Tom Reilly’s first ads, also available on his website, offer comparisons of his record with that of the Romney-Healey administration. The “Watertown” ad is more typical of the “bio” ad that most candidates lead off with. It seems like the Reilly campaign made a decision to first identify Reilly with the issues and then identify voters with the candidate. If some recent polling trends are any indication, the first phase appeared to work. This Reilly supporter hopes “Watertown” continues the trend and I think it just may.
Let me be clear: I’m not declaring Reilly’s “Watertown” ad a Big Papi-style walk-off hit, but its very good and, in my opinion, better than the current crop of commercials. Since BMG is no stranger to analyzing candidate’s ads, I figured I would offer my ten cents, as I’m sure others will do.
God knows, the pundits are going to scrutinize these ads, like Deval Patrick’s 8/24 trip through Jon Keller’s Spin-O-Meter, so why not us?
I hate the music … but I always do.
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His speaking style is 100% different than how he’s been in interviews and debates — a lot slower, a little more Mr. Rogers … altogether much, much, better. And he’s actually talking about why he wants to be governor — the kinds of people he’d like to help. Bless his heart.
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Criticism — visually it ain’t much. Every candidate will have ads of meeting ordinary folks, people surrounding him/her, etc. Call it hi-tech baby-kissing.
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So, it’s good. Why didn’t he run this as his standard “introduce the candidate” ad?
I’m going to buy a lottery ticket right now! đŸ™‚
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Charley, my thought on your question was the following:
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blockquote>The “Watertown” ad is more typical of the “bio” ad that most candidates lead off with. It seems like the Reilly campaign made a decision to first identify Reilly with the issues and then identify voters with the candidate.
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Obviously, this is pure conjecture, but it seems to me that, since Tom Reilly’s name recognition was already high, this approach identified him with specific issues/accomplishment before making the emotional pitch.
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The reverse can sometimes leave people wondering, Why I am I supposed to care about this guy?
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Just a thought. . .
The blockquote was obviously supposed to end after the first paragraph.
What’s so good about Reilly’s new ad is the implicit comparison to his wealthy opponents.
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His town, street and house are “no different than most in Massachusetts” while his opponents are wealthy. Without mentioning even their names, the ad conveys a clear implicit message that should resonate.
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Watch for the next ad to continue this type of folksy style and subtle class warfare. I’d bet anything it’s about how he understands that “people like me” really need that income tax rollback.
I live in a town that’s FILLED with “regular guys.” I’m pretty confident most of them wouldn’t make very good governors.
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Being a “regular guy” is not a top qualification to be governor. There are over 32,000 people living in Watertown. I don’t think most of them would be qualified to be governor.
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I don’t want an “average guy.” I’m not voting for someone I want to go drinking with at the corner bar. I want to vote for an exceptional leader. I hope other voters feel the same.
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If the best Reilly can come up with is that he lives in a Watertown three-decker, I’m not impressed. I don’t hold it against him, but it doesn’t work in his favor either. I know plenty of people from three-deckers, I like many of them, but I wouldn’t vote for them for governor.
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It’s just a two-decker, not a three. đŸ˜‰
From the campaign’s perspective, the fact that Reilly lives in Watertown should be in the top three things every voters knows about him.
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I agree that there is the implicit attack on all his opponents, across the spectrum, and it’s irrefutable. Of course, most candidates have implicit attacks…they say what they do because it helps them stand out.
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But please, don’t take this ad seriously. Stick a fork in him. The wheels are off the bus, and he’s as done in this primary as John Kerry was in his, circa August 2003.
Tom’s got one. But sure, anything could happen, and I could be getting that tattoo. The ads are so far the best part of Reilly’s campaign — and that’s not a small matter.
I happen to believe that Tom Reilly is the best part of Tom Reilly’s campaign. It’s just nice that the ads are starting to reflect that.
Like I said earlier, I think this ad is quite good. It’d be great if we see more of that Tom Reilly, and less of this one.
It’s sixty seconds long and will be twice as expensive to run. Or they’ll edited down to thiry and it will lose some impact.
He is a real, caring person and it has been said that if he went door to door and introduced himself to each and every voter he would get 100% of the votes in Massachusetts. But, his public Joe Friday reputation and his bland ads have not done him justice with those who have never had the opportunity to meet him one on one.
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Congratulations to his media folks who have done a great job on this one .
the best ad out yet (which doesn’t really say much).
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It is effective, but will it be effective enough?
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Primaries should be about differentiating from your opponents. Reilly is no longer in a position where he can win by attacking Romney/Healey/Bush.
I find this AD very good. It should have been his first not third. I suppose his team has a reason for coming out with the “Bio Ad” after the fact.
I feel his drop in polls consistently is a sign that there is no traction for him to catch on to.
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It’s time for him to re-treat and come out swinging at those above him in the polls. His attacks on the lame duck Governor and money bags Healey can wait until he gets over the first major hurdle. Which in my opinion may not happen.
I’m not as enamored of this ad as some of you are. And just because I have to say this somewhere, I hate Reilly’s new permagrin; it was annoying at the convention and it’s annoying in his ads.
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Candidly, I don’t care where a candidate lives or how long s/he’s lived there. It’s irrelevant. And I don’t like the “I’m just like you” schtick that so many politicians think is the ticket to winning an election. I want somebody who’s not like me or the people in my neighborhood. I want somebody who’s different, who has life experiences that are not like mine–or my neighbor’s. I think people want their leaders to be extraordinary. They want them to have achieved something they didn’t or couldn’t because that achievement speaks to that candidate’s willingness to step up and out from the comfort of, you guessed it, the same neighborhood for 30 years.
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Will this ad work for many? Yes. Will it fall flat for many? Yes again.
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So if someone moved into the state this month, would that not affect your judgment of his or her candidacy? I think there’s a rhythm and a culture to all places, and the more time you spend there, the better your “feel” for it. The essence of public service is representing the citizenry, and the better one knows the citizenry, the better one can (though not always will) represent them. I guess I just feel there’s a certain importance to not being sealed off from the middle and lower classes.
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And granted, if Deval comes out with an amazing ad next week, I’ll be less inclined to be blown away than if it were for Gabs or Reilly. But these ads aren’t for political junkies like us anyway.
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PS: Good luck on the start of the new year!
More precisely, I care that the person be living in Massachusetts, absolutely, but I’m less concerned with how long s/he has lived in one neighborhood or where that neighborhood is. I can see where I wasn’t clear there–the out-of-stater wasn’t figuring into my calculus. I agree with your reasons for why residency in the state is important.
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Thanks, too, for the good wishes for the start of the year. Same to you. I got my class rosters the other day and my sizes are waaaay better than last year’s. Bodes well, I must say.
But, then again, I have very low expectations for political ads. It’s by far Reilly’s best and at least as good as Deval’s Fanueil Hall one and Gabrieli’s cutesy little one w/his kids (I know, that one didn’t resonate with everyone, but I think a lot of normal people probably liked it).
The majority of the commnents seem to think the new Reilly ad is a good ad???!! Is he running to be on the Watertown Town Council? It would be a good ad for that campaign, I suppose. Isn’t he running for Governor? When are we going to start demanding more from our elected officials?