Rush Limbaugh called Sandra Fluke a “slut.” He later apologized sincerely.
Ed Schultz called Laura Ingraham a “slut.” He never apologized* for that, sincerely or otherwise.
Carbonite has severed its advertising relationship with Rush. It continues advertising on Schultz’s show.
Rush Limbaugh audience: About 15 to 20 million, on hundreds of radio stations at all times of the day.
Ed Schultz audience: Nearly too tiny to measure, on one cable channel and a few dozen (maybe) radio stations.
On the basis of business alone, Carbonite has made a terrible decision. I know I’ll never use their product now, and the same is probably true for a large number of Rush’s audience once they hear of the Democrat-owned business’ double standard. If there’s a neutral or conservative-owned online computer backup provider out there, they’ll starting getting some new business that Carbonite is destined to lose.
Unless, I guess, Carbonite suddenly picks up some new government contracts…
*Update: I was wrong about Schultz. He apologized to Laura Ingraham after he called her the same thing Rush called Fluke. Carbonite stuck with Schultz. So the double standard is there, and I’ve asked them about it.
Actually, Ed Schultz did apologize. But your point stands.
If you’d like to get in touch with Carbonite and tell them what a foolish decision they’re making….
http://www.carbonite.com/en/about/contact-us
Looking at the finanicial profile, the company is 60% owned by insiders. I doubt they are going to care. People should make their irritation known, but the important thing is not to support them financially.
Quite right. The insiders will walk away from the bankruptcy with golden parachutes and the other stockholders will be left holding the bag for the board’s political machinations. Note that their CEO is on several other boards, so that he will not be destitute after running the company into the ground.
This is similar to what the Sulzbergers have done to the holders of non-voting shares in the NYT – which is every stockholder but them.
What is needed is a central list of companies who support leftist causes and to what extent. Then people could make an informed decision as to whom to patronize.
I’ve been quite happy with Mozy, though I don’t know what their advertising policies are.
I decided to vote with my wallet. AFAIK I can’t cancel my carbonite subscription, they’ve got my money for the year. But I’ve canceled the auto-renew. And I’ll tell my wife and good friend, who I set up with carbonite to do the same.
You can sure try.
Now if we conservatives only go after Bill Maher’s advertisers and then the rest of the liberal supporters (there is a certain national charitable organization that many people donate to through payroll deduction that will never get another dime from me because of the way some of their chapters treated the Boy Scouts).
Schultz did apologize and was given a week’s suspension. I don’t think President Obama ever called Laura to see if she was okay, though.
From AP
“The six other advertisers that say they have pulled ads from his show are mortgage lender Quicken Loans, mattress retailers Sleep Train and Sleep Number, software maker Citrix Systems Inc., online data backup service provider Carbonite and online legal document services company LegalZoom.”
And ProFlowers.
I think its Reheil(sp) world view shows the head of Carbonite is a contributer to moveon.org
I’ll try to keep tabs on the other sponsors who ditched Rush. It blows my mind that this political whore, set up and honored so by democrat Congressmen, gets to testify before Congress on behalf of distracting the country from the economic woes they cause, and Rush has to apologize for merely calling her what she is. It’s about diversion, subverting rights for political gain, theft of public funds for redistribution, and at least other shenanigans that insult the intelligence of everyone. Where is our apology from Pelosi, Obama and this political hack for trying to con the American public?
This might be difficult. These sound like standard talk-radio advertisers, and we wouldn’t want them to abandon the smaller conservative talk stations. But it would be nice to post their names and alternative companies – give them free advertising.
And if she did indeed claim in interviews (unlike her testimony) to include herself, then she is a – um, what Rush said. Otherwise, she is just defending promiscuity (like that’s better).
I don’t know if anyone remembers, but there has a whole tempest stirred up over an attempt to include Lavitra et. al. in Medicare Part D. It was taken out.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’d rather fund the ability of elderly married couples to maintain physical initimacy than pay to help college children rut around.
While I’m not particularly in favor of tax money going to drugs like Viagra, there is a fundamental difference:
Erectile dysfunction is a medical condition. It can be due to diabetis, long-term effects of smoking or from other causes. The medication is intended to temporarily restore normal function.
Birth control pills are normally prescribed to prevent normal function. There are exceptions, of course. Some women are prescribed birth control pills to help with menstral problems. That’s a completely different matter and should, IMO, be covered by insurance.
I say good for the advertisers! People who never listened to Rush and never bought anything from the advertisers stage a “boycott” and some long-time advertisers run for the hills. Well, they had no business advertising on Rush’s show if they were such cowards.
The silent boycott that Carbonite, and the others, will face presents a tremendous opportunity for other companies:
Carbonite leaves and Mozy or Barracuda back Rush up.
Sleep Number leaves and Tempur-Pedic slips under the covers.
ProFlowers prunes the ads, 1800Flowers or FTD replants them.
If I were Rush I’d mention which advertisers left and let the silent boycott begin. But that’s me, Rush is probably a lot nicer than I am.
I’ve been thinking for years that we should not send money to lefty leaning companies – or any other company that climbs into bed with the lefties.
Example: Ruger climbed in with Bill Clinton, and I believe it was even Bill Ruger himself that suggested a 10 round limit on firearm magazines, a concept eventually enshrined into law under the despicable “Assault Weapons Ban” passed in 1994 and sunsetted in 2004.
I know Bill Ruger is dead and gone and that policy was apparently reversed – but I still won’t buy their products.
I’ll do the same towards these advertisers as I’ve a long memory and more than a streak of spitefulness…..
David Friend… I thought that name rang a bell… For the music lovers here, here’s a tidbit for you. Carbonite’s CEO, David Friend, is the same David Friend who drove ARP Instruments into bankruptcy in the late 1970s. He was able to do this after he manipulated the board of directors into firing Al Pearlman, the company’s brilliant founder.
Now I have two reasons to loathe David Friend.
This morning, when I got back to my home computer, I cancelled my credit card information thus not renewing my Carbonite suscription. I also called their toll-free customer support number and politely explained why. I did the same on the customer support e-mail survey that followed shortly thereafter.
Perhaps losing actual revenue rather than the prospect of alienating potential customers will make some small impression.
Just sent my note to Carbontite letting them know that my current and future customers will always receive a high negative recommendation from me.
The reason given, is that when a company makes politics part of their business model. You data can never be safe with such an organization.
Keep Rush out of it, he’s just a sideshow in the greater issue.