The Vallas for Mayor campaign is releasing its first new television ad of the runoff, featuring popular former Secretary of State Jesse White asking voters to join him in supporting Paul Vallas. In the ad, White says that “Paul Vallas Will Be a Mayor for All Chicagoans,” that he has the experience needed to lead the city, and that he will focus on reducing crime and making all communities safer.
The ad begins running today and is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPtSMMPz9DY
“I’ve known Jesse White for over 40 years and there is no one I would rather have speaking directly to the voters about our campaign and my pledge to be a Mayor for all Chicagoans,” said Vallas. “We’re building a broad, diverse coalition of people from all walks of life who want to see our city focus on reducing crime, improving public education and putting Chicago back on the right track.”
Announcer: An important Message from former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
JW: I love Chicago, and like you, I’m concerned about our city’s future. That’s why I’m supporting Paul Vallas for mayor. I’ve known Paul Vallas for 40 years and I trust him. Paul has the know-how and experience to fix what’s broken. He’ll focus on crime and the safety of every neighborhood. Paul Vallas will be a mayor for all Chicagoans. Join me in supporting Paul Vallas for mayor.
That looks like it was thrown together in a hurry, but what do you think?
49 Comments
- Google Is Your Friend - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 8:45 am:
It’s Jessie freaking White. Nuff said. Vallas is the first out of the box with a top shelf endorsement to a voter block he needs to do better in. Of course it’s rushed but Vallas needed to be on the air first.
Definitely looks rushed, but if you’re an undecided who doesn’t like either candidate much, Jesse White on his own makes it an effective pitch for Vallas.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:08 am:
B. It hits the points he wants to hit, but doesn’t have the best production. It is good to get it up quick, I believe. I think voters want to make their choice here early.
Ad is OK, but Jessie White is just a huge get for Vallas to cover the fact that he hangs out more with those who attack school boards and want to privatize education than he does with Democrats. Knowing him for 40 years could be a negative if you were able to tie him to decades of failed urban neoliberal policies, but Johnson has a month and not enough time.
B/B+ I love Jesse, but he came off a little bit like Ron Burgundy reading the teleprompter. Like others have said, a couple more takes might have helped.
Word in Politico this morning has Toni Preckwinkle endorsing Brandon Johnson. But I believe this will hurt him in the long run. Preckwinkle is largely, if not solely responsible for the disaster known as State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. Preckwinkle was embarrassed by Lightfoot four years ago.
This election, like it or not, is a referendum on crime and safety in Chicago. Brandon Johnson’s “defund the police”, won’t commit to backfilling 1,700 vacancies on the CPD, and unable to commit to funding the CPD at current levels effectively puts Brandon Johnson in a hole that is too deep to dig out from, with only 4 weeks from today left in the election.
Chicago Blue, you must not be old enough to remember before the South and West Loop got trendy. Or all the development north of the river in what today is the 2nd and 42nd Wards. Or along the Fulton River district, etc etc etc.
I’ll give it a solid A. It’s Jesse White; that’s enough for an A right there. It does seem a little rushed but the runoff is a little rushed as well.
- Commonsense in Illinois - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:16 am:
I like it, a lot. There are few people in Chicago (or Illinois for that matter) that possess the gravitas Jesse White holds. His message was simple; hitting the main issues directly. While it might seem a bit jumbled in delivery, let’s remember that Jesse is in his 80s and prone to speaking a bit haltingly.
In general I take a dim view of the actual value of “endorsements” in almost any case. But Jesse’s endorsement here somehow seems important and meaningful and likely influential for undecided voters to consider.
early voting is not open. It’s not open until March 20th.
Several first round contests haven’t even been decided yet.
Heck, with updated mail-in ballots Johnson is at 21.57% and Vallas is down to 33%. A week ago it was 20 to 35.
=== early voting is not open. It’s not open until March 20th===
Today is the 7th
Online “vote by mail” requests began… yesterday.
That’s *only* 13 days worth of saturation until folks are voting, ballot requests are live on the intertubes.
This ad, it’s timing, what it could do in these two weeks, there’s a reason it’s being rushed (by all measures of rushed if you’d like), daylight is burning.
Now that the Governor’s race is over it is nice to see a prominent Democrat acknowledge out of control violent crime in Chicago is not a manufactured right wing issue.
Better late than never.
For someone 3 months shy of his 89 th birthday Jesse looks like he could still tumble with the best of them
- Louis G Atsaves - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:41 am:
I rate it as an A. Jesse White came across as sincere and heartfelt. The statement of Vallas having the experience to fix problems and be a Mayor for all of Chicago was pretty strong, considering the last four years of constant fighting and chaos.
