The Obama channel

politico ^ | 10/01/2008 | Ben Smith

[Paul Revere 76]

Channel 73 on the Dish Network is now The Obama Channel.

Obama's media buying strategy has been marked by a willingness to work the angles, and to try to pick up a few votes at the margins. The decision to go to everything from extensive radio buys to odd-hour infomercials reflects the fact that the campaign media buyers spend a lot of time thinking about how much persuasion any given dollar can buy, and given a very cheap format -- late night cable channels that need filler, for instance -- will settle for a thimblefull of persuasion.

The satellite channel is the latest of these marginal gambits: Three readers from different parts of the country email that Channel 073-00 on the Dish Network is now labeled OBAMA. ("What is up with Sen. Obama having his own channel?" asks a St. Louis reader.) The channel plays his two-minute ad laying out his economic plan on a loop, over and over.

The only explanation: The media buyers think they can reach enough people per dollar to make it worth the odd buy.

The channel's appearance has provoked scorn and alarm on conservative blogs, though, and some discussion on a forum for Satellite TV aficionados, where one user writes that a Dish Network executive emailed to reassure the user that it "is paid advertising by the Obama campaign and is not an endorsement of Senator Obama by DISH Network" and will broadcast through November 4.

A spokeswoman for EchoStar, the Dish Network's parent company, didn't respond immediately to phone and email inquiries abotut the channel.

[dragonblustar]

Damn, he doesn’t need anymore channels.... He’s already got ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, LOGO, Animal Planet, Oxygen, Life Time, MTV, VH1,.......

[ladyvet]

No kidding...all Obama...all the time.

[kc8ukw]

My wife just noticed this tonight. Very Orwellian, I thought. Especially if you have a big screen TV, and leave it on!

[El Sordo]

Saw that when I was on the treadmill at the gym tonight.

I hate to say it, but I think it will help him.

[ClarenceThomasfan]

You forgot BET and TV one.

At least McCain still has ESPN and TBN.

[Bush Revolution]

I'm getting to the point where nothing surprises me about this guy. This comes close to the creepy kids sing for O ad. Strange, very strange.

[freekitty]

Exactly. It must be a re-education channel.

[Carling]

[freekitty]

He is strange, isn’t he?

[jagusafr]

Noticed that tonight. Barf.

Colonel, USAFR

[JennysCool]

Who’s going to tune in Obama 24/7 other than the Obama fanatics? And he’s already got their vote (if they’re going to take the time and trouble to actually vote, which I doubt).

[Bush Revolution]

You bet it will, along with the other 40 channels too.

[NordP]

First the kids singing for him, and now this?

Man this guy wants to be a Dictator somethin' fierce!

[trumandogz]

I hate to say it, but McCain is running his campaign as if it was 1996.

The Dish Obama Channel is most likely a cheap and effective way of getting the message out.

[Salamander]

If you are a subscriber, complain.

I did.

I can go back to cable and be just as happy.

[torchthemummy]

The real question is is this another friendly deal similar to moveon.org’s “Betrayeus” ad where the NYT gave a discounted rate? How much is the Obama campaign paying and does Dish have another open channel for McCain to rent till Nov. 4 if he so decided?

[Bush Revolution]

In all kinds of ways :-) After all, “He is the ONE we’ve been waiting for”.

[VeniVidiVici]

And they have ads on just about every website you go to.

Seeing as both McCain and Osama had about the same amt of money at the beginning of Sept. where the heck is McCain spending his money?

[FrankR]

"Damn, he doesn’t need anymore channels.... He’s already got ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, LOGO, Animal Planet, Oxygen, Life Time, MTV, VH1,......."

We still have the power to combat all of that...it's called the REMOTE CONTROL.

At this late date, I seriously doubt that anyone on the right, or center, is running to tune in channel 73 or any other infomercial about ZerObama.

I think the die is cast for most, no matter how Sarah does in the debate. The debate will not be deal-breaker for either side. Even if Saracudda lays a total "potatoe" tomorrow night, she will still get my vote, and many millions of others.

These "are you smarter than a fifth grader" civics question games the msm is putting her through are a total farce, as any one with a brain knows...that leaves out democrats because as Ann says, if they had brains they'd be Republicans.

I am much more worried about what is going on behind this distraction of the bailout and the debates...namely voter fraud. We saw it attempted the last two elections, and the fervor wasn't near as intense as it is this time.

I don't care what obambi and token joe are doing...I want to know what ACORN is doing at America's polling places to make sure their messiah wins.

The msm is running a little press-didigitation on us, watching one hand tell sweet lies, while the other hand is slipping under our skirts.

But, I digress. Back to the debates...is there anyone-in significant numbers-who voted for Bush because of the debates with Kerry, or Gore. I watched those debates, and I thought Bush whipped them a new one, but I was going to vote for him regardless.

If you watch a bully (msm/dems) gang up on your kids (McCain/Palin) and whip the tar out of them...you're still going to love and support the kids...and hate the msmdems even more.

Who wins the debate is a cock fight...who wins the election is the President. It's hard to beleive opions are fluid enough to cause these broad swings in the polls. The polls know that about 20% of Americans are "lemmings", and will follow a (perceived) leader over the cliff. The press is going to call obamammamamama the winner even if he loses to McCain by a landslide.

The slogan on my favorite coffee cup reads: "Don't let the bastards wear you down!". A good point to remember in these critical times.