The two days of partisan political events during the Illinois State Fair are like miniature, stripped-down, informal versions of national political conventions. They serve as a sort of kickoff to our fall campaign season, so they are usually closely watched by reporters who cover campaigns and by insiders.
The speeches and organized theater are usually allowed to dominate coverage. Last week, gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey was driven to the Republican Day event on a large John Deere tractor, a tailor-made image for TV and print reporters alike. He then capably delivered his well-written speech, which mainly attempted to paint the incumbent Democratic governor as an out-of-touch billionaire with soft hands who lives in a bubble and has no clue what average folks are going through.
The hands image was at the core of Baileys speech. With our hands, and our sweat, we nurture life, we strengthen our families, and we feed the world, he said. Take a look at your hands. Theyre probably like mine, a little swollen, a little calloused, got scars on em, he said before relating the life of a farmer.
Companies are leaving, families are leaving. Some people are just throwing their hands up and giving up, he said later in his address. But I mentioned your hands earlier. Look at them again. You and I are hands-on people. We fix problems all day long. Now, weve got to turn our attention to fixing this great state, he continued.
And then he contrasted our hands with the wealthy governors. On Tuesday, I milked a cow, Bailey said, which, of course, involves his hands. Last week with J.B. Pritzker, he took a picture with the butter cow. Now dont get me wrong. The butter cow is amazing. But J.B. and his soft billionaire hands was safely on the other side of that protective glass, far from the work. Kind of like in his billionaire bubble. I say he doesnt care. But I want to tell you something. Maybe he just doesnt know.
The hands metaphor was also used as a means of political action: You cant clear a field of weeds if you dont pull them out by the roots, friends, and the only way to fix Illinois is to fire J.B. Pritzker and get the problem out by the roots.
Clever.
But images and speeches rarely make an impact with news media coverage alone. A candidate needs money to put those images and zingers in TV ads and to amplify them throughout the online world.
And Bailey still has no money to do that. His principal backer, billionaire Richard Uihlein, came in relatively late but big during the primary. So, maybe hell eventually do that again. Bailey has not yet shown any ability to raise substantial money on his own, either before the primary or since. Baileys only reported contribution last week was just $1,000.
Since the primary, Uihlein has contributed $20 million to Dan Profts People Who Play by the Rules PAC. Proft, a talk-radio host and political activist, aired some super-solid TV ads on Baileys behalf during the primary, so at first, I didnt think it was a huge deal. Instead, Proft has reverted back to running the type of ads that didnt win many elections when he was involving himself in legislative races (mainly with Uihleins money). His past few ads, costing $1.8 million at the time of this writing, simply feature unknown people who appear to be talking to an unseen interviewer just off-camera.
None of Profts independent expenditure ads mention Bailey by name. Pritzker isnt even featured. If, as I suspect, Uihlein ultimately wants Proft to take the helm of Baileys campaign, then Proft isnt auditioning well. Baileys own Uihlein-funded primary ads were infinitely superior to whats on TV now. The GOP ticket situation is currently in near-disaster mode, with Bailey under siege, but its gonna be the apocalypse if somebody doesnt do something soon.
Individual candidate speeches usually matter far less after the state fair fades to black. And Bailey showed last week that he is not quite capable of taking reporters questions.
Asked about his specific plan to address gun violence, for instance, Bailey said, it would be nice if we would start obeying and following the laws that we have.
Baileys speech and his Q&A were filled with divisive, unsubtle code words about hard-working people being victimized by their leaders who must now rise up as one and smite their abuser.
But its still much more effective than the stuff Uihlein is paying good money for right now.
Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.
The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds.See our guidelines.
