Incumbent Rahm Emanuel's heavy ad presence wasn't enough to avoid a runoff in the Chicago mayoral race, and now he's made a significant strategic shift.
The strategy of Emanuel's political consultants had been to rely on constituent testimonials to validate his more controversial decisions and soften his hard-charging persona. Often the mayor's voice was not even used.
Now, with polls showing a tight race, fueled by discontent among progressives, Emanuel is stepping in front of the camera.
Facing Tight Race, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Shifts Tactics
His latest political ad "Chicago's Future" finds Emanuel seated at a living room table, and begins with a mea culpa: "They say your greatest strength, is also your greatest weakness. I'm living proof of that. I can rub people the wrong way, or talk when I should. I own that."
But he shifts back to message woven through all of his campaign ads to date, that his personality gets things done: "When politics stood in the way of a full-day kindergarten or tougher gun laws, I charged ahead. And when business interests said a $13 minimum wage was too high, I didn't back down." Notably, he stressed his progressive accomplishments, skipping past more polarizing calls like his move to close several dozen schools, in an attempt to minimize defections from his left flank.
New Rahm Emanuel Political Ad Sounds A Lot Like Pat Quinn
He ends by saying, "Look, I'm not going to always get it right. But when it comes to fighting for Chicago and Chicago's future, no one is going to fight harder."
Ominously, the pitch echoes the last-ditch ad strategy used by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn's failed re-election campaign last year, in which he misses a free throw on the basketball court and says, "I'm not perfect, but I've stepped up and solved tough problems."
But Emanuel is not only depending on an newly apologetic tone to save his campaign. His campaign released another ad this week, slamming his rival as unprepared for the job. See it below:
