* Background is here if you need it. From the back and forth late last week over Paul Vallas’ record…
Vallas has tied his personal opposition to abortion to his Greek Orthodox faith.
But he has emphatically insisted he is firmly committed to upholding a woman’s right to choose while maintaining Chicago’s role as a safe haven for women who have been descending on the city since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
As evidence, Vallas pointed to statements he made and the endorsements he received from Planned Parenthood and Personal PAC while running for governor in 2002 and lieutenant governor in 2014 as a Democrat.
Garcia doesn’t buy it.
“His words and his likeness speak clearer than anything else about where he stands on issues. He said he ‘fundamentally opposes abortion.’ Not sometimes opposes abortion. Not in certain circumstances. He said ‘fundamentally’ he opposes abortion. Chicagoans deserve to know that,” Garcia said.
Chicago has a choice. Paul Vallas, a lifelong Democrat who will bring accountability to City Hall. Protecting our values. Ensuring Chicago is a safe haven for women whose abortion rights are denied in other states. Putting your safety first. Enforcing the governor’s assault weapons ban. And confronting the violence that threatens our neighborhoods. Paul Vallas will hold our police department and everyone at city hall, including himself, accountable. Paul Vallas, accountability. Protecting our values. Putting crime and your safety first.
Man, that ad really clicks a lot of the right boxes for that race.
* When the Sun-Times asked candidates: “Would you earmark annual funding to support Chicagoans or visitors seeking abortion and other reproductive health care?” Vallas was one of two candidates who said “No,” but clarified…
“I would provide funding through the general appropriation process. The money can be decided through regular budget processes.”
52 Comments
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:15 am:
Vallas has the right strategy for this issue. It was kind of desperation to make the Mayor’s race about abortion. Sure, it matters somewhat, but it is not primarily what the 5th floor is about. Vallas’s position is where a lot of people are too. They personally think abortion may be immoral, but don’t think the government should be telling people how to make moral decisions.
I saw that ad Friday and felt the same way. He covers a lot of ground here. His advisors are doing good job and he staying on script. Helps when you have some money coming in. His opponents will be coming after him full blast . If this ad is any indication of how he responds i like his chances.
I found it overwhelming with both the words and narration, but it was more effective when I watched it with the audio off. I’m surprised he didn’t add the Tribune endorsement at the end.
Why didn’t he just say “yes” to that question? Saying you’ll provide appropriation for a program is basically the same as saying you’ll earmark funding for a program. Vallas is being too wonky.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:25 am:
===It has become a touchstone issue. Ignore it at your political peril, which is why the ad is so strong.===
We’ll see its effectiveness. I don’t think it would be as big of an issue if the incumbent had a stronger record.
===really clicks a lot of the right boxes for that race.===
This is everything to what is understanding a campaign season or race.
Getting ahead and understanding the race in context to the needed message, while making it about “who” a candidate is in these contexts.
Agree, disagree on Vallas the candidate, you can even be one to vehemently be against Vallas, but it’s this type of ad that hits the marks while others aren’t going after the soft spots.
I don’t think a lot of people here care for Vallas or the job he did at CPS.
CPS is a disaster and has been for decades. Poor management and CTU have really made leading CPS career suicide. I thought Vallas did a reasonable job during his time, but it also coincided with the beginning of the CPS pension disaster.
I thought he ad was very good. But I have a hard time believing in VAllas based on what has happened with him since he left CPS.
I went to a candidate forum on Friday night in Beverly, which you would think would be a stronghold for Vallas. The church where the event was held was packed on a Friday night. All candidates except Willie Wilson were there. Vallas was the only person who got booed by the crowd. And afterward, every person I spoke to said they definitely would not be voting for Vallas, including my entire book group of white, middle aged moms. He really antagonized the crowd by saying that Chicago had shut down schools for 15 months. Did he think that CPS teachers were on an extended paid vacation during that time instead of working hard to adapt their lessons to an online platform and stay connected with their students? It was an interesting strategy.
what Big Dipper said….but OM..G he’s having an event with Catanzara? oh now my just a person watching brain is really angry. is he bringing his 2019 contributor from San Antonio Gus Vallas who may be the cop involved in a deadly on duty shooting early in 2022?
Yep. It used to be “I’m personally opposed, but won’t impose my religious views on others” was a standard pro-choice position for Dem politicians. Post-Dobbs, that’s no longer good enough for a big junk of the party’s activist base.
