According to this article, Republican Presidential Candidate Rudy Giuliani will make sure we're prepared to defend ourselves from an attack by alien beings.
Ok.
I guess that means we have a laser defense system.
The pure idea of this is interesting because 1) we have no freaking idea how we'll be attacked, and 2) it proves how we think -- some of us -- that because something's different, it's bad.
Geez.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Political television advertising to reach $3 billion
Isn't this discretionary spending wasteful and unnecessary?
By Mark Preston
CNN Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A wide-open presidential race and a willingness by candidates, interest groups, unions and corporations to buy TV time will lead to historic spending for political and issue-advocacy advertising in the 2008 election cycle, an analysis shows.
The cost to try to influence the 2008 election could exceed $3 billion, according to TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group, CNN's consultant on political television advertising.
This is nearly twice as much than what was spent in 2004 when political and issue-advocacy television advertising rang in at $1.7 billion. In 2006, $2.3 billion was spent on political and issue-advocacy TV commercials.
Just about every candidate running for an office from dogcatcher to president is spending the money, said Evan Tracey, CMAG's chief operating officer.
The costs to produce a TV commercial are no longer prohibitive for local and state candidates, who are turning more and more to the airwaves to reach voters. See how spending breaks down for this year »
And interest groups have spent $6.2 million on TV ads so far this year for state and local ballot measures.
On the national level, the cost of issue-advocacy television ad spending was $270 million in the first nine months of this year. Subjects ranged from the Iraq war to telecommunications reform. Television ads on health care alone total $60 million.
CMAG estimates more than $3 million of the $270 million spent to air issue-advocacy ads this year has gone for commercials in states and districts that are likely to have competitive House and Senate races in 2008.
Tracey said he thinks this is just the beginning of interest groups "pivoting from legislative advocacy mode to political mode."
"What we expect to see between now and the end of the primaries, and through the general election, is groups will take a more aggressive stance on their advertising and actually target candidates," he said.
With 17 Democratic and Republican candidates running for president, CMAG predicts that more than $800 million will be spent on TV ads in the battle for the White House.
Up to now, the political commercials have been largely focused on the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Voters in some of the 20-plus states holding nominating contests on February 5 will start seeing ads in the coming months.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads all candidates in TV spending, having aired his commercials more than 11,000 times this year at a cost of nearly $8.6 million. This is a record for the number of airings at this point in a presidential election cycle. In contrast, one of Romney's chief rivals for the GOP nomination, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, has spent nothing on television ads, but Giuliani leads in the national polls and is within striking distance of the lead in several state surveys.
Giuliani enjoys widespread national name recognition, while Romney does not.
In the race for the Democratic nomination, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has spent more than $2.3 million on television commercials, while New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has spent $1 million less and leads in both national and early state polls.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has probably benefited the most in the Democratic contest from the $2 million he has invested in his television commercials.
Richardson's humorous TV ads effectively stated his experience as a lawmaker, diplomat and executive, and positioned him as a solid second-tier candidate.
Romney used his $8.6 million in television ads to introduce himself as a social and fiscal conservative to Republican voters. These voters might otherwise not know much about him other than that he was the governor of the traditionally liberal Massachusetts.
Romney is leading polls in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
Further evidence of how Romney's television commercials have helped is in South Carolina.
An American Research Group poll of South Carolina Republicans in August showed Romney registering at 9 percent with these influential primary voters. A month later, and with $350,000 worth of commercials aired in the two weeks leading up to the next poll, Romney was up 17 percentage points.
Romney's latest ad began airing Friday in Iowa, and in it he vows to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, to boost the military by 100,000 people, to strengthen U.S. intelligence capabilities and to monitor calls into the U.S. from al Qaeda.
All of these issues should play well with conservatives who participate in the Iowa caucuses.
While only a handful of Democratic candidates and Romney have used the airwaves until now, Tracey said he expects this to change.
"Before the end of October, I suspect all the frontrunner candidates will be on the air," Tracey said. "As we get closer to primary day, the frontrunners will be joined by all the candidates in the race who are taking their last, best shot."
In the fight for Congress, CMAG predicts that as much as $639 million could be spent on television advertising.
Democrats control the House and Senate.
Tracey noted that CMAG's 2008 election cycle forecast does not take into account unforeseen events such as former Florida Rep. Mark Foley's House page scandal or the September 11 terrorist attacks.
"Politics is completely beholden to events," he said. "Events will ultimately determine how much is spent, where and when."
What television advertising challenges do candidates and interest groups face in the coming months?
