Countdown to Rahmageddon: A Tale of Two Campaign Ads

By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 4, 2011 8:40PM

While Miguel del Valle tries to move past "undecided" in the polls and Carol Moseley Braun considers paying her staff in tea and organic food, Rahm Emanuel and Gery Chico's latest campaign ads up the ante in their respective campaigns as to why each is the man for the job. There's also some unintentional comedy in each.

Let's tackle Rahm's ad first, shall we? "Big" uses some choice quotes from Bill Clinton's endorsement of Emanuel to show why he should be mayor. Clinton lists a litany of bills Emanuel helped usher into law while in the Clinton White House, but it gets lost in the shuffle with one sound bite early in.

"Rahm's not even six-feet tall. But in all the ways that matters, he is a very big person for this job."

The uproarious laughter (mainly from women) when Bubba finishes that quote makes us giggle like a twelve-year-old every time. But the point is still made. Clinton assures viewers that Emanuel is a fighter and will stand up for the residents of Chicago. It also shows that, from the mouth of Bill Clinton, a little bit of unintended entendre goes a long way to preventing a runoff.

Rahm Emanuel: "Big"

Contrast that with Chico's ad, "Proven." The focus on the ad is on gang violence and how Chico will combat that, if elected mayor. He shows that he's going to be no-nonsense on crime in the way he emphasizes the words "murderers" and "punks." We especially like the way he pops his "p" in the word "punks," like he's going to take off his belt and thrash the cameraman. Despite its title, the ad doesn't really prove anything except that Chico is speaking to the cops who endorsed him. You know, the cops Chico said he's okay with living outside of the city they're sworn to protect and serve if elected mayor.

Gery Chico: "Proven"