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Proft PAC launches new Charles Thomas ad

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Illinois

* Proft’s PAC…

People Who Play By The Rules PAC has launched a new ad, “Born On Third” featuring former ABC 7 political reporter Charles Thomas. It is available on YouTube, the PBR PAC Facebook Page and will run on statewide media this week.

:30 YouTube: https://youtu.be/JYMDJP8BTrQ
TV Script:

For 25 years, ABC 7 political reporter Charles Thomas gave you the straight news. Now he’s giving you real talk on the governor’s race.

Charles Thomas: JB Pritzker? What’s he ever done outside of being born on third base and telling the world he hit a triple? JB Pritzker and his people called Darren Bailey an extremist. He’s an expert at growing food. What’s JB Pritzker an expert at doing?

Paid for by People Who Play By The Rules PAC.

Meanwhile, Bailey just reported receiving a $700,000 contribution from his mom. No family money there.

Say whatever you want about him, but Pritzker was central to kickstarting the tech industry in Chicago via the 1871 incubator…

The efforts to create 1871 began with J.B Pritzker. He forged a partnership between the public and private sector and was able to get the State of Illinois to provide $2.5 M to fund the construction.

That incubator has so far created about 14,500 jobs and raised $3.5 billion in venture capital.

* Also…

With voting already started, Republican megadonor Richard Uihlein poured another $13.9 million into his quest to defeat Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, with the cash to the anti-Pritzker People Who Play By the Rules PAC coming as state campaign finance records show lackluster fundraising by GOP nominee Darren Bailey.

Uihlein inherited part of the Schlitz beer fortune.

And…

Since the 2020 general election, Uihlein has made more than $57.5 million in donations to GOP candidates and causes. Besides his contributions to the Proft PAC and Bailey, he has given more than $2.6 million to Illinois Senate Republican leader Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods, records show.

Uihlein also has given $1 million to a group opposing a proposed state constitutional amendment on the ballot that is backed by unions and would enshrine collective bargaining rights in the state’s governing document.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 9:40 am

Comments

Interesting to hear that Bailey is an “expert on growing food.” I had no idea.

Comment by Furtive Look Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 9:42 am
Bailey was born on third base, relative to his neighbors.

-He’s an expert at growing food.-

OK. How does that qualify him to be Governor and lead a whole state? When your best case for the guy to be Governor is saying he can grow food, that’s pretty weak.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 9:45 am
“He’s an expert at growing food.” That’s odd, and not one of the top traits I look for in a Governor.

“He’s an expert at growing food. What’s JB Pritzker an expert at doing?” I’m surprised Charlie didn’t say out loud what his obvious answer is.

Comment by Henry Francis Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 9:46 am
==JB Pritzker and his people called Darren Bailey an extremist. He’s an expert at growing food.==

I note that while this repeats the central criticism of Bailey, it does not actually refute it.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 9:47 am
$700,000? yeah that would not be possible from any part of my family back in the day or now, so puh…lease. but lucky to have Uihlein to pony up.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 9:50 am
While he may not be an expert at it JB’s pretty good at getting other billionaires to pour cash down the Proft rathole.

Comment by We’ll See Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 9:54 am
I don’t recall Pritzker ever claiming to have hit a triple or, in other words, claiming that he’s a self-made man.
So I don’t get why Proft feels the need to knock down this straw man when Pritzker has a record as governor of the state that he can discuss.

Comment by Curious citizen Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:01 am
Shame on Bailey. Letting his mom pour her money down the drain like that. He should refuse to take her money. He is going to lose the election, there is no need for her to lose her money.

Comment by DuPage Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:01 am
I suppose that when your parents make over $8 million on a land transaction with the federal government and the State of Illinois you can probably afford to donate $700,000 to your favorite son. Am I right?

Comment by illini Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:02 am
Easiest job on a campaign this cycle? Editor for the Profit PAC TV ads.

Second easiest job ?
Script writer for them.

Proft: “So Charles, when the light turns green on this camera, just start talking. Say whatever you want. No notes here. And then we’re going to air this. As is. Tonight. Again, whatever you say right now we’re going to put on television. All good ?”

Charles: “Works for me. Real quick.
What do we call a person who is an expert on growing food ? It’s on the tip of, forget it, let’s roll.”