Original post:
All-hands-on-deck time for Bailey if he wants to get his message out - Chicago Sun-Times
- Marvel Snap: War Machine Best Decks and Synergies - Mobalytics - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Steam Deck Weekly: Pepper Grinder and Missile Dancer 2 Impressions, FFXIV Dawntrail Release Date, New Strive ... - Touch Arcade - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- The 30 best Steam Deck games - Rock Paper Shotgun - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- View from the Hill: Albanese hit by unexpected wave as he tries to clear the decks - The Conversation - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Fanatical's New Steam Deck Bundle Is Full Of Cyberpunk Therapy And Kingdom Management Games - GameSpot - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- New Business: Martingale Wharf Restaurant to expand waterfront deck; T-BONES in Derry to get facelift - The Union Leader - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- 'Below Deck' star Captain Kerry admits Ben Willoughby wasn't his first pick for bosun - Entertainment Weekly News - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering reveals deck archetypes for Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander decks - Sportskeeda - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Banged-up Heat have 'all hands on deck' - South Florida Sun Sentinel - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- 'Below Deck': 'Real Housewives of New York City' Star Jill Zarin Shakes Things Up on the Boat - Entertainment Tonight - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Fraser Olender Reacts to Cat Baugh Leaving Below Deck: "I Can't Take on Another Job" - Bravo - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Becky Lynch Brawls With Rhea Ripley On WWE Raw, Decks Dominik Mysterio - 411mania.com - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Ben Willoughby Might Be Fired In Below Deck Season 11, According To Captain Kerry - Screen Rant - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- RHONY's Jill Zarin Is One Demanding Charter Guest in Below Deck Midseason Trailer: 'Make It Better' - PEOPLE - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Outlaws Of Thunder Junction Debut Story, Mechanics, Commander Decks Revealed - TheGamer - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Get a Glimpse at the Stew Replacing Cat Baugh in the Below Deck Midseason Trailer: "I'm in Trouble" - Bravo - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Below Deck Season 12: Latest News & Everything We Know - Screen Rant - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Posh and decks! David Beckham upgrades 5million yacht for a 16MILLION version as former England ace sets sail ... - Daily Mail - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Student start-up decks up colleague's wedding venue with water-hyacinth-based creations | Onmanorama - Onmanorama - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Xandi Oliver Is a Star on Below Deck Season 11- Here's Why - Yahoo Entertainment - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- The Best Singles In The MTG Fallout Science! Commander Deck - TheGamer - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- The Best Queen's Blood Deck In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - Game Informer - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering The 10 Best Cards In Fallout's Mutant Menace Commander Deck - TheGamer - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Fallout Visual Spoiler: Every Card Revealed MTG - TheGamer - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Game over for Roblox on Linux / Steam Deck as it's now blocked - GamingOnLinux - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering Unveils Assassin's Creed Collaboration: New Cards, Decks Revealed - BNN Breaking - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Remote Play broken on Steam Deck with the February stable update - GamingOnLinux - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Below Deck's Barbie Thinks Cat Shouldn't Have Signed Up for the Show - Us Weekly - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering The 10 Best Cards In Fallout's Hail, Caesar Commander Deck - TheGamer - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Below Deck: 8 Chief Stews Who Will Never Return To The Franchise - Screen Rant - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- The MAGIC: THE GATHERING Oracle Deck Will Help Shape Your Path - Nerdist - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Valve fixes Remote Play on Steam Deck - GamingOnLinux - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Here's the most played Steam Deck games for February 2024 - GamingOnLinux - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Best Steam Deck alternatives in 2024: Ayaneo, GPD Win & more - Dexerto - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Outlaws of Thunder Junction: Release Date, Spoilers, Commander Decks - MTG Rocks - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Helldivers 2 Player Shares Their Incredible Solution for Calling in Complicated Stratagems - Screen Rant - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Below Deck fans convinced Cat Baugh is not cut out for reality TV - Dexerto - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering The 10 Best Cards In Fallout's Scrappy Survivors Commander Deck - TheGamer - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- February 27th, 2024 [Deck Recipes] - YGOrganization - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Everything Jack Stirrup Has Done