Beats the attempted blow back of Vallas being a failure/disaster at everything he touched in his lifetime. In the meantime, an experienced problem solver instead of a disrupter seems to be the theme of the Vallas campaign.
Again, a solid A.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:54 am:
A solid B+ just for having J White saying anything positive about Vallas.
Kind of hard to square up with the hard right wing leanings of Vallas but it’s a tough blow for Johnson.
Also- in my treadmill viewing of local TV, Vallas has about twice as many ads on the air as Johnson.
Vallas also has a ton of money coming in from suburban Republicans, so my feeling is this is game over.
It’s an A. The goal of the ad is for White to credential Vallas. It does that. It doesn’t need better production values.
I honestly don’t know if White’s endorsement is meaningful to people. It would make sense that it is, but Vallas is up with an ad and in front of people and Johnson is not, so that’s bad for Johnson.
=== acknowledge out of control violent crime in Chicago is not a manufactured right wing issue.===
Such the phony you are.
First you hemmed and hawed that “Crime was #1” in a gubernatorial race where abortion not only nullified so much it bit into GOP numbers.
Now, with abortion off the table as the “crux issue” in a *municipal* race, you have this “vindication” thingy that never looks honesty at the races, cycle, or candidates.
If your lil “look I’m right” makes you feel better, have at it. The comparison to what you’d like it to be is contrived, at best.
To bring this back, it’s Jesse White that is wiping away the sins of Vallas with the far Right folks Vallas hangs with, “laughs” with, that Vallas embraces.
Vallas is by every measure, including his own proclamation, a Democrat, a Dem that keeps company with some seriously Right folks, and not hiding it.
It’s so true! I was walking around the Loop all day yesterday and I’m dead.
Why do I get the feeling “out of control crime” means “I saw a brown person” to most of you terrified cowards who can’t shut up about places you don’t even live.
“Really hard when you don’t have any cash. Also hard when the endorser reads the newspapers.”
That is true but only to a point. She had enough money to put that phony hit on Alexi and choice up. That was a waste of money and bad strategy. If you have the most popular politician in the state endorsing you, you put it on TV. Producing an ad like that is really cheap so she could have swapped the phony bank shot on choice out and replaced it with this.
BTW, this ad would have been better if they were both in the ad. You want the Paul Simon/Dick Durbin ad. But this is perfectly adequate for a start. I give it a B+
A+. Jesse White said Paul Vallas five times in 30 seconds. What more do you want? Production values in a direct to camera spot aren’t needed. The only question was to ask Jesse to wear a tie or not. No tie was a good choice.
Funny that Alexi is now wearing ties and Jesse isn’t. Heh.
A rate. The spot by Jesse White is concise, straightforward, and delivers the message…I support Paul Vallas. He adds, “I‘ve know Paul Vallas for 40 years and I trust him. He’ll focus on crime and safety in every neighborhood.”
- Google Is Your Friend - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 8:45 am:
What are the GRPs behind this?
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 8:47 am:
Simple ad, no frills. Good ad. The intro grabs attention. A-
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 8:49 am:
Daylight burning. Gotta get it up and running.
It looks a bit rushed, it’s a B due in very large part it’s Jesse White, and just that makes it pretty good.
This is how it’s done, if only to get an ad with the most popular politician (either party) in this whole state on Tee-Vee with an endorsement.
I’ll leave it there, only at that part, at that point.
- regular democrat - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 8:49 am:
I would guess another much better ad is produced in the future. This looks rushed maybe to blunt the Preckwinkle endorsement?
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 8:50 am:
Jesse White is a big get. Good ad. A
- Any Moose - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 8:50 am:
Simple and effective ad for anyone looking on where to go after the priamry. Solid B+
- Nagidam - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:01 am:
It’s Jessie freaking White. Nuff said. Vallas is the first out of the box with a top shelf endorsement to a voter block he needs to do better in. Of course it’s rushed but Vallas needed to be on the air first.
- R.J. - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:03 am:
Definitely looks rushed, but if you’re an undecided who doesn’t like either candidate much, Jesse White on his own makes it an effective pitch for Vallas.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:08 am:
B. It hits the points he wants to hit, but doesn’t have the best production. It is good to get it up quick, I believe. I think voters want to make their choice here early.
- Chicago Blue - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:11 am:
Ad is OK, but Jessie White is just a huge get for Vallas to cover the fact that he hangs out more with those who attack school boards and want to privatize education than he does with Democrats. Knowing him for 40 years could be a negative if you were able to tie him to decades of failed urban neoliberal policies, but Johnson has a month and not enough time.
