Today, JB For Governor released a new ad called “Superlatives,” highlighting the extreme and inaccurate curriculum being taught at the private school Darren Bailey founded.
The 30-second ad spotlights the fact that Bailey’s private school curriculum taught students that dinosaurs and humans walked the Earth at the same time, that the majority of slaveholders treated their slaves well, and that women in the workforce have been harmful to America. It also highlights Bailey’s support for banning books.
Darren Bailey’s extreme agenda has no place in our public schools. Illinois students deserve a quality education that gives them the tools necessary to build a brighter future – Darren Bailey wants to indoctrinate students with his personal, extreme values.
VO: Every yearbook has superlatives. At the school Darren Bailey founded, he gets a lot of them.
Most likely to deny science. Bailey’s school teaches evolution isn’t real, and dinosaurs and humans were on Earth at the same time.
Most likely to rewrite history. The curriculum says the majority of slaveholders treated their slaves well, and women in the workforce have been harmful to America.
Least likely to be found in the library because Bailey supports banning books.
No Republican was going to beat Pritzker this year. The Illinois Republican Party has been too decimated by horrible mismanagement and apathy. It’s simply not serious. But Darren Bailey is an especially awful choice to head the slate. He won’t even know how to respond effectively to this devastating ad. Guessing he’ll mention Fred Flintstone again. For some reason.
As much fun as this is, I think it is really only a B+. I also question the value of spending money on a statewide broadcast for a negative ad for a guy who is already negative in just about every metric that matters. I can’t imagine that there are people who are going to vote for Bailey would find this to be very persuasive, but maybe there’s a large enough number of undecideds that would make this good spending. While the Governor has an opponent, I may consider Bailey to be more of a straw opponent than a candidate mounting a serious campaign for Governor.
===Good hits but using the word superlatives is malpractice. ===
I’ll defend the use of the term here because that’s apparently the actual term for that section of a yearbook. I don’t think it distracts from the add enough to change it.
A because:
- I like the way they subtly use the word superlative in the grammar sense and the highest degree sense
- because Bailey won’t understand a big word like superlative
- Leap Day William - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 10:05 am:
== I also question the value of spending money on a statewide broadcast for a negative ad for a guy who is already negative in just about every metric that matters ==
I think it matters when you want to remind people to show up and vote down-ballot for other statewides and keep that supermajority locked in, maybe even gain a seat or two.
I wouldn’t rule out JB’s team wanting to run up the score so bad that the race is called at 7pm instead of 7:05pm. A roflstomping that bad definitely lifts national prospects.
I’m still waiting for the ad using Bailey’s own video from 5 years ago where he shot up a stack of papers purporting to be the Pritzker state budget with an AR-15 rifle. But I guess that was the old Darren.
I would give it an A- deducting a bit for production quality. Ads like this serve two purposes. They remind us of who Darren Bailey is and more broadly the Republican Party.
Even though it is somewhat recycled I still give it an A. Same reasons as @ Flyin’ Elvis’ and Pundent. Only Bailey can truly embarrass himself this way even if he doesn’t know. Plus, his inability to pronounce Illinois properly kills him in the greater Chicago area.
Rate A
The spot points out how unprepared Darren Bailey is to hold the office of governor and is not suited for a leadership role in Illinois.
Bailey supports theories and ideas that have no basis in fact or reality. Bailey’s comment about “were you there” referring to dinosaurs says everything about the man.
The dinosaur-human bit is just comedy. The real punch is that women shouldn’t be in the workforce and slaves were happy. That’s what will resonate and get people to think that Darren Bailey is not a serious candidate but maybe would have been the ideal Illinois gubernatorial candidate in 1822.
=Also I doubt there are many undecided voters waiting to find out where candidates stand on the human-dinosaur issue.=
I’ll go out on a limb here and say that Pritzker knows he’s going to win and isn’t concerned about undecided voters. Ads like these are run to address voter apathy. Because if too many voters decide this is a done deal they might stay home. For Pritzker and the party’s short and long term benefit they need as many voters to cast ballots as possible. Maintaining or gaining seats while furthering national prospects. That’s what’s at stake.
I’d give it a B. Pritzker understands progressive Illinois. Pritzker understands this isn’t a state bothered by books saying there is 58 genders. It’s effective for what Illinois is today.
