Ads take aim at Trump ahead of Illinois primary

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Super Tuesday is in the rear view mirror and the presidential candidates are looking ahead to the Illinois primary.

Campaign ads are already running in the state and many are taking aim at the republican front runner Donald Trump.

The anti-Trump television ads, paid for by Republican PACs, began running a few days ago in Chicago. Variously, they accuse the billionaire front runner with being a self-centered scam artist and a racist.

"Donald Trump belongs in 3 a.m. infomercials and not here," one ad says.

"Donald Trump puts himself first and us last," another ad says.

"They are a lot of your traditional financiers of the Republican Party," said radio talk show host and political fundraiser Dan Proft.

Proft does not believe the expensive attempt by mainstream Republicans to derail Trump will work in Illinois or in any of the remaining primary states.

Proft, a Ted Cruz supporter, called Trump's campaign a "movement" rooted in the anger of his supporters.

"And a movement with a particular psychological disposition is very difficult to stop. The reality is Trump has made people believe that they can improve their destiny and they are in charge of their lives again or at least they will be with him in the White House," Proft said.

On March 15, Illinois Republicans still could see as many as four active names on their presidential ballots. State Party Chairman Tim Schneider expects a competitive race here and will not concede the nomination to Trump.

"We're going to see numbers go up and down and we'll find out here in the next month or two hopefully who our nominee will be," Schneider said.

Meanwhile, many Democrats are privately loving how Republicans are beating up on one of their own.

But Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle - a Hillary Clinton delegate - says she would rather not see Trump as the GOP's standard bearer.

"I would hope that one of the major parties in this country is not represented by a man like him," she said.

But Proft predicts Republicans will nominate Trump despite the late barrage of super PAC negative ads and/or continuing opponent insults.

"It is not going to be combatted effectively with one clever super PAC ad or some barbs during a debate. So I don't know what new they have between March 1 and March 15 that is going to materially change the trajectory of the race. I don't see it," Proft said.

We are told that Trump will spend money to counter some of the negative advertising by the PACs supporting his opponents.

This year marks the first presidential race since 2004 that Illinois has been in play for both parties. Barack Obama, of course, had a political lock on the state in 2008 and 2012.