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Rate Chris Kennedy’s new ad

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* The spot…

* The ad begins with part of this Robert Kennedy quote, who is pictured: “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” The rest…

Chris Kennedy’s father fought for civil rights, equality and fairness. Today, the fight lives on in Chris’ campaign for governor to take on a broken political system. Endorsed by newspapers across the state as authentic and independent. Kennedy will be an anti-establishment governor with a progressive agenda and the vision to reshape Illinois.

The best thing he’s got going for him is his family heritage. Pritzker inherited money, Kennedy inherited his last name. You go with what you have in this business.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:29 am

Comments

Very, very strong for a Dem primary.

Comment by Lay Hee Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:33 am
I like it! I hope he has the resources to withstand the negative campaigning which will undoubtedly grow stronger in the coming weeks. His strong movement in the polls isn’t going to sit well with JB.

Comment by Hiawatha Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:38 am
–The best thing he’s got going for him is his family heritage. Pritzker inherited money, Kennedy inherited his last name. You go with what you have in this business.–

No question. Neither one of them would be in the ballgame without their respective inheritances.

It’s a great spot, with good use of the RFK footage and the newspaper endorsements.

The visual transition from the B+W footage of the old man shaking hands with the folks to the son doing the same is very powerful editing.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:40 am
The ad is fine. Solid B. But this is what he should have run months ago when he could have had a good, positive with no on air push back. But since Pritzker is already running a negative track, he won’t have a clean shot so its effectiveness will be limited.

Comment by Anon0091 Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:43 am
Solid. Not sure if this is his closer but very well done.

Comment by Because I said so.... Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:43 am
Very good ad. Plus, it shows a poster of Rauner saying his cuts hurt women. I’m sure that was on purpose to make up for the nice things Kennedy said about Rauner. Smart move.

Pritzker is still the favorite, but Kennedy might have a come from behind win like Poshard had 20 years ago.

Comment by The Snowman Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:45 am
Solid ad, interested to see where it plays.
Great visuals.

Comment by Red fish blue fish Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:47 am
I like it! I hope he has the resources to withstand the negative campaigning which will undoubtedly grow stronger in the coming weeks. His movement in the polls isn’t going to sit well with the JB camp.

Kennedy was in Champaign last night. Very positive energy in the room. While his family heritage may one of his strongest assets, he clearly has many others. Illinois would greatly benefit from his leadership.

Comment by Hiawatha Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:47 am
The best thing Kennedy has going for him is he is anti establishment in a state where 9% think we are on the right track.

He is fighting to fix a broken political system enabled by the most powerful state legislator in America.

JB is of the opinion Illinois would be much better off if the Speaker and his minions had unchecked power

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:49 am
Great quote - making the voter feel empowered is always a good strategy. Especially when the regular Democratic party works so hard to dis-empower voters.

Comment by lake county democrat Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:49 am
I like the negative one about him speaking of the 5x tuition raise then this. At the very best its a wash.

Comment by old time golfer Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:50 am
I think very good. I always thought Kennedy would be tough to beat me strong down State however does not seem like that is the case. Also, since I am old, ad is nostalgic and sad and reminds me how far the son is from the father

Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:51 am
Have no idea why it took so long to unpack this strategy with a truly beloved father. If he’s got the money, these are the kind of ads he should run until Election Day. A good turnout for him in the AA Community in Cook and strong help downstate offers him a path that could get a little wider with each passing day. Especially if the JB slam/phone tap calls keep running.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:52 am
Surprisingly impressive ad — and Kennedy needs all the help he can get to appear impressive.

Comment by IllinoisBoi Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:56 am
This is the Kennedy sweet-spot.

It’s a “B+, B”

This is the campaign I thought and commented on many a time I thought they could run, should run, and build a winning campaign.

It’s thematic, it’s overarching, it hits the Kennedy name, and says things broad enough that it won’t matter that substance is lacking.

Throw in endorsements, it’s well done and well timed.

Can they get voters to the polls?

Dunno.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:57 am
Strong, smart ad. People are looking for someone to feel good about. That ad gives those people what they are looking for. Nostalgia is a powerful thing.

Comment by Montrose Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 10:58 am
To clarify, this is an A+. Connect it to the other posts from Rich/key points–it’s not just the Kennedy imagery but also pushing that he is anti-establishment and independent….which captures what is, apparently, the feeling of most people in Illinois.

You can rightly criticize whether this should’ve gone up sooner but on its own it’s a grand slam.