That’s what you think this is about? The idea that dinosaurs predate the existence of man is pretty mainstream. Nowhere does the ad reference gender. And if you’re defending the treatment of slaves and/or the exclusion of women in the workforce you’re odds of being taken seriously are about as good as Bailey’s.
A on the ad. Shows how divorced from reality Bailey and the GOP are. Too bad he doesn’t get beat like Lynn Martin did in 1990. (she only won 2 counties). Maybe then the Illinois GOP would wake up.
Highly unlikely JB will be spending any portion of the $65 million he deposited in his campaign fund touting his support of life altering, gender affirming care for minors (opposed by 56% of adults), and his support for transgender athletes participating in youth sports, that is opposed by at least 2/3 of Americans.
=Highly unlikely JB will be spending any portion of the $65 million he deposited in his campaign fund touting his support of life altering, gender affirming care for minors (opposed by 56% of adults), and his support for transgender athletes participating in youth sports, that is opposed by at least 2/3 of Americans.=
JB has governor for almost 8 years from now. I haven’t heard him talk about any of these topics. Perhaps I haven’t been paying as close attention as you have. But if this is central to who he is I’m sure that Darren can capitalize on it. He just got an infusion of $6,900 yesterday so he should put it to use.
I understand that Darren Bailey has some supporters, even among commenters here, but we’re supposed to be rating JB’s ad.
I’m sure we’ll have an opportunity to rate Darren Bailey’s ad whenever he is able to afford to produce one and do a statewide media buy. Unless, of course, we’re supposed to be rating those AI videos where the candidates on the ticket pretend to be able to dance.
===books saying there is 58 genders===
Hey Steve, I looked this up. You might want to examine it too. Those 58 options involve a lot of saying the exact same thing but a different way. Like man, male, cis man, cis male.
I understand you’re probably just repeating hyperbole coming from someone else’s deliberately misleading statement, but if you’re going to complain about what books may or may not be teaching about gender you should maybe start with seeing what books actually have to say about gender instead of just repeating something you’ve encountered on memes.
===his support of life altering===
This is always a fun statement. Do you think you’ve gone through your entire life without it being altered? Do you think life is only altered on bad ways?
We’re both only posting here because of life altering literacy. Life altering residential power. Life altering telecommunications. You only wrote what you wrote because of life altering bigotry.
Not everything that alters lives is bad — and you shouldn’t assume that a heart full of hate that leads you to outspoken bigotry has had a positive impact on your life.
Why do you believe you have a right to tell a parent how to raise their child @Phil? The bottom line is that it is absolutely none of your business.
If you think your message is changing the outcome of the election you’re wrong. This kind of messaging is why Republicans in this state are in the super minority.
Remember when Bruce Rauner was the acceptable, accessible face of the Republican Party? The candidate who could reverse some of the losses his party had had in the suburbs?
Bailey is the opposite. That’s the message, effectively delivered. This is an ad for DuPage County, Lake County, and McHenry County. This is an ad less concerned with Pritzker’s own re-election than with ensuring his party continues to win suburban elections.
The message is great and Pundent is right, the purpose is to drive up turnout by making the thought of Governor Bailey unbearable.
There’s room for improvement in the delivery though.
The add is a little too complicated. You really have to give deliver one simple repetitive message. Either Bailey doesnt think kids should believe in science, or Bailey wants to teach kids that slavery was not that bad, or Bailey wants to burn books.
People only remember one thing, or they remember nothing.
Secondly, a friend taught me always to watch tv ads with the audio off, so one thing I believe in is having my candidate’s logo on screen the whole time for a positive ad, or my opponent’s name/logo on screen the whole time for a negative ad.
Third, the ad is “almost” funny enough to be viral, but not quite. I’d like to see this concept redone as a quiz show, with a darren bailey look-alike competing against fifth graders giving wrong answers, the fifth graders making “Whatchyu talkin’ bout Willis?” faces before they buzz in and answer, and then maybe just all laughing hysterically at him at the end.
A-
Portraying Bailey as the rube that he is.
Minus because it used the hackneyed word “extreme,” even though it’s true. Get some creativity with your words, folks.