The main question is, can a less than ideologically pure stance on abortion deny Vallas votes he would otherwise get? I suspect the answer is no, at least for now. But there’s little doubt abortion will be a piece of the larger “Vallas-is-a-Republican” attack he will face in a run-off, should he make it. If he can effectively refute that narrative (and this ad is a decent start) he can win.
==More importantly, Garcia has not yet put his ad up on broadcast TV and Vallas is out with a “pre-response”…==
Last week, I said that MLL’s team would be perfectly happy for Garcia to make this attack. I’d now like to ammend that to add “…but they would much rather he do it in a way that someone ACTUALLY SEES.”
It’s a bit odd to think abortion being such a huge factor this past November will not seemingly not be a huge touchstone going forward.
Until the country gets to a national abortion rights status that might to mirror Roe or with greater freedoms… abortion is now the cornerstone to policy going forward
Garcia is desperate, yes. But Vallas also has no business being anywhere near the Mayor’s office, with his FOP endorsement.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:02 am:
===Might be what the election is about, though, if the voters say so.===
It is not on my top 3 issues for the mayoral election. If you did a focus group of likely voters, I doubt it would be a top 3 issue, but that’s just my instincts. It’s bad out there for the average Chicagoan.
” When the Sun-Times asked candidates: “Would you earmark annual funding to support Chicagoans or visitors seeking abortion and other reproductive health care?” Vallas was one of two candidates who said “No,” but clarified…
“I would provide funding through the general appropriation process. The money can be decided through regular budget processes.”’ so, trust me? both/and? this could be both/neither. over and over and over again Vallas is saying/behaving in ways that progressive people cannot trust.
He can nail his broadcast ads and say all the right things when it comes to promises and talk his policy juju, he gets destroyed in a runoff over AWAKE IL connections, views on abortion and privatization, and shacking up with the FOP like he is today.
Voters get the government they deserve. The Mayors’ office barely touches abortion. Moving abortion to center stage tells me that opponents have little to offer.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:27 am:
A decent ad overall. But this sentence makes no sense: “Putting crime and your safety first.” Putting crime first means what?
Presumably he (like all candidates) is against crime and for public safety. Perhaps he meant to say “Putting fighting crime first?”….
==Moving abortion to center stage tells me that opponents have little to offer.==. Yes. These are all Democrats. By and large they all agree on the issues esp in contrast to today’s GOP so they must look for whatever distinction to separate themselves from each other.
Has Vallas been asked if he agrees with Catanzara’s take on the vaccine mandate for city employees:
But John Catanzara, president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, told the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday that, “we don’t want to be forced to do anything.”
“This ain’t Nazi f***ing Germany, [where they say], ‘Step into the f—ing showers. The pills won’t hurt you.’ What the f***?” he said.
@Andrea Durbin, thanks for that interesting commentary. I’m sure the white middle aged moms were also interested that keeping schools closed stopped the spread. it’s so intriguing that some seem to think kids can’t spread serious disease.
== If you did a focus group of likely voters, I doubt it would be a top 3 issue==
Fun speculation, but the voters are kinda rubbish at explaining their votes. Abortion didn’t rank that highly in November, either, but somehow the pro-choice candidates basically held on.
We’ve all learned about abortion opponents who claim the right to an abortion and birth control is “settled”. It’s only settled until they find a path to revoke it. I hope Chicagoans look carefully at Vallas’ past affiliations and performance. Vote for someone else.
Saying abortion should be a lesser tier item is saying that women and their rights are just not important.
That being said, I don’t think Vallas is pro-life. I am far more concerned with his Awake appearance.
I just see no reason to elect someone that a bishop can force them to behave in other ways than the voters would want.
What I find interesting about Vallas is that he seems to have learned since his time in NO and CPS. In both cases he was criticized for not paying enough attention to the low performers in the school district. His plan that he has put forth calls for paying particular attention to that population. These students don’t just disappear when they drop out of school. They show up in the crime reports and in the homeless population etc. Figuring out a way to turn their abilities toward useful endeavors while they are in school is essential. And that may involve determining that this kid is not academically inclined, but has a skill toward… (that’s the hard part, what is the kid capable of)
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 1:50 pm:
===Fun speculation, but the voters are kinda rubbish at explaining their votes. Abortion didn’t rank that highly in November, either, but somehow the pro-choice candidates basically held on.===
Republicans lost because they’re extreme and crazy. Personally, Vallas’s cozying up to the crazies agitates me against him more than his just fine position on abortion. If he is a real Democrat, he should know better than to embrace the nuts, but he just wants power and attention anywhere he can get it.
