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* UPDATED x1 - Quinn response * Rate Bruce Rauner’s new negative TV ad

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* From a press release…

Bruce Rauner’s campaign began airing a new television advertisement today outlining some of Pat Quinn’s most egregious broken promises as governor.

“Again and again, Pat Quinn broke his word and failed the people of Illinois,” Bruce Rauner said. “After promising to make job creation a top priority, Illinois finds itself tied for the worst unemployment rate in the Midwest. After promising not to cut education spending, he gutted it by more than $500 million. After promising to protect working families from higher taxes, he passed a massive 67 percent tax hike on every Illinoisan – and now he’s trying to make that tax hike permanent.”

“Illinois voters can’t trust Pat Quinn. It’s time for a new direction,” Bruce concluded.

* Rauner’s post-primary TV spots have all been positive until now. Rate it…

* Script…

VOICE: When you hear Pat Quinn’s false attacks remember his broken promises.

PAT QUINN: Our job recovery bill will create more than four-hundred thousand jobs.

VOICE: Under Quinn Illinois leads the Midwest in job losses.

PAT QUIN: Another area we are not cutting is education.

VOICE: Quinn cut 500 million causing teacher layoffs and crowded classrooms.

PAT QUINN: Under our plan a family of four will not pay higher taxes.

VOICE: Quinn raised taxes by 67 percent on every Illinoisan. Pat Quinn a broken record of broken promises.

…Adding… The governor’s campaign claims this is a “very thin” buy of 300 points in Chicago.

*** UPDATE *** Quinn campaign response in full…

Billionaire Bruce Rauner leveraged some of the money he grabbed jumping through tax loopholes for the super-rich to go negative in July and begin the job of distorting Gov. Pat Quinn’s record. Here are the facts that reject Rauner’s false claims and a statement from the Quinn Campaign:

Bruce’s Claim: Gov. Quinn cut $500 million from education.

Fact: That’s false. Quinn has increased education investments, including payments into the Teachers’ Retirement System, and has made the tough calls to protect education from radical cuts that Rauner’s position on revenue would mandate. Education makes up half of the state’s discretionary budget.

Bruce’s Claim: Gov. Quinn raised taxes 67 percent.

Fact: Illinois is tied for the 9th-lowest state income tax rate among the 43 states that have an income tax. Rauner conveniently ignores the fact that by increasing revenue, we’ve been able to protect education from drastic cuts that he wants to enact, while also paying down the bills by nearly $6 billion.

Bruce’s Claim: Illinois leads the Midwest in job loss.

Fact: This is false on multiple levels. According to the Philadelphia Reserve, Illinois is ranked #1 in the Midwest for projected growth over the next six months.

There are more people working in Illinois today than at any time since February 2009—the first month of the Governor’s administration. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Illinois’ unemployment is at its lowest point since November 2008 and is lower than when Gov. Quinn took office. Today Illinois’ unemployment rate is at 7.5%, a 5 ½ year low. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Illinois has added 242,700 private-sector jobs since the recovery began in 2010. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Below is the statement of Quinn for Illinois spokesman Izabela Miltko:

“In the absence of any substantive plans to confront challenges facing Illinois, billionaire Bruce Rauner got an early start distorting Governor Quinn’s record of fighting for working families and getting the job done.

“It’s worth noting that Rauner is paying for these false attacks, and many more to come, with cash he grabbed by jumping through elite tax loopholes that cause the middle class to pay more.

“The next time you see one of Bruce Rauner’s negative TV ads attacking Governor Quinn, remember how he payed for it - at your expense.”

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 8:31 am

Comments

Solid ad. Especially because using Pat Quinn’s own voice reinforces how incompetent he is.

Comment by Southwest Cook Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 8:34 am
Homerun.

Comment by Bogart Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 8:38 am
Pure baloney.

Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 8:47 am
A- To the point, and preemptive of whatever positives Quinn is about to advertise.

A lot of reasons to quibble with the facts and characterizations as presented, but voters won’t know or care.

