Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Rate the new People Who Play By The Rules PAC ad

Posted in:

Illinois
YouTube

Disturbing ad: People Who Play By The Rules PAC has launched a new ad, titled “The Scream,” that shows a woman in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood being attacked by three men. The video appears to be taken from a nearby home security camera. The video fades to a picture of Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot with the words, “How much worse does it have to get,” an allusion to crime.

The PAC, which is backing Republican Darren Bailey for governor, is fronted by conservative operative Dan Proft and largely funded by billionaire Richard Uihlein. It’s the same group that put out an ad that was criticized as racist for showing Lightfoot’s face darkened.

* Here you go…

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 9:37 am

Comments

Yikes-if they have real money behind it, it’s going to pack a punch. I pray she is okay and those criminals were caught.

Comment by Tom Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 9:42 am
I’ll be withholding rating until PWPBTR confirms they had the victim’s permission. If they didn’t, my rating will not make it through the profanity filters.

Comment by vern Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 9:43 am
I give it a solid B. The ad could be effective.

But again, all the gop has is the selling and stoking fear.

The answer proposed by bailey is either more police but not paying for them (which will not get you more police) because he doesn’t want to throw money at the issue.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 9:49 am
Give it a B+ Very effective but also shocking. I hope the victim is getting help, can’t imagine the horror she went through. Blunts the narrative that crime is not/ will not be a top issue for voters.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 9:51 am
It’s a B-

Running at the same time as the abortion ad… this isn’t going to sway suburban women who see an ad like the one released yesterday.

Old, angry, white… males… this ad allows them to embrace Bailey… even if it means putting the women in their lives in danger with a Governor Bailey.

For that, this ad is a B-

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 9:54 am
wow. that packs a punch.

Comment by Needs Deleted Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 9:54 am
// I’ll be withholding rating until PWPBTR confirms they had the victim’s permission. If they didn’t, my rating will not make it through the profanity filters. //

This. Her phone is going to blow up every time her friends and family see this on TV.

Comment by XonXoff Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 9:57 am
This would be a better ad against Kim Foxx than JB Pritzker.

Comment by lake county democrat Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 9:59 am
To me, this is a total fail, being exploitive and disturbing plus lacking any connection to the governor’s duties (more so for the mayor). To his base, I’m sure they see it as a win. Hard to reconcile those two different points of view. In the final analysis, no votes changed, so a waste of time and money.

Comment by Jibba Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:02 am
Old angry white males? I believe a young white female was brutally attacked in this incident while out for a walk. Maybe crime is an out of control problem that impacts everyone?

Comment by The Abyss Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:09 am
To Vern’s point this was an actual crime, with a real victim. It happened recently and I am sure the trauma is fresh. If the victim’s permission was sought & secured I view this ad differently than if it wasn’t.

Comment by wndycty Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:10 am
===white female===

There are no accidents in ads.

None.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:11 am
Not sure what grade to give it. It’s very disturbing to see someone attacked in a residential neighborhood in broad daylight, but what does the governor have to do with it? And including the mayor’s name at the end just muddles it for me.
And I must admit that I chuckle every time I see the name of this PAC. A PAC headed by a guy in Florida creating campaign ads for Illinois shows how stupid the rules are.

Comment by Curious citizen Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:14 am
Golly I wish JB Pritzker hadn’t mugged that poor woman. Not sure if I’ll ever vote for a democrat again, because they love it when people get mugged. My TV set told me that.

Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:15 am
I don’t get it? Was a woman never attacked when Rauner was Governor?

Comment by Grimlock Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:17 am
Things have gotten really bad. No denying it. It would be foolish and insensitive to try pretend otherwise. Somebody needs to face the music for this. Maybe howabout the person who is actually responsible for policing strategies in Chicago. It is time for JB to cut his losses and put some distance between himself and the Mayor.

Comment by Truth Hurts Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:17 am
I agree with Vern, I hope they got the victim’s permission before using this to advance their political agenda.

They also manipulated the audio. The screams starting prematurely makes the video seemed doctored in order to heighten the terror the video is meant to instill. Effective in being unsettling but not sure it is effective as far as campaign ads go.

Original can be found here:
https://cwbchicago.com/2022/09/shocking-video-shows-woman-getting-mugged-in-lakeview-on-sunday-afternoon.html

Comment by fear mongering Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:18 am
=white female= and what appears to be Black perpetrators. My view almost makes the perpetrators look to be wearing black balaclavas.

This will stoke implicit racist fears among those who view it. It will sell among those who perceive race difference.

