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Rate Londrigan’s first TV ad

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* Press release…

Today, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign for Congress released her first general election television message to voters. The spot, titled “Hike,” tells the story of a family hike that landed her son in the intensive care unit, fighting for his life. It highlights the critical importance of access to quality and affordable health care for Illinois families. The spot begins airing on television in the district tomorrow.

“For me, and for so many parents across central Illinois, health care is a personal issue,” said Betsy Dirksen Londrigan. “No family should risk losing a loved one, or face bankruptcy, because of one medical emergency. That’s why I’m running for Congress — because Rodney Davis has voted repeatedly to cut health care coverage, raise costs, and gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Central Illinois families deserve better.”

* The spot…

* Transcript…

Ten years ago, a family hike almost cost our son Jack his life. A simple tick bite led to a deadly infection that put Jack in intensive care for 21 days where he was read last rites twice. I’m Betsy Londrigan and I know that without great health care, Jack [my son] would have died. Thankfully, he came home. But then the bills started coming. Without good insurance, we would have been bankrupt. I approve this message, because now I want to make sure every parent can afford good health care for their family, too.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:08 am

Comments

When you can show pictures of your son in intensive care, and speak of reading him his last rights, the personal nature of her health care message resonates.

The next step is drawing the contrast with Davis and his healthcare votes. The ad would be better imo if it pivoted to draw that distinction.

Comment by slow down Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:13 am
I agree with Slow Down. That last line in the press release should be in the ad.

Comment by Montrose Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:16 am
She wants everyone to have great healthcare.

She has a personal story about a medical emergency.

Only thing missing is pictures of puppies and how we’re going to pay for all this “good health care” for everybody plan.

Comment by Soapbox Derby Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:18 am
It is too soft. She needs to contrast with Davis. The last shot seems annoying. Is that someone running in front of the camera? My God, buy a new couch. It’s ugly.

Comment by Howdy Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:18 am
Same ad that ran during the primary

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:19 am
The ad is not bad, but her delivery is a bit stiff.

Comment by Jen Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:19 am
Way too soft. This is a contact sport. This isn’t going to resonate with people on the fence. That ad was a waste.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:20 am
=Only thing missing is pictures of puppies and how we’re going to pay for all this “good health care” for everybody plan.=

Says the person with Cadillac health coverage.

Comment by Colin O'Scopy Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:25 am
==how we’re going to pay for all this “good health care” for everybody plan==

Cancel the tax cuts for Donald Trump and the Space Force.

==Way too soft.==

It’s an intro ad. Punches will be thrown, and I’m not just talking about Davis’ Field Director. But first you gotta say who you are.

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:27 am
More pandering from a party that wants to protect the health insurance racket.

Did she have a $7500 deductible like most ACA silver plans? When most people are one paycheck away from disaster with no savings, how is that good health care?

Illinois families do deserve better. Low income, self-employed, etc. Competition will solve this, not statism.

Comment by not a leftie Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:27 am
===Competition will solve this===

Um, no, it won’t.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:29 am
Great spot. RapidRodney has nowhere to go. He is generally “no” on health care reforms. Should continue to keep him off balance.

Comment by Annonin' Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:32 am
==Competition will solve this==

OK…starting when? ‘Cause they’ve been able to compete for a good long while now, and everything still sucks.

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:46 am
@ Colin O’Scopy

You don’t know what healthcare plan I’m covered under,

but you do know I’m not asking others to pay for it.

Comment by Soapbox Derby Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:49 am
==but you do know I’m not asking others to pay for it.==

Unless you just pay your doctor in cash, you absolutely do ask other people to pay for it.

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 10:56 am
===Only thing missing is pictures of puppies and how we’re going to pay for all this “good health care” for everybody plan.===

Every other developed country in the world has figured out how to make it work. But we pour money into a space force.

Comment by Nick Name Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 11:04 am
===I’m not asking others to pay for it===

Google “insurance” and then get back to us, please.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 11:06 am
Good ad but it could have been better if she had drawn a contrast between herself and Davis on the healthcare issue.