- Most European Union countries require patients to be 18 years old for sex reassignment surgeries. -
Actual sex reassignment surgeries for minors are virtually non-existent for minors in this country and every other in the world. They aren’t a part of Pritzker’s platform, and the only people who obsess over it are weirdos like you that have nothing better to do with their life.
I give it a B. To me, it comes across as making fun of obvious stupidity. It could possibly make voters think that Bailey can’t possibly be that stupid and cause them to check out Bailey’s actual agenda. I would rather it mentioned Bailey’s stance on reproductive rights because that would point voters to the fact that his beliefs are not only stupid… but also dangerous for women. How any woman could vote for that fool is beyond my understanding.
- hmmm - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 9:02 am:
10/10. It was informative and a little funny.
- oh my - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 9:08 am:
No Republican was going to beat Pritzker this year. The Illinois Republican Party has been too decimated by horrible mismanagement and apathy. It’s simply not serious. But Darren Bailey is an especially awful choice to head the slate. He won’t even know how to respond effectively to this devastating ad. Guessing he’ll mention Fred Flintstone again. For some reason.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 9:11 am:
I give it a B. Good hits but using the word superlatives is malpractice.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 9:15 am:
As much fun as this is, I think it is really only a B+. I also question the value of spending money on a statewide broadcast for a negative ad for a guy who is already negative in just about every metric that matters. I can’t imagine that there are people who are going to vote for Bailey would find this to be very persuasive, but maybe there’s a large enough number of undecideds that would make this good spending. While the Governor has an opponent, I may consider Bailey to be more of a straw opponent than a candidate mounting a serious campaign for Governor.
Dinosaurs.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 9:30 am:
===Good hits but using the word superlatives is malpractice. ===
I’ll defend the use of the term here because that’s apparently the actual term for that section of a yearbook. I don’t think it distracts from the add enough to change it.
- Lurker - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 9:30 am:
A because:
- I like the way they subtly use the word superlative in the grammar sense and the highest degree sense
- because Bailey won’t understand a big word like superlative
- Dirty Red - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 9:57 am:
Happy Labor Day weekend.
- Leap Day William - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 10:05 am:
== I also question the value of spending money on a statewide broadcast for a negative ad for a guy who is already negative in just about every metric that matters ==
I think it matters when you want to remind people to show up and vote down-ballot for other statewides and keep that supermajority locked in, maybe even gain a seat or two.
I wouldn’t rule out JB’s team wanting to run up the score so bad that the race is called at 7pm instead of 7:05pm. A roflstomping that bad definitely lifts national prospects.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 10:08 am:
A
Illinois Republicans, your candidate for governor thinks Land of the Lost was a documentary.
Tell me again how a “moderate” can lead your party out of the wilderness.
- oh my - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 10:08 am:
I’m still waiting for the ad using Bailey’s own video from 5 years ago where he shot up a stack of papers purporting to be the Pritzker state budget with an AR-15 rifle. But I guess that was the old Darren.
https://patch.com/illinois/springfield-il/republican-state-sen-shoots-illinois-budget-papers-rifle
- Pundent - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 10:15 am:
I would give it an A- deducting a bit for production quality. Ads like this serve two purposes. They remind us of who Darren Bailey is and more broadly the Republican Party.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 10:15 am:
It’s an OK ad, but I would prefer to see Pritzker doing a more positive ad campaign.
Also I doubt there are many undecided voters waiting to find out where candidates stand on the human-dinosaur issue.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 10:35 am:
Even though it is somewhat recycled I still give it an A. Same reasons as @ Flyin’ Elvis’ and Pundent. Only Bailey can truly embarrass himself this way even if he doesn’t know. Plus, his inability to pronounce Illinois properly kills him in the greater Chicago area.
- Rudy’s teeth - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 10:53 am:
Rate A
The spot points out how unprepared Darren Bailey is to hold the office of governor and is not suited for a leadership role in Illinois.
Bailey supports theories and ideas that have no basis in fact or reality. Bailey’s comment about “were you there” referring to dinosaurs says everything about the man.
- low level - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 11:04 am:
Like the teacher in A Christmas Story, I give the ad an A++++++++++++. Absolutely brilliant.