Good for now, but cannot go forever with simplistic negatives because people will tune them out. The big hammers will come down not on broken promises, (so what’s unexpected about that from politicians?) but on losing the image of Mr. Clean.

Comment by walker Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 8:49 am
I can’t believe the cajones on this guy. Quinn cut education. Okay, what exactly is Rauner going to do? At the very least he’s going to try to divert money from public schools to charters and private ones. That isn’t going to cause layoffs?

As to the ad. It is good. It will likely work well on low info types.

Comment by Jimbo Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 8:51 am
It’s an A. You may dispute the conclusions but using PQ tape is effective. Rauner has to make the election a referendum on PQ. Most people seem to be certain (irregardless of personal situation) that the state is circling the drain. Making Quinn look like the guy that pulled the plug works.

Comment by Mason born Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 8:53 am
I’m new at this - what does 300 points mean exactly?

Comment by Sbarro McArby's Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 8:55 am
And why are they launching this on a Friday

Comment by Sbarro McArby's Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 8:57 am
A “very thin” buy is still more than what PQ is buying

Comment by Sun Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 8:59 am
I agree with Jimbo that it is a little disingenuous because Rauner is likely to try and cut a lot of things to cause layoffs. But most people who see it will not be aware of that or won’t even care. It all sounds bad and a lot of it is true. I think quite effective.

Comment by Bunson8r Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:00 am
Rauner is going negative because his numbers are falling like a rock!

Comment by DateNight Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:00 am
So it begins……

A- Strong ad, not enough buy (yet)

Comment by Dee Lay Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:01 am
I rate the ad a B. I rate it a bit lower because Rauner has offered nothing of substance. It’s easy to attack someone but much harder to offer anything up.

“You may dispute the conclusions but using PQ tape is effective. Rauner has to make the election a referendum on PQ.”

I agree. Pat Quinn and any politician has to live by his or her words. That goes for Gov. Walker in Wisconsin also, and his job creation pledge. Even if governors have relatively little to do with job creation, they should be judged by their pledges.

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:02 am
==Rauner is going negative because his numbers are falling like a rock!==

Cite your source for this claim, please.

Comment by phocion Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:06 am
Oh man, a disingenuous TV ad….

Shocking..

Lord knows no one is going to do that against Rauner….

Please…

As for what is a point, here is a good guide.

http://www.winningcampaigns.org/Winning-Campaigns-Archive-Articles/Understanding-Political-Media-Buying.html

Comment by OneMan Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:06 am
Can we vote none of the above like in the movie Brewster’s Millions?

Comment by beaten down Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:08 am
===Rauner is going negative because his numbers are falling like a rock!===

You need to crawl out from under your own rock and smell some reality.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:09 am
Solid “B, B+”

Covers all the bases, uses Quinn’s own words, but I would think the grainy footage is a bit too grainy.

That really is all the negative I can muster, it can have impact in beginning a narrative that Rauner is going to use to hammer Quinn, and funding it won’t be a problem.

It’s beginning.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:13 am
@Jimbo
=As to the ad. It is good. It will likely work well on low info types.=

That’s most of Quinn’s voting base, so you’re suggesting this may win some Dem converts?

Of course, most “low info” types aren’t concerned with facts, performance, messages or policies; they just vote for party and ethnicity.

Since those kind of voters predominate in Illinois, perhaps they’ll carry Quinn through as they did for Obama.

Comment by Arizona Bob Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:13 am
Good ad full of fun facts.

Comment by Nieva Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:13 am
But Rich, under the rock is where the Rauner hate can really fester….

Comment by OneMan Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:16 am
It’s ok, but a little defensive: “When you hear Pat Quinn’s false attacks…” remember he breaks his promisses? Take that out and it’s a decent ad which contributes to a devastating theme: “the state is in trouble and the buck should stop with Quinn.”

Comment by lake county democrat Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:20 am
there was a Rauner sighting in downtown Springfield this morning. but alas no chickens were spotted.

