“How much is an appearance worth?”
AH! The *real* question!
Oprah is *entertainment*, NOT news. Therefore, an appearance on her show is FREE airtime that should either
a) count as a campaign contribution or
b) have an equal amount of airtime given to each opposing candidate who requests it
If it is a campaign contribution, then it is clearly a direct contribution to the campaign - not a PAC. That means that LIMITS APPLY. How much does a single show of Oprah earn? (A whole messload.) The contribution should be calculated in apportion to the time alloted. (messload/airtime = contribution amount)
Hollywood has been getting away with this kind of hard donation to political candidates forever. What the average person fails to realize is that...
HOLLYWOOD *IS* BIG BUSINESS
More Hollywood elites live the gilded lifestyle than oil or pharmaceutical executives. Strangely though, we never hear about BIG HOLLYWOOD’S influence over politics. And we ALL know that a single Hollywood star can have one hundred times the influence of a “Big Oil” executive. (Be Affleck is voting for John Kerry - are you, young impressional college student?)
I would not want the appearance on entertainment shows to be considered campaign contributions or equal time. It works both ways. When conservatives have our guys on that would mean that the dems would have an opportunity to appear too. For example, Fred Thompson was on last night’s Tonight Show. Now under your rules, all the Democrats would be able to go on the show too. This is a fun light show not at all equal to a political show.