B

Comment by H-W Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:19 am
I think there’s a smart idea behind it, but the disturbing footage plus the lack of context kinda contains it.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:19 am
===Was a woman never attacked when Rauner was Governor?===

Governor Abbott in Texas stated rape no longer happens in Texas so no need for an abortion exception

Is Bailey now going to outlaw… crime?

To this ad… there are videos of crimes measurably as heinous, but as it was pointed out… they chose a white female victim… they chose that video.

There are not accidents in ads.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:20 am
I don’t understand why anyone would want to single out “angry white males” in this ad. Maybe , the guys in the ad were on the way to SAT prep?

Comment by Steve Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:27 am
===But again, all the gop has is the selling and stoking fear.===

First off you run with what you got when the issue is perceived as a failure by the other side. Running that ad now would be good at a time people are coming to realize what happened to that woman that was kidnapped and found murdered out on a morning run. I rate the ad a B+ and would rate it higher if I had any belief that Proft had a comprehensive plan to tie this add to a full campaign.

Also, fear can sell if done correctly. What do you think the democrats are doing with abortion? What have they continually done with Social Security over the years. Sell fear to a specific constituency.

Comment by Nadigam Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:27 am
I watched the original video and there is no doubt in my mind that the audio was tricked up to make the screaming begin sooner, It is nonetheless frightening as the woman continued to scream for help. At one point she asked the attackers if they wanted hear phone.

Comment by Gravitas Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:30 am
Think on this;

Had Proft chosen where a person of color was a victim, would there be a different lens that the Bailey folks would see?

In the film, “A Time To Kill”, there was a real turning point at the most critical point of the film.

A lawyer in closing arguments describes to an all white jury such a heinous crime perpetrated by white men upon a black child.

Heinous. Disgusting. But that is not where the moment changes.

The moment changed when that attorney asked the jury to imagine if that victim… was white.

Proft is using racial biases, feeding the racial biases… there are no accidents in choices. Proft knows what this video is suppose to bring… anger for a white woman.

I cite Proft’s long ad history to race baiting also, this is not a “one-off” kind of thing

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:30 am
===I don’t understand===

Go watch, roughly, 7 minutes of “A Time to Kill” to grasp why, of all the video, of all the gruesome, and very tragic instances that occur, sadly, in Chicago… a white female victim.

There’s a target audience here. It’s masquerading as a “crime ad for all to see”

It’s not.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:34 am
It feels like a Hail Mary ad to me - very high risk (especially if they didn’t get permission, oh man) but potentially high reward. Some casual viewers are not going to appreciate having to suddenly experience that, now walking out their doors and viewing every stopped car with fear. But from a consultant’s perspective it’s probably the kind of ad you have to try, when you are in a hole like Bailey’s in.

The white woman in the Cook County suburbs continues to rule over state electoral politics, and Bailey has not won her favor with his abortion stances, so he has to try something.

Comment by ZC Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:36 am
Republicans are condensed down to one thing, basically, stoking fear and hatred. Attacks happen all the time, in all administrations. This ad has no plan or other message than pure, naked stoking of fear.

Why is the party of Christian values so full of fear, ILGOP? No actual faith or adherence to the Gospels?

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:41 am
===There’s a target audience here. It’s masquerading as a “crime ad for all to see”===

While I certainly whole heartedly agree with your assessment of this add and Proft in general, the crime did happen, and fear sells. Long after you and I are gone from posting on blogs these adds will be around. Just with better graphics.

Comment by Nadigam Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:42 am
// Republicans are condensed down to one thing, basically, stoking fear and hatred. //

It’s certainly sold a lot of guns in recent history.

Comment by XonXoff Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:44 am
-Republicans are condensed down to one thing, basically, stoking fear and hatred. -

Why doesn’t a progressive like JB send his kids to the government schools? Doesn’t he want his kids to experience “diversity”?

Comment by Steve Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:45 am
Obvious attempt to stoke “race fear”…works like a Republican charm.

Comment by Dotnonymous Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:46 am
===Long after you and I are gone from posting on blogs these adds will be around. Just with better graphics.===

That is a sad commentary on racism masquerading around as a fear so phony that it can only be described where race allows it to sell.

It’s who Bailey and Proft are.

Bailey shoulda already cornered the old, angry, white voters…

… suburban women are angry too that Bailey feels it’s his decision for choices about their bodies.

A white female victim.

No accidents in ads.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:46 am
===Why doesn’t a progressive like JB send his kids to the government schools? ===

Choice.

Republicans love choice in education

Are all Republicans in Illinois sending their children to public schools?

This is an odd take.

===Doesn’t he want his kids to experience “diversity”?===

Now do rural Illinois school systems and schools.

