Attorney general hopeful uses humor to woo Illinois voters

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Did you hear the one about the unknown candidate for attorney general? He spent more than $1 million on ads making fun of himself.

Republican Bob Coleman, a newcomer to Illinois politics, is about to launch a series of campaign commercials that use humor to catch voters' attention.

One ad shows him trying to speak Polish at a political event. He ends up saying, "My uncle's chicken is dancing in his underwear."

Another shows Coleman's frantic attempts to film a commercial while holding a baby. Baby after baby screams as he tries to talk, and the last one vomits on him.

The ads end with the tag line, "Coleman for attorney general. A great lawyer, not a great politician."

Name recognition

Coleman, a Chicago lawyer specializing in insurance matters, said the ads are meant to introduce himself to voters and show that he's not just another dull politician.

"No question -- these ads are to create name recognition," he said at a Statehouse news conference. "You have to separate yourself, and this is a way to do that."

Coleman said he chose a humorous approach because 30-second TV ads do not allow for serious discussion. Newspaper and radio ads, along with his Web site, will stick closer to the issues, he said.

His opponent in the Republican primary, DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett, suggested Coleman is making jokes because he does not have anything serious to offer.

"He is trying to buy this nomination. He is running for an office he's not qualified for," Birkett said. "I have a sense of humor, but protecting the public is serious business."

Coleman said the ads will run across virtually all of Illinois from Wednesday until the March 19 primary election. They will cost more than $1 million, he said.

Get people's attention

Bruce Newman, a DePaul University expert on political marketing, said he could think of no other candidate who has used such self-deprecating humor.

The ads, by themselves, might not persuade people to vote for Coleman, he said, but they will make people pay attention.

"They're going to listen to him in the next debate, is what they're going to do," Newman said. "I think it's a very clever way to get people to open their eyes to a complete unknown."

Taken together, the ads portray Coleman as a friendly but slightly befuddled guy.

One risk is that people will laugh at Coleman but not take him seriously as a candidate. Coleman almost certainly will follow the ads with something of more substance, Newman said.

Coleman, however, denied plans for more serious ads.

"I'm not afraid to spoof myself or the political process," he said.