Amazon is now taking contributions for Candidates running for President?

[KoKo]

Heard in my car on NPR that Amazon now has a candidate site up where they will take contributions from $5. and up to the limit of, I think $200. for candidates?

They feel they are doing their "civic duty" because they get so many hits to their site and like to be on top of what the public wants.

Here's the link and they have biographies of all the candidates you can click on to see a "policy statement." Then you click to contribute.

Do you think this is a good idea? Or just more commercialization of our Elections? :shrug:
...................................
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/home/home.html/104-6513523-9591140
Presidential Candidates
Amazon.com takes the friction out of grass-roots contributions to presidential candidates. 1-Click® payments are the easiest way to make small contributions--from $5 to $200.

[wyldwolf]

1. Looks as though Kerry has raised the most, followed by Clark

Interesting - it doesn't state how much Bush has taken in.

I guess Republicans don't read, they just buy in bulk.

[Gin]

2. wonder what their take is?

gin

[KoKo]

3. NPR reporter said they are giving it to a Children's Charity, which

complies with the rules that those who "process" political contributions can't profit off it? Sounds good.

[Maddy McCall]

4. Read this before you donate through Amazon

Not all of the money goes to the candidate: they will withhold a fee, and will later donate it to a kid's voting project.
*****************************************************************
Is Amazon.com getting paid to do this?
U.S. federal law prohibits us from donating services to any or all presidential campaigns, so we are charging the campaigns our usual and normal Amazon.com Payments fee.

We've also decided that we'll eventually contribute the aggregate amount we're paid in fees to Kids Voting USA, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, national organization that works with schools and communities to enhance civics education and provide youth an authentic voting experience.

[mb7588a]

5. Huh? Kids don't vote..... sounds fishy. nt.

[KoKo]

6. My impression was that they picked a charity because by law they were

required not to keep the profits for themselves. What can I say? I heard it on NPR and came home and searched for the link...and there it was. Thought it was important, though. Amazon as a Competitor to the Dean Movement.....using the Internet for Politcal Good Will and Profit.

No one's really addressed what I asked. IS THIS A GOOD THING????????OR NOT!

[AP]

7. this is a good thing. They're the most popular web site out there, and ...

...they're creating a buzz about donating.

This is very good.

[Maddy McCall]

8. Yes, it is good, but...

I can pick the charities to whom I donate...I want all of my donation to my candidate to go to his campaign.

Is that shallow of me?

I wonder what the "normal fee" at amazon is?

Edit: Let me add that we at DU are serious about donating, so we already know where to go and how to do it. For others, though, you are right that this is creating awareness. :-)

[AP]

11. When you donate by credit card, your credit card company gets a cut.

Amazon must have unbelievably good deals with credit card companies which allows them to keep a part of that fee, on top of the charge for the item (I'm just guessing).

The candidates web sites probably don't have great deals, so it may be the case that the candidate actually gets a few pennies more if you go through Amazon (again, just guessing).

The interesting thing is, apparently the cost of processing a check is even more for the campaigns than processing the credit care order (which can be as much as 1.5%) and there's a bigger delay in getting the cash, so they often prefer the credit card donations.

[Gin]

9. The do not have to give all of the profits...just a portion....maybe 1%

but it has to be something.

[KoKo]

10. I think it's interesting that it's really something that's picked up on

Dean's sucess and now the first Commericalization has come forward.

I have to say, that I like the fact that you can click on a bio..and that might attract some of our apolitical internet users to get involved.

I'm not a technophile....so, I maybe see it more hopeful than it really is. Amazon users might be already politically informed or they might be "grey ghosts" who would ignore it.

[AP]

12. Commercialization??? That happened a long time ago.

Amazon gets a processing fee on the credit card, but so does the bank when you donate to the campaign directly.

The commercialization happened a long time ago. This is a way for more, average people to have a say in who gets funded. It's good. The more people outside the top .00001% participate like this, the better.

[Ivote]

13. Not so fast

First of all I wouldnt donate through Amazon
Who owns that charity?
I think that you should just go to the website of the candidate of your choice. There you can read their bio see ads and find out just about anything about them
I would only donate through their site it isnt all that hard
By the way didnt Tom Delay start up a kids charity?