Comment by PoolGuy Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:20 am
Bob, I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but both sides rely heavily on low info voters. My point, which you would have seen if not looking through such partisan glasses, is that this ad will work on folks who don’t understand that Rauner will lay off scores more teachers than he is blasting Quinn for laying off. It is a good ad. I can admit that. It makes two disingenuous assertions regarding education. Can you admit that?

Comment by Jimbo Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:22 am
– low info types!–
Sadly, a growing portion of the Illinois electorate!

Comment by WhoKnew Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:23 am
To put my partisan hat back on though, Rauner hasn’t given any details about his plans if elected. Can anyone voting for him claim to be anything other than a low info voter?

Comment by Jimbo Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:24 am
It’s a good ad except for the excessively grainy clips. I know this was an intended affect, but this isn’t the 60’s or 70’s. We have HD TV.

The “thin” buy is curious. Unless his folks are worried about campaign fatigue, they should be hitting it hard. They having money problems? [s/]

Comment by Norseman Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:24 am
A. Quinn’s own words, countered by reasonably clear facts. If this is the beginning of the “referendum on Quinn” campaign, the Rauner crew is starting to earn their keep.
Also a nice conversation changer after the Stroger/Sgt.Schultz episode.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:25 am
Daddy what is a low info voter…

Why anyone who disagrees with me son.

Comment by OneMan Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:28 am
Boring. But maybe that’s the idea. Keep a low murmur of criticism going, but remember that you need independent and Democratic votes to win this race, so you want to avoid a hyper-partisan stance.

Still, best chance–this federal investigation of the non-violence initiative turns into something significant that can actually be tied directly to the governor rather than blamed on clueless or corrupt subordinates and community agencies.
Even the most apolitical Illinois voters probably have noticed that our last two governors went to jail. So another governor in trouble with the feds could get many thinking about a new broom and actually voting for one, whatever the new broom’s flaws.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:30 am
As to the “thin” buy any chance this is a trial run prior to going big?

–The governor’s campaign claims this is a “very thin” buy of 300 points in Chicago.–

Is it me or should the statement have read thank God this is only a thin buy?

Comment by Mason born Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:32 am
Good ad. The average ‘low info’ voter will likely see this ad three times, as I understand a 300 point buy?

Comment by Sunshine Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:35 am
Well, it ain’t gonna help Quinn, that’s for sure.

Comment by Just Observing Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:38 am
Rauner had 1.4 Mil on March 31 and has raised 7.6 Mil in A-1 money since.

Quinn had 8.8 Mil on March 31 and has raised 4.3 Mil in A-1 money since.

We’ll get the D2s by Tuesday, but since you have to figure Rauner has spent much much more than Quinn, Quinn will have a sizeable money lead.

Is the small buy a reflection of Rauner’s gunshyness about self-funding? Because he’ll need at least another 10 Mil of his own money-maybe 20+ Mil-if he wants to win this.

Comment by Sbarro McArby's Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:39 am
Solid A- … Reinforces clear Rauner narrative against PQ as incompetent and dishonest.

No idea what Quinn’s campaign is sticking Rauner with besides “rich” and thin pay-to-play stuff that’s pretty easily deflected.

The “Rauner’s going negative b/c he’s dropping” comment is about as clueless as the stuff coming from PQ campaign headquarters.

Comment by ChinaTown Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:45 am
or perhaps the buy is small because it is July…

Comment by OneMan Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:49 am
OneMan 9:49

Excellent point.

Comment by Mason born Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:53 am
Ok, let’s nip this.

The only poll that Quinn may lead in when it’s all said and done is the poll on Election Day, and even that looks shaky at best given this Federal Investigation and Rauner’s resources.

