Jack Myers, writing on The Huffington Post, thinks a McCain administration will severely impact the ad industry:
John McCain said last night, in the third Presidential debate, he plans to do away with the Defense Department Marketing Assistance Program. This is the Congressional spending allocation that enables the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard, plus the National Guard, to advertise for recruits.
Senator Obama’s support for preventative medical care is another little noted but important key point of difference with Senator McCain that emerged from the debate. Under Obama it is far more likely that insurance plans will cover alternative medicine, including acupuncture, therapy, and government approved herbs and vitamins. This category alone could more than double the current spending by pharmaceutical companies, and would give a boost to local market media as Alternative Care centers compete with traditional medicine. Again, a McCain presidency is likely to bring this windfall to a screeching halt.
The conventional widsom has always been that Republicans are better for business in general. This year, that’s not holding up entirely, Joe The Plumber notwithstanding. I also heard a prominent 4A’s official say that Obama would be a better President for advertisers if he surrounded himself with the right people in his administration.
