Jeanne Ives, a Republican campaigning to be the governor of Illinois, released one of the most divisive, bigoted, and hateful advertisements, even by current political standards. The video opens with a mocking image of a trans woman thanking current Illinois governor Bruce Rauner, for allowing her to use the women’s bathroom. Ives plays into the “man in the woman’s restroom under the cover of being trans” troupe so viciously that it almost seemed ironic. Without a hint of subtlety, the advertisement goes on to bash abortion rights, teacher unions and undocumented peoples. The liberal caricatures are not used to create a dialogue on policy issues, but to cruelly mock and attack Illinois citizens. The advertisement is so blatantly hateful that it looks like it came straight out of Trump’s Twitter feed.
It is unsettling to see that a person seeking the highest position in state government could be so inanely ignorant to the plight of many, but it is not entirely unwarranted. Under the current administration, it seems many feel that it is acceptable to be outwardly cruel towards the marginalized or underrepresented. When did it become okay for representatives to think that their insidious bigotry is justifiable? Ives’ weak excuse for the ad being a policy position is almost equally as infuriating as it seems she has no earthly clue why people would not only take offense but find it poisonous.
Hopefully, the outward anger of many will become a catalyst for the candidate to reassess her ad choices and tone as she continues her campaign.
