Tuesday, July 17, 2007
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Et tu, Jetblue?
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Posted by:
Dean Barnett at
9:50 AM
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JetBlue, thou hath betrayed me!
In case you haven’t heard yet, JetBlue has signed on to sponsor the YearlyKos convention. Since everyone here is probably familiar with the curriculum vitae of the Daily Kos, I won’t bore you with the site’s history of posting essays pining for the death of Dick Cheney, rejoicing in Tony Snow’s cancer recurrence or praying for the speedy extirpation of Israel.
I guess there’s a chance that the people at JetBlue who signed off on this deal had no idea regarding who or what the Daily Kos is. They may have thought it would be a really cool and cutting edge thing to do to make inroads into those super-hip weblog thingies. Ironically, in the clip above, you’ll see JetBlue’s president CEO insisting that his company is apolitical.
That makes the decision to sponsor the YearlyKos officially a spectacularly stupid one. The Daily Kos is not only political, but a political lightning rod. It doesn’t get more political than the Daily Kos. The fact that someone at JetBlue thought it was a good idea to hitch their wagon to Markos’ star is truly stupefying. Because of its - cough-cough - free-wheeling open-posting policies, the Daily Kos can’t hope to achieve the respectability of publications like The American Prospect or The Weekly Standard. And I would even wager that those publications have trouble selling ads because some businesses are understandably wary of associating themselves with partisan publications.
STOP ME IF I’VE TOLD you this one before: When I was running for State Rep. in 1992, I asked my barber to put one of my campaign signs in his window. I figured it would be no problem. The man had literally been cutting my hair my whole life. My family still has the footage of him giving me my first haircut which, I’m sad to say, I didn’t take like a man. And yet he wouldn’t put my sign in his window. He explained to me that it could offend some paying customers, and he couldn’t do that.
The owner of the sandwich shop I frequented was an easier mark. He had only opened up a year ago, and was new to the world of retail. He happily put one of my signs in his front window and wished me good luck. The sign didn’t make it through the afternoon. After a couple of customers complained, he took it down. I understood – business is business.
The amazing thing about the JetBlue/YearlyKos thing is that people doing the advertising for JetBlue could be so ignorant regarding either the blogosphere or the nature of business. As far as business is concerned, you don’t attach yourself to an entity that not just alienates but also offends and angers half of your potential customer base.
Of course, there is the chance that the people at JetBlue had no understanding of who or what the Daily Kos is before Bill O’Reilly gave them a crash course last night. If that’s the case, JetBlue’s new management team is off to a truly pathetic start.
Compliments? Complaints? Contact me at Soxblog@aol.com.
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I saw it on Fox lastnight. (Nice)
I won't be flying with them. Take my cash somewhere else. |
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"The amazing thing about the JetBlue/YearlyKos thing is that people doing the advertising for JetBlue could be so ignorant regarding either the blogosphere or the nature of business. As far as business is concerned, you don’t attach yourself to an entity that not just alienates but also offends and angers half of your potential customer base."
Or maybe the people doing the advertising know exactly what the YearlyKos is all about but the execs who signed off on the sponsorship don't. |
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...to discuss it with the board. If they persist and don't correct themselves, then they will have to say goodbye to my business. They have a chance to save face if they can rectify the situation soon. |
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"Our customers are smart..."
One would similarly presume the folks running JetBlue are smart as well. There is no doubt about this fact. Perhaps they need a burst of free publicity, such as that which is now being afforded them by all of this news "swirl".
When one steps back and considers that JetBlue has had a very rocky previous 12 month period where customers have been more than dissatisfied with exceptionally long delays----and worse, being held captive in planes on New York tarmac for hours, it is not easy to overcome.
The founder and CEO was ousted.....OUCH!
One might consider this as a shrewd strategy to get some much needed attention/publicity. And who better to irritate---the compassionate conservatives, or the Left? Who's more forgiving? Once it blows over, who is mor apt to forgive and forget?
You be the judge. |
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What amazes me about this story is that the CEO is a good friend of Glenn Beck. They even go to the same church.
Stupid move, JetBlue. |
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Great Job Bill O'Reily! O'Reilyly has taken over the ambush journalism niche formerly occupied by "60 Minutes" and Mike Wallace. My notin is that the adults at Jet Blue need to be all over this and CEo will be humb pie very soon. |
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I have a little sympathy for the guy getting caught in an ambush interview, and yet... I have little sympathy for a CEO who doesn't know what he's getting into (or has been got into, whichever). Really disappointing. It will be even more disappointing if his first act at work that day wasn't to begin the firings of everyone involved in letting him get ambushed like that.
