Political Ads on RR
by DarthYoshi on Jun 24, 2008 11:26 AM EDT
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PrintI am not sure where to stick this, but I feel the need to write about this publicly, so I guess a fanpost is as good a place as any.
While surveying the various fanposts today over my morning OJ, I began noticing some interesting advertisements in the right-hand vertical column of the site. One in particular caught my attention because it contained a side-by-side juxtaposition of the pictures of Barack Obama and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with the caption "Is it okay to unconditionally meet with anti-American foreign leaders?" followed by, "Paid for by John McCain 2008."
Now, aside from, say, the occasional cutting reference to Bush by someone like me or NYRoyal, RR has generally been a politics-free zone. I'm not opposed to us discussing politics, but when the site is hosting extremely negative and arguably xenophobic political attack ads, I feel compelled to protest (full disclosure--I intend to vote for Barack Obama in November, but I would feel equally uncomfortable if I found out the site was hosting ads from his campaign that said that John McCain eats puppies).
Again--I'm not saying RR has to be a politics-free zone. But my questions are two-fold--first, how did such advertising make its way here in the first place, and second, is there anyone else here who feels similarly, that such advertising should not have a place here?
I ask these questions not to be inflammatory myself--I fervently hope that any discussion that takes place on this fanpost is of a civil nature and does not degenerate into attacks on each others' politics--but the presence of these ads is really disconcerting to me and RR/SB Nation/whoever can consider this my request that such ads be pulled from the site if at all possible.
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Its been going on for awhile
I believe when SBNation took over the site.
I really don’t mind. I hardly ever notice them. They’re pretty much on any site that has a significant amount of visitors.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
j/k
yes it is annoying, but nothing RR can do, just how the host raises money. honestly, good for them, more money for them equals more features for us.
Ads
The SB Nation network is in charge of ads. As to content, I don’t care. The ads are going to be there whether we like it or not, so I think it’s best to keep our threads completely politics-free as even the most initially enlightened public political debates inevitably devolve to regurtitative defenses of one’s ideology and irrationality. Politics at a base level is mudslinging, and we don’t have to get caught up in it by debating the merits of political advertising on a Royals blog.
True. Blue. Third Place in 2008.
You're just saying that
Because you’re anti-Whig. Why do you hate America? I am telling you, we will rise again and re-establish a National Bank!!!!
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on Jun 24, 2008 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions
We have a National Bank
except in today’s vernacular it’s called a Central Bank
But It's Privately
Owned.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jun 24, 2008 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions
This country is privately owned
I just blew your mind. Peace, love, dope.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by Scott McKinney on Jun 24, 2008 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Now you just blew my mind
Maybe this stuff I’m smoking is too strong.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by Scott McKinney on Jun 24, 2008 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
3.50
Ok, seriously now….
Boy, Bannister is touch to predict. Sometimes he’s great. Sometimes he’s bad. Sometimes he’s mediocre. He’s like a box of chocolates. My preseason prediction for him was 4.25, so I’m tempted to go with that. If I had to bet my salary on a number, I’d probably tick it up to 4.30 or 4.35.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by Scott McKinney on Jun 24, 2008 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions
If I had a vote
I’d prefer there were no political ads on the site. I don’t mind ads in general, but keep it to soap and beer.
I have noticed the ads seem to be right-leaning. Are we being type-cast because Kansas has voted Republican since the Civil war? If we have to have political ads, at least keep it fair and balanced (and not in a Faux News sort of way).
Right ads
I would guess the readership of this blog is mostly white males, a constituency that would tend to lean towards McCain. Although it probably skews pretty young too which would favor Obama.
You can't triple stamp a double stamp
We also tend to like guys with good looking wives
So Nicolas Sarkozy has a shot:
Sometimes you just gotta roll the potato.
by CentralChamps2009 on Jun 25, 2008 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions
John McCain
Would never eat a puppy! That’s inhumane!
John McCain eats kittens.
Sometimes you just gotta roll the potato.
by CentralChamps2009 on Jun 24, 2008 12:29 PM EDT reply actions
I guess I never really understood why people are afraid to talk about politics
Americans seem to be way more passionate about sports than politics. Yet sports is what it is okay to discuss, yet politics becomes taboo.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
I don't think it's a fear
At least not here, anyway.
I think it’s a “get your peanut butter out of my chocolate” sort of thing. There’s a load of sites on the internet devoted to politics through which you can get into a healthy (or unhealthy) debate on the subject.
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but chocolate and peanut butter
are so yummy together!
Marbotty hates peanut butter people :(
"I never really said most of the things I said." - Yogi Berra
by loyal2theroyals on Jun 24, 2008 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
he is a demonstrated hater
The concept of progress acts as a protective mechanism to shield us from the terrors of the future. - Collected sayings of Muad'Dib
Sportsmanship and diversity
There is an underlying understanding of sportsmanship (usually) which allow fans of opposing teams to not really</> hate each other which is missing in politics.