Comment by Lay Hee Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:00 am
I’m genuinely impressed with how this ad was constructed. It can work right now in reaching people in the process of early voting and if played prominently I believe it will likely influence many Dem undecideds through to March 20. Grade A. It’s going to be hard (and dangerous) to go too negative against Bobby K. in a Democratic primary with his “now it’s on to Chicago and let’s win there” final words still ringing in many voters’ ears..

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:01 am
==It’s going to be hard (and dangerous) to go too negative against Bobby K. in a Democratic primary==

No one has to, since Chris K. is the candidate.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:07 am
This is the best ad by any of the Democratic candidates for Governor thus far. If Kennedy can get it on in a heavy rotation, it will move numbers.

Comment by ILPundit Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:11 am
“JB is of the opinion Illinois would be much better off if the Speaker and his minions had unchecked power.”

Yea, that’s exactly right LP. How did you know. That’s exactly why JB is such a strong supporter of independent maps because they give the Speaker more power. Oh wait, no.

As Rich said this morning in the CapFax, the Speaker cares most about three votes: Speaker, House Rules and the Map. Hmmm, then I guess maybe you’re just completely full of malarkey.

Comment by Anon0091 Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:12 am
BTW, I agree with Willy. This is Kennedy’s obvious sweet spot. It’s why it’s so perplexing that it took him so long to get here.

Comment by Anon0091 Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:13 am
–Nostalgia is a powerful thing.–

It is, because you can remember the good and forget the bad, creating a time that never truly existed.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:15 am
===It’s why it’s so perplexing that it took him so long to get here.===

* lack of money

* poor organization in a campaign apparatus

* Kennedy is poor on the stump for so long

* Kennedy applauds Bruce Rauner.

The Kennedy Crew, of the 3 Dem Crews, is by far the worst at grasping how to handle simple campaign fundamentals.

This ad is a fundamental and sweet spot usurped by…

… lacking money, campaign organization…

Not too difficult to understand.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:17 am
Good ad, saw it in TV this morning.

=JB is of the opinion Illinois would be much better off if the Speaker and his minions had unchecked power=

Since you state this is his opinion do you have anything like evidence of him saying that or are you suggesting that you can read his mind?

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:19 am
==Since you state this is his opinion do you have anything like evidence of him saying that or are you suggesting that you can read his mind?==

His evidence is that JB threatens Bruce Rauner, and thus exhibits any traits that he believes would be politically unpopular until such a time as those traits become politically popular, at which point JB, like all Rauner opponents, will then exhibit the opposite traits.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:25 am
Arsenal 11:07 — “since Chris K. is the candidate”

Right — I saw RFK campaign, and Chris K. ain’t RFK. So: Very fine ad, but does it move voters, even in a Dem primary? Skeptical.

Comment by Flapdoodle Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:28 am
Good ad now. Excellent ad for early in a campaign.

We’ll see if a 4-week strong campaign can pull it out.

Comment by walker Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:32 am
This Robert Kennedy guy seems pretty cool. Can we vote for him instead of his son?

Comment by MissingG Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:34 am
Anyone is better then JB

Comment by Sue Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:43 am
Nice spot and could have made a difference to me say 6 months ago, but Chris lacks the charisma ( at least of what I see on tv ) of his father. JB’s spots tell specifically what he’s done, and more about his goals. Goal is to beat Rauner, don’t think Kennedy oozes that thru his spots.

Comment by Product of the '60's Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:43 am
Kennedy is offering nostalgia in a state that has been rocked by incompetence.

He would be Rauner in the General like Dems only wish JB or Biss could.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:51 am
It was always going to come to this. As long as the Dem primary voters know Bobby Kennedy’s son is running, he will be very difficult to beat.

I would think JB and his posse will be countering the Kennedy name with good old fashioned Chicago politics. I talking about hundreds of thousands of soft money on the street from now till election day. There is way to much at stake for the regular dems like Berrios, Madigan & Preckwinkle to let this one get away.

Comment by Bobio Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 11:56 am
Meh. I think it’s kind of odd to be appealing to both Kennedy nostalgia and anti-establishment sentiment in the same ad. The elderly voters who remember JFK and RFK don’t usually vote for anti-establishment candidates, and honestly it made me giggle to hear the heir to a major political dynasty saying he’s not a member of the establishment. It just seems incongruous.

Comment by Angel's Sword Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 12:01 pm
Very good ad—playing the famous father card (mostly not snark).

I like the anti-establishment thing as it relates to this race. I’m still undecided but intrigued by Kennedy, because he seems to have the least Madigan baggage. I am sensitive and receptive to how that might help in the General.

