Rahm Emanuel’s New Campaign Ad Shows a Mayor Who’s Terrified He’s About to Lose
His reelection bid was supposed to be a cakewalk, but Rahm is clearly starting to get nervous.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has just released a remarkable commercial that will no doubt soon be saturating Chicago's airwaves ahead of his widely unexpected April 7 runoff election against progressive challenger Jesús “Chuy” García.
The ad is remarkable, because it showcases a mayor who is actually terrified he is going to lose what was supposed to be a cakewalk reelection bid.
Unlike Emanuel's previous campaign commercials that smugly boasted of his “toughness” as an executive, the new 30-second spot features Emanuel in what appears to be his home, fairly relaxed, no tie, a newspaper and empty glass on a dining room table. It starts with a frank admission: “They say your greatest strength can be your greatest weakness. I'm living proof of that. I can rub people the wrong way, or talk when I should listen. I own that.”
He goes on to insist that those characteristics just prove how “driven” he is “to make a difference” in the city. Still, he admits again at the end, “I'm not gonna always get it right.”
It's an interesting campaign strategy: begin with an admission of weakness and that people don't really like you, but insist they should vote for you anyway. The ad gives a rare glimpse of humility from a guy who's built a mystique over the years around being the kind of guy who sends political opponents a rotting fish in a box and curses out individual leaders or entire unions.
The commercial reminded me of a spot for former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, released just before the gubernatorial elections last November. In that ad, Quinn is shown on a basketball court, nailing jump shots while talking about his accomplishments in Rahm Emanuel’s New Campaign Ad Shows a Mayor Who’s Terrified He’s About to Lose - In These Times:
Big Education Ape: Rahm's Accomplishments - #Chuy2015 http://bit.ly/1FU8UlB
