigan’s support for some of her bills.
The mailers have been effective in some parts of the state, where voters have started to associate Ives with the unpopular speaker, an Ives campaign worker said.
Ives also spent money early to try to build name recognition among voters, leaving her with less for the stretch run. In an email fundraising pitch to supporters, Ives said she needs to raise $10 million by election day to get her message out in TV ads and for get-out-the-vote operations.
* And speaking of the Madigan angle, the BGA and Politifact have weighed in…
Rauner’s campaign ad said: “Who’s really behind Jeanne Ives’ campaign for governor? Mike Madigan’s corrupt insider machine. They’ve bankrolled her campaign with thousands in shady labor union cash, turning Ives into another Madigan lackey.”
A political committee that has supported Michael Madigan and a number of other politicians of both parties gave money to Jeanne Ives. And records show the contributions to Ives total $6,900, a far cry from the $2.5 million she has received from a conservative businessman who once was a major donor to Rauner.
Ives was once a loyal supporter of Rauner in the Illinois House, but broke with the governor last year because she claimed he had become too liberal on social issues. Central to her complaint was Rauner’s signing of abortion rights and immigrant rights legislation that Ives opposed and Madigan backed.
That is hardly a portrait of a Madigan lackey. Indeed, it is the opposite.
Rauner campaign claims about Ives and Madigan turn credibility and rational argument inside out. That is why we give them our lowest possible credibility rating, Pants On Fire!
The latest Rauner ad is here.
But does she have the money to fight back? It doesn’t appear so.
* Pearson…
Republican state Rep. Jeanne Ives’ campaign said Sunday it is up with a new TV ad that compares Gov. Rauner to former Democratic President Barack Obama.
“Bruce Rauner lies so much he reminds us of another Chicago politician,” a narrator says. The ad then cuts to a June 15, 2009, clip of Obama talking about a concept of the Affordable Care Act that didn’t happen. “If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period,” Obama says.
It’s unclear how widespread Ives’ ad will appear. No new advertising contracts for Ives have been posted by Chicago TV stations or cable since last month. [Emphasis added.]
Everybody wants to write about the hard-fought campaign as if the two candidates had equal access to messaging, but Pearson just dumped a lake’s worth of cold water on those hot takes. Ives has burned through her cash and can’t place new ads. That’s the real story here now.
I suppose the Ives campaign believes voters will read her new campaign book. She spent big bucks on that mailer, but I cannot imagine that it’ll move many numbers.
The “ad” is here, the transcript is here.
*** UPDATE *** Dan Proft pushes back against Pearson’s report. Here’s the printable part…
We had Quincy vets home all last week plus radio statewide. We’re on statewide nets plus radio this week with the “Neither Should You” spot
…Adding… More from Proft…
$300K buy delivering 560 TRPs in Chicago and another 1400 TRPs outside Chicago DMA, networks. This doesn’t include radio which is also up statewide. It may not be Rauner scale but that’s a real buy.
* Related…
* Rauner and Ives appear in Altamont, attend Lincoln Day Dinner: Rauner declined questions before leaving the dinner Sunday. In an emailed statement, Will Allison, a spokesman for Rauner’s campaign, responded to Ives’ comments, saying, “Rep. Ives is simply unelectable. She is refusing to stand up to Mike Madigan and won’t commit to rolling back his massive income tax hike. Governor Rauner has a plan to cut taxes and reform government, and that’s why he will win this primary and defeat JB Pritzker in November.”
* Ives brings ‘truth tour’ to Q-C: “It was not a hard choice getting in this race. It was hard for some of my supporters, knowing the daunting task going up against a guy who’s got millions of dollars, $100 million worth of name (recognition) behind him and three years of incumbency. How do you take a guy like this out?”
* Jeanne Ives’ challenge forces Gov. Bruce Rauner to keep eyes on GOP primary
* Rauner, Ives face off in Republican gubernatorial primary
* Arriving in ILGOP mailboxes statewide: The Governor You Don’t Know
- Spliff - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 8:40 am:
Saw an Ives ad last night attacking Rauner on the Quiincy Vets home on Peoria TV after the Oscars. 3 Kennedy Ads during and 2 Pritzker ads after as well. Saw no Rauner or Biss ads.
- wordslinger - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 8:43 am:
All that “attention” from that nasty Proft spot didn’t translate into grassroots contributions for Ives.
It was her mistake to let silly, self-indulgent children run her media strategy. Unless that was Uihleins’s condition for the $2.5 million.
