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Political "Infomercials" - Opinions  

post #1 of 15
10/29/08 at 10:58am
Thread Starter 
I just read that Obama intends to air a 30 minute campaign "infomercial" tonight on nearly every off air network. This gives rise to some questions as I see it.

It's been said that quite a few people on both sides of the fence that it's almost impossible to outline one's political stance and explain their plans for the nation in a 60 second response to a debate question. Sounds true to me.

But a lot can be explained in 30 minutes. Which, also leave everything open to critique by the opposition. Also, the 30 minutes could be spent doing a great deal of talking, without really saying anything.

So, opinions please? Political infomercials; good idea, bad idea, something I haven't thought of idea?
post #2 of 15
10/29/08 at 12:48pm
Well, at least he won't have to actually answer any questions.
post #3 of 15
10/29/08 at 1:12pm
This is not the first candidate to do this. Ross Perot did the same when he ran. I plan to watch it, as he is my choice for a candidate, but I don't have a strong opinion on whether this is good or bad.

There's a lot of opinions online about the topic. I found this one pretty much sums up my feelings:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n4555223.shtml
post #4 of 15
10/29/08 at 1:16pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Momofmany View Post
This is not the first candidate to do this. Ross Perot did the same when he ran. I plan to watch it, as he is my choice for a candidate, but I don't have a strong opinion on whether this is good or bad.

There's a lot of opinions online about the topic. I found this one pretty much sums up my feelings:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n4555223.shtml
Oh, thank you I was under the impression that I'd actually come up with an original thought, and you dashed that impression to pieces
post #5 of 15
10/29/08 at 1:33pm
And McCain criticized him yesterday for interrupting the start of the world series game with this informercial. Just for the record, that was already debunked. The infomercial runs until 8:30 ET. The game wasn't going to start until after 8:30 ET.
post #6 of 15
10/29/08 at 1:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skippymjp View Post
Oh, thank you I was under the impression that I'd actually come up with an original thought, and you dashed that impression to pieces
I'm surprised you were the first to bring it up on this site!
post #7 of 15
10/29/08 at 3:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Momofmany View Post
And McCain criticized him yesterday for interrupting the start of the world series game with this informercial. Just for the record, that was already debunked. The infomercial runs until 8:30 ET. The game wasn't going to start until after 8:30 ET.
Actually no. The MLB and the airing network Fox agreed to move the start back.

For a tidy sum of revenue, I'm sure.
post #8 of 15
10/29/08 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by neetanddave View Post
Actually no. The MLB and the airing network Fox agreed to move the start back.

For a tidy sum of revenue, I'm sure.
From a Fox news executive:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmi...l.html?showall

Quote:
But the Fox account executive who negotiated the ad buy said Obama's ad isn't delaying the first pitch -- it's just replacing the pre-game show.

"Our first pitch for the world series is usually around 8:30 anyway – so we didn’t push back the game, it was really just about suspending the pre-game -- you know, Joe Buck," said the account executive, Joe Coppola. "That’s all we did."

He said World Series games this season have begun between 8:22 p.m. and 8:35 p.m.

"We didn’t push back the game at all," he said. He also said Obama had initially arranged to buy the time only if the Series were over before Game Six (in fact, a rain-delayed Game Five will continue tomorrow night), but Fox then decided to sell the campaign the time whether or not the game was played.

"By no means did they push to get us to accommodate them with Game Six," said Coppola, whom the Obama campaign suggested I call. "We’re just missing the pregame, which isn’t a big deal for us. It was a business decision."
Don't believe everything that McCain says.
post #9 of 15
10/29/08 at 3:33pm
Personally, I hope his attempt to buy this election blows up in his face. I could give a crap about the world series.
post #10 of 15
10/29/08 at 4:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Momofmany View Post
From a Fox news executive:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmi...l.html?showall


Don't believe everything that McCain says.
I don't use John McCain as a source for sports news.

And the broadcast in its entirety is the World Series, not just the game. Although like Cinder, I don't care about it at all this year.

From Oct 16.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/27217024/

Major League Baseball has agreed to push back the start time of a potential World Series Game 6 by eight minutes to allow Democrat Barack Obama to purchase a half-hour of air time on the Fox network.Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney said Thursday that the game time would now be set for 8:35 p.m.

It's only 8 minutes, but the fact remains the game was delayed.

And OH. Fox gets a million bucks for the 30 minute infomercial.
post #11 of 15
10/29/08 at 5:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by neetanddave View Post
I don't use John McCain as a source for sports news.

And the broadcast in its entirety is the World Series, not just the game. Although like Cinder, I don't care about it at all this year.

From Oct 16.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/27217024/

Major League Baseball has agreed to push back the start time of a potential World Series Game 6 by eight minutes to allow Democrat Barack Obama to purchase a half-hour of air time on the Fox network.Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney said Thursday that the game time would now be set for 8:35 p.m.

It's only 8 minutes, but the fact remains the game was delayed.

And OH. Fox gets a million bucks for the 30 minute infomercial.
See what happens Neet, when a candidate like Obama goes back on his word to accept Public Financing for the campaign like he promised and has access to hundreds of millions of dollars for his campaign. He should be hitting a Billion any day now.

But the guy, McCain, with integrity, who kept his word, gets called an idiot for keeping his word. Only in America.
post #12 of 15
10/29/08 at 5:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skippymjp View Post

So, opinions please? Political infomercials; good idea, bad idea, something I haven't thought of idea?
i would sooner watch a enzyte infomercial then listen to obama.
but then again, i would not listen to a 30 min mccain aid.
post #13 of 15
10/29/08 at 5:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckblv View Post
See what happens Neet, when a candidate like Obama goes back on his word to accept Public Financing for the campaign like he promised and has access to hundreds of millions of dollars for his campaign. He should be hitting a Billion any day now.

But the guy, McCain, with integrity, who kept his word, gets called an idiot for keeping his word. Only in America.
I've seen that posted quite a bit and decided to research it. It seems that McCain didn't give a word to keep. The questionnaire was from a Watchdog group called Midwest Democracy Network. And, their website is quite adamant that McCain refused to fill out the questionnaire?

Edit: Ok, nevermind, now I find where McCain made a statement earlier saying he would pledge if they had an agreement.

Too much information, I think my brain is getting clogged!
post #14 of 15
10/30/08 at 5:38am
Fox got paid more than they would have for a pregame since this years series was very low rated.
They didn't push back anything and the pregame programming is not the game.

I think they are fine if the campaign can afford it. It is also good campaigning because you keep the news going into the weekend before the election about you.
post #15 of 15
10/30/08 at 10:31am
For what it's worth, these long broadcasts were common when TV was just getting a start. The last person to do it was Ross Perot, about 16 years ago. Helped him a lot, didn't it? Reagan also did it. I forgot the full list, which they gave on NPR yesterday.
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