Chamber of Commerce Campaign: Fight Health-Care Reform -- And Win A Trip To Hooters!

[BurtWorm]

:patriot:

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/chamber_of_commerce_campaign_fight_health-care_ref.php


Zachary Roth | December 16, 2009, 8:52AM




How'd you like to fight government-run health-care -- and get a free gift card to Hooters out of it?

Well, now you can! And it's all thanks to the Chamber of Commerce.

Online ads have popped up lately, telling readers that they can win a $150 Amex Gift Card for use at Hooters, if they complete a survey about other offers. One of those urges them to sign up for "free emails" from the Chamber of Commerce, which will explain "how to protect your family's future and bring common sense solutions to the health-care debate." In other words, getting involved with the Chamber's campaign against reform. These "incentivized ads" appear to be the favored new tactic of lobbying groups looking to generate the appearance of grassroots support for their positions.

What's going on here? The ads -- images of which were obtained by TPMmuckraker, and which you can see here -- are a product of the Chamber's campaign to use the web to generate "grassroots" pressure against health-care reform.

The Chamber contracts with a PR firm to handle the campaign, which then sub-contracts with an online marketing firm that handles the process of actually signing people up for the Chamber's campaign, an industry source explained. The Hooters card is the draw. Blinking pop-up ads and web pages offer readers the card in return for entering their names and personal information, and filling out a survey asking if they want to sign up for various offers. In this case, those offers range from agreeing to receive information about getting your college degree online, to signing up for the Chamber's emails. (You can also click 'no' not to sign up for each offer, and still get the Hooters card. But chances are you'll sign up for a few.)

[Winterblues]

1. My heart may not take it and what then??? I have no Health Insurance..

:shrug:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. The absolute saddest thing in the world is that small businesses join their local

Chamber of Commerce without having a clue as to how their interest are being worked against. There is no group that would benefit MORE from healthcare reform than small business. Somehow, a lot of them can't figure that out. They could have a LOT of clout in their local groups if they would just wake up!

[Hello_Kitty]

4. For a while I was a member of NFIB

National Federation of Independent Businesses. I tried like hell to persuade them that they were being used by big corporate interests and that Democrats were far better for small business than Republicans, to no avail.

[Cleita]

3. Why bother? Our Washington Democrats are doing a pretty good job

of that themselves.