That is real. Quinn is a “come from behind” finisher not a “front runner” finisher.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:54 am
B+ Governor Quinn has provided and accented his own negatives over his governorship to inspire multiple negative ads by his opponent. This is just the beginning. The soft female voice contrasts nicely with Quinn’s to make the ad sound sane and calming.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:55 am
We want to say it is truly gifted and it should be put heavy rotation — but our gag reflex isn’t that good. He has a hard time with the tax issues…because the tax hike goes off the book, the end spending numbers will make the whack jobs happy because they want to spend zero…and his tax avoidance — no SS/Medicare bucks from him — hits home hard to all voters. They don’t mind rich guys or gals, but tax avoidance corner cutters do not poll well

“===Rauner is going negative because his numbers are falling like a rock!=== You need to crawl out from under your own rock and smell some reality.”
BTW just because WAA has Mitt up, please don’t expect the rest of us to buy in
Fire,Aim, Ready

Comment by CirularFiringSquad Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:57 am
@McArby: Buying electronic media is based on gross rating points (GRP’s) and the cost paid to buy a rating point. GRP’s, are the sum total of the ratings achieved for a media schedule and provides an estimate of the exposure of the target audience to the campaign’s advertising. A good general rule of thumb is 100 GRP’s means the average TV viewer will see a commercial once, so 500 GRP’s should expose an average viewer five times to the commercial. Since this is a conceptual average, a heavy viewer might see the commercial more and a light viewer may see the spot less. The average target voter should see a commercial at least five to seven times in a week for it to have the potential to influence the voting decision, so 500 to 700 GRP’s is considered a substantial buy for one week.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 9:59 am
That was a well-produced ad. It is short and to the point, and it drives home three key issues in less than 30 seconds. I give it an “A”.

This is why Rauner is such a good candidate. He himself is not a good candidate, but he uses his advertising money wisely and ensures his ads are well-produced and effective.

Bill Brady’s ads were terrible. Some of the third party ads for Brady and against Quinn were good (i.e. RGA ads) but Brady’s ads did nothing for me. I think Rauner learned from those disasterpieces and rewrote that part of the playbook.

Comment by Team Sleep Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:01 am
Grudgingly, a B/B-. OW hits it, it starts a narrative.

Meanwhile, with several million dollars in his coffers, Quinn seemingly does nothing. Hey Governor, right foot, the big pedal makes it go. So, GO already! Hit him back. Good grief the IL GOP gave you a rough map how to drag his numbers down. Can you say “Nursing Homes” as a starting point?

Comment by Toure's Latte Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:04 am
I think it’s too choppy and hits too many points. Treat the subjects separately and run with them.

Also, it devotes a lot of time to Pat Quinn saying positive things. Yes, the voiceover counters Quinn’s claims, but you’re assuming viewers are laser-focused and hanging on every word. They’re not.

Why give Quinn the podium in your spot? Show obligatory scowling b&w photo and let your graphics and narrator make the points.

Mike Deaver said he never complained about any negative coverage of Reagan as long as it showed Reagan speaking. Not comparing Quinn to Reagan, but you can make your points without giving him the floor.

Plus, why reference Quinn’s attacks? Let Quinn pay to bring them up.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:04 am
Solid Pass on this one. 3 hard strikes in a well paced commercial. Jobs. Education. Income taxes. Boom, boom, boom. That’s how you direct and make a commercial in :30.

Who says 300 rating points is a thin buy in Summer television viewing patterns? There’s very little dense mass in the TV schedule that time of year. It’s not a thin buy, it’s a smart strategic buy. Could be 900 or 1200 points in a month.

I disagree on the low information voter hooey too. Those are three shots right at the issues that concern every voter. Wishful thinking and rationalization are the same thing.

This one scores.

Comment by A guy... Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:09 am
It is a typical challenger ad.
This is what a challenger to an incumbent does. It is the job of a challenger to force the incumbent into defending how well they did their job. Broadcasting what the incumbent has said publically, then pointing out how far they fall short of what they said - is the job of a challenger, regardless of party or candidate.

This ad calls the incumbent out and forces voters into seeing the election as a referendum about the incumbent. That is what challengers do.

And this is why it has been so vital for the Governor to do what incumbents do when they want to win reelection. They take advantage of getting a majority vote in the last election, and build on that support. They reaffirm to voters that they made the right choice when they chose him. The winning incumbents praise their voters as wise deciders. The winning incumbents tell a winning story of how they are successful in doing the job they were elected to do.