Pathetic.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:48 am
=What do you think the democrats are doing with abortion? What have they continually done with Social Security over the years. Sell fear to a specific constituency.=

Abortion? Republicans across the country and in Illinois (including their governor candidate) are actively outlawing abortion or calling for it. Not stoking fear it is true. Ron Johnson wants SSI reduced.

Pritzker isn’t advocating for crime and has signed or supported a number of initiatives to curb crime, yet the gop says otherwise.

Listen, I am not democrat by any stretch. I get that politics involves spinning a story. But the ilgop is doing something decidedly different while, at the same time, many of their key candidates extoll conservative christian values.

=Blunts the narrative that crime is not/ will not be a top issue for voters.=

You can want that to happen as much as you want, but the majority of voters are telling us otherwise.

But those clouds do need to be yelled at, right?

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:48 am
Proft needs to provide immediate proof that he has the survivor’s fully informed permission to use this video for this explicit purpose and message. If he can’t do that, stations need to pull this spot.

Comment by One hand //ing Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:54 am
===Proft needs to provide immediate proof that he has the survivor’s fully informed permission to use this video for this explicit purpose and message. If he can’t do that, stations need to pull this spot.===

Then so do the news stations that have been running this exact same spot. It is in the open and available to all. Even if I agree with you.

Comment by Nadigam Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 10:59 am
The ad is rated lower, below a C, because of no plan other than stoking fear and outrage. But wasn’t crime polling lower this year than economic issues? All we’ve got from Republican candidates is fear, fear, fear (see 2022 primary messaging).

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:01 am
===Ron Johnson wants SSI reduced.===

Yet last I checked he wasn’t an Illinois Senator or State Rep that can never vote to affect Social Security.

Comment by Nadigam Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:04 am
A+. It’s no coincidence that the magnificent mile is at a very high vacancy rate. It will resonate with independents.

Comment by Blue Dog Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:09 am
Follow up, thinking about this, but rank speculation: if they -didn’t- get permission, and this woman is really angered, and wants to appear like blacked out on screen, talking about how Darren Bailey forced her to relive this assault … again, a very high risk ad.

Comment by ZC Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:14 am
===Ron Johnson wants SSI reduced.===

Not Illinois-centric - but since it was raised here - Johnson supports a measure where SSI funding would be approved annually that’s it.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:14 am
===It’s no coincidence===

Is that why malls across the country are closed too?

Retail bricks and mortar are closing solely due to crime…

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:14 am
===It’s no coincidence that the magnificent mile is at a very high vacancy rate===

Watertower Place has real problems. But right across the street, a mall is thriving. This explains why https://www.chicagobusiness.com/commercial-real-estate/900-north-michigan-shops-magnificent-mile-mall

I know someone who owns a shop at that mall. She does pretty well.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:20 am
Also agreed with OW, Amazon has a heck of a lot more to do with brick and mortar stores closing than crime.

Did you see how much larger their market share got during before the pandemic? U.S. Billionaires increased their wealth by more than 1.6 Trillion (with a T!) over the past few years.

Bezos owned the world before, now he practically owns the solar system.

Comment by Commissar Gritty Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:24 am
===Is that why malls across the country are closed too?===

A bit apples to oranges. The mag mile is a destination experience for shopping. People are not going to go to a destination where they feel unsafe.

Comment by Nadigam Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:24 am
===bit apples to oranges===

Not really if one makes “crime” the apparent “sole” reason

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:26 am
== What have they continually done with Social Security over the years.==I would say sounded the alarm. I can’t say I feel very confident in the trajectory of the Social Security Trust Fund. The GOP, on the other hand, seems to be very happy to whistle while kicking the can down the road and repeating the mantra of tax cuts for the wealthy being the key to prosperity for everyone. Democrats are sometimes guilty of tax and spend, but Republicans are equally guilty of spend and don’t tax. Any wonder we have a $30 trillion federal debt with the SSTF being a major holder of these IOU’s?

Comment by MoralMinority Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:27 am
The ad is effective against Lori Lightfoot and Kim Foxx. Pritzker, not so much. Most voters know he has little responsibility for street crime in Chicago.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:27 am
===People are not going to go to a destination where they feel unsafe.===

There haven’t been shootings in malls?

Do you own a “Google Key” on your phone or computer?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:27 am
=== People are not going to go to a destination where they feel unsafe. ===

LOL

The Mag Mile and River North have been crowded as heck just about every day this summer. Get off Facebook.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:28 am
It was pointed out this week that there’s been a narrative push in right-wing media that some American cities were honest-to-God destroyed in the summer of 2020. One of the Fox hosts did a show from the suburbs of Minneapolis because it was far too dangerous to go into the wasteland of the city itself, as if Snake Plisskin was assembling a ragtag group to get out from its fortified barriers, right after the Twins game.

