Two words: Campaign Inbox
Doomscroll 3.10.2024
Hello and welcome to another edition of Doomscroll, your favorite newsletter covering all things digital on the right! I know the Reed Awards are coming up, so if you’re going to be in Charleston and want to grab coffee, have your people call my people!
One other note before we move on…I too, watched Katie Britt’s SOTU response and cringed my way through it. I have to say, though: as someone who couldn’t make it through her episode of the Ruthless podcast for the EXACT same reasons, I kind of saw this coming. But BUT BUT..I don’t think the SOTU Katie Britt is the real Katie Britt. I have observed her in the wild, interacting with everyday humans and she came across as genuinely nice and…normal. The Katie Britt we saw the other night? That’s an over-rehearsed politician surrounded by a team that doesn’t have the guts to tell her to calm the eff down on camera. #Sorrynotsorry. Her comms staff deserves a bit of a shellacking, IMO - for not coaching her properly (unless they tried and she didn’t listen) and for making the godawful decision to put her in a kitchen. The optics. FFS.
One Question
Thanks to everyone who answered last week’s One Question about who should replace Mitch McConnell as leader of the Senate Republicans. Coming in with 40% of the vote and leading the pack…is South Dakota Senator John Thune. Congratulations, Senator! You have some fans amongst the Doomscroll crowd! Second place, with 20% of the vote, goes to Florida Sen. Rick Scott. Interesting, interesting. I see you, NRSC alum! :) Ted Cruz and Rand Paul both got mentions - as did Steve Garvey (lmao).
Ok I can’t stop thinking about Britt’s SOTU response. And even though this will make three weeks in a row of a non-digital One Question…whatevs. This week’s One Question is this: How did Britt do overall? What was your takeaway? Is she still a rising star or does the SOTU curse live on? Ugh I hate to even be asking, but I’m gonna!
Who’s Doing What
—Haley bows out
I couldn’t let this week go by without saying some nice things about Nikki Haley’s digital operation. Whatever you think about her or her candidacy, the campaign’s online presence was, for the most part, absolutely top-notch. It just was. From the fundraising, to the merch, to the socials, to the website - all of it was excellent. Hiccups were few and far between. One of these days, I’d love to do a deep dive into all things Haley digital, but for now let me say this: she absolutely provided a new blueprint for how to do digital right - and do it at scale. Her team charted a new approach to online fundraising and by all accounts, it worked. She had great social content without appearing to chase views just for the sake of going viral. Her branding was tight and consistent. Her team capitalized on key campaign moments to deploy new merch, and even though I probably got more p2p texts from her than from any other campaign (by far) - I can’t even fault them too much for that. You gotta do what you gotta do, right?
So this week I’m inserting another bonus question into the mix. Overall, what did YOU think of Nikki Haley’s digital operation? I’m sure there’s things I’m missing. I know there were some mistakes here and there… No operation is flawless, but I say they’ve earned a salute and a high-five for a job well done!
—BADenomics
Americans for Prosperity bought Bidenomics.com and it’s so..brilliant in its simplicity. Kudos to whoever on the AFP digital team spearheaded this and like, thought to even check and see if the domain was available. The microsite is really so, so good - check it out for yourself. The effort also includes a nice “ad blitz,” according to The Hill - which launched just in time for the president’s State of the Union. All in all? Nicely played, AFP! Consider this your semi-regular reminder to check and see if your opponents’ names are available!
—All in on Mark Robinson
In case anyone was wondering whether the Republican Governors Association would back Mark Robinson should he become the GOP gubernatorial nominee after Super Tuesday…wonder no more. The cavalry indeed, is coming, and they’ve got their work cut out for them! But something tells me RGA leadership knows this…Why? This anti-Josh Stein microsite, which was rolled out ASAP on Tuesday (I think?), provides a good clue! You all know me and my love of microsites! This is a pretty good one, and I’m not just saying that because I’m biased towards the RGA. It might be a little text-heavy for my tastes, but whatevs. North Carolinians have a history of electing Democratic governors who campaign on being moderates and then govern like the total snowflake progressives they really were the whole time (cough cough Roy Cooper).
2024 Roundup
This is where I make note of a few other things that caught my eye this week.
Nikki Haley suspended her campaign for president.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema announced she will not be seeking reelection. Watch her video here
Wisconsin senate candidate Eric Hovde released an ad featuring a bobblehead version of Tammy Baldwin and Joe Biden. Watch the ad here and see the accompanying microsite here.
In Michigan, Senate candidate Sandy Pensler is up with a new ad as well, hitting the government for giving “cash cards” to illegal immigrants. Watch it here
Things are also getting spicy in Ohio, where the Matt Dolan-supporting Buckeye Leadership Fund is out with a new ad hitting Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno for not being real conservatives. Watch it here.
In Indiana, gubernatorial candidate Suzanne Crouch is out with an ad about illegal immigration and fentanyl. See it here.
Dean Phillips ended his primary challenge to Joe Biden, and…immediately fell in line. Read about it here.
Who’s Spending Where
From February 28 - March 5, the top conservative spender on Facebook was PragerU at $147,860. Second places goes to a new one - World Jewish Congress American Section Inc, which spent $108,000 on an ad about why comparing Israelis to Nazis is wrong (duh). In third place is Americans for Prosperity at $106,000. Rounding out the top five are the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism ($106,000) and AIPAC at $72,000.