"Chances are, just as what happened in 2006, voters will be numb after watching hundred and hundreds of ads," said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report. "The sheer number of ads probably dilutes their importance. After a while, the ads just become lots of chatter and an ad will have to be really good to cut through the noise.''
By Mark Preston
CNN Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A wide-open presidential race and a willingness by candidates, interest groups, unions and corporations to buy TV time will lead to historic spending for political and issue-advocacy advertising in the 2008 election cycle, an analysis shows.
The cost to try to influence the 2008 election could exceed $3 billion, according to TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group, CNN's consultant on political television advertising.
This is nearly twice as much than what was spent in 2004 when political and issue-advocacy television advertising rang in at $1.7 billion. In 2006, $2.3 billion was spent on political and issue-advocacy TV commercials.
Just about every candidate running for an office from dogcatcher to president is spending the money, said Evan Tracey, CMAG's chief operating officer.
The costs to produce a TV commercial are no longer prohibitive for local and state candidates, who are turning more and more to the airwaves to reach voters. See how spending breaks down for this year »
And interest groups have spent $6.2 million on TV ads so far this year for state and local ballot measures.
On the national level, the cost of issue-advocacy television ad spending was $270 million in the first nine months of this year. Subjects ranged from the Iraq war to telecommunications reform. Television ads on health care alone total $60 million.
CMAG estimates more than $3 million of the $270 million spent to air issue-advocacy ads this year has gone for commercials in states and districts that are likely to have competitive House and Senate races in 2008.
Tracey said he thinks this is just the beginning of interest groups "pivoting from legislative advocacy mode to political mode."
"What we expect to see between now and the end of the primaries, and through the general election, is groups will take a more aggressive stance on their advertising and actually target candidates," he said.
With 17 Democratic and Republican candidates running for president, CMAG predicts that more than $800 million will be spent on TV ads in the battle for the White House.
Up to now, the political commercials have been largely focused on the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Voters in some of the 20-plus states holding nominating contests on February 5 will start seeing ads in the coming months.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads all candidates in TV spending, having aired his commercials more than 11,000 times this year at a cost of nearly $8.6 million. This is a record for the number of airings at this point in a presidential election cycle. In contrast, one of Romney's chief rivals for the GOP nomination, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, has spent nothing on television ads, but Giuliani leads in the national polls and is within striking distance of the lead in several state surveys.
Giuliani enjoys widespread national name recognition, while Romney does not.
In the race for the Democratic nomination, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has spent more than $2.3 million on television commercials, while New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has spent $1 million less and leads in both national and early state polls.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has probably benefited the most in the Democratic contest from the $2 million he has invested in his television commercials.
Richardson's humorous TV ads effectively stated his experience as a lawmaker, diplomat and executive, and positioned him as a solid second-tier candidate.
Romney used his $8.6 million in television ads to introduce himself as a social and fiscal conservative to Republican voters. These voters might otherwise not know much about him other than that he was the governor of the traditionally liberal Massachusetts.
Romney is leading polls in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
Further evidence of how Romney's television commercials have helped is in South Carolina.
An American Research Group poll of South Carolina Republicans in August showed Romney registering at 9 percent with these influential primary voters. A month later, and with $350,000 worth of commercials aired in the two weeks leading up to the next poll, Romney was up 17 percentage points.
Romney's latest ad began airing Friday in Iowa, and in it he vows to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, to boost the military by 100,000 people, to strengthen U.S. intelligence capabilities and to monitor calls into the U.S. from al Qaeda.
All of these issues should play well with conservatives who participate in the Iowa caucuses.
While only a handful of Democratic candidates and Romney have used the airwaves until now, Tracey said he expects this to change.
"Before the end of October, I suspect all the frontrunner candidates will be on the air," Tracey said. "As we get closer to primary day, the frontrunners will be joined by all the candidates in the race who are taking their last, best shot."
In the fight for Congress, CMAG predicts that as much as $639 million could be spent on television advertising.
Democrats control the House and Senate.
Tracey noted that CMAG's 2008 election cycle forecast does not take into account unforeseen events such as former Florida Rep. Mark Foley's House page scandal or the September 11 terrorist attacks.
"Politics is completely beholden to events," he said. "Events will ultimately determine how much is spent, where and when."
What television advertising challenges do candidates and interest groups face in the coming months?
"Chances are, just as what happened in 2006, voters will be numb after watching hundred and hundreds of ads," said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report. "The sheer number of ads probably dilutes their importance. After a while, the ads just become lots of chatter and an ad will have to be really good to cut through the noise.''