Is this how Quinn is running for reelection? Voters want to hear him telling them that they chose wisely in 2010 because he has been a great governor. Voters want to hear him telling them that thing are better with him as governor. Voters want to know that he knows exactly what to do in office, and where to take this state over the next four years. Voters need to see Quinn governing, smiling and being the adult in every room.

The challenger will continue. He hasn’t even began discussing the recent scandals, which have only continued after a decade of gubernatorial scandals and locked-up governors. The challenger will continue telling voters that in November they need to get someone else as their governor.

Quinn can play class warfare all he wants, but that message won’t challenge Rauner’s message at all. Quinn has to challenge the message in order to win reelection.

A+ commercial. A challenger home run, with many more to come - I suspect.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:13 am
===Plus, why reference Quinn’s attacks? Let Quinn pay to bring them up.===

That’s why no “A” from me. If you are leading in the polls and taking it to Quinn, why even bring up attacks that haven’t happened? Seems like a weak excuse during the Ad to explain the negativity.

Be negative, go negative, and be done with it.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:15 am
=== Rauner hasn’t given any details about his plans if elected ===

I love statements like this. What candidate does this? Probably mostly the losers. Truth in advertising is not what campaigns are about. But you likely already knew that.

Comment by dupage dan Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:19 am
Word - that is a good assessment. Perhaps Mr. Rauner is building on the old adage that it takes three mailers to have an effective direct mail campaign - only he is applying that logic to TV commercials. This could be the groundwork to three separate attack ads.

Comment by Team Sleep Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:19 am
===What candidate does this?===

Most.

Rauner won’t even fill out simple questionnaires from biz groups. That’s unheard of.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:20 am
B+. You won’t see a lot of Rauner on the news, but you will see lots of Rauner ads, where he can control the message. Has there been anything regarding debates after Labor Day?

Comment by Bogey Golfer Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:25 am
Solid B. Just heard it on TV while working. My reaction is a big shrug. Typical ad, same old same old. Most people I know tune out the usual rhetoric and wait for something with more substance, which will be later this summer. I don’t think it’s going to persuade anyone, and just reinforces the opinions already held.

Comment by Archiesmom Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:31 am
This is the Quinnichio ad, which had it been on the air sooner, would have complemented the goofy character that’s been trailing Quinn around the state. Not sure 300 points will cement the idea that Quinn broke promises, but at least it explains why some poor kid had dress in the awful costume and subject himself to humiliation and possible tresspassing charges to make a half-baked point. This is the other half of the previously half-baked point.

Adding…that’s the only time anyone will read the words “governor” and “very thin” in the same sentence.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:38 am
I think the ad is good and will be effective, it delivers the exact message Rauner has been sending since day 1., Quinn is a liar and not a friend of the people. I may or may not agree with the “facts” of the ad but from that standpoint I see it as a solid B+.

For me the question will be whether or not the Quinn camp can convince people of some of Rauner’s inconsistencies. His campaign trail messages have been mixed at time depending on the audience. His stance on the minimum wage is one issue that comes to mind. Obviously Quinn will also continue to attack his wealth.

I do not like either candidate, I think they both have serious flaws. Quinn has yet to substantively deal with the state fiscal issues and now has Federal problems to boot.
Rauner has his own ethical issues and does not quite understand that cutting taxes and/or state spending is not the only answer to our problems. He, like Quinn, does not get the interrelatedness of things.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:38 am
Archies mom, this method is exactly how Obama beat Romney by banking votes in advance. It has a cumulative effect. The message is attaching itself to dormant brain cells in your pretty head. By October, those brain cells get a poke and they liven up. Just. on. time.

Comment by A guy... Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:40 am
===Rauner won’t even fill out simple questionnaires from biz groups. That’s unheard of.===

And yet it seems the slight hit in credibility is likely to have less electoral impact than specifying his true policy agenda. And it doesn’t seem like Quinn & friends’ or the media have the ability exact a higher price than the minor blow he’ll absorb from “specificity frustration.”

Comment by ChinaTown Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:43 am
I agree that most candidates would lay out a plan. Brady had a much more honest and realistic plan than Quinn has had in 6 years and it cost him the election.

