Update: Candidate Wastes $$$ On Shoddy Ad?
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Another judicial candidate is wasting a whole lot of money.
The money is being squandered on a sleazy 16-page advertisement on cheap newsprint.
Or the piece is a brilliant move, as the designer and printer of the ad George Bograkos argues.
The same ad has surfaced in past judicial races.
The candidate this time is Circuit Court candidate Rhoda Sokoloff.
Here is what I wrote two years ago about the almost identical piece sent out for two candidates:
“I can’t emphasize enough how cheesy this mailer looks – badly reproduced photos and washed out type on cheap newsprint.”
This opinion still stands.
Bograkos, whose firm Mastermailer designed and distributed the piece, believes her newsprint ad stands out from all the slick advertising landing in mailboxes.
He says the piece helped win victories in 10 out of 11 races. Races like those for Broward Judges Jay Hurley, Linda Pratt and more than a half dozen others.
“They print for half the cost of all those color pieces others use,” Bograkos says.
He says 100,000 copies of the ad costs roughly $7,600 to print. That compares, he says, to slick card ads which cost $8,200.
“People get the same cookie cutter political mail. This is different,” he says.
Oh, it is different. That’s for sure. I still believe Sokoloff’s piece ends up in the garbage.
Sokoloff’s advertisement reminds me of a cheap coloring book.
It is 16 pages long! Who is going to paw through something that long? I believe that a 16- page piece runs up the cost of the mailing with few benefits.
Past Candidates paid thousands for these trashy mailers. Sokoloff’s expenses are not listed fully with the state yet.
Five pages of the piece is generic elections information from the Supervisor of Elections. That’s five extra pages that Sokoloff paid to print and mail.
And one page is a list of folks who are “with” Sokoloff. The word “with” reads like these people are supporting Sokoloff. Maybe. But the word “with” is a meaningless.
At least one of the names listed as being “with” Sokoloff is hosting a condo event for one of Sokoloff’s opponents next month.
Of the names on the list:
- Six of them have the same last name as the candidate.
- One of them is her political consultant, Norm Leonard.
- Three of them have the same last name as Leonard’s daughter, Elizabeth Eddy.
Hmmmm.
Here is an unsolicited e-mail I received from a long-time South Florida political expert who has been involved intimately in campaigns.
“…Apparently the same judicial consultant leeches are sucking money out of the new naive candidates like the(y) always do. I bet that thing cost her over half her campaign budget…Whoever sold her on this…is just shameless.”
This person – who I’m not naming – also wrote in another e-mail:
“Man, when I retire, if I lose my sense of decency, I am going to fleece rubes who want to run for judge in Broward County!!”
Sokoloff’s opponents for the Group 16 Circuit Court seat are: Dennis Bailey, Andrea Gundersen and Russell Thompson.
July 29th, 2014 at 12:38 pm
Come on Buddy who is the consultant?
FROM BUDDY:
Norman Leonard is listed as the consultant in the piece.
July 29th, 2014 at 1:00 pm
In 2012 Judicial Candidate Randy Goodis dropped almost $40,000.00 on Master Mailer and Stuart Webb for design and postage of this Norm Leonard Coloring Book.
Additionally, Goddis spent $10,000.00 on consultant Norm Leonard.
Goodis came in 3rd behind Roshawn Banks who spent $14,000 to get out of the primary with Judge Diaz.
Interesting to date Rhoda shows only $18k in the bank and no expenditures for the Coloring Book. hmmm
July 29th, 2014 at 1:45 pm
Where did she get the money for this? She has not raised any money for something this expensive, she already had broken so many rules I guess it does not matter, no one can tell me Norm Leonard, is working for free and paying for the printing too
July 29th, 2014 at 2:16 pm
I was curious to learn more about Ms. Sokoloff and came across this website. interesting stuff
http://www.rhodasokoloffiscorrupt.com/
July 29th, 2014 at 7:01 pm
Daniel Sohn is “with” her. His endorsement isn’t worth the newsprint it was printed on.
July 29th, 2014 at 8:06 pm
I received that ad yesterday. It’s in the recycling bin, unread.
July 30th, 2014 at 9:02 am
Agree. What a terrible piece of literature. Over half of it was dedicated to treating readers as if we were morons who never voted before, explaining how to bubble in a circle on the ballot. The mailing made my decision easier … I’ll either be voting for Russell Thompson or Dennis Bailey.
July 30th, 2014 at 10:54 am
In a low informaton race (which is what you have in the under financed judicial races)anything that gets your name remembered that does not have “arrested”, “indicted” or “convicted” next to it is money well spent.
Because I am voting by mail, in the last few days, I have received a dozen of the oversized slick postcards.
I could not tell you one from the other.
Hers I remember.
It got Buddy to write a column.
You still don’t think it worked???
July 30th, 2014 at 11:37 am
My gosh – who would take the time to create a website about Rhoda Sokoloff?!?
July 30th, 2014 at 5:57 pm
glass houses says:
very angry clients she has let down. of course they would have to get in a very long line, I hear she has about 5 ethics complaints still in the pipes, just waiting to be acted on
July 30th, 2014 at 6:57 pm
Received the piece and it was the only one I did not throw out. I like the personal note. I will vote for her. anyone that tries to run for judge a few times really wants it.
ps buddy. I think the better (bad) news is the hand out depending on your ethnicity from the other candidate. is he still doing it?
July 30th, 2014 at 9:00 pm
I believe Sokoloff’s piece ends up in the garbage.
Does anyone actually read the mailed advertisement of any candidate? Straight to the recycling bin, even those from candidates I support.
July 31st, 2014 at 9:49 am
Outside of government and private industry employees exposing fraud or witnesses against criminals people who hide behind names like glass house usually turn out to slime or nutjobs envious of their betters. Allegations about ethical complaints without details tend to be political dirty tricks. In the past people have blogged with you mr begins making allegations specifically against miss sokoloff that were never substantiated I well remember.
July 31st, 2014 at 4:12 pm
looks like Rhoda Sokolof, has been posting all day, you would have to be a moron, not to believe, the positive post com from Rhoda Sokolof herself
July 31st, 2014 at 6:10 pm
One of the comments above mentions Goodis using a similar marketing piece and losing. Wasn’t there another judicial candidate that same year in a different race that used the same material and won?