During that same time period, Defending Democracy Together was the top spender on Google ads, at $299,000. AFC Victory Fund spent $169,000, and SFA Inc. spent $106,000. Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee spent about $63,000, while Secure our Border Now rounds at the top five with $59,000 in ad spend.
P2P
Industry Watch
Rant time. I’ve gone on the record multiple times here in Doomscroll and elsewhere about my dislike of TikTok - and why I tell GOP candidates not to get on the app. So naturally this week’s lobbying push by the company to have users call their members of Congress had my blood boiling. It did. And it takes a lot to get me riled up these days. (Read more about this latest legislative effort here).
And I know this part is getting a little off topic, but indulge me here. The things these teenage callers were reportedly saying to Congressional staffers is…scary, alarming, concerning…all the things. And I know a bunch of us here have some nice, awesome libertarian leanings and I’m happy for all of us about that. But sometimes the government needs to PROTECT SOME PEOPLE, KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING?
On top of all of that, how deranged is it for a Chinese company to rope social-media-addicted American teenagers into handing over MORE personal information so they can then call their members of Congress? Ew.
I understand this is a cultural problem that runs deep and legislation isn’t necessarily going to make it ALL ok. I get that, and I understand where Vivek is coming from here. But I’m also kind of over opposing good legislation just because it’s not perfect enough. Also, I’m getting pretty tired of Republicans saying we’re losing at the ballot box because we’re not talking to the youths on TikTok. Trust me: we’re not losing because we’re not on TikTok.
Before, it was easy for me to say “I don’t like TikTok, but I also don’t like government bans and I understand why some Republicans want to use it.” After this week, I’m really not so sure anymore. If you’re posting content on TikTok you’re feeding a beast that needs to die.
And that is my personal opinion.
The Grapevine
Raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimized by Parks Bennett and Campaign Inbox.
Folks, this is wild. And while the rumor mill has been swirling for a while now, I’m finally able, in good conscience, to talk about Campaign Inbox here in Doomscroll and throw its founder under the proverbial bus. I don’t feel bad about calling out bad actors in the space, and in the words of Dave Wasserman: I’ve seen enough. Dude needs a come to Jesus moment. Or at least to pay up.
For those who don’t know, Campaign Inbox - founded by Bennett - was the digital fundraising/email vendor for the Trump Campaign…until the campaign abruptly cut ties with him in January. I say “abruptly,” but apparently the relationship had been slow-moving train wreck for a while. There’s talk that Bennett was over-invoicing the campaign (woof)…but the real issue is that Bennett had worked out an 80-20 split with Team Trump but was then turning around and selling Trump creative at a 30% mark-up. In other words: he’d shop it around to other email brokers but with a split of like, 50-50…without telling the campaign. And at the end of the day, he’d pocket the difference. On top of all THAT, he wasn’t paying out to the brokers. From what I’ve heard, Parks Bennett owes several brokers hundreds of thousands of dollars. We’re talking TAG Strategies, Targeted Victory, Frontline and more. And now? Now he’s just cut and run. Campaign Inbox, though its website is still online, has fully shut down. Bennett isn’t returning brokers’ calls. He’s not paying up. He’s just…disappeared. He made his money from his deal with the Trump Campaign and that’s good enough for him, apparently. Word on the street is he’s decided to leave politics (which makes sense because zero people will work with him after this) and the brokers are just SOL. The rest of Campaign Inbox’s clients were shuttled off to a new firm started by a few of Bennett’s former employees. For all our sakes, I hope they have more integrity than their old boss.
I don’t have to tell any of you how gross this is. If I’m getting my facts right - and I’m pretty sure I am - than that would make Bennett about as sleazy as they come. I don’t fault anyone for wanting to make money, but these kinds of dishonest business practices not only hurt the cause - they give vendors and consultants a bad name. And many of us are just trying to do our best to help candidates win elections and make an honest living.
If you have a Campaign Inbox story you’d like to share - or if you know more about the situation and want to spill the tea - email me.
Got a tip for The Grapevine? Job announcement? Job opening? Email ‘em to me at itsthedoomscroll@gmail.com
Last But Not Least
From the other side of the aisle:
That California Senate primary race was kinda nasty, wasn't it? Whenever I hear about tactics like what the Schiff campaign did to boost Steve Garvey, my immediate reaction is “yuck.” But…if it works?? Le sigh. According to Politico’s Weekly Score, the Schiff campaign spent “tens of millions of dollars to get a Republican into the general election. Schiff poured in a mammoth $32 million on advertising alone, according to ad tracker AdImpact, including spots that sought to boost Republican Steve Garvey to avoid facing fellow Democratic Rep. Katie Porter in the general election.”
Schiff spent a boatload on advertising to buy his way to the general election. The Garvey stuff was through an entity called Standing Strong PAC, and on Facebook at least, the ads were run on a page called MAGA Steve Garvey. Soooo clever. ::insert eye roll::
P.S. Also, why do candidates refer to themselves in the third person? I cringe every time I see this. H/t to the loyal reader who flagged!
From the other side of the tracks:
This isn’t necessarily the kinda thing I usually put here…but what the hey. Let’s end on a light note! Please enjoy this masterpiece, made by an old friend of mine who was at CNN at the time: the SOTU as a Wes Anderson film.
That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading! Did you like it? Consider forwarding to your friends!