Anyone who does not believe Rauner has a plan is a fool. He is a successful billionaire. He has a plan, but if it is a realistic one, he will lose the election.

But lets be fair. If Quinn had executed a realist plan and balanced the budget at any point in the last 6 years, Daffy Duck would beat him.

If you are winning and your plan is bloody, you don’t release it. Rauner just needs to respond each time asked that he is waiting for the Governor’s plan to respond. Since its been 6 years and we haven’t seen one I think he is safe through the first week in November.

Reality Check: Any plan that is going to have a chance of turning this state around will make any candidate 100% unelectable.

Comment by the Patriot Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:43 am
Meh, it’s a standard run-of-the-mill negative ad. Although, I do like the tagline for some reason.

Comment by Jay Dee Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:44 am
#redmeat #bouttime #keepallglovesoff #goforthejugularbruce

Comment by Black Ivy Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:45 am
B+/A- . By itself not a home run, but as the beginning of a narrative it works.

A lot of talk about Quinn’s “huge” cash on hand advantage and questioning whether Rauner is worried about conserving limited COH funds. That’s hilarious. Campaigns are always concerned about funds….but I trust that there is little to no concern about money running out. This isn’t Bill Brady…when Rauner needs funds to do what he needs to do, the money will be there to do it. Whether Quinn is as confident in his checkbook I don’t know, but I’m guessing we’ll get an answer to that based on how quick he starts to return fire.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:47 am
==== Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:20 am:

===What candidate does this?===

Most.

Rauner won’t even fill out simple questionnaires from biz groups. That’s unheard of.=====

He should fill out some of them, but they’re not all that simple anymore. These questionnaires have evolved to more aggressive position statements on some issues that just haven’t had enough time to percolate. They’re less ’simple’ than they were only a cycle or two ago. Some should be left alone.

Comment by A guy... Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:53 am
Very strong ad. Looks like a lot of video viewing and research was done by the Rauner ad people. All those Quinn press conferences over the years with him talking on camera, all those on camera speeches and addresses. Lots of available cannon fodder. Didn’t see the Bill Brady campaign do this.

The expected Quinn attack ads won’t be pretty.

Comment by Louis G Atsaves Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 10:56 am
So Quinn offers no response to the substance (or counterattack), and simply asserts it’s a “very thin” buy? Rauner ops lickin’ chops.

Comment by ChinaTown Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 11:04 am
The expected Quinn attack ads won’t be pretty.

Pretty awful, so far.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 11:17 am
Wow TP! We don’t think he doesn’t have a plan. We think, as you do, that his plan would make him unelectable. Shouldn’t voters know what they’re voting for? Unlike you we are not just going to trust him because he’s a billionaire. The people deserve to know what they are voting for. As it stands, he’s running on being not Quinn. While that is appealing, being “not Quinn” doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll better than Quinn, just different. Based on what I know about the way he ran the companies GTCR bought, I’m inclined to think he’ll look out only for his fellow 1%ers.

The fact that he’s hiding his agenda scares me. It indicates that it is something the public does not want. That should scare you as well.

Comment by Jimbo Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 12:50 pm
Also, ten percent across the board cuts isn’t a plan, it’s a one line solution to a complex problem. And he lost because of social issues. Rauner looks like he’ll win because he doesn’t have the same baggage in that department, but Rauner isn’t discussing his plan because it is basically: ensure no progressive income tax, business tax cuts, social services cuts, assistance cuts, medicaid cuts, and school vouchers. He’s not running to fix the State, he’s running because he favors giving government education dollars away to his charter and private school friends and he’s scared as heck we’ll institute a graduated income tax, which is truly the only logical and most painless solution to our structural deficit.

Comment by Jimbo Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 1:00 pm
“Of course, most “low info” types aren’t concerned with facts, performance, messages or policies; they just vote for party and ethnicity.”

Gosh, Arizona Bob, is there a party and ethnicity that you have in mind?

(I would write more, but my dog is acting really funny. It’s like he’s hearing a whistle or something.)