Dear Chicago, as you consider your vote, you may find interesting the video of the officer involved shooting in San Antonio involving an officer named Gus Vallas, a contributor to Paul Vallas in 2019. it appears that the guy who may have had a gun, but was falling into water, a creek or some catch way between rows of houses, as he was shot. and far enough away from cops that one wonders. as it warms up, I don’t look forward to watching the city get caught up in controversy again. ask for details, from the candidate and the media.
@Amalia, at the Friday event, Vallas was the most combative, rude, and aggressive candidate there. He really lost the crowd, which is astonishing to me, given that he is from this area, and would likely consider this his “base.” I probably heard from a dozen or more people — white middle class people — how they would never vote for him. So while this ad may be persuasive, his in-person campaigning is not helping.
@Andrea Durbin, wow. thanks for that insight. and here we thought Lightfoot was the only abrasive one. someone will find those people you talked with and see if they will go on camera and express their feelings that they would never vote for Vallas. wow.
Just saw the ad on tv and from across the room it makes it look like the quotes pulled are from him. I don’t think they are. if not, false advertising, simply stating what is happening in our state.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:15 am:
Vallas has the right strategy for this issue. It was kind of desperation to make the Mayor’s race about abortion. Sure, it matters somewhat, but it is not primarily what the 5th floor is about. Vallas’s position is where a lot of people are too. They personally think abortion may be immoral, but don’t think the government should be telling people how to make moral decisions.
- Tom - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:16 am:
Joe Trippi is doing the TV for Vallas, and it shows.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:16 am:
===Sure, it matters somewhat===
It has become a touchstone issue. Ignore it at your political peril, which is why the ad is so strong.
- Regular democrat - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:18 am:
I saw that ad Friday and felt the same way. He covers a lot of ground here. His advisors are doing good job and he staying on script. Helps when you have some money coming in. His opponents will be coming after him full blast . If this ad is any indication of how he responds i like his chances.
- Boone's is Back - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:20 am:
I found it overwhelming with both the words and narration, but it was more effective when I watched it with the audio off. I’m surprised he didn’t add the Tribune endorsement at the end.
- Just Me 2 - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:21 am:
Why didn’t he just say “yes” to that question? Saying you’ll provide appropriation for a program is basically the same as saying you’ll earmark funding for a program. Vallas is being too wonky.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:25 am:
===It has become a touchstone issue. Ignore it at your political peril, which is why the ad is so strong.===
We’ll see its effectiveness. I don’t think it would be as big of an issue if the incumbent had a stronger record.
- Jerry - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:27 am:
A “right” to choose? Or a Right to Privacy. There is a difference.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:27 am:
===really clicks a lot of the right boxes for that race.===
This is everything to what is understanding a campaign season or race.
Getting ahead and understanding the race in context to the needed message, while making it about “who” a candidate is in these contexts.
Agree, disagree on Vallas the candidate, you can even be one to vehemently be against Vallas, but it’s this type of ad that hits the marks while others aren’t going after the soft spots.
- JS Mill - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:29 am:
I don’t think a lot of people here care for Vallas or the job he did at CPS.
CPS is a disaster and has been for decades. Poor management and CTU have really made leading CPS career suicide. I thought Vallas did a reasonable job during his time, but it also coincided with the beginning of the CPS pension disaster.
I thought he ad was very good. But I have a hard time believing in VAllas based on what has happened with him since he left CPS.
- Andrea Durbin - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:39 am:
I went to a candidate forum on Friday night in Beverly, which you would think would be a stronghold for Vallas. The church where the event was held was packed on a Friday night. All candidates except Willie Wilson were there. Vallas was the only person who got booed by the crowd. And afterward, every person I spoke to said they definitely would not be voting for Vallas, including my entire book group of white, middle aged moms. He really antagonized the crowd by saying that Chicago had shut down schools for 15 months. Did he think that CPS teachers were on an extended paid vacation during that time instead of working hard to adapt their lessons to an online platform and stay connected with their students? It was an interesting strategy.
- Big Dipper - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:41 am:
I don’t think a lifelong Democrat would cozy up to Catanzara or Awake Illinois. In fact, rather than distance himself from Catanzara, Vallas is having a joint campaign event with him today. https://twitter.com/peoplesfabric/status/1622398597193994240?s=20
- Popeye - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:41 am:
It’s a good that keeps Vallas in his own lane toward April. Everyone else is fighting for second place and the clock is ticking.
