Billionaire Bruce Rauner seems to be doing a bit of damage control after hay was made when he admitted that he’s part of a wine club that costs over $100,000 to be a member.
So Rauner, in a new ad, highlights his “trashcan” van. He said in the ad he’s owned it for 20 years and it has almost 200,000 miles on it.
“My kids call it the rolling trashcan. I call it reliable,” Rauner said in the ad before getting into the van.
The ad then pivots to bashing Gov. Pat Quinn (D), who Rauner is hoping to defeat. The ad said that Quinn lives in Chicago and flies to Springfield, the capital of Illinois, via a taxpayer-funded plane.
“I’ll live in Springfield, sell that state plane and drive my van to work because the Capital needs a good trash can,” Rauner said.
The ad actually is somewhat reminiscent of Rep. Jack Kingston’s (R-GA) Senate ad earlier in the 2014 cycle focusing on his frugal spending habits and an old car he’s owned “for almost 20 years” that he said he still drives around. Kingston ultimately lost the primary runoff for the U.S. Senate nomination.
Rauner’s wealth, at times, has become the central topic of the Illinois governors’ race at times. He previously corrected a reporter on his wealth saying he’s not part of the 1 percent, he’s part of the .01 percent. More recently he admitted that he’s part of a wine club where members have to pay upwards of $100,000.
The TPM Polltracker finds Rauner with an 8.5 point lead over Quinn.
(H/t: The Chicago Sun-Times)
(Photo credit: Youtube)
Actually he’s working this from both ends : the guy belongs to an exclusive $100k wine club as well as wanting to do away with the minimum wage. What a perfect candidate! Was Maria Antoinette not available this cycle?
It just proves he’s too cheap to buy a newer car.
Who wouldn’t want to get rid of the minimum wage? Once you hit thirty, you’re a loser!
I am surprised that this race is not closer by looking at the devastating ads ran against Rauner. But if PPP says it is not close, then I need to face reality.
That being said, I think Rauner is a lame duck as long as Dems have a super majority type stranglehold on both the Ill House and Senate. I do not see Speaker Madigan compromising with this rich, out of touch prick.
The hucksterism of this ad would piss me off if I was an Illinois voter. But maybe that’s just me.