Not too long ago, Ken Salazar was a Democratic senator from the state of Colorado. Now he is Interior Secretary. He no longer serves in Washington at the pleasure of Colorado voters, he serves at the pleasure of President Barack Obama. So it was a surprise that he was named in radio ads from Americans United for Life.
Now John Salazar (D-CO) is a different story – he is defending his job representing the 3rd District of Colorado in the US House from a spirited challenge from Republican Scott Tipton.
However, AUL named Ken Salazar in radio ads aired in the district – on five occasions within the constraints of a 60-second spot, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The buy from AUL was part of a $600K flight that went into 12 hot congressional districts across the nation.
AUL said the mistake came from the production firm it hired to produce the ads, they were pulled immediately upon discovery of the error, and are being replaced with corrected versions.
RBR-TVBR observation: If radio offers any particular advantage during the heat of a political campaign, it is flexibility. It is very difficult to call back yard signs, pamphlets and other printed material due to error. Television production involves many more steps than simple audio. Radio spots can be created in a hurry, and fixed in a hurry as well.