- Popeye - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:41 am:
*good ad
- Amalia - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:43 am:
what Big Dipper said….but OM..G he’s having an event with Catanzara? oh now my just a person watching brain is really angry. is he bringing his 2019 contributor from San Antonio Gus Vallas who may be the cop involved in a deadly on duty shooting early in 2022?
- Roman - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:46 am:
== It has become a touchstone issue ==
Yep. It used to be “I’m personally opposed, but won’t impose my religious views on others” was a standard pro-choice position for Dem politicians. Post-Dobbs, that’s no longer good enough for a big junk of the party’s activist base.
The main question is, can a less than ideologically pure stance on abortion deny Vallas votes he would otherwise get? I suspect the answer is no, at least for now. But there’s little doubt abortion will be a piece of the larger “Vallas-is-a-Republican” attack he will face in a run-off, should he make it. If he can effectively refute that narrative (and this ad is a decent start) he can win.
- Arsenal - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:49 am:
== it is not primarily what the 5th floor is about==
Might be what the election is about, though, if the voters say so.
Abortion is important in its own right, but it’s also a good proxy for a lot of other things.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:50 am:
=== but it’s also a good proxy for a lot of other things===
Yep. Ignore at your political peril.
- Arsenal - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:51 am:
==More importantly, Garcia has not yet put his ad up on broadcast TV and Vallas is out with a “pre-response”…==
Last week, I said that MLL’s team would be perfectly happy for Garcia to make this attack. I’d now like to ammend that to add “…but they would much rather he do it in a way that someone ACTUALLY SEES.”
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:54 am:
It’s a bit odd to think abortion being such a huge factor this past November will not seemingly not be a huge touchstone going forward.
Until the country gets to a national abortion rights status that might to mirror Roe or with greater freedoms… abortion is now the cornerstone to policy going forward
- Rudy’s teeth - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:57 am:
From Google, Chuy Garcia and other Catholic members of Congress released a statement on June 18, 2021 to promote alternatives to abortion.
Did Garcia forget about his participation in releasing this document in June of 2021?
Hmmmm.
- Homebody - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 10:57 am:
Garcia is desperate, yes. But Vallas also has no business being anywhere near the Mayor’s office, with his FOP endorsement.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:02 am:
===Might be what the election is about, though, if the voters say so.===
It is not on my top 3 issues for the mayoral election. If you did a focus group of likely voters, I doubt it would be a top 3 issue, but that’s just my instincts. It’s bad out there for the average Chicagoan.
- Huh? - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:02 am:
“personal opposition to abortion … committed to upholding a woman’s right to choose”
So which is it? There is a mental disconnect between the two. How someone can hold these mutually opposing ideas in their mind is baffling.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:02 am:
” When the Sun-Times asked candidates: “Would you earmark annual funding to support Chicagoans or visitors seeking abortion and other reproductive health care?” Vallas was one of two candidates who said “No,” but clarified…
“I would provide funding through the general appropriation process. The money can be decided through regular budget processes.”’ so, trust me? both/and? this could be both/neither. over and over and over again Vallas is saying/behaving in ways that progressive people cannot trust.
- Amalia - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:03 am:
ugh sorry the Anonymous above was me. I’m so blistering angry about his reproductive choice comment that I can’t focus correctly now.
- Sonny - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:08 am:
He can nail his broadcast ads and say all the right things when it comes to promises and talk his policy juju, he gets destroyed in a runoff over AWAKE IL connections, views on abortion and privatization, and shacking up with the FOP like he is today.
- Soccermom - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:14 am:
How is it an “attack” to quote what Vallas says? Is it an “attack” to say he’s at an event with Catanzara today?
- Last Bull Moose - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:21 am:
Voters get the government they deserve. The Mayors’ office barely touches abortion. Moving abortion to center stage tells me that opponents have little to offer.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:27 am:
A decent ad overall. But this sentence makes no sense: “Putting crime and your safety first.” Putting crime first means what?
Presumably he (like all candidates) is against crime and for public safety. Perhaps he meant to say “Putting fighting crime first?”….
- JoanP - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:34 am:
I just don’t trust him.
- low level - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:37 am:
==Moving abortion to center stage tells me that opponents have little to offer.==. Yes. These are all Democrats. By and large they all agree on the issues esp in contrast to today’s GOP so they must look for whatever distinction to separate themselves from each other.
- Big Dipper - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:39 am:
Has Vallas been asked if he agrees with Catanzara’s take on the vaccine mandate for city employees:
But John Catanzara, president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, told the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday that, “we don’t want to be forced to do anything.”
“This ain’t Nazi f***ing Germany, [where they say], ‘Step into the f—ing showers. The pills won’t hurt you.’ What the f***?” he said.