- Phineas - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:14 am:
How hard was that, Anna V.?
- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:17 am:
Grade-A
Jesse White endorses Paul Vallas.
That is all this Ad has to say and that makes the Ad an A.
Good “get” for Candidate Vallas.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:17 am:
===How hard was that, Anna V.? ===
Really hard when you don’t have any cash. Also hard when the endorser reads the newspapers.
- Homebody - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:18 am:
Still a vapid, content free, generic message.
- The Truth - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:25 am:
Even a die-hard Johnson supporter has to admit this hurts.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:28 am:
B+ cause it is public Jesse. But I have never liked him and wonder why he’s so popular.
- low level - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:31 am:
==Knowing him for 40 years could be a negative if you were able to tie him to decades of failed urban neoliberal policies,==
I’ll take Chicago as it is now over 30-40 years ago but maybe thats just me. Those neoliberal policies were a big success.
- Jocko - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:31 am:
B/B+ I love Jesse, but he came off a little bit like Ron Burgundy reading the teleprompter. Like others have said, a couple more takes might have helped.
- Steve - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:31 am:
Grade B-plus
The ad is simple and direct and talks about the crime situation. I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t like and respect Jesse White.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:35 am:
With early voting open, timeliness trumps production values every time …
- Anon 9:39 - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:39 am:
Word in Politico this morning has Toni Preckwinkle endorsing Brandon Johnson. But I believe this will hurt him in the long run. Preckwinkle is largely, if not solely responsible for the disaster known as State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. Preckwinkle was embarrassed by Lightfoot four years ago.
This election, like it or not, is a referendum on crime and safety in Chicago. Brandon Johnson’s “defund the police”, won’t commit to backfilling 1,700 vacancies on the CPD, and unable to commit to funding the CPD at current levels effectively puts Brandon Johnson in a hole that is too deep to dig out from, with only 4 weeks from today left in the election.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:41 am:
=== With early voting open===
Ball Game.
That’s it. The timeline is, “people are already or getting ready to” vote, timeline.
No time to wait. “It’s happening”
- Amalia - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:48 am:
@Steve, woman raises hand….
- Chicago Blue - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 9:58 am:
“I’ll take Chicago as it is now over 30-40 years ago but maybe thats just me. Those neoliberal policies were a big success.”
Massive pension debts that can be laid at Daley and Vallas’s feet were a big success?
- low level - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:09 am:
Chicago Blue, you must not be old enough to remember before the South and West Loop got trendy. Or all the development north of the river in what today is the 2nd and 42nd Wards. Or along the Fulton River district, etc etc etc.
- SIUEalum - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:13 am:
I’ll give it a solid A. It’s Jesse White; that’s enough for an A right there. It does seem a little rushed but the runoff is a little rushed as well.
- Commonsense in Illinois - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:16 am:
I like it, a lot. There are few people in Chicago (or Illinois for that matter) that possess the gravitas Jesse White holds. His message was simple; hitting the main issues directly. While it might seem a bit jumbled in delivery, let’s remember that Jesse is in his 80s and prone to speaking a bit haltingly.
In my book, an A.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:20 am:
I doubt the average voter will characterize this ad as “rushed.” CapFax fans have seen more political ads and are more experienced in critiquing them.
Jesse White–most popular Illinois elected official in my lifetime–makes for a steamroller ad.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:23 am:
Ad is simple, clean and to the point. A-.
In general I take a dim view of the actual value of “endorsements” in almost any case. But Jesse’s endorsement here somehow seems important and meaningful and likely influential for undecided voters to consider.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:23 am:
It’s an A because it gets across two main points. I’m Jesse White. I support Paul Vallas.
- Humboldt - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:26 am:
early voting is not open. It’s not open until March 20th.
Several first round contests haven’t even been decided yet.
Heck, with updated mail-in ballots Johnson is at 21.57% and Vallas is down to 33%. A week ago it was 20 to 35.
- The Truth - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:29 am:
@Humboldt, good catch. Not sure where the “early voting has begun” idea came from!
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:33 am:
=== early voting is not open. It’s not open until March 20th===
Today is the 7th
Online “vote by mail” requests began… yesterday.
That’s *only* 13 days worth of saturation until folks are voting, ballot requests are live on the intertubes.
This ad, it’s timing, what it could do in these two weeks, there’s a reason it’s being rushed (by all measures of rushed if you’d like), daylight is burning.
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:36 am:
Now that the Governor’s race is over it is nice to see a prominent Democrat acknowledge out of control violent crime in Chicago is not a manufactured right wing issue.
Better late than never.