My wife really prefers JetBlue for going to see the folks. Don't know what good it will do, but I'm writing them now. |
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Jane:
David Neeleman, founder and FORMER CEO of Jet Blue who attends Glenn Beck's church and is a personal friend of his was ousted by the board recently. They felt he botched it by apologizing to the public for Jet Blue's screw ups earlier with extended delays (yeah, taking responsibility in modern times is not well received). Now the new CEO makes this blunder. Neeleman wouldn't have. He is too smart. Jet Blue's biggest mistake wasn't this, but rather letting Neeleman go!
I'll still fly with them for another couple weeks and give them a chance to change, but I am learly... |
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__Funny how it's all connected while denied. |
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# 1. Jetblue was in part founded and is still part owned by the biggest America-hater on the planet, George Soros.
# 2. Naturally because it was financed by Soros, Jetblue NEVER uses Boeing planes, instead using Euro Airbus planes exclusively. That alone is enough reason for me never to use Jetblue.
# 3. We haven't even mentioned Jetblue's propensity to leave passengers parked on the tarmac for hours at a time more than any other airline, and screw up their passengers at will.
# 4. Only few months back, a jetblue employee went out there and sold credit card details of Jetblue costumers to credit card fraud vermin so they could steal their money.
This Jetblue sponsoring of the startk raving lunatics at Daily Kos is merely the latest outrage in a very long list of Jetblue outrages.
It's easy. Just say NO to Jetblue. |
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JetBlue should change their name to JetBlueState.
Or how about, BushIsHitler.
"Fly BushIsHitler ! Fly the friendly skies !" |
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throw out a statement and hope it sticks? where are your facts and where did you get your facts?
the fact of the matter is: the JetBlue CEO was given a week to address this with the factor, they then went to go get the interview. this shows a lack of credibility? where how explain?
this is just bad business. you do not align your business with a hate speech entity. yeah, the DailyKos is a hate filled speech blog. and the response from the CEO, yeah, that's a guy i would want running a business i was a shareholder of, yeap. wise financial choice.
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"serious credibility and ratings problems"
No where near as much credibility problems as Jeblue is having right now. |
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Briggsy
"serious credibility and ratings problems"
Paraphrase ing Steve R:
No where near as much credibility problems as Keith O has always had. |
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Neither jetBlue Founder David Needleman nor large share holder Soros seem to have confidence in JetBlue right now.
http://www.newsmax.com/money/archives/st/2007/6/5/90820.cfm
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Tuesday, June 5, 2007 9:06 a.m. EDT
NEW YORK -- Billionaire investor George Soros and David Neeleman, two men who helped launch No. 8 U.S. airline JetBlue Airways Corp. , are selling portions of their holdings in the company, according to regulatory filings.
Soros stake (is) down to about 10.8 percent.
Neeleman, the ousted CEO sold almost one-quarter of his holdings in the company. |
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Check with Dave Kopel about the credibility, fairness, and morality of the O'Reilly program
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/opinion_columnists/article/0,2777,DRMN_23972_5628743,00.html
I'm sure a lot of you-all may not be familiar with Mr. Kopel, but he is a much more credible conservative voice than loufa-breath O'Reilly. Really a sad day when this, or any, website starts referring to that sad excuse for a journalistic enterprise, run by one of the biggest hypocrites in broadcasting.
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"As far as business is concerned, you don’t attach yourself to an entity that not just alienates but also offends and angers half of your potential customer base."
You're kidding, right? Conservatives don't make up half of JetBlue's customers! They don't even have First Class! They could show "Sicko" on their flights and no one would complain. |
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golly this is a fun comparison ... i will use the comment section of townhall to compare with the offical spokespeople of dkos. cant wait to see how this one comes out! oreilly's faux swift boating of dkos should be expected and he certainly wont be the last dullard from the goose stepping right to make an attack before the next election. after all, even the right wing is smart enough to recognize the growing influence of dkos on the democratic party and how they helped in creating a democratic majority during the last election cycle. yes, the right win will attack but to do so in such a manner speaks more about the paucity of right wing thinking then anything else. bring on a reasoned debate or stay home and pout.
finally, i find it incredible that a butt sniffing, telephonic sexual offender is the one leading this attack. what is even more incredible, the right wing seems grateful for this person's actions ... and rush to defend any criticism of him. similar to the slavish attitude they give other hate mongers ... like beck, limbaugh and coulter. god, you people need to develop some taste before trying to tell the rest of america how to live. oops, did i digress in to hate talk ... LMAO ... see you in the next political war in 08. in the words of that great loser in chief ... bring it on.
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"I won’t bore you with the site’s history of posting essays pining for the death of Dick Cheney, rejoicing in Tony Snow’s cancer recurrence or praying for the speedy extirpation of Israel."