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Poll: Clinton Has Large Lead in N.H.
But the poll has a huge problem. And Senator Obama's more popular than Clinton with voters under 45.
By The Associated Press
Sun Oct 14, 7:40 AM ET
Hillary Rodham Clinton is holding a commanding lead over Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in New Hampshire, a poll released Sunday found.
Clinton had the support of 40 percent of those surveyed compared to 20 percent for Obama, Marist College Institute for Public Opinion said.
John Edwards was third (12 percent) and Bill Richardson fourth (7 percent).
On the Republican side, Mitt Romney held a slight edge over Rudy Giuliani (25 percent to 21 percent). John McCain was third (18 percent) and Fred Thompson fourth (10 percent).
Clinton was the overwhelming choice among those polled who want a strong leader or someone who will bring about change — 44 percent chose her compared with 20 percent for Obama and 11 percent for Edwards.
Clinton also drew the most support — 33 percent — from those questioned who ranked the Iraq war as their top issue. And the New York senator was seen as the most likely Democrat to win in November, getting the nod from 58 percent in the survey.
On the GOP side, when people were asked to pick a strong leader, Romney got 29 percent, compared with 23 percent for McCain and 22 percent for Giuliani.
Security against terrorism was the most important issue for GOP voters; on this issue, Romney was picked by 29 percent, and Giuliani and McCain by 21 percent each. Giuliani, the former New York mayor, was picked by more people in the survey as having the best chance of winning in November — 36 percent versus 30 percent for Romney.
The poll was conducted from Oct. 4-9 and involved telephone interviews with 1,512 registered voters and New Hampshire residents likely to register in time to vote in the presidential primary.
The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points for Democratic primary voters and 4.5 percentage points for Republican primary voters.
By The Associated Press
Sun Oct 14, 7:40 AM ET
Hillary Rodham Clinton is holding a commanding lead over Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in New Hampshire, a poll released Sunday found.
Clinton had the support of 40 percent of those surveyed compared to 20 percent for Obama, Marist College Institute for Public Opinion said.
John Edwards was third (12 percent) and Bill Richardson fourth (7 percent).
On the Republican side, Mitt Romney held a slight edge over Rudy Giuliani (25 percent to 21 percent). John McCain was third (18 percent) and Fred Thompson fourth (10 percent).
Clinton was the overwhelming choice among those polled who want a strong leader or someone who will bring about change — 44 percent chose her compared with 20 percent for Obama and 11 percent for Edwards.
Clinton also drew the most support — 33 percent — from those questioned who ranked the Iraq war as their top issue. And the New York senator was seen as the most likely Democrat to win in November, getting the nod from 58 percent in the survey.
On the GOP side, when people were asked to pick a strong leader, Romney got 29 percent, compared with 23 percent for McCain and 22 percent for Giuliani.
Security against terrorism was the most important issue for GOP voters; on this issue, Romney was picked by 29 percent, and Giuliani and McCain by 21 percent each. Giuliani, the former New York mayor, was picked by more people in the survey as having the best chance of winning in November — 36 percent versus 30 percent for Romney.
The poll was conducted from Oct. 4-9 and involved telephone interviews with 1,512 registered voters and New Hampshire residents likely to register in time to vote in the presidential primary.
The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points for Democratic primary voters and 4.5 percentage points for Republican primary voters.
Barack Obama Leads In NH With Voters Under 45 Years Old - Pollster Mentions That In Fine Point
The so-called latest New Hampshire Poll says that Senator Hillary Clinton has a 20-point lead in that state.
But a look at the actual poll data that Marist College Institute for Public Opinion has released so far shows this -- in fine print:
Barack Obama does better among independents than Democrats. He receives the support of 29% of independents but just 14% of Democrats. Senator Obama is also more popular with younger voters than voters forty-five years of age or older. 29% of likely Democratic presidential primary voters under age forty-five support him compared with 15% of voters who are forty-five or older.
This opens a major-league can of worms for the credibility of reporting that Senator Clinton has any kind of real lead in New Hampshire.
The last NH poll also reported a Clinton lead, but only 17 percent of the people contacted bothered to respond, which means that a whopping 83 percent were undecided. Plus, there was no age breakdown given in the poll data released.
Still, the Clinton people, especially their campaign leaders , are acting like they're ahead, setting the stage for what could be a major surprise.