Comment by Soccermom Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 1:11 pm
Sbarro –

Like you, I don’t know nothin’ about birthing no babies. But here’s what I’m thinking — 300 points is a pretty thin buy, unless it’s targeted at a specific demographic. (Since I watch way too much HGTV and wind up seeing a lot of Rauner stuff, I’m going to guess that he’s targeting, um, soccer moms.)

So let’s say, just for grins, that Rauner is not in fact “gun shy” about spending his own money, and that he might in fact be willing to pony up six months’ worth of income to become Governor of our fair state.

He might decide to target his buy, polling before and afterward to see whether this one moves the needle with the gals he needs to win. If it works, then he can bump up his buy closer to the election. If it doesn’t rev up his voters, then he’ll come back with a new ad and try the same “Small buy acting like a focus group on steroids” strategy. Because he’s got plenty of money and plenty of time.

But maybe you’re right - maybe he’s just a stupid pennypincher. And even worse, he’s a BILLIONAIRE. Just like Steve Jobs. And everybody hated Steve Jobs. Also, that incredible globally despised J.K. Rowling is a billionaire. A BILLIONAIRE. Oooh, I hate her so much because she is a Billionaire. But the worst one is George Lucas. He’s a horrible horrible billionaire. We should give his museum right back. Throw it back, like an opponent’s home run. Dang billionaire.

Sigh.

I think Bruce Rauner would be a disaster for this state. And I speak as someone who had the pleasure of working closely with Rod. I am praying that the Governor’s campaign has a series of hard-hitting, focused spots in the can that will depict Rauner as he is — a self-dealing, self-serving, self-admiring hypocrite who has no vision, no integrity, and no respect for the voters. I don’t care if he’s a billionaire — I care that he’s a billionaire who has no concern for me or my family.

Comment by Soccermom Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 1:33 pm
Payed?

Comment by Dave Dahl Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 1:40 pm
==remember how he payed for it==

Yeesh. Doesn’t Quinn’s campaign have a proofreader. And his lengthy rebuttal is not only full of holes, but no one will pay it any attention. The past tense of pay is paid, by the way. Not payed.

To the post - Rauner’s ad is a solid “A” Quinn’s weak reply to it merits another failing grade.

Comment by phocion Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 1:40 pm
I give it an “A-” - using the candidates words against him is effective, especially with folks who are actually watching TV during the day. I live in Chicago and have seen this ad at least 4 times on broadcast already today. Might not be such a thin buy after all. Other readers should keep an eye out for the frequency of the spots.

Comment by Curious Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 2:47 pm
For multiple reasons the Quinn response should never have gone out.

1.)”Payed”-looks unprofessional and bumbling. Unprofessional and bumbling are also words people would use to describe this administration.

2.) Even though they never say it is false, it appears they are trying to refute the 67 percent hike. This puts the Quinn crew in the position of saying “Taxes aren’t THAT high in Illinois.” No matter the validity of the position, it sounds awful.

3.)The job creation response, sheesh. First it says the claim is false, then produces zero evidence that it is. It then argues that the Fed is projecting job growth for the next 6 months. “I’m tellin’ ya the jobs are coming” Nobody cares, you had 6 years to get them hear.

But, finally pointing to November 2008 and February 2009 and stating “things are just getting better than they were then.” Ok, Governor, so you are just getting to be as good as Blagojevich.

Always take an extra 20 minutes before you hit send, it matters.

Comment by kj Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 3:18 pm
Quinn Crew,

Typos in a “Fact Check” response defeats the purpose of the response.

“You’re” Pal,

OW

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 3:39 pm
Pat Quinn has Rauner right where he wants him.

By creating so many potential openings for attack, Quinn is forcing Rauner to spread out his offense.

By sitting back and not spending any money, Quinn has forced Rauner to fire the first shot.

Quinn will now easily counter and disarm Rauner with the “out of context” and “Pants on Fire” defenses.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 4:00 pm
YDD, you forgot to close the snark tag on that last one. lol

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 11, 14 @ 4:02 pm