* Korecki…
Data kept by Advertising Analytics show the single ad that Team Rauner put the most money behind aired just four days before the March 20 primary. It was a response to an ad the Democratic Governors Association released that called Rauner challenger, state Rep. Jeanne Ives, too conservative for Illinois, a spot aimed to strategically push Republican primary voters toward Ives.
In a sign of the potential impact of the DGA ad, Rauner’s campaign spent more than $1.7 million to air this response 1,162 times over four days. It’s the highest dollar amount the governor’s reelection campaign spent on any single ad throughout the campaign. Of that, more than $1.2 million was dedicated to a single market: Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, that central Illinois swath Rauner desperately needed to keep from defecting to Ives. “Conservative voter alert,” the ad begins in all red. “The same Washington liberals that support J.B. Pritzker are now helping Jeanne Ives with last-second ads. Why? Because Jeanne Ives has already surrendered to Mike Madigan. Liberals are highjacking the Republican primary in Illinois.” In the end, Ives lost to Rauner by fewer than 3 percentage points.
* We talked about this ad…
* Illinois Review is not pleased. Check out: “Rauner and Democrats’ campaigns tricked Central Illinois GOPers in final days of primary.”
- PJ - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 9:56 am:
Maybe if Central Illinois GOPers spent 15 minutes on google doing research before they voted, they wouldn’t have been “tricked” by those cunning devils at the DGA. It’s not really that hard to be an informed voter if you choose to, so I have trouble feeling sympathy for people who allow themselves to be so easily taken in.
- Wow - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 9:57 am:
UNITY!!!
Nope.
- Retired Educator - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 9:57 am:
When a man like Rauner has proved time and time again that he has no moral compass, this should surprise no one. In the upcoming election cycle he will lie, distort, and seek to fool people into blaming anyone but him. He is at 26% and that is way to high for this ineffective Governor.
- wordslinger - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 9:58 am:
That DGA ad really stung Rauner, and presented Ives in a very positive light for GOP voters on her issues.
Too bad for Ives’ that she allowed the Proft kiddie korps blow all that money self-gratifying themselves on that repulsive, low-rent intro ad.
A few tweaks to the DGA ad as the intro, and she’s the winner.
- Thomas Paine - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 9:59 am:
Conservatives ought to concede that they lost the race in the collar counties where once again Dan Proft has proved he does not know how to put together a field operation.
Turnout in DuPage was down 20,000 from where it was four years ago in the primary.
Yes, Ives did come within three points, a remarkable showing of Rauner’s weakness.
But it was thanks to the help from Democrats, a remarkable showing of Proft’s incompetence.
Rewind the tape and tell me the ad and the Superbowl buy and the book mailing were good uses of resources.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 10:01 am:
=== “Rauner and Democrats’ campaigns tricked Central Illinois GOPers in final days of primary.”===
Bruce Rauner is NOT a Republican.
Bruce Rauner IS a Raunerite.
Illinois Review can’t be mad, Raunerites either owning or fooling Republicans has been going on since late 2013, ask Diana Rauner, lol.
How’s that rebuilding gonna go there, Raunerites?
Seems like Illinois Review still isn’t too happy.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 10:11 am:
When you put a think to it…
A sitting governor, after 3 years, that still can’t identify with his/her alleged party affiliation… who is fooling who… “you’re probably not a… “
- Roman - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 10:17 am:
If the Proft crew took the $2 million dollars they wasted going after Jim Durkin and instead spent it downstate defending Ives against the “Madigan’s favorite legislator” attack, she would be the Republican nominee for governor right now.
- Anon0091 - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 10:17 am:
What a bunch of whiners over at Illinois Review. Look, Rauner lied absurdly in his ads about Ives, but the D ads presented her as the conservative she claims to be. So what’s the problem?
- wordslinger - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 10:23 am:
Illinois Review’s anger over the DGA ad reveals a lack of critical thinking skills. That spot was a slam-dunk winner for Ives.
Why do they think Rauner went apey and spent so much dough to knock it down?
- Board Watcher - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 10:36 am:
That DGA ad is what got Ives so close. Cant understand Illinois Reviews argument over this ad and how it hurt Ives. However I cant understand Proft and IR’s opinion on most anything.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 10:53 am:
So the Illinois Review is complaining that central Illinois republican voters were “ill-informed”?
What is Illinois Review’s purpose for existence?
Happy blame someone else day.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 11:29 am:
Conservative voter alert:
Bruce Rauner is not a conservative.
—explosion of debt and deficit
—businesses getting stiffed by the state
—higher ed getting whacked
—weak job growth
—decades of profiting off of the public sector
—whining impotently and taking no responsibility, blaming others
—lying and having contempt for social conservatives
- vanilla ice - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 11:37 am:
Illinois Review makes me laugh. Where were they for the last four years?
== Illinois Review’s anger over the DGA ad reveals a lack of critical thinking skills. That spot was a slam-dunk winner for Ives. ==
Completely 100% agree.
- Profteering - Friday, Apr 13, 18 @ 1:06 pm:
=== If the Proft crew took the $2 million dollars they wasted going after Jim Durkin ===
Or if the Proft crew didn’t nickle and dime Ives to death, she would have had some gas in the tank. These guys get you coming and going!