Since Below Deck Mediterranean - Bravo - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Star Trek: Lower Decks S4, Scream sets The Faculty for 4K, plus Origin, Dreamers, potential Warner Ultra HD catalog ... - The Digital Bits - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- How To Watch Below Deck Season 11 & When It Premieres - Screen Rant - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- Paramount Bowing Animated 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Season 4 on Digital Feb. 5, Blu-ray and DVD April 16 - Media Play News - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- What Has Happened to Connie Arias Since Below Deck Season 3? - Bravo - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- How to Run 'Enshrouded' on Steam Deck - Lifehacker - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- Below Deck is Bravo's most subversive show - reality blurred - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- Below Deck Season 9 Cast: Where Are They Now? - Screen Rant - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- A Look At The Intrinsic Value Of Deckers Outdoor Corporation (NYSE:DECK) - Yahoo Finance - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- How to watch 'Below Deck' Season 11: Premiere time, new cast info, where to stream and more - Yahoo Entertainment - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- Steam Deck open source Playstation Remote Play app 'chiaki4deck' gets smoother - GamingOnLinux - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- Steam Deck Most Played: Even Palworld Cant Knock Baldurs Gate 3 Off The Top Spot - Forbes - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- 11 Things You Didnt Know About Below Deck's Captain Kerry Titheradge - Bravo - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- San Diego Mom Creates 'Go Deck' -- 52 Cards with Outdoor Activities for Every Week of the Year - Times of San Diego - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- How To Build A Fire Kings Structure Deck In Yu-Gi-Oh! - TheGamer - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- 'Below Deck' Season 11 Release Date, Trailer, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far - Collider - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering The 10 Best Cards In Murders At Karlov Manor's Revenant Recon Commander Deck - TheGamer - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- Improve Performance on Your Steam Deck With CryoUtilities - Lifehacker - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- 'Below Deck' Season 11 Cast Guide: Who Is Back on Board? - Collider - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- Airliner Number 4: The 9 Deck Plane Concept From The 1920s - Simple Flying - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- Where was Below Deck Season 11 filmed? - Dexerto - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- Cape Hatteras Secondary School decks the halls with Christmas tree project - Island Free Press - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- 'Star Trek: Picard,' 'Strange New Worlds' And 'Lower Decks' Pick Up 15 Saturn Awards Nominations - TrekMovie - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Win a Steam Deck OLED by watching The Game Awards - Polygon - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- McKinney moves forward with deck park plans - The Dallas Morning News - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- 9 Best Tarot Card Decks For Beginners, According to Expert Readers - GLAMOUR UK - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Valve will give away 100 Steam Deck OLEDs during The Game Awards. - The Verge - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Steam Deck OLED hits retail stores on December 12th in Asia - GamingOnLinux - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Below Deck Mediterranean: Luka Brunton Wasn't Ready For The Bosun Role (Is Captain Sandy Regretting Her ... - Screen Rant - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Devin Haney vs Regis Prograis live results: Haney decks and dominates Prograis to shutout decision in boxing ... - Sporting News - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- 100 Steam Deck OLEDs will be given away during The Game Awards 2023 - GamingOnLinux - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- You can win a free Steam Deck OLED just by watching The Game Awards - PCGamesN - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- The Best Cards In The Three Captains Ultra Deck - One Piece Card Game - TheGamer - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Solar Spotlight: Solar mounting hits the deck - Solar Power World - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- 'Deck the Halls' Meets Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs' - Laughing Squid - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Minden farmer decks out five acres for Christmas in the Country - KOLN - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- December 8th, 2023 [Deck Recipes] - YGOrganization - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Can you play The Finals on Steam Deck? - Dexerto - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- The Performance & Power Improvement Of Steam Deck OLED's 6nm APU Review - Phoronix - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Paige Spiranac Decks The Halls As The World's Sexiest Mrs. Claus - Outkick - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Skyrim Special Edition updated with Steam Deck support, ultrawide res, bug fixes - GamingOnLinux - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]