Great job by JB’s outstanding campaign staff.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 11:18 am:
“Also I doubt there are many undecided voters waiting to find out where candidates stand on the human-dinosaur issue”
There may be more than a few undecided voters who ask, “if Bailey truly believes that nonsense, what other fantasy does he put stock in?”
- Steve Rogers - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 11:35 am:
A
The dinosaur-human bit is just comedy. The real punch is that women shouldn’t be in the workforce and slaves were happy. That’s what will resonate and get people to think that Darren Bailey is not a serious candidate but maybe would have been the ideal Illinois gubernatorial candidate in 1822.
- Pundent - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 11:51 am:
=Also I doubt there are many undecided voters waiting to find out where candidates stand on the human-dinosaur issue.=
I’ll go out on a limb here and say that Pritzker knows he’s going to win and isn’t concerned about undecided voters. Ads like these are run to address voter apathy. Because if too many voters decide this is a done deal they might stay home. For Pritzker and the party’s short and long term benefit they need as many voters to cast ballots as possible. Maintaining or gaining seats while furthering national prospects. That’s what’s at stake.
- Steve - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 11:56 am:
I’d give it a B. Pritzker understands progressive Illinois. Pritzker understands this isn’t a state bothered by books saying there is 58 genders. It’s effective for what Illinois is today.
- Pundent - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 12:34 pm:
=Pritzker understands progressive Illinois.=
That’s what you think this is about? The idea that dinosaurs predate the existence of man is pretty mainstream. Nowhere does the ad reference gender. And if you’re defending the treatment of slaves and/or the exclusion of women in the workforce you’re odds of being taken seriously are about as good as Bailey’s.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 12:43 pm:
Over/Under-13.6%.
- Steve - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 12:49 pm:
-And if you’re defending the treatment of slaves-
I’m not aware of any public or private school system still teaching The Dunning School of History. But, if you want to believe that go right ahead.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 12:55 pm:
==this isn’t a state bothered by books==
I’m not bothered by any books. Banning books is what tyrants do.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 12:59 pm:
==Ads like these are run to address voter apathy.==
Ads like this are meant to ensure Bailey is completely stomped out as a candidate. Pritzker doesn’t play around.
- Stephenson County - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 1:00 pm:
A on the ad. Shows how divorced from reality Bailey and the GOP are. Too bad he doesn’t get beat like Lynn Martin did in 1990. (she only won 2 counties). Maybe then the Illinois GOP would wake up.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 1:12 pm:
=== (she only won 2 counties). Maybe then the Illinois GOP would wake up===
Lynn was a moderate Republican. Pretty sure the right took full notice.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 1:23 pm:
===I’m not aware of===
Doesn’t make it true.
- Poor Phil - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 1:49 pm:
Highly unlikely JB will be spending any portion of the $65 million he deposited in his campaign fund touting his support of life altering, gender affirming care for minors (opposed by 56% of adults), and his support for transgender athletes participating in youth sports, that is opposed by at least 2/3 of Americans.
The most extreme?
That’s actually JB Pritzker
- Rudy’s teeth - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 2:19 pm:
As a candidate. Darren Bailey has no filter or common sense. The jokes write themselves. Bailey is the Illinois version of Elmer Fudd.
- low level - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 2:26 pm:
==Pritzker understands this isn’t a state bothered by books saying there is 58 genders.==
Right. I used to think you were a serious commentator. I see that was a mistake on my part.
- Pundent - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 2:30 pm:
=Highly unlikely JB will be spending any portion of the $65 million he deposited in his campaign fund touting his support of life altering, gender affirming care for minors (opposed by 56% of adults), and his support for transgender athletes participating in youth sports, that is opposed by at least 2/3 of Americans.=
JB has governor for almost 8 years from now. I haven’t heard him talk about any of these topics. Perhaps I haven’t been paying as close attention as you have. But if this is central to who he is I’m sure that Darren can capitalize on it. He just got an infusion of $6,900 yesterday so he should put it to use.
- Steve - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 2:42 pm:
- I see that was a mistake on my part.-
Some schools say that nearly everything is just a social construct. That’s a very progressive view to many.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 3:19 pm:
=Some schools say that nearly everything is just a social construct.=
Which ones? Names would be great.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 3:44 pm:
I understand that Darren Bailey has some supporters, even among commenters here, but we’re supposed to be rating JB’s ad.
