In the long and rollicking history of Illinois elections, politicians have used a lot of tricks to get us to remember their names.
Buttons, bumper stickers, billboards, palm cards, posters on phone poles are old news. A buck or two, a pint, a chicken, a free garbage can also are traditional ways of achieving the all important “name recognition” that a politician craves on Election Day.
But leave it to an Illinois politico to break new ground in the name recognition game.
John Schmidt, a Democrat running for governor, has taken out radio ads that give people a handy mnemonic device for remembering his name.
The ads remind people that “Schmidt” sounds very much like the word that means excrement.
“Oh, Schmidt!” mutters an angry motorist at a toll booth in the first line of the radio ad.
“Honey, the kids are in the car,” the wife cries.
“No, no no. I said Schmidt. John Schmidt,” the husband replies.
The ads, which have aired on several Chicago stations during the past few weeks, were written by Chicago political consultant David Axelrod. Axelrod admitted that when it comes to name calling, “Usually the other guy does it” to show contempt for his opponent.
Axelrod has not heard a single complaint about this novel approach to political ads, although, he said, WBBM radio delayed airing the ads to clear them with its lawyers.
“What should I call it?” asked Axelrod coyly, “Word play?”
“People understand that it’s in fun–and it underscores the larger point that people are angry” at the Tollway authority, he said.
“We have a `blast fax’ that we send to our supporters–political activists around the state. Someone suggested that it be called `Schmidt Happens.’ ” That person was overruled.
The covert suggestion of this particular expletive is gaining currency in non-political advertising as well. Spotted around town lately are billboards for Pantene hair products showing a woman with shimmering raven locks. “Shine happens,” the ad says.
Meanwhile, Illinois has always been at the forefront of political trends–buying and stealing elections come to mind–so it is only fitting that the Land of Lincoln lead the nation into this new vector of political advertising.
But why stop at sound alikes? How about rhymes (Bush/tush; Hart/fart)?
And once those barriers are down, it can’t be long before naughty limericks take the place of political slogans. “There once was a pol from Nantucket …”