A-

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 12:27 pm
I can’t forget his claim that Mayor Emmanuel has a secret plan to move black folks out of the city. That mad statement disqualified him in my mind. I don’t care how glowing his ads are.

Comment by NoGifts Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 12:36 pm
@Angel’s Sword 12:01 “elderly voters who remember JFK and RFK”

Hey, hey, who you calling “elderly”, huh? Why, just yesterday I . . . I . . . I . . . wait a minute, it’ll come to me . . . what was the question? /s

Comment by Flapdoodle Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 12:40 pm
Kennedy family history is a real mixed bag.I’ll leave it at that.

Comment by cc Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 12:41 pm
Kennedy can win this thing but needs a push. Unfortunately for him, even if there are other JB tapes, they won’t be coming out. Rauner was behind the initial release and Rauner wants to face JB. Negative ads on JB are embargoed by the real money until 3/21.

Biss polling at 3% with African Americans in Cook County makes him completely unviable. He should drop out and back Kennedy (if he is true to his messaging). He won’t do that, of course, but that would be the kicker.

If JB loses, that will be the death blow to the Speaker. It will be clear that he was the dragging anchor that brought down that ship.

Comment by Crunch time Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 12:58 pm
@ Grandson of Man, I agree. The least amount of Madigan baggage is very important in a race where none of the candidates are particularly dazzling. This well-done commercial leads me to think that Kennedy could be the tortoise to JB’s hare.

Comment by Soothsayer Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 1:00 pm
powerful ad, great use of the visuals to indicate the carrying on of a legacy and the issues. Across the state re the endorsements could be stated differently, perhaps upstate and downstate. A-

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 1:16 pm
Anyone unlucky enough to pay attention to me here knows I’m a CK fan. But purely in terms of who can best beat Rauner, he’s effectively tied with Pritzker. Yeah, he’s anti-Madigan and that’s the biggest reason I like him. But that same stance makes me wonder just how much the party will put out for him in the general. Remember Glen Poshard? Different dynamic here, but consider that Madigan has it pretty cushy politically with Rauner as a relatively powerless scapegoat. Why bring in a hostile governor — just to avoid another budget crisis and pass some progressive legislation? And maybe suffer a huge political backlash when the Dems control all three branches of government and wear the collar for coming tax hikes? Not so sure which he’d prefer. Unions will go all-out regardless, but beyond that… And with Pritzker you get all that cash.

So, a wash…

Comment by lake county democrat Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 3:15 pm
==He should drop out and back Kennedy (if he is true to his messaging).==

Dropping out to support a wealthy Kennedy, with a Daley raising money for him and Madigan’s lawyer helping him out, too, would be the exact opposite of Biss’ message.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 3:23 pm
Very good ad. I like the endorsements and the way it was edited. So far it is the best ad in the Gov race.
One Ad doesn’t win a primary. In order for Team Kennedy to win they will have to work 4 times as hard as Team Pritzker.
With Speaker Madigan, Chairman Berrios of the Cook County Dems and a ton of inherited money, Pritzker remains hard to beat.

Comment by Back to the Future Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 3:30 pm
===So far it is the best ad in the Gov race.===

Disagree

It’s Kennedy’s best ad, it’s up there…

The Pritzker Ad talking about his mom, the best ad of the election then, and now too.

With respect.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 3:32 pm
“Dropping out to support a wealthy Kennedy, with a Daley raising money for him and Madigan’s lawyer helping him out, too, would be the exact opposite of Biss’ message.”

It’s also the opposite of Kennedy’s current message. But let’s not quibble.

Comment by Anon0091 Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 4:19 pm
I don’t think that Kennedy is anti-Madigan as much as Madigan has been anti-Kennedy. I think Kennedy expected support of the party apparatus and was very disappointed when they backed Pritzker instead. The Kennedy campaign was borne out of necessity. Once Pritzker received the support of the party and Biss claimed the progressive mantle the only option left for Chris was to become angry. It wasn’t a good look. The ad is good but its too little too late.

Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 5:17 pm
Great ad for Kennedy. Best thing to help him in my opinion and not sure how he could do it in a thirty second ad, but if he could tie himself to his dad and uncle and then tie Pritzker to Blago all in one commercial, think that could be powerful. Or it could be confusing. Would have to be done right.

Comment by Snapper Tuesday, Mar 6, 18 @ 6:31 pm
When the political realities are against you, invoke mythology. Always works, at least to some extent.

Comment by jake Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 8:17 am