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Rate the Kim Foxx campaign kick-off video

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Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on Tuesday released a digital ad for her 2020 reelection campaign that invokes President Donald Trump’s rhetoric against Chicago and addresses her own handling of the controversial Jussie Smollett case.

In the ad, Foxx also reminds viewers of her Cabrini-Green upbringing and the struggles she’s overcome on her way to becoming Cook County’s top prosecutor.

“State’s attorney is a tough job. Every day, my office is under attack: from a president who uses our city as a punching bag, the NRA hellbent on letting guns flood our streets and the FOP clinging to the old ways. They’ll do anything to undercut progress, including attacking me personally over the Jussie Smollett case,” Foxx said in the ad. “Truth is, I didn’t handle it well. I own that. I’m making changes in my office to make sure we do better. That’s what reform is about.” […]

Factions of the city’s law enforcement community, led by the Fraternal Order of Police, have heavily criticized Foxx. Her office’s role in the area’s bail reform efforts also is at the center of intense debate.

She takes on the FOP in the ad as well.

* Fox News…

Her biggest public blunder — the Smollett case — is still on the minds of a lot of people.

Nine months after the Smollett saga, in which Smollett reported to police that he’d been the victim of a racist, homophobic attack by President Trump supporters, and seven months after Foxx’s office mysteriously dropped all the charges him, the case still comes up a lot.

Earlier this month, President Trump brought up the situation during a speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention.

“It’s a scam. It’s a really big scam, just like the impeachment of your president is a scam. And then you look what’s going on. Smollett is still trying to get away with it,” Trump bellowed.

Um, this is a Democratic primary race. And even if it was a general election contest, the president received 21.4 percent in Cook County. Running as the candidate the president hates would be a positive there.

* Anyway, rate it…

* Related…

* Foxx’s opponent raises nearly $900,000 since August: Big executives at the Carlyle Group, one of the world’s richest private equity firms, are pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into the campaign of Democrat Bill Conway, who is now outraising incumbent Kim Foxx.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:21 pm

Comments

I’m not a Kim Foxx supporter but.. this is one of the best political ads I’ve seen in a long time.

Comment by Steve Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:28 pm
John Burge is most definitely not a new name symbolizing injustice, he was fired in 1993, convicted in 2011 and died on 2018.

She is offended to being attacked personally over the Smollett case but admits she didn’t handle it well and she owns it.

Make sense? Of course not.

Owning it is not calling out people who agree with your failure, because they are the FOP or other political opponents.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:34 pm
Jussie: She says she “owns that”. How exactly has she owned it? It was the most bald-faced inside job of prosecution I ever remember.
She didn’t and doesn’t own it. She’s blown it.

Waste of a well produced ad.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:39 pm
It’s good. Two minutes fifteen seconds is a lot of time for a TV ad, and you can see the one minute and 30 second spots in it. It was necessary to admit that the Smollett affair was not handled well. I wonder how singling out the FOP will play in the election because her opponents are not going to be running towards the FOP for support at all.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:39 pm
I’d give it a “C”. The beginning part where Foxx recounts her background is excellent. Talking about the need for criminal justice reform is also a good point, but in the next breath Foxx talks the old talk of being tough on crime.

Also, making the CCSAO out to be the “victim” of outside forces and calling the office a “tough job” doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence that she’s up to the job of leading the office. Saying that she “didn’t handle [the Smollett case] well” is fodder for her opponents. In short, this could have been a lot better.

Comment by Bourbon Street Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:42 pm
A.

Very good ad, if not a little long. Excellent to bring up the personal struggles and trauma that were overcome or managed, to have success. This is an inspiration to others. Chicago has seen a decrease in homicides, and Foxx helped legalize marijuana. It’s the right path, to prosecute gun crimes more harshly and nonviolent offenses less harshly. Some humility too with the Smollett case—would Trump ever admit he handled something major wrong? What a contrast between her and Trump, who went through life as one of the most privileged.

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:43 pm
Hey Marty, what do you think of this ad?

Comment by Big Gom Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:48 pm
===It was the most bald-faced inside job of prosecution I ever remember===

You gotta be kidding me. Ever hear of a guy named Burge?

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:48 pm
Its a copy of her last year’s campaing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoSszvwR3O8

Comment by Samo, samo Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:49 pm
The Smollett lawsuit is ongoing, and in the hands of a special prosecutor. We really don’t yet know what she owns.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:50 pm
The ad is fine, and she is the favorite in what appears to be at least a 3-way primary. I would like some specifics on what she thinks she owns about the Smollett case, a bad outcome or just bad PR? I doubt she will say until Mr. Webb finishes his work.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 1:52 pm
… the fact remains that law enforcement, parole officers and first responders see the pitfalls of her “policies” everyday as recidivism revolving door increases in courtrooms and juvenile detention hall.