Comment by The Dude Abides Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 11:06 am
@Arsenal

I’m in a plan that multiple individuals pay into and receive the same benefits when needed. That’s how insurance works. Colin wants the government to use tax dollars to assist in his, and others, healthcare needs.

My point is if you are campaigning to extend healthcare coverage you should at least explain to voters how you plan on paying for it.

Comment by Soapbox Derby Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 11:12 am
=You don’t know what healthcare plan I’m covered under=

You’re correct. I don’t know what plan you’re covered under. But I’d bet syringes to MRIs that you have enough coverage at an affordable rate that allows you to tell those in need to eat cake.

Comment by Colin O'Scopy Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 11:14 am
=Colin wants the government to use tax dollars to assist in his, and others, healthcare needs.=

I never wrote that. But now that you have. I agree with that statement. My tax dollars are being used for a lot less beneficial programs than health insurance for those who need it.

Comment by Colin O'Scopy Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 11:17 am
Really good ad. Sets up attack and key message of how Rodney Davis voted to take away ACA protections.

Comment by Anonchalant Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 11:29 am
==use tax dollars to assist in his, and others, healthcare needs.==

And that’s a bad thing? Assisting people? You’re once heckuva person. Sorry folks, if you don’t have healthcare coverage it’s not my problem.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 11:31 am
This is a good ad. It puts a human face on the healthcare coverage issue in this country. Everyone should be entitled to access to good health insurance.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 11:32 am
==’m in a plan that multiple individuals pay into and receive the same benefits when needed==

So is every citizen of the United Kingdom. You’re asking other people to subsidize your health care.

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 12:05 pm
Visually I give it an A-. From a messaging standpoint I give it a C+. I don’t see much there/ hear any solution being offered.

Comment by Boone's is Back Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 12:15 pm
== so is every citizen of the United Kingdom==

Yes, but they also have no choice in their healthcare plan. Don’t like your plan, don’t like your doctor? Tough. It’s one size fits all mate.

Comment by Soapbox Derby Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 12:16 pm
Soapbox says==Only thing missing is pictures of puppies and how we’re going to pay for all this “good health care” for everybody plan.==

717 Billion for One year of defense spending. We can start there.

Comment by don the legend Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 12:23 pm
=My point is if you are campaigning to extend healthcare coverage you should at least explain to voters how you plan on paying for it.=

So what do you think happens today when an uninsured individual shows up at the hospital or clinic? Here’s a clue, they aren’t turned away. And not to make your head explode but the cost of treating that individual is ultimately borne by those that carry insurance in the form of higher premiums. So the real question is what’s the more efficient redistribution of the cost. As much as you may not like it, one way or another you are paying for others.

And I’m sure that when you turn 65 you’ll reject Medicare out of principal.

Comment by Pundent Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 12:23 pm
==Yes, but they also have no choice in their healthcare plan.==

Nope. They can eschew their NHS benefits and pay for a private sector plan if they want to. You should probably read something into the fact that 90% of them don’t want to, but whatever.

==Don’t like your plan, don’t like your doctor? Tough.==

You just described reality for most Americans, too, mate. Most of us are stuck taking whatever plan comes with our jobs, or whatever we can afford. And once that plan is chosen, our choice of doctors is limited to that providers covered by that plan.

But the real point is that you made a point of saying you don’t ask anyone else to subsidize your insurance when you actually do.

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 12:52 pm
A little stiff, but that’s fixed with practice. Should have changed locations when talking about “then the bills came”. Change to the kitchen table, or the mailbox, or home office desk… and a pile of bills to point at. It’s okay, but the button on securing heath care could be stronger. A -real- strong finish would have been the live, smiling son walks into the final shot and hugs her, while she makes the health care for all pitch.

This is not an attack ad; it’s laying out a position and theme, so don’t mention the opponent here, save that for rebuttal and attack ads.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 12:53 pm
Also, a quick Google reveals that you do, in fact, get to pick your doctor under the NHS.

