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* I’ve been telling subscribers about this TV and radio ad campaign for weeks. Crain’s published a story a few days ago…
A media campaign raising alarms about skyrocketing property taxes is a signal that a rift in the state’s Republican Party shows no sign of healing. The campaign comes from Liberty Principles, the Illinois super PAC that once counted Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner as one of its biggest donors.
“Save Your Home Now” ads running on television and radio advocate for a 1 percent “hard cap on property taxes as a percentage of home value,” which it points out has been implemented in California and Indiana. The website claims the plan would halve the property taxes of most Illinois homeowners.
It’s also the same plan proposed by former Rauner opponent Jeanne Ives, the Republican state legislator who challenged the governor in the primary earlier this year. Ives and other independent-minded Republicans have slammed Rauner for not doing enough to bring down taxes in a state whose real estate taxes are the second-highest in the nation.
Liberty Principles Chairman Dan Proft said the purpose of the campaign is to support “independent conservative reform candidates” across Illinois who are committed to the property tax issue. Proft is a Republican political operative and radio host who in recent years has created an empire of stealth conservative media outlets, including local “newspapers” with a clear ideology. […]
Kent Redfield, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield, said that efforts like Save Your Home are designed to “really purify and take over the House Republican caucus” from both Democrats and Rauner allies.
* Proft has spent a fortune on these ads to try and drive people to his website. Here’s one…
That tagline is certainly original, at least for a TV ad. But is it working? Proft says the ads are driving traffic to his site. But will that actually help candidates win?
Politics is basically a protection racket. You help me fend off opponents and make me otherwise relatively content and then I support your leadership. If you don’t do either, I run away and find someone else.
This ad campaign is entirely a different thing. I’m really not sure yet what it is.
* I suppose we’ll find out what he intends to do at this upcoming City Club event…
Illinois GOP: Now What?
Moderated by Tom Cross
Dan Proft, Pat Brady & Kristen McQuearyMonday, Nov 19, 2018
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 10:43 am
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My wife chuckled at the tag line before I explained the context.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 10:48 am
===Moderated by Tom Cross
Dan Proft, Pat Brady & Kristen McQueary===
All my fans in one place.
I hope @StatehouseChick will be “live tweeting”
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 10:49 am
Is it just me, or does the narrator for this ad and the Liberty PAC radio spots sound a lot like Gene Honda (the White Sox & Blackhawks PA announcer)?
Comment by Notorious RBG Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 10:49 am
Property taxes and work comp causation. All Rauner had to worry about.
Comment by BlueDogDem Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 10:50 am
It’s all a grift. The ads just direct you to Proft’s website, they don’t mention any specific electoral “ask”, not even the oblique kind like, “Call Senator Durbin and tell him to blah blah blah.”
Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 10:53 am
==Illinois GOP: Now What?
Moderated by Tom Cross
Dan Proft, Pat Brady & Kristen McQueary==
At least McQueary is being open about who she is for a change.
Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 10:53 am
Notorious-
I am pretty sure it is Gene Honda. He does all of Proft’s ads including the controversial Ives ones. Not sure how Blackhawks in particular allowed it with their very progressive/active LGBT “Hockey is for Everyone” outreach.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 10:57 am
===Moderated by Tom Cross
Dan Proft, Pat Brady & Kristen McQueary===
“Grifting, Toilets, and ‘Wishes’…”
If this is the future of the ILGOP…
When the serious adults want to talk about “what’s next” I’ll be around.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 10:59 am
And what exactly is the plan for all the local governments who are are looking at their revenue getting cut by a quarter or more? That’s always my biggest problem with Repubs and there insatiable hunger for tax cuts. Cut the spending first, if you insist, then cut revenue. You don’t jump out of a plane and then try to put on the parachute.
Comment by Perrid Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:01 am
–This ad campaign is entirely a different thing. I’m really not sure yet what it is.–
Anticipating a Rauner loss, Sugar Daddy Dick as Ferdinand II is setting up Proft as Torquemada to lay the groundwork and drive out the remaining “heretics” and purify the state GOP in their image.
Great strategy for building a governing majority in Illinois.
They’re so smart.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:02 am
==independent property tax reform candidates (who) would halve the property taxes of most Illinois homeowners
Are they members of the P-Tea party? I’m sure they’ll act surprised when home values and services drop to Indiana levels.
Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:03 am
Long game.
Comment by lake county democrat Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:14 am
I suspect these ads are primarily designed to help Proft build his voter data files more than they are about helping any candidate.
I did a quick Alexa web traffic search and here’s the national rankings for site visits for a few Illinois political websites:
capitolfax.com 23,901
jbpritzker.com 57,105
brucerauner.com 247,708
erikaharold.com 371,813
saveyourhomenow.org 373,864
kwameraoul.com 375,807
Again, those figures show where each site ranks nationally, (google is ranked #1 and Amazon #4, for instance,) not the number of actual page visits. Not bad for Proft.
Comment by Roman Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:26 am
He is building a list. Gotta find a source of easy money after Uihlein cuts off the cash.
Comment by The Way I See It Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:28 am
My response always is: I guess roads, law and order, and public education all “suck” also, right?
Thats what taxes pay for. Those things dont appear magically.
