The Curious Case of the Missing $40 Million, or, How To Get "Free" Media

[cryofan]

So it appears as if the $40+ million sent to Dean by his supporters is all gone, before the campaign has really begun. It was supposedly spent in IA and NH. But curiously only $10 million in actual ad time was spent. What happened to the rest of it?

I have never seen a Dean ad. But I have seen Dean get TONS of free media on TV and in print. Far far more than anyone else. Before IA, he was dwarfing all the other candidates on google new returns. So how did he get all that free media time?

Ever heard of payola? I propose that a lot of that fat Dean treasure chest went to payola paid to TV talking heads, TV news producers, and to print columnists and editors.


Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

[ibegurpard]

1. You PROPOSE this?

based upon what little you've managed to glean from what you've heard in the media and read on the net so far? My thoughts? Horseshit.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[KoKo]

3. Glad to see you're on top of this. Payola, hmmm When you finish your

"investigation" get back to us.

[molly]

5. Was the money ever really there?

think about it.

[WildClarySage]

6. I know of at least

$50 that was really there. *sigh*

[molly]

8. I feel really sorry for you guys

:(

[SeattleRob]

22. yeah

it's much better when fat cats write their $2000.00 checks. What the hell were we thinking, trying to participate....


Edited for spelling

[GalleryGod]

14. Sorry!

:hug:

[GalleryGod]

16. An Inside-the-Campaign-Scam Would Do Worse Damage

to "First timers" & "Rookies" that anything the Monolithic Media Could ever to embitter folks!?:argh:

I hope that the campaign just "blew it unwisely" and didn't "scam" everybody like a TV Evangelist ?

Your Man in the faculty lounge:hangover: grading blue books,
G.G.:smoke:

PS: Hi,Molly!:hi:

[leyton]

32. Actually, was it?

I'm not saying they Enronned the figures or anything. I've never donated online or to a campaign at all, as a matter of fact. Here's my question: is it possible to pledge money? As in, could it be that supporters pledged $10 million, the campaign reported that they had this $10 million, but then that $10 million is never actually paid? I'm curious.

[DrRang]

7. The "Missing $40 Million"

I've lurked here for a year or two, but this thread impelled me to post. The $10 million DFA spent for media was used only in Iowa and New Hampshire. Dean has also been advertising heavily in other states. In New Mexico, a relatively small and cheap market, we've been seeing heavy Dean TV adverts for several weeks. While one might not think this the best use of the money, there's no evidence whatsoever that Joe Trippi or anybody else has been scamming the cash

[ibegurpard]

9. You don't get it do you?

That's not the point. The point is to try to run with this as long and hard as possible to try to further damage Dean because he is still a threat.

[cryofan]

11. This thread was not started as anti Dean, but as Anti Media

I already have plenty of dirt on Dean (see my sig). I do not need any more. I do not support Dean because Dean is not a liberal; he is a conservative.

As for the payola, which is the subject of this thread, and not Dean, I have long thought that prominent media figures have been taking payola from various sources, such as corporations and politicians. I have no proof of this. But it would be interesting to see an accounting of the $40 mil.

[KoKo]

15. As I said, anxiously awaiting your research on Payola and Dem Candidates.

Why didn't you work up your thesis with some footnotes before posting, hmmmm????? Otherwise, this looks like promotion of an agenda or a "smear" tactic against Dean. If your have some direct evidence let's hear it.

[cryofan]

21. just speculation based on my experience

[jumptheshadow]

12. So $40 million is gone and everybody should drop the subject?

eom

[ibegurpard]

19. Please actually do some reading before you make blanket

statements like "the forty million is gone."

[cryofan]

20. Payola is not the same as "scamming the cash"

However on earth do you confuse one with the other?

Look, for those of you responders on this thread who are apparently a little light on vocabulary and history, "payola" was a word coined decades ago; it was used to describe payments to radio disc jockeys paid by record company people so that the DJs would play certain songs on the radio. Big scandal back in the 50s or 60s. Congress got involved. Law were passed for the radio biz. But it still happens in the radio biz.

And it is ALL OVER the media and entertainment. Ever see a product placement ad in a movie? Ever wonder why the latest movies are so frequently mentioned on the frigging TV NEWS programs? Hello!? It's called PAYOLA!

Ever wonder why, right before Iowa, Dean was getting 10K hits on news.google.com compared to 5K hits for the candidates who were only a handful of percentage points below him in the polls? Well, Dean had--at the time--a LOT more money. But not any more....gee, I wonder where that money went!

[newyawker99]

25. Hi DrRang!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Hoppin_Mad]

26. Every dollar is accounted for !

You can look here.

http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/expend.asp?id=N00025663&cycle=2004&sort=A

The 2003 Q4 figures Will be added soon.

To suggest ANY kind of malfeasance, is at this point, nothing other than an unsubstantiated smear.

[Dr.Phool]

10. Payola

I guess thats why he got all of that "positive" coverage. I think a lot of the money is still there, but contributions decreased after Iowa, and are probably expected to continue dwindling after N.H.

It looks to me like they're just tightening the budget till more comes in. Gotta get my checkbook out again.

[cryofan]

13. just because you give payola to a subset of the media, that does not mean

....that you are going to get snow-white, worshipful coverage from those you paid. THey still have to provide entertaining and informative copy or video. Also, that does not mean that those that you do NOT pay are going to fall in line.

Also, maybe he stopped paying them BEFORE the scream.....

[GalleryGod]

17. 'Scuse, Me I 'm Outta Here.

:grouphug: Take care.

[Skip Intro]

18. The 700 replays of the Iowa speech must have cost a bundle

:eyes:

[libview]

23. let's remember, that was "after" he got his ass handed to him.

[mopinko]

28. yeah, i sent $50 today

so that i can see it one more time!
yeearrrrggghhh!!!

[sangh0]

24. Weak

Ads are not the only thing a campaign spends money on. There's salaries, phone bills, pizza, etc.... Also, didn't Dean give money to a Dem Congressman?

[Hoppin_Mad]

27. Every dollar is accounted for - as the law requires !

You can look here.

http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/expend.asp?id=N00025663&cycle=2004&sort=A

The 2003 Q4 figures Will be added soon.

To suggest ANY kind of malfeasance, is at this point, nothing other than an unsubstantiated smear.

[foo_bar]

31. it looks like a dot.com

I think the term is speculative bubble.

[Nazgul35]

29. Wow!!!

And the award for whopper of the year goes to....

:eyes:

[TexasPatriot]

30. no kidding

payola? that's about as absurd a claim as i've seen. Dean didnt 'blow' the money - he spent it, and the strategy - take the first 2 and let the money come in might well have worked if he'd won the first 2.

But Payola? come on.... that's way over the top.