I’m sure we’ll have an opportunity to rate Darren Bailey’s ad whenever he is able to afford to produce one and do a statewide media buy. Unless, of course, we’re supposed to be rating those AI videos where the candidates on the ticket pretend to be able to dance.
===books saying there is 58 genders===
Hey Steve, I looked this up. You might want to examine it too. Those 58 options involve a lot of saying the exact same thing but a different way. Like man, male, cis man, cis male.
I understand you’re probably just repeating hyperbole coming from someone else’s deliberately misleading statement, but if you’re going to complain about what books may or may not be teaching about gender you should maybe start with seeing what books actually have to say about gender instead of just repeating something you’ve encountered on memes.
===his support of life altering===
This is always a fun statement. Do you think you’ve gone through your entire life without it being altered? Do you think life is only altered on bad ways?
We’re both only posting here because of life altering literacy. Life altering residential power. Life altering telecommunications. You only wrote what you wrote because of life altering bigotry.
Not everything that alters lives is bad — and you shouldn’t assume that a heart full of hate that leads you to outspoken bigotry has had a positive impact on your life.
- Poor Phil - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 3:55 pm:
Most European Union countries require patients to be 18 years old for sex reassignment surgeries.
I assume you think that continent as well as the US is full of hateful bigots as well.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 4:01 pm:
Why do you believe you have a right to tell a parent how to raise their child @Phil? The bottom line is that it is absolutely none of your business.
If you think your message is changing the outcome of the election you’re wrong. This kind of messaging is why Republicans in this state are in the super minority.
- Boone Logan Square - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 5:30 pm:
Remember when Bruce Rauner was the acceptable, accessible face of the Republican Party? The candidate who could reverse some of the losses his party had had in the suburbs?
Bailey is the opposite. That’s the message, effectively delivered. This is an ad for DuPage County, Lake County, and McHenry County. This is an ad less concerned with Pritzker’s own re-election than with ensuring his party continues to win suburban elections.
- Dotnonymous x - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 5:36 pm:
- Bailey is the Illinois version of Elmer Fudd. -
You’re being too hard…on Elmer Fudd.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 6:37 pm:
I will give the ad a C.
The message is great and Pundent is right, the purpose is to drive up turnout by making the thought of Governor Bailey unbearable.
There’s room for improvement in the delivery though.
The add is a little too complicated. You really have to give deliver one simple repetitive message. Either Bailey doesnt think kids should believe in science, or Bailey wants to teach kids that slavery was not that bad, or Bailey wants to burn books.
People only remember one thing, or they remember nothing.
Secondly, a friend taught me always to watch tv ads with the audio off, so one thing I believe in is having my candidate’s logo on screen the whole time for a positive ad, or my opponent’s name/logo on screen the whole time for a negative ad.
Third, the ad is “almost” funny enough to be viral, but not quite. I’d like to see this concept redone as a quiz show, with a darren bailey look-alike competing against fifth graders giving wrong answers, the fifth graders making “Whatchyu talkin’ bout Willis?” faces before they buzz in and answer, and then maybe just all laughing hysterically at him at the end.
Just straight-up mock the guy.
- Proud Papa Bear - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 6:45 pm:
A-
Portraying Bailey as the rube that he is.
Minus because it used the hackneyed word “extreme,” even though it’s true. Get some creativity with your words, folks.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Sep 3, 26 @ 7:01 pm:
- Most European Union countries require patients to be 18 years old for sex reassignment surgeries. -
Actual sex reassignment surgeries for minors are virtually non-existent for minors in this country and every other in the world. They aren’t a part of Pritzker’s platform, and the only people who obsess over it are weirdos like you that have nothing better to do with their life.
- AllieM100 - Friday, Sep 4, 26 @ 12:49 pm:
I give it a B. To me, it comes across as making fun of obvious stupidity. It could possibly make voters think that Bailey can’t possibly be that stupid and cause them to check out Bailey’s actual agenda. I would rather it mentioned Bailey’s stance on reproductive rights because that would point voters to the fact that his beliefs are not only stupid… but also dangerous for women. How any woman could vote for that fool is beyond my understanding.