It’s nonsense, but millions gobble it up without question every night. And plenty more who don’t still find themselves getting little morsels of it, whether they realize it or not.

This is how one sustains “hellhole” discourse.

Comment by Roadrager Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:41 am
I give it a C.

If shown enough, it may evoke a Pavlovian response: High crime rate/J.B. Pritzker. That’s what Bailey is hoping.

But Bailey’s solution is dishonest. Municipalities hire and pay their own cops. The state doesn’t, unless it provides some kind of grants, then how long do the grants last?

You don’t put more cops on the street without paying for them, and if you don’t want to raise taxes, where does the money come from?

And even if you put more cops out there, criminals have gotten pretty sophisticated with cell phones. If they haven’t gotten more clever, why aren’t more of them being caught?

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:47 am
The ugly racial politics aside, this ad gets an A. Attention grabbing and striking. Way better than anything Proft has run yet.

It speaks volumes about Proft’s ad-making skills that a Ring camera shoots a much better ad than anything he can stage in a studio.

Comment by Roman Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 12:18 pm
=== The culprits: rents and crime.===

You forgot… rents.

Online shopping is a thing, even high end shopping.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 12:23 pm
A C-
She screams before anything happens. Not denying what the ring camera saw but the cheap editing make it seem bogus.

=== Pritzker isn’t advocating for crime and has signed or supported a number of initiatives to curb crime, yet the gop says otherwise.===

Pritzker signed quite a few bills to curb crime. Some Bailey voted for, some against.

Bailey voted for Domestic Violence Task Force HB3317, Illinois Forensic Science Commission SB920, and Mental Health Funding, SB3617

Bailey voted against the Organized Retail Theft Act HB1091, Ghost Guns, Amends the Criminal Code of 2012, HB4383, the Crime Reduction Task Force and Co-responder Pilot Program HB4736, Violence Reduction Fund Act HB0716, FBI notification of Human Remains SB3932 Expanding Vessa for Domestic Crime Victims HB 3582, Protection of K-12 Crime Victims HB3223 and he didn’t vote for Funds for Police Training and Retention HB3863, and Funerals for Child Victims. HB 2985.

All these bills Pritzker signed into law.

Comment by Da big bad wolf Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 12:57 pm
Wolf:

Great post. Thanks for researching that. Very telling.

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 1:11 pm
Just when I thought I could not think less of Proft he comes up with this Ad.
Agree the video is better than most Proft Ads, but just not into dog whistle Ads.
Hope the lady in the Ad is ok.
Grade- F

Comment by Back to the Future Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 1:36 pm
=It will resonate with independents.=

Independents by their very definition have a tendency to apply judgement, reason, and facts to their decision making. They are not easily influenced by confirmation bias fueled by social media. Your comments make it clear that you are not only not an independent but have no clue as to how they perceive things.

As far as rating the ad, I’d give it a C. Like most ads that the ILGOP is running these days it speaks to the base but does little if anything to move the needle amongst those they need to convert.

Comment by Pundent Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 1:43 pm
As a stand alone ad, it’s not very good. No context; how do Pritzker and Lightfoot relate to this crime?

My guess is that Proft expects news media across the state to do stories on the ad; giving it a broader audience and proving a context that will provide traction with voters. Hopefully, the news media will not fall prey to this fishing expedition.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 3:22 pm
===Independents by their very definition have a tendency to apply judgement, reason, and facts to their decision making.===

I’m not quite as confident that that’s true. Some independents are like that, but some are low information, low motivation voters who don’t consume much news one way or another.

Fwiw I don’t think this ad will appeal to those voters either, because it doesn’t contain any information besides screaming.

Comment by vern Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 3:26 pm
A+.
People are freaking about the effect of Leftist Crime Laws (cashless bail, etc.) and Leftist DAs & SAs.
Dems/The MSM may try to change the subject, but Dems are in trouble. This affects everyone.

Comment by BarryRumack Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 3:28 pm
=== People are freaking about===

Not really.

If anything, recent polling has saving our democracy from MAGA types who are bent on ending our democracy.

“Threats to democracy top list of issues facing US: poll”

shorturl.at/LQVW6

Deep breaths, you’ll be ok.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 3:32 pm
What part of that crime are you most proud of?

Comment by The Abyss Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 4:38 pm
I can’t imagine having been assaulted and having that assault used for a political ad, or having to relive my assault every time that commercial airs. I think it’s absolutely tasteless.

Comment by Voter Monday, Sep 12, 22 @ 5:32 pm
This ad is very offensive. How much did they pay the victim to continuously relive the trauma for political gain?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Sep 13, 22 @ 6:53 pm