Maybe the much greater diversity in and of sports leagues and teams is responsible for the much greater tolerance for differences in sports vs. politics. I’m sure there are racist Chiefs fans who have cheered for LJ and/or Tony G. and so many others, and I doubt that many (if any) of them would vote for Obama. If someone prefers to watch guys hit a ball with a bat to a bunch of guys tackling or cross-checking each other with crooked sticks over a non-ball, nobody will be hateful or condescending or vandalizing or violent or otherwise categorize him or her as a bad person in return. Nobody would seriously say that Raider Nation is ruining America or that God Hates Twinkies or that the Pale Hose are corrupting our children or that the recent transition to reddish unis by the D-Backs and Astros is a sure sign of Communist resurgence, but those are common (and baseless) political attacks.
Perhaps the most egregious part of the ad
Was that it poses as a “poll” but if you hover your cursor over any part of the ad, it turns into a clicky thing, meaning it doesn’t actually care what you think.
I don’t know where it goes when you click on it, and I’m not going to find out—don’t want the folks paying for the ad thinking this is a good venue for them.
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I don't like these ads one bit because they misinform rather than inform
If there is anyway to remove such ads (for/against Obama or for/against McCain), I would be in favor of it.
Notice that my opposition to these ads is not because I think this website should be a no politics zone. Rather, I think it is important that when anything politically related is presented, that it be done in an informed and fair way. The nature of advertising on websites itself doesn’t allow this, so I am firmly against. Hope RR got some clout.
All ads misinform
Trust me, my penis did NOT grow six inches.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on Jun 24, 2008 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
You have to get the cream, not the gel,
They get a bit more revenue from the cream but the gel is far more effective – at least 3 inches worth anyhow. Not that I’d know from personal experience – just what I’ve heard.
if you use firefox, you can download an add on called
adblock plus. It essentially disables the ads from being shown. Rather nice, if you ask me.
"I never really said most of the things I said." - Yogi Berra
by loyal2theroyals on Jun 24, 2008 12:47 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Regarding ads
OK… here’s the deal
1) Most of the ads on this site are for the whole SB Nation network. I don’t have any say on them, at least not directly, and don’t make any revenue from them. Essentially, they pay the retainer for our tech support guys and server space (over 100 blogs, many of which are pretty big).
2) The ads that are mine are the text-ads on the opposite toolbar. Those are the ones that I make a little $$ from.
3) On the internal SB Nation list there has been a lot of discussion about the Obama ads. Last year, we were slated to run some Hillary ads (pro) that were pulled at the last minute for an un-related reason. Anyway, I know a lot of people don’t like them, but overall, I don’t think its too big a problem. Its an election year, and unfortunately this stuff is going to be inescapable, just about everywhere, for the next 6 months. The ad in question may be pulled, but I doubt it.
4) I do think we should keep RR mostly politics-free. I can’t really see much benefit from people getting into political arguments, and I can see a lot of negatives. I am a pretty politically active guy, but when I come on RR I more or less want to escape seriousness and life or death discussions.
Just remember, everyone needs to vote for me for President.
I’m smart, I’m mildly amusing, and most importantly I could use the $200K a year.
Sarcasm™. It's the new gravy.
i believe its closer to 450k now....
TPJ...you're dead to me
by billybeingbilly on Jun 24, 2008 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions
write in vote it is....
TPJ...you're dead to me
by billybeingbilly on Jun 24, 2008 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm going to buy an ad to run on SB Nation
It’s going to have a photoshopped picture of McCain strangling a beagle puppy. Beneath the picture it will say, “Is it OK for John McCain to squeeze the life out of helpless, innocent puppies? YES NO (Paid for by Americans Against Puppy Killing)
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
so tempted
to photoshop that for you right now.
"I never really said most of the things I said." - Yogi Berra
by loyal2theroyals on Jun 24, 2008 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions
You should
It would be a somewhat difficult photoshopping exercise. It would be particularly good if you could use one where McCain had an extreme facial expression…like angry or gleeful.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by Scott McKinney on Jun 24, 2008 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions
He may squeeze the life out of puppies
But at least he wears a flag lapel pin!
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
I am going to found "Puppy Savers for Truth"
The truth about his attempts at puppy genocide must be told.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by Scott McKinney on Jun 24, 2008 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I was going to use this photo
but it’s too grainy.
"I never really said most of the things I said." - Yogi Berra
by loyal2theroyals on Jun 24, 2008 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions
That would have been perfect
The good news is that there are probably a lot of pictures of McCain like that.