But a look at the actual poll data that Marist College Institute for Public Opinion has released so far shows this -- in fine print:
Barack Obama does better among independents than Democrats. He receives the support of 29% of independents but just 14% of Democrats. Senator Obama is also more popular with younger voters than voters forty-five years of age or older. 29% of likely Democratic presidential primary voters under age forty-five support him compared with 15% of voters who are forty-five or older.
This opens a major-league can of worms for the credibility of reporting that Senator Clinton has any kind of real lead in New Hampshire.
The last NH poll also reported a Clinton lead, but only 17 percent of the people contacted bothered to respond, which means that a whopping 83 percent were undecided. Plus, there was no age breakdown given in the poll data released.
Still, the Clinton people, especially their campaign leaders , are acting like they're ahead, setting the stage for what could be a major surprise.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Web 2.0 Summit Has "Web Bowl" - Tuesday Oct 16th.
This is from CMP and the Web 2.0 website
Sold Out Web 2.0 Summit Announces First Web Bowl: Challenges World to Stump the Luminaries
Competition Offers Everyone the Chance to Participate
SAN FRANCISCO -- September 25, 2007 -- O'Reilly Media, Inc. and CMP Technology, co-producers of the annual Web 2.0 Summit, today jointly announced the launch of the Web Bowl, a live trivia competition about the Internet, taking place during the sold out event this year. Conference organizers are reaching out to the general public and attendees to pool together the most challenging (and fun) questions about the World Wide Web for the first annual Web Bowl.
Web 2.0 Summit's Web Bowl asks people to match wits with Internet luminaries, bringing the toughest questions about the Web on stage. The biggest names of the Web community will be able to prove themselves in real time amidst the gunfire of questions on industry trivia, history, and personalities. Hosted by Web 2.0 Summit's chair, John Battelle, the Web Bowl was modeled on the Computer History Bowl to entertain, inform, and inspire the Web community.
"We are pleased to announce the first annual Web Bowl at the Summit," said John Battelle, Web 2.0 Summit's Program Chair. "The game show format will create an entertaining opportunity to both celebrate the history and future of the Web among the leading members of the Web community. Even those not able to make it will be able to participate virtually, in true 2.0 spirit."
Web Bowl is challenging the world to submit the toughest questions about the Internet to use in the Web Bowl. Questions could range from what the first instant messaging service was to who created the first blog, and more. Acknowledgement will go to the person who submits a question used on-stage at the event.
To sign up for this, click here.
Sold Out Web 2.0 Summit Announces First Web Bowl: Challenges World to Stump the Luminaries
Competition Offers Everyone the Chance to Participate
SAN FRANCISCO -- September 25, 2007 -- O'Reilly Media, Inc. and CMP Technology, co-producers of the annual Web 2.0 Summit, today jointly announced the launch of the Web Bowl, a live trivia competition about the Internet, taking place during the sold out event this year. Conference organizers are reaching out to the general public and attendees to pool together the most challenging (and fun) questions about the World Wide Web for the first annual Web Bowl.
Web 2.0 Summit's Web Bowl asks people to match wits with Internet luminaries, bringing the toughest questions about the Web on stage. The biggest names of the Web community will be able to prove themselves in real time amidst the gunfire of questions on industry trivia, history, and personalities. Hosted by Web 2.0 Summit's chair, John Battelle, the Web Bowl was modeled on the Computer History Bowl to entertain, inform, and inspire the Web community.
"We are pleased to announce the first annual Web Bowl at the Summit," said John Battelle, Web 2.0 Summit's Program Chair. "The game show format will create an entertaining opportunity to both celebrate the history and future of the Web among the leading members of the Web community. Even those not able to make it will be able to participate virtually, in true 2.0 spirit."
Web Bowl is challenging the world to submit the toughest questions about the Internet to use in the Web Bowl. Questions could range from what the first instant messaging service was to who created the first blog, and more. Acknowledgement will go to the person who submits a question used on-stage at the event.
To sign up for this, click here.
Amanda Congdon Supports Barack Obama
I just got a Facebook News Flash from my Facebook friend Amanda Congdon, who reports that she's behind Barack Obama for President!
Awesome!
I wonder if that has something to do with 1) his authetic politics, 2) the need for real change, and 3) the fact that Barack's, Amanda's, and my birthday are all the same day -- August 4th?
Hmmm..
Vimeo's HD Online Videos May Make Joost Days Numbered
Ok, here's an example of what TechCrunch's Shonfeld was writing about. Vimeo has high quality HD online videos on its site already.
Check it out. Watch out Joost!
Check it out. Watch out Joost!
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