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May 04, 2010 06:26 PM UTC

"No Jobs John," Anyone?

  • 55 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Here’s that much-balleyhooed ad, planting the nickname they’ve decided to run with (beats the hell out of “Hickenritter,” we’ll give them that much), as we’ve been expecting from the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA)–set to run all month with relatively good penetration. From their release yesterday:

The Republican Governors Association today launched an advertising campaign to highlight the similar records of Democratic candidate for governor of Colorado John Hickenlooper and the man he hopes to replace, Gov. Bill Ritter.  Both men have raised taxes as elected officials and both have killed tens of thousands of jobs.  The significant RGA effort includes television ads on broadcast and cable outlets, radio spots and online advertisements promoting the website www.NoJobsJohn.com.

Now the $290 million in “tax increases” that Hickenlooper “pushed” are mostly comprised of the school funding measures voters approved in 2003, as well as 2007’s “Better Denver” bond issues. It’s true that he’s a persuasive campaigner, but it’s not like he decreed them like the Sheriff of Nottingham; voters approve taxes in Colorado (write that down). But let’s face it, facts aren’t really what this ad is about, it’s more about the stripes–that’s zebra not jail, mind you, though the RGA forgives you for having to think about it.

And how about the nickname? “No Jobs John?” We’re not completely sure that’s going to have purchase on an entrepreneur business founder with a short political resume, but at least it rhymes: some consultants will tell you that’s half the battle.

UPDATE: Resident grammar authorities correctly note that “No Jobs John” is not in fact a rhyme in strict grammatical terms, but an alliteration in the same vein as “Jumpin’ Jehosophat” or “Leapin’ Lizards.” We thank our astute community as always.

Comments

55 thoughts on ““No Jobs John,” Anyone?

  1. Must be because the K Street lobbyists Scooter McLobbyist and Tom DeLay hung out with in Washington DC are getting desperate about how little money Scott is raising.

    1. That’s what we used to call Hickenlooper when he first took office. Was only for a little fun, nothing more.

      Chicken Cooper is a new one I haven’t heard before.

  2. Both men have raised taxes as elected officials and both have killed tens of thousands of jobs.

    Per the Colorado Constitution (Tabor), only the people of the State of Colorado can vote to raise taxes.

    If Ritter raised taxes, then he did so illegally. I’m not aware of any lawsuits claiming he illegally raised taxes.  

    1. Because Hick hasn’t been up on the air with any “get to know me” spots (at least in this market, not sure about the East slope), this will get traction with SOME voters statewide.  It would get less traction if Hick had been up with warm fuzzy ads of his own.

      Early “warm fuzzy” ads tend to inoculate a candidate against stuff like this.

    1. Rule number ONE of marketing – never assert a value or claim against a brand that is easily refuted or denied.

      Hick went from unemployed geologist to multimillionaire businessman thru his own hard work (and beer brewing skills.) He’s created more jobs in one restaurant downtown than Scooter ever created.

      On the other hand, taking job-creation advice from the Lawyer-Lobbyist is like taking Tax advice from Wesley Snipes.  

    2. One of Hick’s strengths is that he’s actually created jobs. The Rovian response is to start lying and say that Hick kills jobs.

      But nobody can accuse you of defending the ad as accurate, can they? No, it’s accuracy is immaterial, so long as the attack is “catchy and fresh”.

      This is why I could never have a career in politics. Some part of my soul would die.

    3. No Jobs John is not catchy and fresh, it’s crappy and …. well I can’t think of an antonym for fresh that begins with an F.  But you get my point!  

        1. I had never thought about that. That’s great.  Now if you can come up with a one syllable word that begins with an F I will be forever grateful!

  3. This was released on April 24, 2010 after all those so called tax increases the RGA ad talks about were already in place. Colorado has four of the top twenty cities in the United States on the list including:

    4. Ft. Collins, colorado

    6. Denver, Colorado

    12. Colorado Springs, Colorado

    14. Boulder, Colorado

    The number one factor Forbes used to determine this list was the cost of labor, cost of energy, tax burden and availability of office space. In brief, Forbes thinks the tax burden in Colorado isn’t a problem for business.

    Apparently, Mayor Hickenlooper hasn’t scared away the business community as the RGA suggests.

    1. I would expect some pretty vicious ads knocking the no oil and gas regulations position by McInnis.  Anyone who buys his fairy tale that the new oil and gas regs. cost jobs and are unnecessary aren’t going to vote in their self-interest anyway.

