Rauner weekend roundup
Monday, Apr 10, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Heh…
* But he’s not really campaigning, according to the RGA…
If you’ve been watching television lately, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Gov. Bruce Rauner on screen with a roll of duct tape and a message of blame for Democrats.
That’s because more than $95,115 worth of TV ads have been purchased in the television market that includes Decatur, part of a statewide ad campaign that Rauner says is unconnected to his 2018 gubernatorial hopes. […]
The ads began airing March 28 and are slated to continue at least through next week on WAND in Decatur and WCIA in Champaign, according to Federal Communications Commission documents obtained by the Herald & Review.
Those documents describe the ads as “non-candidate advertising” focusing on the issue of “Illinois governmental and fiscal reform,” meaning the expenditures are not required to be reported to the state’s election board.
…Adding… From the Southern Illinoisan…
After an exhausting presidential election, many residents are apt to tune out political ads as soon as they appear, said Kent Redfield, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield. He said the TV spots likely won’t do much to improve Rauner’s polling numbers or shift the policy debate.
“The distinction between governing and campaigning seems to get blurrier and blurrier and this is another indication of that,” he said.
But, in addition to reiterating his message and appealing to his base of supporters, Redfield said the ads deliver an important message to Democrats considering their 2018 prospects.
“Part of it has nothing to do with the reaction of the average citizen,” Redfield said. “He’s doing it because he can do it and they’re trying to show that they’re in a position of strength vis-a-vis the Democrats.”