Comment by Well produced commercial but... Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 2:00 pm
I rate it a “B-“

“Why?”

As a video, and not an ad, the length and details to her bio, work, themes of the campaign, it’s fine, it checks boxes.

It’s hits on Trump, and Burge, and closely together we find these two prongs, obviously not by accident. The question will be, in a primary for the Democratic nomination, will that set her apart from others, especially as the incumbent? That’s kinda murky, so it’s not all that separating.

The Smollett mea culpa, I’m always about the mea culpa. You eat it, you own it. By the brash, crisp self-own, now comes the “learn” she’ll have to own to blunt the criticism that will haunt, even with a self own that is undeniable here, with her own words on camera.

The Burge and Trump dynamic, much more than Burge, much more than Trump too being expressed, will it be enough to make an incumbent’s case with Smollett. That’s what this video is trying to lay groundwork for, and it’s a “B-“ effort.

Aside?

The music is “ugh”, the edits are decent, the visuals don’t swipe too quick, nothing but the music, at times, taking away from the overall. Points were… deducted a bit for it.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 2:03 pm
Can’t forgive her for Smollett, but Trump singling her out is a big plus for her. The Ad is a good one though. Not sure how many minds it’s going to change.

Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 2:19 pm
Solid A rating from me anytime a politician honestly owns up to their mistake, and the rest of the ad was well done too. As much as I hate the Smollett case and how it was handled, as each day goes by I’m realizing that alone is nowhere near enough to cast my vote for someone else

Comment by Driving a car Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 2:24 pm
A- Ad was very well done with a great introduction and owning the Smollet (don’t believe it was for TV- way too long).

The tough part of her race is not going to be highlighting accomplishments in ads; it’s going to be the everyday experiences people of Chicago have the 30-90 days right before the election. If crimes- not necessarily even gun violence- like petty larceny, robberies, burglaries, car jacking, keep increasing in the densely populated loop and surrounding areas- she’ll be blamed. It’s hard for that not to be in the forefront of a voters mind when it’s happening to or near them.

Comment by CommonSenseCary Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 2:32 pm
Very odd how that at 1:54 “old boy’s club” there appears to be a spotlight on the only white man to appear in the ad.

Comment by West Side Don Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 2:39 pm
I would rate the Ad an A. Owning the Smollett Fiasco was a very smart move. Get it out front and center. She comes across on camera honest and beieveable.

Comment by Druid Eye Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 2:53 pm
There are plenty of us within the office who would like new stewardship. This regime has elevated the concerns for defendants over the concerns for victims at the expense of accountability and safety.

Comment by AlfondoGonz Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 3:01 pm
New Day Conway is kinda catchy.

I thought Joyce would run for CCSA.

Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 3:09 pm
Too long. Too self congratulatory. Despite the past policing problems taking on the FOP by name is probably not the best idea. Chicagoans still expect the police to arrive and take proper action and investigate when they call 911. Victims still expect some level of reasonable prosecution for property crimes as well as major crimes. That was not “owning” Smollett. That was an attempt to whitewash Smollett. Grade C.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 3:17 pm
Nice that she said she owns it. Now tell me what you should have done differently. Otherwise it’s just empty words.

Comment by SSL Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 3:32 pm
Terrible that’s to expected from a terrible candidate.

Comment by AnotherAnon Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 3:34 pm
Except it took her far, far too long to finally “own” the Smollet fiasco, scare quotes intended. Goes to show that pretty much anyone could have walked into CCSA after the Laquan MacDonald coverup.

Comment by A State Employee Guy Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 3:35 pm
D - Because one would have to be Dumb to fall for the fiction that she is a true public servant. Just as Anita Alvarez didn’t pursue a conviction of Daley’s nephew RJ Vanecko so we now have Kim Foxx who similarly doesn’t pursue a conviction of Jussie Smollett– and scores of other criminals who have been released from Cook County Jail to continue terrorizing Chicago neighborhoods. Next candidate, please.

Comment by Oh Really? Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 3:39 pm
Well made.

It’s smart for her to portray the opposition to her as being “about Jussie Smollett” rather than bigger issues like bail for gun crime offenders. If the perception sticks that the reason people are mad at her is the relatively minor albeit internationally-publicized Jussie Smollett issue, then voters will be OK re-electing her

Comment by Oak Parker Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 3:53 pm
I have to admit this is a good introduction to her, I’m sorry to have not seen anything like this before she got elected four years ago.

Comment by Levois J Tuesday, Nov 19, 19 @ 7:10 pm
If a politician is going to accept blame, they should accept blame, and not redirect with distractions.

It took her far, far too long to talk about her accomplishments. It’s the last 20 seconds of a two and a half minute commercial nobody will watch.

Comment by Just Me Wednesday, Nov 20, 19 @ 12:15 am