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 12:57 pm
=== Competition will solve this ===
Every time I hear something like this, I get the urge to ask the person when the last time was they asked their doctor what the charge would be for . . . anything. When did you last call around to area hospitals to see what that MRI would cost? Or to gastroenterologists to get a quote on a colonoscopy?

People might price-shop for ibruprofen, or select a generic over a name-brand drug, but they simply do not price-shop when it comes to serious matters of their own health. Instead, they go to Mayo, if they can, cost be . . . darned.

The notion that people will engage in competitive price-shopping for any significant medical procedure is ludicrous.

Comment by jdcolombo Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 12:57 pm
==People might price-shop for ibruprofen, or select a generic over a name-brand drug, but they simply do not price-shop when it comes to serious matters of their own health.==

And most of the time, your provider can’t even tell you what the price is. Your doctors and nurses certainly have no idea, and even for the billing departments, the price of any given procedure depends on which insurer is covering it (and often, how well the insurer’s billing clerk can sweet talk the hospital’s billing clerk).

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 1:30 pm
== so is every citizen of the United Kingdom==

Yes, but they also have no choice in their healthcare plan. Don’t like your plan, don’t like your doctor? Tough. It’s one size fits all mate.–

You are proving to have absolutely no knowledge of what you’re talking about. Yet you continue.

To the ad, she should really hit on pre-existing conditions. That polls off the charts.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 1:42 pm
She could have stated. Had my people not used great restraint, Mr Davis staff would have been in a better position to explain to him the high healthcare costs. Golden teaching opportunity missed.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 1:54 pm
Good ad by Betsy, but she’ll need to hit Rodney harder than that in what is going to be a very close race. Continue to humanize herself and her positions with ads like this one, but then tie them back to Rodney Davis and his insensitive party-line pro-Trump positions. She’ll need that to break through his insincere “civility” narrative.

Comment by lollinois Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 1:59 pm
It’s all she got.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 2:07 pm
It moves a little too slow. She’s an attractive lady and wee bit of color on her face would have helped a lot. She’s reading the whole time.

The topic is very emotional, but I don’t sense a lady who almost lost a son twice. Not saying she should break down, but that’s a pretty harrowing experience. She read it without exuding any feeling, which I’m sure she has.

This ad could be a lot better with what they have to work with.

Comment by A guy Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 2:35 pm
==Yes, but they also have no choice in their healthcare plan. Don’t like your plan, don’t like your doctor? Tough. It’s one size fits all mate.==

You should probably have an understanding of that healthcare system before commenting because clearly you don’t understand the concept.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 3:21 pm
Good ad. She sounds sincere. Of course, she states the perennial health care access issue without any suggestions on how to fix it. It’s “pay to play.” My first step would be to stop all providers, including insurers, from “paying” politicians, but that’s illegal.

Comment by Cook County Commoner Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 4:02 pm
It’s a good ad - and it will help with her name recognition. Agree that the harder hits will come later.

Comment by Way South of I-80 Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 4:22 pm
I found it rather under-whelming. i don’t know anyone who doesn’t think its desirable to have access to affordable health care. But she offers no solutions.

Comment by FarmBoy Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 5:39 pm
Not particularly effective in my opinion.

Comment by downstate hack Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 6:11 pm
I wish she would mention Medicare for All and that healthcare is a right.

Comment by Yu2 Monday, Aug 20, 18 @ 7:25 pm
excellent first ad. I chuckle that some want to say its too soft, its her first ad district wide for an introduction to the voters. I suspect subsequent ads will get much more pointed with what she wants to see done vs Davis. I am sure we hear how Rodney is still too fearful to meet with his constituents in any townhall format and how we need some one with courage to sit down in front of them and talk the hard questions and the go to washington and get issues resolved.

Comment by truthteller Tuesday, Aug 21, 18 @ 5:31 am
==The topic is very emotional, but I don’t sense a lady who almost lost a son twice. Not saying she should break down, but that’s a pretty harrowing experience. She read it without exuding any feeling, which I’m sure she has.==

Cecil B. DeMille, here. How someone describes their own personal emergencies and challenges is just that, personal. It’s called sincerity.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 21, 18 @ 8:16 am