* Tina Sfondeles…

Dan Proft will tell you he was “one of the more despised people” on his college campus.

Since then, he’s been dubbed everything from a “bad apple” to a “carnival barker” by fellow Republican operatives.

So who is the one-time gubernatorial primary candidate and conservative radio show host, and why is he behind an influential super PAC that receives millions from big-name donors like shipping magnate Richard Uihlein and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner?

Proft’s Liberty Principles super PAC has become a chief conduit for allies of Rauner to influence legislative races across the state without any restrictions.

Super PACs are allowed to accept unlimited sums of money that they can use to campaign for or against candidates — as long as they don’t coordinate with candidates themselves. Unlike Super PACs, most other campaign fundraising committees in Illinois have contribution limits.

* One of the complaints that I regularly hear about Proft’s TV ads is that they’re so cheaply made. He doesn’t put much money into content, so a lot of them look like ads created for small businesses in Downstate media markets. Like this one, for instance…

That announcer sounds like somebody right out of Decatur TV.

I suppose, however, that one could say the amateur look of the ads helps them stand out. Everything else is so darned slick these days.

* Several campaign professionals have mocked this Proft spot, which is now running on Chicago broadcast TV…

It’s the exact opposite of slick. Maybe it’s so unslick that people turn off the message. Then again, I once bought a chair from This Is It Furniture because of the store’s “Where you always get a free onion” TV ads.

* Let’s look at another one…

There’s a slight problem with the woman’s wardrobe. It’s not her fault, at all, but some people have a real pet peeve about that sort of thing and the director or somebody in the production staff should’ve caught it.

I long ago realized - to my chagrin, since I have a face and body far more suited for radio - that one thing out of place during a TV interview can completely distract viewers from what you’re trying to say. That’s even more true in the age of high definition television.

* So the cheapness of Proft’s ads may work against his message because people have come to expect higher quality in campaign spots.

But some of them stand out for me because they’re the opposite of slick. I kinda like that approach, which should be obvious by looking at this website. I don’t utilize the services of million-dollar consultants. And yet it still somehow works.