Email Fundraising 1, Direct Mail 0

Posted July 8th, 2008 at 2:13 AM in Journalism, Politics, Technology

Talking Points Memo may have singlehandedly taken down GOP direct mail fundraising firm BMW Direct for charging ridiculous fees (perhaps selectively) and — worse — for deceiving clients. The way TPM has reported the story will be a textbook study in online journalism going forward, because their execution — timing, reaction, writing style, etc. — have been pitch perfect.

And no, a direct mail firm isn’t on the same level as Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, but that became too big a story to credit one online news outlet with everything. The BMW Direct story is all TPM’s.

My reaction to the allegations? I’m not shocked.

Perhaps to those who are used to watching politics on a national stage, who haven’t gotten their hands dirty in races that don’t get the media spotlight, consultants ripping off candidates is a new phenomenon. But away from all the attention, it happens all the time.

Uninitiated candidates who try to navigate the terrain of a campaign alone are unbelievably easy marks.

Among other lessons campaigns can learn from the story is this: the more a campaign can use the Internet to cut out vendors and consultants, the better. Email fundraising will put companies like BMW Direct out of business, or it will at least prevent them from inflating production and delivery costs, since those are effectively zero online.

No comments yet