  4. Of how out-of-state consultants can screw you big time when they run ads.  Everyone here knows that only that taxpayers can raise taxes.  No one cares about Ritter anymore, and frankly, I bet his approval numbers are way up. And, finally, all I could think about when I saw the commercial this morning was that those suits were the ugliest thing I have ever seen and were they really striped that way, that not even quirky John Hickenlooper would be caught dead in that thing and that didn’t they look like prison uniforms (which is I suppose the subliminal message intended) and that it’s crazy to try to go negative on Hickenlooper.  I can hardly wait for the response.  I’m thinking he dresses up like the Emperor with no clothes and does a take off on the fact that he can’t raise taxes.  And besides, everyone knows that both the state and city government are cutting budgets like crazy.  See what I mean about out-of-state consultants?

    1. It is interesting that the GOP still sees Governor Ritter as highly unpopular.  

      If, this ad buy does not generate better polling numbers  for Scott McInnis I predict the RGA will pull out and concede Colorado.

  5. It’s blame the other guy but don’t present anything new or positive except Drill baby drill.  That’s all they’ve got.

    They certainly won’t talk about the billion dollar order that the wind turbine plant in Windsor recently got that reflects Ritter’s focus on the new energy economy.

    They’ve got nothing except insults and this ad shows how empty the Republican cupboard is of new conservative ideas.

  6. and the bad ties they are both wearing. I am totally convinced now. I have no choice but to vote for McInnis. What an effective ad.

  7. LBJ says to campagin aid says “lets say that he sodomizes pigs”

    Campaign aid says” we can’t say that, he doesn’t sodomize pigs”

    LBJ says” I know, but he’ll have to deny it”

    It’s used quite a bit by professional politicians.

  8. another c4 smear merchant:


    Hickenlooper’s Tax-and-Spend Agenda

    According to the Denver Post, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper “had never met a tax increase he didn’t like.”  For the people of Colorado, this observation by one of the Post’s editorial board members is all too true and very troublesome. (Op-Ed, Dan Haley, “No New Taxes,” The Denver Post, 09/20/09)

    Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has not met a tax increase he didn’t like during his time as mayor.  Just ask the people of Denver who are now paying the bill.

    Whether it was his unabashed support for the $4.7 billion FasTracks plan that has had massive cost overruns or his enthusiastic support of nearly $300 million in tax increases in the City and County of Denver starting way back in 2003, Hickenlooper has been on the side of higher taxes.

    Imagine what will happen if Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper takes his priority to tax-and-spend statewide.  In an already challenging economy, there is little doubt that, given his record, Hickenlooper would fall right in line to support the tax increases proposed by Democrat leaders in the state House and state Senate and endorsed by Democrat Governor Bill Ritter.

    Make no mistake about it.  Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s record of supporting tax increase after tax increase would have direct and immediate consequences if he were to be elected Colorado’s next governor.  The Colorado State Supreme Court has created a dangerous loophole related to tax policy that Governor Ritter has already used to raise taxes on working families and businesses large and small.  There is little doubt that Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper would follow Bill Ritter’s same anti-jobs agenda if he sits where Governor Ritter sits now.  It is unfortunate that a man who once campaigned as a pro-business reformer has been co-opted by the bureaucracy and special interests to advance the agenda of big government at the expense of taxpayers.

    According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Colorado’s unemployment rate continues to hover around 8% and many Colorado families are struggling to even make ends meet.  Simply put-Colorado cannot afford a replay of Governor Ritter’s reckless tax policies under a different name.

    New Direction Colorado is working to educate Colorado voters on the real world effects of dangerous tax-and-spend agendas that are being advanced at the State Capitol and the positions of people running for elected office in our state.

    To learn more and to be a part of the solution visit http://www.newdirectioncolorado.com and sign up for email updates and opportunities to get involved to make a difference this year.

    1. The organization will file Form 1024, the application for recognition as a section 501(c)(4) organization, with the IRS in the near future.

      It usually gets filed after the election.

      1. That has Dick Wadhams all over it.

        But it just doesn’t have the same pejorative zing as “Boulder Liberal Mark Udall.”

  9. This ad brought to you by the guy who personally profited from the Hurricane Katrina recovery and thinks slavery isn’t that big of a deal.

    Go back across the Mason-Dixon line you Fast Bastard. Coloradans beat the Confederates once and will do it again if you try us.

  10. Those horrible TAXES are killing the City of Denver! They’re gonna rate our bonds really badly and…oh….

    Denver bonds rated AAA by three credit agencies

    The City of Denver’s general obligation bonds have been rated AAA, the highest bond rating, by all three major national credit ratings agencies, Mayor John Hickenlooper and city CFO Claude Pumilia said on Tuesday.

    Denver is the only city or county in Colorado to hold AAA ratings from all three credit agencies, the officials said.

    “It’s rewarding to have three national agencies recognize the city’s creditworthiness with their highest ratings,” Hickenlooper said in a statement. “This is the result of tough choices Denver has made in recent years to deliver balanced budgets and operate the city government efficiently and effectively.”

    http://www.bizjournals.com/den

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