"Who Really Won the Election? Campaign Consultants"

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Who Really Won the Election? Campaign Consultants

by Michael Winship at Common Dreams

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/12/13-5

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According to the Center for Media and Democracy’s PR Watch, “In 2012, the total spending of outside groups — the super PACs and dark money nonprofits which spend money to influence elections, but do so separately from campaigns — amounted to about $1.3 billion.” As a result, a handful of consultants are making out like bandits.

About a third of that money, more than $482 million, “ultimately passed through just six media companies” — ad production houses Mentzer Media and McCarthy Hennings Media, direct mail company Arena Communications, online advertising firm Targeted Victory, Karl Rove-affiliated Crossroads Media LLC, and “a mysterious Democrat-aligned media group” called Waterfront Strategies.

Some of these companies used the money to produce ads, others to purchase the slots where the ads ultimately aired, others to send ad mailers. Industry experts tell CMD that media buyers typically take a 10 to 15 percent commission on ad buys, but consultants involved in ad production or mailers may be paid an even greater percentage.

… the largest outside spenders tended to rely on the same vendors. Many of these media firms often did work for the same candidate campaign accounts that the outside spending groups were supporting, allowing for potential collusion between campaigns and ‘independent’ groups that are required by law to keep their operations separate.


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