- Amber Ale - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 8:49 am:
Husband and I got the Ives book last week. We argued about whether it will have a good return on investment considering it probably cost boatloads more to send compared to your usual piece. We settled on it probably being more impactful than any other single piece, and if you only have the cash for one mail hit statewide, might as well go big. But certainly won’t move the needle.
- former southerner - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:02 am:
Perhaps JB could lend Ives a bit of financial help in keeping with Bruce’s involvement in the democratic primary.
- Roman - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:03 am:
Interesting that there is no push back from the Tribsters (except Kass) on Rauner’s misuse of the editorial board debate video of Ives “endorsing” Madigan. If any other candidate was using their video to propagate such a blatant lie, Dold would be sending cease-and-desist letters.
- Canon - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:21 am:
Classic Proft campaign malpractice. Spent all his money when no one is paying attention. Now when voters begin voting, Ives is out of cash and dark on tv. But please, more stories on how great an “operative” Proft is. The ability to use poly-syllabic words does not make one a skilled strategist.
- brooog - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:33 am:
I find Ives’ politics revolting, but Rauner’s attempted attacks on her come across as so desperate and weak. Is anyone really fooled by the way he tries to portray things like that “there he goes attacking Mike Madigan again” line?
- old time golfer - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:37 am:
With Proft its never about winning,its about creating divisions so he can continue to be the self proclaimed messenger of the far right…
- Honeybadger - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:42 am:
The only campaign rhetoric Rauner has isthe “Because Madigan” schtick.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:44 am:
==Is anyone really fooled by the way he tries to portray things==
Yep. Rauner is able to repeat things so frequently with his ads and other appearances that they become “facts.” Not only that, but when one of these “facts” is refuted, the refutation is likely to reinforce the original (incorrect) information.
- Retired Educator - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:46 am:
If a win was the complete reason for running, then she may be out of luck. If the strategy was to weaken Rauner, she accomplished that mission. She has brought out his lies, ineptitude, and outright incompetence. The Quincy Veterans dying should wipe the Governor out. We are all veterans or have some in our family. I don’t know how even hardcore Republicans can support this guy. As OW says “He is not a Republican, he is a Raunerite” There is a big difference folks. Time to vote for what is right, not for the party. He doesn’t belong to it anyway.
- OneMan - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:47 am:
From what I can tell from twitter and facebook, her targeting on the book was terrible.
- walker - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:50 am:
Amazing how many Republican candidates are now “Madigan supporters.”
- Norseman - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:54 am:
=== … her new campaign book. She spent big bucks on that mailer … ===
To me, this says it all - incompetence.
- Ste_with_a_ven - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:02 am:
Maybe Dick doesn’t see a ROI with Ives anymore.
- Demoralized - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:03 am:
I got the book sent out by Ives the other day. Complete waste of money. Unless you are a political animal nobody is going to read that thing. That’s a lot of money to throw in the garbage can.
- anon - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:04 am:
== Classic Proft campaign malpractice. Spent all his money when no one is paying attention. Now when voters begin voting, Ives is out of cash and dark on tv. But please, more stories on how great an “operative” Proft is. The ability to use poly-syllabic words does not make one a skilled strategist.==
Poly-syllabic words from Thesaurus.com. LOL
- Mike Cirrincione - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:25 am:
What is the failed Illinois governors obsession with Mike Madigan?
- The Republican from election past - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:47 am:
Basically everything that Dan proft touches turns to smelly cacca. Unfortunately Dan Crop wins because he gets 20% of Jeannie campaign funds as her campaign manager.
What a deal.
- just sayin' - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:55 am:
Ives’ problem is she’s wasted so much money. First, after Rauner said she was just a fringe candidate she runs an ad cementing herself as a fringe candidate.
Now she’s mailing out a little book that no one is going to read which doesn’t mention that its author Chris Cleveland is also her campaign chairman. You can confirm that online on her D-1.
Btw, that little book smells, and I’m not referring to the lameness of it. I mean it actually smells. Cheap ink or something, I have no idea.
- A guy - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 12:20 pm:
In the last primary, there were some pretty chewed up fingernails before the final numbers came in and it sure wasn’t a runaway. We don’t have any data on what kind of a finisher Jeanne Ives is in a close race, but we have a primary and a general to look at on Bruce Rauner…it’s not like he burns through the tape at full speed. Enough “for her” and “against him” get together here and it could be more interesting and close than anyone imagines.
- Anonymous - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 12:34 pm:
A lot of coffee shop talk in western illinois about ives book!