- Amalia - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:43 am:
@JoanP, spot on. no trust of Vallas
- blu dawg - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 11:47 am:
Paul Vallas was Republican in 2009 according to NPR interview he did. He will say anything to get elected
- Pundent - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 12:00 pm:
Vallas may not be the best candidate, but he’s running the best campaign. And it pains me to say that.
- Amalia - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 12:09 pm:
@Andrea Durbin, thanks for that interesting commentary. I’m sure the white middle aged moms were also interested that keeping schools closed stopped the spread. it’s so intriguing that some seem to think kids can’t spread serious disease.
- Arsenal - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 12:12 pm:
== If you did a focus group of likely voters, I doubt it would be a top 3 issue==
Fun speculation, but the voters are kinda rubbish at explaining their votes. Abortion didn’t rank that highly in November, either, but somehow the pro-choice candidates basically held on.
- froganon - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 12:21 pm:
We’ve all learned about abortion opponents who claim the right to an abortion and birth control is “settled”. It’s only settled until they find a path to revoke it. I hope Chicagoans look carefully at Vallas’ past affiliations and performance. Vote for someone else.
- skutt - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 12:24 pm:
Vallas’ appearance at an Awake IL event, his FB rants, and FOP endorsement should be disqualifying. I have no idea what people see in this guy.
- cermak_rd - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 12:36 pm:
Saying abortion should be a lesser tier item is saying that women and their rights are just not important.
That being said, I don’t think Vallas is pro-life. I am far more concerned with his Awake appearance.
I just see no reason to elect someone that a bishop can force them to behave in other ways than the voters would want.
- cermak_rd - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 12:42 pm:
What I find interesting about Vallas is that he seems to have learned since his time in NO and CPS. In both cases he was criticized for not paying enough attention to the low performers in the school district. His plan that he has put forth calls for paying particular attention to that population. These students don’t just disappear when they drop out of school. They show up in the crime reports and in the homeless population etc. Figuring out a way to turn their abilities toward useful endeavors while they are in school is essential. And that may involve determining that this kid is not academically inclined, but has a skill toward… (that’s the hard part, what is the kid capable of)
- walker - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 1:46 pm:
I’m with JoanP and Amalia
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 1:50 pm:
===Fun speculation, but the voters are kinda rubbish at explaining their votes. Abortion didn’t rank that highly in November, either, but somehow the pro-choice candidates basically held on.===
Republicans lost because they’re extreme and crazy. Personally, Vallas’s cozying up to the crazies agitates me against him more than his just fine position on abortion. If he is a real Democrat, he should know better than to embrace the nuts, but he just wants power and attention anywhere he can get it.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 1:57 pm:
I’m with Walker.
- Amalia - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 3:45 pm:
47th Ward, Walker, Joan P and me. what great company. now if IRL could be better.
- Amalia - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 4:04 pm:
Dear Chicago, as you consider your vote, you may find interesting the video of the officer involved shooting in San Antonio involving an officer named Gus Vallas, a contributor to Paul Vallas in 2019. it appears that the guy who may have had a gun, but was falling into water, a creek or some catch way between rows of houses, as he was shot. and far enough away from cops that one wonders. as it warms up, I don’t look forward to watching the city get caught up in controversy again. ask for details, from the candidate and the media.
- Andrea Durbin - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 4:41 pm:
@Amalia, at the Friday event, Vallas was the most combative, rude, and aggressive candidate there. He really lost the crowd, which is astonishing to me, given that he is from this area, and would likely consider this his “base.” I probably heard from a dozen or more people — white middle class people — how they would never vote for him. So while this ad may be persuasive, his in-person campaigning is not helping.
- Big Dipper - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 5:03 pm:
==Vallas was the most combative, rude, and aggressive candidate there.==
As many people (rightfully) knock Lightfoot for this, I hope they apply the same standard to a man.
- MisterJayEm - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 5:15 pm:
“Vallas may not be the best candidate, but he’s running the best campaign.”
Practice makes etc.
– MrJM
- Amalia - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 6:07 pm:
@Andrea Durbin, wow. thanks for that insight. and here we thought Lightfoot was the only abrasive one. someone will find those people you talked with and see if they will go on camera and express their feelings that they would never vote for Vallas. wow.
- Amalia - Monday, Feb 6, 23 @ 6:46 pm:
Just saw the ad on tv and from across the room it makes it look like the quotes pulled are from him. I don’t think they are. if not, false advertising, simply stating what is happening in our state.