*** UPDATE *** I’ve heard from several people, via calls, e-mail, instant messages and in comments, to now believe that this story about the guv going positive is bogus. Yes, he does have a new positive ad on the air, but he’s still running negative TV ads.
************************************
CBS2 claims the governor’s campaign has gone positive.
But, with a new statewide poll hinting challenger Judy Baar Topinka may be closing the gap, the governor’s campaign shifted gears.
An ad released today never even mentions his opponent. […]
“How nice, we’re going to have something that’s not going to trash me for a change,” said Topinka.
I think they’ve probably still got a negative ad track going, but I’m not yet sure. Anyone out there see any negative spots on morning TV?
As could be expected, the governor’s campaign spokesperson denied they were ever running a lot of negative spots to begin with.
[Sheila] Nix dismissed Topinka’s complaints, and said the Blagojevich campaign has run “many, many more substantive, positive message ads,” than negative ads.
“We know that over half of our ads have been positive,” Nix said.
She said ads which used Topinka’s “own words” weren’t counted as negative.
Paul Green had this zinger in the CBS2 piece:
“She has been the only winner the Republicans had and now she looks like she’s never won a race in her life. It’s just an incredible display of what negative advertising will do to a disinterested and uninformed electorate.”
The governor had this to say in a different CBS2 story:
Earlier, Blagojevich has said, “For four years, we’ve been digging in that mess that George Ryan and his state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka left for us. Sometimes you get a little bit dirty when you’re digging in that mess.â€
And Topinka had a message for voters who are currently parked with the Green Party:
Republican candidate for governor Judy Baar Topinka is asking voters to not “waste their vote” on the Green party candidate. Topinka says she is gaining momentum as we head into the these last few days before the November 7 election. […]
“We’re breaking at just the right time. I’m a good finisher. Always in my elections, I come in strong at the end,” said Judy Baar Topinka, (R)-candidate for governor.
Blagojevich was trying to focus yesterday on the next four years.
The governor told about 200 members of Local 597 of the Pipefitters Union that if he is re-elected he would raise the minimum wage again, pass universal health care and come up with an additional $100 million for stem cell research.
“It’s time for us to send a message to Republicans that health care is not a privilege,” Blagojevich said. “It’s a right. Will you do it? Will you get out there and make sure we’re moving forward? Let’s move Illinois forward.”