The "site" posted that stuff? Here I was thinking that all those diaries were written by human beings. Kos must have some pretty advanced software at his disposal. Does the NSA know about this? |
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Did you ever consider that maybe it jsut wasn't the political signs, per se, in your barbershop and deli? |
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Keith writes: "Read Dave Kopel about the credibility, fairness..."
Guess you must have missed this part:
"Some of the Newshounds write-ups on other Fox topics strike me as too conspiracy-minded or Manichean. I agree with Newshounds that Fox is slanted to the right, but to a lesser degree than CBS, ABC and NBC slant left, as detailed in a 2005 Quarterly Journal of Economics study."
O'Reilly's comments were spot on and the the amush interview but a 20-something reporter speaks for itself ( or Res Ipsa Loquitur as Dean might say.) |
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bama writes: abusive stuff and does not capitalize anything.
Pull the welcome mat out on this Kos kid. |
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Um why do you people insist on getting "news" from a man who sexually harrasses his fellow subordinate employees?
Tell yourself whatever lies you have to in order to be comfortable in your own skin and so that you can sleep at night. Please though don't try and convince us all that up is down, black is white, and that you people rely on you intelligence as opposed to your fear to get you through each day.
Conservitism is dead. Like god! |
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A JetBlue employee I spoke to said the company had decided to sponsor YearlyKos not because they supported their political views, but because they wanted people attending the convention to fly there on JetBlue.....!!!
Can these people POSSIBLY be this stupid--or this DESPERATE for passengers??? |
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The mindless Kos robots are roaming TH just like in Night of the Living Dead.
....and me without my shotgun..... |
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Let's be fair, SteveR. While I too am outraged by the YearlyKos sponsorship, there is no need to go overboard:
1. ALL JetBlue flights have DirecTV, which features FOX NEWS CHANNEL and, while it does carry Headline News, DOES NOT have CNN. (Do we really think, if Soros was anything other than a passive investor, he would permit customers to watch O'Reilly?)
2. While it is true that JetBlue flies no Boeings, one can plausibly argue that some Airbus planes have more American parts than similar Boeing models. (By the way, have you ever flown the A320 or the Brazilian-made Embraer jets that JetBlue puts in the air? Clearly, they are superior aircraft!)
3. The Valentine's Day disaster notwithstanding, JetBlue still runs circles around the competition. That could help explain why the airline continues to rate highest in customer service.
However, I will certainly reconsider my allegiance should the airline sponsor any more of these events.
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"Can these people POSSIBLY be this stupid--or this DESPERATE for passengers??? "
I understand your meaning and I don't disagree with you. I'm with Bill O'Reilly on this issue. I would, however, ask you to consider that it is possible to get mechanical about your job. If your job is marketing JetBlue, you are going to go and advertise where you can get business. There are market opportunities that present themselves. If you are an airline, you are advertising to a broad, broad range of people and you may not have the time to keep complete tabs on the content the many companies you advertise with. You could miss it. Now you might say, how could you possibly miss the DailyKos? I don't know, but it is fair to let them work through their board first. Now that they have and will continue to get heat for this, let us see what they end up doing over the next few weeks. You may find them doing a 180. In that case, I send high fives to all. If not, then they will loose business from me, from you, and hopefully many others. |
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I can never figure out why any business would have anything to do with the far left. A lot of those folks are just about communists. Or at least business,,,, or I should say big business bashers. The far left interests have almost nothing in common with business.
Although I have noticed a nasty lefty streak in big business lately. I don't know if thats because of the computer business or the lefty slant of the education people get from todays universities. No matter its not good for us new or small business folks. |
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Can't bill oreilly send out someone on these ambush jobs who is old enough that their voice has already changed?
Already love JetBlue, but now I'll use this news as a "tie-breaker" to choose them when I have two comparable airfare prices. |
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Businesses court what ignorant fox news viewers refer to as "the far left" because we're better-educated, earn more, and thus have more disposable income than you people. Its not really rocket science.
Well, I suppose it might as well be rocket science for you folks! ;) |
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So Yes, JetBlue can sponsor anyone they want. And I, (until the FAA says I can't) may choose to fly ANY AIRLINE I WISH TO FLY and to also to be a loyal supporter ("TrueBlue" member since '03) - so as far as MY rights go, they include the right to take my business elsewhere...Please tell Mr. David Barger that I am absolutely furious that JetBlue has the gall to sponsor the likes of the web site "DailyKos" and their ilk – it’s is not only stupid, it's against their corporate "positioning".