Comment by Scott Fawell's Cellmate Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:03 am
Thomas must have some animus towards Pritzker. Because “being an expert at growing food” is pretty weak sauce when it comes to making a case for running the State of Illinois. In fact it sounds like a debate response when the moderate asks, “say something nice about your opponent.”

Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:03 am
== “He’s an expert at growing food. What’s JB Pritzker an expert at doing?” I’m surprised Charlie didn’t say out loud what his obvious answer is. ==

Has Charles taken note that the Carhart vest never seems to be zipped up?

Comment by We’ll See Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:04 am
Bailey, Proft and company are also huge supporters of Trump. If there was anyone who started off on 3rd base and thought he hit a grand slam homerun, it is Trump.

Comment by City Guy Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:09 am
Cheryl Burton’s face in that ad is one of pure contempt. They could not find vetter footage from ABC?

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:11 am
I LOL’ed at the “he’s an expert at growing food!” line.

Comment by chi Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:11 am
isn’t “most progressive” also extreme by definition?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:12 am
I’m glad to find out he’s a farmer, I didn’t catch that from the last ad. So he’s a farmer and an extremist.

Comment by The Velvet Frog Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:12 am
illini nails it (banned punctuation)

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:12 am
“So he’s a farmer and an extremist.”

He does Extreme Farming… harvests soybeans while riding a skateboard, bungee jumps from the crop duster, etc.

Comment by Skokie Man Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:20 am
A farmer? A farmer from Southern Illinois? Yea, a farmer can grow food.

Comment by Buford Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:20 am
Is this “expert in growing food” line meant to set up Bailey’s career as a pundit on HGTV or Food Network after he loses the election?

Comment by lollinois Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:25 am
Is it just me or are the PWPBTR ads kind of weak? Thomas says Bailey is a farmer and as such we should vote for him. Then a woman who says she isnt political claims girls are harmed now that parental notification is off the books?

Granted I am biased but do appreciate ads from the other side that work and try to see where we could learn something. These Proft ads just are very weak sauce imo.

Comment by low level Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:30 am
I’m surprised someone “let” the tv stations run this ad since they have the power to not “let” someone print similar messages. Very gracious.

Comment by Michael Westen Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:31 am
**I’m surprised someone “let” the tv stations run this ad since they have the power to not “let” someone print similar messages. Very gracious.**

Huh?

Comment by JoeMaddon Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:33 am
**Is it just me or are the PWPBTR ads kind of weak?**

Nope… definitely just you. Proft has a long history of doing a bunch of really bad, weak mail and ads.

Comment by JoeMaddon Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:34 am
==isn’t “most progressive” also extreme by definition?==

Not necessarily, if the electorate is very progressive.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:36 am
=expert at growing food=

Says who? Food and feed are not the same thing.

And, coming from a landed wealthy ag family then accusing someone else of starting on 3rd base is the height of hypocrisy.

asked: “What’s he ever done outside of being born on third base and telling the world he hit a triple?”

answered: “That incubator has so far created about 14,500 jobs and raised $3.5 billion in venture capital.”

Unlike a certain orange person, Pritzker has never talked up his wealth. He has acknowledged his good fortune, but not bragged. Hardly taking credit for a triple.

Compare that to Mr. Hard workin’ man. I would like to see a picture of those farmers’ hands.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:38 am
===I’m surprised===

I’m not surprised you completely misunderstood the ethical question to a newspaper company printing fake news… then in typical “in-law uncle” silly, you equate a television ad to the ethical issue because maybe you lack ethics?

Think on that.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:38 am
Jean came up with $700k for Darren? That should buy a lot of Mountain Dep.

Comment by MoralMinority Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:43 am
Scott Fawell’s Cellmate is completely correct. The ads themselves are just so awful. I again so the original ad last night and it so mind blowingly inane.

They may worked better if the guy was not Charles Thomas, like if you got Michael Jordan to say it, we would be less focused on what was being said and more on who was saying it. But Charles Thomas is like someone you used to work with and completely forgot about until you saw him years later. “Oh, yeah! I forgot about that guy.”

Comment by Paddyrollingstone Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:48 am
==they have the power to not “let” someone print similar messages. Very gracious.==

Yeah. A private company decided not to take someone’s business anymore. You cant get much more free market than that. Id have thought conservatives would understand that.

