How Candidates Share Without Coordinating With Outside Groups | Rothenblog

With each passing election cycle, both parties are figuring out new ways to skirt campaign finance laws.

A couple years ago, I wrote about how the official and independent expenditure wings of the campaign committees share opposition research and message points through less-traveled regions of the Web. That “IE Strategy Borders on Art Form” might be worth a second glance as the cycle heats up.

Some candidates are also conveniently sharing video footage for potential use by independent groups for television ads through links that are sometimes difficult to find unless you know where to look.

For example, Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley is running for the open Senate seat in Iowa. BruceBraley.com/video includes a trio of b-roll videos, but the webpage is found only by a small link at the bottom of the main page.

Need video of Braley talking with old people? No problem. There’s “Bruce Braley Stands With Iowa Seniors” — one minute and 23 seconds of gripping b-roll of the congressman with senior citizens layered with smooth elevator music, unencumbered by audio of Braley or a narrator actually talking.

According to one opposition researcher, outside groups usually don’t need the footage of the candidate because they are usually busy attacking the opponent. But this cycle, some Democrats might need help boosting their positive ratings, and quality footage of the candidate is harder to come by without the ability to coordinate.

Braley isn’t the only candidate making his b-roll conveniently available.

In North Carolina, b-roll of Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan can be found on her campaign site using a similar URL pattern: KayHagan.com/video.

Two minutes of b-roll footage and music that might remind you of your last filling are available for download, including the senator casually leaning on the back of an old Ford truck talking to two dudes.

According to a couple of partisan strategists, these videos are a natural step in the proliferation of outside groups and outside spending. Senate contests are increasingly saturated with negative ads, so the only alternative is to begin airing positive spots as well.

“Doing positive ads isn’t as easy,” according to one GOP operative, who explained that negative ads can be done with still shots but effective positive ads require “some nice imagery.” That often isn’t available without the ability to coordinate with the candidate or found by scouring the Internet, unless the candidate makes it publicly and strategically available.

Thus far, it appears that Republicans haven’t adopted a similar strategy.

Of course, video sharing isn’t the only instance of candidates and campaign committees sharing with outside groups and independent expenditure units.