You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by Scott McKinney on Jun 24, 2008 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
so i went with this
Do with it what you will.
"I never really said most of the things I said." - Yogi Berra
by loyal2theroyals on Jun 24, 2008 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Perfect
I would change my ad to: “John McCain thinks puppies should be tortured as often as possible. Do you AGREE DISAGREE (Paid for by Americans to Stop the Senseless Torture of Puppies by Sadists Like John McCain)
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by Scott McKinney on Jun 24, 2008 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions
that's good stuff
it sort of looks like he’s trying to stuff a beagle into his heart
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Stuffing a beagle into his heart
At his age (older than area codes, zip codes, and certain nations), something has to keep his blood pumping. An eager beagle makes perfect sense by fuzzy logic.
He's Just Trying
To look presidential.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jun 25, 2008 12:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Someone has to finally stop the cycle of presidential puppy torture
That’s why I’m voting for Obama.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by Scott McKinney on Jun 25, 2008 1:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Then There's Huckabee's
Son’s record of animal torture.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/78241
“As Mike Huckabee gains in the polls, the former Arkansas governor is finding that his record in office is getting more scrutiny. One issue likely to get attention is his handling of a sensitive family matter: allegations that one of his sons was involved in the hanging of a stray dog at a Boy Scout camp in 1998. “
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jun 25, 2008 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions
those damn puppy hating conservatives
I thought that life was precious?
"I never really said most of the things I said." - Yogi Berra
by loyal2theroyals on Jun 25, 2008 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow
That’s going to wind up on some Democratic site before this election’s over.
Sometimes you just gotta roll the potato.
by CentralChamps2009 on Jun 25, 2008 8:36 AM EDT up reply actions
I can only hope so
15 seconds of internet fame, here I come!
"I never really said most of the things I said." - Yogi Berra
by loyal2theroyals on Jun 25, 2008 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Just curious
I’ve never seen the Obama/Ahmadinejad ad. I get a different one… I’ve also had other sorts of ads that seem specific to my region. Is that the case for others?
OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG
Probably
That’s a common element for internet ads. Different regions get different ads. Anymore thats even common in national magazines.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by Scott McKinney on Jun 24, 2008 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions
In any case,...
...unless SBNation wants to alienate their readers, the least they could do is accept ads in a balanced fashion. Or at least not display them until they have side-by-side ads from each candidate.
If we can’t be free of politics, we can coopt the slogan of the most one-sided TV network ever, FoxNews, by saying: We’re fair and balanced. – TL
SB Nation is going to maximize profit
I’m sure they turn down some really offensive ads, but that’s about it. Mostly these ads just fade into the background anyway. Soon there will be so many political ads everywhere that we will hardly notice them.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by Scott McKinney on Jun 24, 2008 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Not to mention that they hven't seemed to overly influence the readers of this blog
if this thread is any indication.
I certainly would hope that we could all stand to see things we didn’t agree with every once in a while (ouch! My Freakin’ Ears!), especially if it keeps costs down/free for us and the site proprietor.
OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG
by Matt Klaassen on Jun 24, 2008 2:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, but the direct comparison...
...between “Ain’t going to work her any more” (for Office Space fans) and Obama is a “bit” much. – TL
Huh, don't/didn't get that one here, either
OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG
by Matt Klaassen on Jun 24, 2008 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Oops. Flubbed Joke.
Meant to say “Ain’t going to work here anymore.” One of the Bobs says this. – TL
Right
Ha. I was thinking of the “Take this Job and Shove It” remix at the end.
But still didn’t see that corresponding ad here. Oh well.
OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG
by Matt Klaassen on Jun 24, 2008 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions
McCain '08!!!!
I agree that the site shouldn’t be a political forum. We bitch enough about baseball. Politics would just make this a little more depressing. I’m a right-leaning individual and have noticed the ads during game-threads, while reading posts, etc. I’d say the ads are about even, and if we follow these internet ads, we’re not that smart anyway. It’s the internet. I’m just sorta glad they’re not asking me if I need male enhancement.
Never giving up on your team is what makes you a good fan.
by kcisbetterthanstlateverything on Jun 24, 2008 2:33 PM EDT reply actions
+1
hate it when the internets assume I’ve got a penis.
"I never really said most of the things I said." - Yogi Berra
by loyal2theroyals on Jun 24, 2008 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
well, i do
but it assumes i’m ashamed of it. c’mon
Never giving up on your team is what makes you a good fan.
by kcisbetterthanstlateverything on Jun 24, 2008 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Well now
I’m getting nothing but ringtone and IM messaging ads. Bring back old man McCain.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
I Work With
Pilots , most of whom keep Fox News on the TV 24/7, so I’m pretty much immune to right wing politics; I haven’t even noticed the ads.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
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