Comment by low level Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:51 am
Stay tuned for Part 3 of our ongoing series next week, when Charles Thomas endorses Darren Bailey for governor because he’s “a guy who can make things come out of the ground.”

Comment by Roadrager Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:54 am
==since they have the power to not “let” someone print similar messages==

Aren’t Republicans the ones that argue that private businesses should be able to deny service to anyone they disagree with? What’s good for the goose . . .

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 11:01 am
==Letting his mom pour her money down the drain like that.==

I wonder if she is just churning the money they got from selling the land to IDNR. Like when her son donated money to his campaign after getting the PPP loan.

Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 11:07 am
“That incubator has so far created about 14,500 jobs and raised $3.5 billion in venture capital.”

The dumbest attack on JB is that he’s some silver-spooned dilettante because it’s the easiest to refute. And his role in the tech community is far more than 1871. JB vigorously supported it for decades and worked hard to put Chicago as a leading tech capital on the map. He personally supported almost every tech organization for years, not just with his $$ but more importantly with his time. He also created thousands of jobs through his own venture firm. As someone who worked in that world for years, I always find the attacks on him as a lazy, do-nothing billionaire to be pretty absurd.

Comment by New Day Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 11:17 am
No one in Illinois is allowed to have money and lawfully contribute it to others for First Amendment expression except JB Pritzker. Got it.

Comment by Les Moore Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 11:25 am
===No one===

The first amendment allows for free speech.

How that speech is embraced or taken is also… free speech.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 11:27 am
==No one in Illinois is allowed to have money and lawfully contribute it to others for First Amendment expression except JB Pritzker. Got it.==

Yeah, you beat up that straw man, you big tuff guy, you.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 11:28 am
Bailey is a farmer but the only thing he is an expert at is spreading manure.

Comment by Vader Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 11:32 am
Did Charles Thomas agree to a package deal for 50 grand or is he paid per spot?

Comment by Rudy’s teeth Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 11:52 am
==No one in Illinois is allowed to have money and lawfully contribute it to others for First Amendment expression except JB Pritzker. Got it.==

Another victim heard from.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 12:03 pm
-No one in Illinois is allowed to have money and lawfully contribute it to others for First Amendment expression except JB Pritzker. Got it.-

They’re doing it, aren’t they? Who’s stopping them?

Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 12:35 pm
Again, I wonder about the effectiveness of these ads outside the Chicago media market. I suspect I am like most people in Central Illinois who have never heard of Thomas before these ads.

Comment by G'Kar Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 12:42 pm
“Granted I am biased but do appreciate ads from the other side that work and try to see where we could learn something. These Proft ads just are very weak sauce imo.”

Speaking as someone from the other side, I think that I would not be as kind as you by only saying they are weak sauce.

Comment by Lurker Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 12:57 pm
==No one in Illinois is allowed to have money and lawfully contribute it…==

Les, they are free to contribute and spend as much as they want at anytime they like. We are also free to point out that given the quality of the ads, the money is not well spent.

That said, if Uihlein or Bailey’s momma or you want to contribute to a lost cause, please go right ahead.

Comment by low level Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 1:33 pm
These ads are some of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. Pure (unintentional) comedy.

Comment by Tony Dekalb Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 2:47 pm
I’m still laughing and crying over this ad.

Comment by Shytown Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 3:21 pm
A friendly reminder that Charles Thomas got $50,000 from the Bailey campaign before filming ads. See Capitol Fax’s “UPDATED x2 *** Former ABC7 political reporter Charles Thomas endorses Darren Bailey in new Proft TV”

Comment by Nuke The Whales Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 4:23 pm
There should be an answer ad called “Charles Thomas: Bought and Paid for.”

Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Oct 11, 22 @ 10:25 pm
“Expert” Charles Thomas and the African American woman are clearly trying to drive the Black democratic vote down. An old playbook that, to my knowledge, has not worked. Especially thinking that Black folks are gonna vote for a guy like Bailey over JB. Or think that African Americans are going to stay home with all of the GOP voter suppression laws they have introduced/passed nationally. I don’t think so…

Comment by One to the Dome Wednesday, Oct 12, 22 @ 5:37 pm
Was curious if this was a pro or anti Bailey commercial

Comment by hot mayonnaiase Wednesday, Oct 19, 22 @ 1:03 pm