For someone 3 months shy of his 89 th birthday Jesse looks like he could still tumble with the best of them
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:40 am:
===Word in Politico this morning has Toni Preckwinkle endorsing Brandon Johnson===
Crain’s reported that last night https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/toni-preckwinkle-endorses-brandon-johnson-chicago-mayors-race-2023
And Greg Hinz tipped it yesterday morning https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/chicago-mayoral-election-runoff-campaigns-hit-full-speed
- Louis G Atsaves - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:41 am:
I rate it as an A. Jesse White came across as sincere and heartfelt. The statement of Vallas having the experience to fix problems and be a Mayor for all of Chicago was pretty strong, considering the last four years of constant fighting and chaos.
Beats the attempted blow back of Vallas being a failure/disaster at everything he touched in his lifetime. In the meantime, an experienced problem solver instead of a disrupter seems to be the theme of the Vallas campaign.
Again, a solid A.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:54 am:
A solid B+ just for having J White saying anything positive about Vallas.
Kind of hard to square up with the hard right wing leanings of Vallas but it’s a tough blow for Johnson.
Also- in my treadmill viewing of local TV, Vallas has about twice as many ads on the air as Johnson.
Vallas also has a ton of money coming in from suburban Republicans, so my feeling is this is game over.
- Montrose - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:54 am:
It’s an A. The goal of the ad is for White to credential Vallas. It does that. It doesn’t need better production values.
I honestly don’t know if White’s endorsement is meaningful to people. It would make sense that it is, but Vallas is up with an ad and in front of people and Johnson is not, so that’s bad for Johnson.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 10:58 am:
=== acknowledge out of control violent crime in Chicago is not a manufactured right wing issue.===
Such the phony you are.
First you hemmed and hawed that “Crime was #1” in a gubernatorial race where abortion not only nullified so much it bit into GOP numbers.
Now, with abortion off the table as the “crux issue” in a *municipal* race, you have this “vindication” thingy that never looks honesty at the races, cycle, or candidates.
If your lil “look I’m right” makes you feel better, have at it. The comparison to what you’d like it to be is contrived, at best.
To bring this back, it’s Jesse White that is wiping away the sins of Vallas with the far Right folks Vallas hangs with, “laughs” with, that Vallas embraces.
Vallas is by every measure, including his own proclamation, a Democrat, a Dem that keeps company with some seriously Right folks, and not hiding it.
- Gravitas - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 11:32 am:
Strong, direct and to the point. The message is simple, but Jesse White seems genuine. White also looks to be in great shape for a man of his years.
- Gravitas - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 11:36 am:
I forgot to include a letter grade for Jesse White’s endorsement commercial. Solid “B.”
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 11:40 am:
“out of control violent crime in Chicago”
It’s so true! I was walking around the Loop all day yesterday and I’m dead.
Why do I get the feeling “out of control crime” means “I saw a brown person” to most of you terrified cowards who can’t shut up about places you don’t even live.
- New Day - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 11:41 am:
“Really hard when you don’t have any cash. Also hard when the endorser reads the newspapers.”
That is true but only to a point. She had enough money to put that phony hit on Alexi and choice up. That was a waste of money and bad strategy. If you have the most popular politician in the state endorsing you, you put it on TV. Producing an ad like that is really cheap so she could have swapped the phony bank shot on choice out and replaced it with this.
BTW, this ad would have been better if they were both in the ad. You want the Paul Simon/Dick Durbin ad. But this is perfectly adequate for a start. I give it a B+
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 12:20 pm:
A+. Jesse White said Paul Vallas five times in 30 seconds. What more do you want? Production values in a direct to camera spot aren’t needed. The only question was to ask Jesse to wear a tie or not. No tie was a good choice.
Funny that Alexi is now wearing ties and Jesse isn’t. Heh.
- Big Dipper - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 12:40 pm:
==Beats the attempted blow back of Vallas being a failure/disaster at everything he touched in his lifetime.==
Because the implementation of the Real ID has been such a success.
- Rudy’s teeth - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 12:52 pm:
A rate. The spot by Jesse White is concise, straightforward, and delivers the message…I support Paul Vallas. He adds, “I‘ve know Paul Vallas for 40 years and I trust him. He’ll focus on crime and safety in every neighborhood.”
No gimmicks but a straightforward message.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 1:35 pm:
Possibly the only more coveted endorsement one could hope for would be from Oscar Miller.
- Shytown - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 3:37 pm:
That’s pretty darn good. A
- Concerned Citizen - Tuesday, Mar 7, 23 @ 3:38 pm:
Solid A. Jesse White’s support is huge. Simple, straightforward, effective.