Patterico's Pontifications

7/3/2013

State Department Spends $630,000 on Facebook Likes

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:59 am



Man, this sequestration business is hurting us bad. They couldn’t even spend a million?

State Department officials spent $630,000 to get more Facebook “likes,” prompting employees to complain to a government watchdog that the bureau was “buying fans” in social media, the agency’s inspector general says.

The department’s Bureau of International Information Programs spent the money to increase its “likes” count between 2011 and March 2013.

“Many in the bureau criticize the advertising campaigns as ‘buying fans’ who may have once clicked on an ad or ‘liked’ a photo but have no real interest in the topic and have never engaged further,” the inspector general reported.

By the way, the State Department’s Inspector General has been hampered by President Obama’s multi-year refusal to name a new Inspector General. Ted Cruz threatens to hold up all State Department nominations until a new IG is nominated, and all of a sudden there is a nomination.

Nice going, Sen. Cruz. Looks like they need more oversight.

25 Responses to “State Department Spends $630,000 on Facebook Likes”

  1. I just don’t get it…why do businesses and tv stations and State Departments want “likes” on FB?
    Do they get money? Do they sell our info to third parties?

    Why?

    Patricia (be0117)

  2. you can tell these are people what have never worked in the private sector just for the regime

    happyfeet (c60db2)

  3. So where’s MY friggin check, and where do I go to Like. If I’m paying for this crap, I should at least benefit from it.

    Owain (b7c67e)

  4. Hillary Rodham. The CHICAGO WAY. RESET!!! SMART DIPLOMACY.

    Btw. How’s that RESET with RUSSIA button workin’ out??

    Gus (694db4)

  5. Well, IF it really happened, then I’m sure that our president is outraged and will take immediate steps to identify the culprits and offer them confirmation-free positions in the White House.

    Icy (456cf4)

  6. Here’s the page:

    https://www.facebook.com/usdos?fref=ts

    Note that we apparently spent $630k to get all the way up to 279,000 “Likes” on the English-language version, or over $2 per “Like.” From what I understand, most private businesses spend mere pennies per “Like” on their campaigns.

    JVW (23867e)

  7. We’re not taxpayers. We’re cows.

    Amphipolis (d3e04f)

  8. Why do we not know the names of everyone associated with the ordering and approval of this?

    Amphipolis (d3e04f)

  9. Why do we not know the names of everyone associated with the ordering and approval of this?

    Because TRANSPARENCY.

    PCachu (e072b7)

  10. I suspect something else was going on here.

    The likes were grossly overpriced. Who was paid for them? Did some of that money come back to those who ordered it?

    We smell the sewer, but we haven’t even opened it yet.

    Amphipolis (d3e04f)

  11. 11. Like Green Shoots kickbacks to the DNC and politicians?

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  12. JVW #6 – there is something symbologically appropriate about $2 for a ‘like’ … wasn’t the $2 bill the evidence that someone had sold their vote, in the way-back-when ?

    Alastor (e7cb73)

  13. I think I’d Like the state department for $20,000. No, wait, make it $30,000 and it’s a deal. No, no, $40,000. Yeh! That’s the ticket.

    Who sends me my check?

    Jim (823b10)

  14. Holy cow, OT a little. Look at the similarities between Obama’s logo and the Egyption Salafist’s logo.

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-07-02/guest-post-egyptians-love-us-our-freedom

    Patricia (be0117)

  15. 15. On the subject of similarity, Erdogan has had several years to purge the Turkish military but since Ataturk it has been resolutely secularist.

    Don’t know about their actual power anymore but I bet this is an uneasy day for Ankara Islamists.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  16. The mystery is: how could Facebook likes benefit Hillary Clinton? Or anybody?

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  17. I wonder if Morsi “liked” the State Dept?

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  18. Obamar doesn’t know about it yet, he doesn’t read newspapers while he is on vacation.

    peedoffamerican (ee1de0)

  19. Hey if you have to pay for your “likes” they’re laughing behind your back.

    Comanche Voter (f4c7d5)

  20. “I just don’t get it…why do businesses and tv stations and State Departments want “likes” on FB?”

    When you “like” a page, you get its messages. Advertising that results in “likes” is advertising that leads to subscribers getting your subsequent messages that do not need to be paid.

    daniel (1340fb)

  21. With all the “likes” from the media, Obama has a galaxy of sluts (if he had to pay them, well they wouldn’t be just sluts, would they?).
    So, the next time you meet one of the libs in the media, ask them if they’re just a slut, or a whore.

    askeptic (2bb434)

  22. Patricia #15 … in the last picture, one sign is *amazingly* accurate 1

    The one that says “American Democracy Stinks of Hypocracy” – under Pres’ent Obama we are ruled by a ‘hypocracy’ – rule by the weak …

    Alastor (2e7f9f)

  23. Thanks, daniel.

    Yup, alastor.

    Patricia (be0117)

  24. Thanks for sharing. Interesting, clear and precise. Nice work Patterico.

    Golf Program (e71710)


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