I thought (as a frequent Florida/JFK passenger) that JetBlue was an APOLITICAL, kind, tongue-in-cheek, irreverent, fun, and lets-not-take-ourselves-too seriously airline (UNLIKE THEIR COMPETITORS). Now they have not only chosen to sponsor a very political website...but one that is FAR LEFT and almost so hateful, and vile to any intelligent internet user that I can't imagine ANYONE sponsoring their gutter sewage diatribes.
So now I am seriously re-thinking being a JetBlue frequent "True Blue" flyer. At least "US Scaire" isn't stupid enough to sponsor such a bunch of Far Left Wing sanctimonious sewer rats. Bye-by and thank you for NOT flying JetBlue....
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While it is true that JetBlue flies no Boeings, one can plausibly argue that some Airbus planes have more American parts than similar Boeing
______________________________________________
Up until the newest Boeing plane 787.
Most of their birds use American parts, Most if not all Air BUST come from the EU. |
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beeshie:
i was abusive in my remarks? gosh i thought i did an excellent job of self editing; well i guess i will have try harder next time to please you.
oh and btw ... calling me a kos kid while it may be complimentary it would not be exactly accurate. i read way to many blogs on various sides of the political spectrums for this to be true. just call me an american kid which is very very accurate. |
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From Long Beach to New York.
I've just asked them to cancel my True Blue frequent fliers membership. I won't be flying them again. |
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O'Reilly avg viewers 2,700,000
Keith (what's his name) 700,000
Enough said.
Will not fly Jet Blue again. That web site is what is wrong with this country. Hatred.
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As if the geriatric shut-ins that make up oreilly's audience ever travel by plane! |
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I hardly think O'Reilly's audience are geriatric shut-ins. But I am sure it makes you feel better to think so. Everyone I know watches it (and would not miss it) We are all in our 30's and fly all the time. |
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Thanks for asking. I'll find some more stats but, meanwhile, start with engines: Boeing utilizes Rolls-Royce while Airbus uses GE. Additionally, I know that Honeywell and Goodrich are major Airbus suppliers. As for the 787 Dreamliner, it should come as no surprise that ANA is the no. 1 purchaser of the aircraft. That plane has got "Made in Japan" signs emblazoned on many of its parts.
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soothsayer writes:
"Businesses court what ignorant fox news viewers refer to as the far left because we're better-educated, earn more, and thus have more disposable income than you people. Its not really rocket science."
You're saying that JetBlue is catering to the obnoxious twits of the Left? I think that's fine. You all deserve your own airline. No really.
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Perhaps - but how many nascar races are there in a season? |
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Earlier this week, Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly got the ball rolling, lashing out at DailyKos, which he called "one of the worst examples of hatred America has to offer," and JetBlue, for its sponsorship role in the YearlyKos convention. (The airline, in response to O'Reilly's complaints, has since pulled its support.)
This morning, Bill Kristol joined in on the fun.
Today on Fox News Sunday, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol attacked the Democratic presidential candidates for their decision to attend the YearlyKos blogger convention. He held it up as evidence that the presidential candidates have "gone left."
"Every Democratic presidential nominee is going to the DailyKos convention," said Kristol. "That's the left-wing blogger who was not respectable three or four years ago. The Howard Dean kind of sponsor. Now the whole party is going to pay court to him and to left wing blogs."
TP highlighted some Kristol's factual errors, but I was also struck by the general attitude from Kristol and O'Reilly that Democratic political figures should distance themselves from those the GOP establishment finds intemperate.
I suspect they haven't thought this one through -- high-profile Republicans have no qualms about maintaining close professional ties to some of the most vitriolic voices in our public discourse.
Consider some of the "mainstream" personalities the president chose to hang out with shortly before the 2006 elections.
* Sean Hannity ("[M]aking sure Nancy Pelosi doesn't become the [House] speaker" is "worth ... dying for")
* Neal Boortz (Islam is a "deadly virus")
* Laura Ingraham (Sens. Biden and Boxer are "on the side of" Kim Jong-Il)
* Mike Gallagher (Gore and Hitler "brilliantly put together side by side" in campaign video) [He later called on the government to "round up" several left-leaning voices, including Keith Olbermann, label them "traitors," and have them sent to "detention camps."]
Rush Limbaugh, shortly after he publicly mocked a man for having Parkinson's, was invited to the White House. Ann Coulter still draws support from Republican presidential candidates. In 2001, just 48 hours after 9/11, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson said Americans were to blame for the attacks and said the nation "deserved" the terrorism, but that didn't stop Republican presidential hopefuls from reaching out to them for support.
And now Democratic candidates are supposed to avoid YearlyKos because Fox News dug up a handful of hot-headed remarks from anonymous commenters? Please.
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