(Odd that conservatives around the world seem to understand this. All except the United States, where slash and burn radicals all preach cutting taxes but never talk about what they would cut.
Comment by low level Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:31 am
So will the “those who don’t suck” team caucus separately from the HGOP?
Comment by Dance Band on the Titanic Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:35 am
Sam McCann getting to 5% will help with a future campaign to “purify and take over the House Republican caucus”
Not only can Proft run GOP primary challengers against GOP-ers who don’t agree to be “purified” he can run candidates on the Conservative Party general election ticket as well.
Because of this, I don’t foresee Uihlein cutting off the cash any time soon.
Comment by Hamlet's Ghost Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:35 am
==Illinois GOP: Now What?
Moderated by Tom Cross
Dan Proft, Pat Brady & Kristen McQueary==
“A New Day, A New Boogeyman, A New Grift”
==I am pretty sure it is Gene Honda. He does all of Proft’s ads including the controversial Ives ones. Not sure how Blackhawks in particular allowed it with their very progressive/active LGBT “Hockey is for Everyone” outreach.==
For the record, the LGBT outreach is a league-wide initiative, and the Blackhawks were one of the last teams to drag their heels into it, and have seemed to do the bare minimum required of them. Also, Rocky Wirtz has entertained the likes of Toronto’s Ford family at United Center, and was part of Wrapports during its “no political endorsements except for Bruce Rauner” ownership of the Sun-Times. Rocky may have pumped life back into the Hawks and helped bring Stanley Cups to this town, but he ain’t no bastion of progressivism.
Comment by Roadrager Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:39 am
Definitely list building but for what purpose?
Grift? You bet.
To help some GOP candidates? Maybe.
To build a network that can take out local cnadidates in the Spring municipal elections? Count on it.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:42 am
And I think I’ll take a pass on the event. Last time Brady and Proft were at CityClub, Proft dropped the F-Bomb and Brady put on a ridiculous Claude Rains impression about how shocked, shocked that anyone would use such language. And throw StateHouseChick into the mix? I think I’d rather go to the dentist. I guess I could follow her tweets on it, but she blocked me (and tons of others) more than a year ago.+
Comment by Chicago Cynic Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:46 am
At 1%, my property taxes would be cut by more than half. Sounds good. Let’s fire half our teachers, half our firemen, half our police.
Or maybe Proft and Co. will support doubling of our sales taxes to make up the revenue. Perhaps that will be their second ad?
Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:49 am
These spots are all templates and are produced as cheap as possible–at a fraction of the cost of what Dem firms are paying in dollars and manpower to produce spots. Proft has to be making a killing. Chicago Cynic hit the nail right on the head.
Comment by Wild 100s Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 11:58 am
Democrats claim to want to freeze poperty taxes while completely ignoring the cost drivers that are the reason they have skyrocketed.
Hint- mandates from Springfield that tie the hands of locally elected officials
Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 12:02 pm
these scare tactic ads are so low rent.
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 12:22 pm
==Or maybe Proft and Co. will support doubling of our sales taxes to make up the revenue.==
Where’s JB’s proposed tax swap? I will gladly pay an extra $1 in income taxes for a $1 reduction in my property taxes. Heck, give me 80 cents back. Because it’s the overall tax burden that’s smothering people.
Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 12:35 pm
–This ad campaign is entirely a different thing. I’m really not sure yet what it is.–
Anticipating a Rauner loss, Sugar Daddy Dick is bankrolling Proft to purify the state GOP in their image.
Brilliant strategy for building a governing coalition in Illinois.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 12:48 pm
What I found funny is the ad features on woman holding a child (where will she go to school?) and one fellow who says “once the kids graduate, we’re moving.” Who do they think pays for the kid’s schooling?
They hate the idea of taxes while they benefit from those same taxes.
Comment by Terry Salad Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 1:02 pm
CZ, I think your math is challenged. $1 reduction here and $1 increase there equals 0 change in overall tax burden. Perhaps you’re talking about %?
And I see what you did there. The topic of the day is Proft and the purpose of this ad.
Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 1:29 pm
“Anticipating a Rauner loss, Sugar Daddy Dick is bankrolling Proft to purify the state GOP in their image.”
I think this is correct.
After a Pritzker win, the IL-GOP will be up for grabs. This is a pillar of Dick Uihlein’s plan to make it his own. Jeanne Ives’ candidacy is another.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 1:36 pm
Nice to know Beavis and Butthead are all grown up and working now.
Comment by 17% Solution Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 3:26 pm
@Notorious RBG, Anon, Roadrager — I guess I can hear a passing similarity but Gene Honda has never done any political ad work. Whoever made those ads just got a soundalike voice. If you search YouTube for old clips for comparison you can definitely hear the difference.
Comment by HawksFan1980 Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 3:53 pm
Rauner gutted the party and left the carcass on the fence for scavengers
Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Oct 10, 18 @ 7:43 pm
Radical Candor IL has a smoking take on this Proft spot. Highly recommended.
https://twitter.com/radicalcandoril?lang=en
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 5:24 pm
Well, if Rauner left a “gutted carcass,” he paid, what? $40 million for the privilege.
Comment by Ex-scribe Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 6:35 pm