G.O.P. Hopes Web Sites Will Be a Link to the Small Donor- 30% commission

[Rose Siding]

Howard Dean, move over. In a nod to the successful online fund-raising of Mr. Dean and other Democrats, the Republican National Committee will this month start paying Web site owners who raise donations for the party through their sites.

The program is open to operators of Web sites registered at Commission Junction, a technology company that helps advertisers reach Web page publishers. The committee will pay Web sites amounts equal to 30 percent of the donations they raise as a commission, according to Commission Junction's Web site.

The arrangement is the latest effort by political parties to expand fund-raising on the Internet. Internet sites and e-mail messages as political fund-raising vehicles are often cheaper and faster than traditional mass mailings and telephone campaigns. At times, they can be more effective.

The Republican National Committee will decide whether to maintain the program after comparing the results with other fund-raising efforts, a spokeswoman for the committee, Christine Iverson, said. She did not say when that comparison would be made.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/12/business/12rnc.html

[wyethwire]

1. They're about six months behind

on the blogads phenomenon

[wyethwire]

2. I guess losing 2 special elections

finally got them to pay attention

[Barrett808]

10. Isn't this also called "blogwhoring"?

Or maybe "whoreblogging"?

[dweller]

3. wait....maybe i'm naive.

this is legal?

$$ donated to political party is now a payoff to the person who asks for the donation?

dp

[uncle ray]

4. wow, this is bad bad news!

just what we need, kickbacks to websites that support the repugs.

[pinto]

5. all their other donors must be in jail................n/t

[Old and In the Way]

6. Very telling.

Is this the desperate end to a corrupted Party? $300MM raised and spent to date (tell me I'm wrong)....and the lugnuts are off Dimson's bus. Best is yet to come, too.

This MLM approach to selling your influence to the highest bidder should give everyone pause as to where this Party is these days.

[w4rma]

7. Democrats aren't doing what the RNC is going to do. Seems fishy, imho.

"... the Republican National Committee will this month start paying Web site owners who raise donations for the party through their sites."

"The committee will pay Web sites amounts equal to 30 percent of the donations they raise as a commission, according to Commission Junction's Web site."

[WHAT]

8. On consignment commisions...

for "used" voters. That's what it feels like.

Maybe Mrs. Lay thought of this?...

[kohodog]

9. What happens if we all donate $.01

I'll give a penny to screw up their system!

[Spangle]

11. It is CHEAPER the regular requests.

Doing a mail out is costly and your not sure if your going to get anything back. You could be tossing money away.

This way, they are not spending money up front for the donation. Nor are they having "brunches/lunches/ wine & cheese" partys asking for donations. Again, it's a cost issue. Gota have money to get ahold of money to ask for even MORE money.

This way, they may only get part of the donation, but they are not having to spend money up front. No telling how much money would have been spent trying to get the donation the "old" way. And since the request is made at the "right" time... like at a web site dealing with issues THAT person is intrested in, then they are more likely to get a donation. The canidate, the party doesn't have to worry about the up keep, cordinating, etc... the fundraising effort.

Paying a fee is standard when someone links a "sale" from the web site. It use to be that some sites would pay just to get people to vist their web site. Now they only pay if there is a sale. In this case "donation."

Nothing wrong with this. However, the whole donation is the donation. The precentage that if the fee is the cost of generating the donation. Same as stamps, and other mail out stuff. Or having an expensive party. Even if stamps are donated, the canidate has to list the cost as a donation.

The real issue here is, it enables them to reach the poor folks. Normaly they don't go after this money. It's to expensive to do. It's why it's hard for DEMOCRATS to raise money. THIS way would benifit Democrats more then republicans. Our base is harder to reach to ask for donations. The cost for such a mail out wouldn't be repaid back in the amount of donations recieved. IT wouldn't be cost effective. However, both partys are all over the internet. ALL the partys are, I think. Those that argree with the partys issues or the canidate will donante. That money can then be used on major ads to get the message out to the masses.

[truthisfreedom]

12. can you spell D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E ? i love the smell of gop fear in the

morning. smells like victory. deodorant sales way up this year! 8^)

[Democat]

13. Is this legal?

It seems strange.

[sally343434]

14. HEY! This is like The 700 Club!

When the poor sop phones in a "prayer donation" to help Pat Robertson buy yet another vulgar mansion, about half of it goes as a commission to the cable or satellite service on which the viewer watches the show. (Shopping channels do the same thing.)