Why are ads against Democratic candidates on DU?

[Neurotica]

Please forgive me if this has been asked and answered before, but I am puzzled to see ads against Creigh Deeds -- Virginia Democratic candidate for governor -- all over my DU page.

These ads are paid for by Virginia Common Sense -- the PAC for the Republican Governors Association.

Next week's election is not looking good here -- we may end up with Republicans in all 3 top state slots and two of them, Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli, are right-wing extremists. The WaPo even quoted Cuccinelli in a long article last week saying that he wanted to remake the role of attorney general -- in other words, to focus on all his pet right-wing projects. Local elections are looking iffy too.

Seeing these ads just contributes to the overall worrisome atmosphere.

[Ian David]

1. Click on them and cost the assholes money. n/t

[Akoto]

2. The ads are not controlled by the DU administrators.

They are automated. The script scans the page for certain keywords, and then displays ads which seem relevant to the ones it finds. Sometimes, said ads are contradictory to the spirit of the site.

[Neurotica]

3. Thanks for the explanation

Maybe somehow it also can see that my IP address is in Virginia.

[Ms. Toad]

4. DU doesn't control the ads the first time they appear.

Once notified that an ad that shouldn't be here, DU can block it. Have you notified the admins of the ad?

[Neurotica]

5. No -- I didn't know -- I'll do that right away

[Luminous Animal]

15. I once got an ad blocked by notifying the admins.

It is a common misconception that the admins are helpless when it comes to the contents of the advertising on this board. It is true that they buy in "bulk" but they can discriminate once made aware of the situation.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. And if you can afford it...

Buying a donor star allows you to block the ads...

I believe it's a $10 minimum..

And it's good for a year!

:hi:

[mullard12ax7]

8. Buy their way out it, that's the answer.

More money changing hands is what's needed. LOL.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

16. Hey, I didn't make the rules...

:shrug:

[clear eye]

13. I'm broke so I got mine for $5, but I kick in again every quarter

for a total of $20/yr. To be fair, I opt out of getting the bumpersticker. It's more than I can technically afford, but DU's worth it.

[mullard12ax7]

7. Money is more important than morals, advertising trumps ideals

We live in a propaganda world, the money IS the message. Money is so important it easily overrules something as obvious as an anti-democratic slur ad appearing on a democratic site. Money rules and it buys whatever message it wants, anywhere in propaganda-land.

[emulatorloo]

9. I am glad to see them waste their $$$ here. Plus it gives the Trolls something to look at while

they wait to get tombstoned.

[izquierdista]

10. Republicans wasting money

And here you thought they had to be elected to spend money foolishly.

[elocs]

11. Yes, it has been asked many times however everyone is entitled to ask within their first 300 posts,

so it's OK.

[Statistical]

12. Click on them.

DU doesn't contract for ads. They use google ad sense.

Ad sense matched keywords on DU with targets set by the advertiser.

It costs them everytime someone clicks. Click on it = less money for truly undecided voters.

Also if it bothers you notify the mods they can "blacklist" an ad.

[Neurotica]

14. Just clicked dozens of times -- will be going back for more later!