Senate Ad campaign against Tesla FSD

[Crissa]

I'm a bit confused. This guy ran for a political office, to enable him to run hit piece ads against FSD. How is it possible/legal to run these ads after the election?

The other thing that sticks out to me, is that he got almost 75K votes. By running an anti-Tesla campaign.

Nothing stopped him from running the ads before he ran for office. You can run ads for anything with you own money. Honestly, the campaign made no sense other than he wanted to collect donations, but you could be a small non-profit easily and he'd already paid to create one.

-Crissa

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[Bill906]

While painted lines are treated as a suggestion (for the purposes of collision-avoidance), safety cones are considered to be impassible barriers since there could be workers, or extreme hazards.

When reading this I'm reminded of a recurring local news story. One I'm sure most of you have seen. Usually happens every 5 years or so. The universal basics of the story is - someone became inpatient in slow traffic around construction, see's the brand new empty lane that's coned off. Turns onto the new lane to pass everyone only to find out the new lane is still wet cement.

 

[Sirfun]

Nothing stopped him from running the ads before he ran for office. You can run ads for anything with you own money. Honestly, the campaign made no sense other than he wanted to collect donations, but you could be a small non-profit easily and he'd already paid to create one.

-Crissa

I understand the legality of running ads before an election. But, the linked article from Carsnoops (which was dated 8/11/22) says the ad was just released.

Edit: here's Dan Dowd Media's Youtube channel's version of the ad posted 8/9/22. The first paragraph of their discription.

314,931 views Aug 9, 2022 The Dawn Project’s New Advertising Campaign Highlighting The Dangers Of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving

 

[CyberGus]

When reading this I'm reminded of a recurring local news story. One I'm sure most of you have seen. Usually happens every 5 years or so. The universal basics of the story is - someone became inpatient in slow traffic around construction, see's the brand new empty lane that's coned off. Turns onto the new lane to pass everyone only to find out the new lane is still wet cement.

I prefer my karma instant.

 

[CyberGus]

I understand the legality of running ads before an election. But, the linked article from Carsnoops (which was dated 8/11/22) says the ad was just released.

O'Dowd has run multiple ads, this was just the latest.

I imagine his campaign can no longer run ads for office, but it may be permissible to run issue-specific ads with the campaign funds. Obviously he can run all the ads he wants with his non-profit, or out of his deep pockets.

 

[SpaceYooper]

Side note: He already lost his Senate bid, and is therefore no longer a candidate.

-Crissa

Since his Senate run is over and he's still paying to run the ads, I guess he's just out for the FSD take down now; for the benefit of his own company. Seems like a fool's errand.

 

[Crissa]

I understand the legality of running ads before an election. But, the linked article from Carsnoops (which was dated 8/11/22) says the ad was just released.

Edit: here's Dan Dowd Media's Youtube channel's version of the ad posted 8/9/22. The first paragraph of their discription.

314,931 views Aug 9, 2022 The Dawn Project’s New Advertising Campaign Highlighting The Dangers Of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving

He ran ads as an industry group before, he can do so now.

His political campaign allowed him to take donations, and push his ads under less-strict acceptance rules on TV and such.

Nothing stops him from continuing to publish ads and media. He didn't need to have a non-profit or political campaign to publish ads before, nor does he need them now.

-Crissa

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

Dan O'Dowd is just another maniacal billionaire with a personal financial interest in stopping FSD. He's only running for office as a publicity stunt, with a one-issue platform.

I do not take seriously anything he says.

Green Hills sells software to the government, military, etc. and O’Dowd might be able to get leverage with elected officials through that connection. I wouldn’t rely on people being logical in this scenario. Look at how many people that follow the WSJ are anti Tesla/Musk. I know several of them. It speaks volumes about [some]people these days.

 

[CyberGus]

Green Hills sells software to the government, military, etc. and O’Dowd might be able to get leverage with elected officials through that connection. I wouldn’t rely on people being logical in this scenario. Look at how many people that follow the WSJ are anti Tesla/Musk. I know several of them. It speaks volumes about [some]people these days.

There's zero chance that Tesla's software will be "banned", since that raises the specter of all the other ADAS systems that will happily mass-murder if misused.

Tesla's original sin is marketing their ADAS as "Full Self Driving" when it is nowhere near that capability.

 

[Bill906]

He ran ads as an industry group before, he can do so now.

His political campaign allowed him to take donations, and push his ads under less-strict acceptance rules on TV and such.

Nothing stops him from continuing to publish ads and media. He didn't need to have a non-profit or political campaign to publish ads before, nor does he need them now.

-Crissa

Sorry for the side track... but this brings up an interesting question. Can he continue to run for the office as a write in candidate? And if yes, can he continue to accept donations and fall under less-strict acceptance rules?

 

[Crissa]

Sorry for the side track... but this brings up an interesting question. Can he continue to run for the office as a write in candidate? And if yes, can he continue to accept donations and fall under less-strict acceptance rules?

No. Well, sure, I suppose, but the state doesn't support it or count it unless there's a massive under-vote.

Probably not, because he's no longer registered as a candidate. And the less-strict rules are the tvstations being afraid of being sued. They aren't afraid of being sued by someone with no chance at all.

-Crissa

 

[DMC-81]

Sounds like a case for Tesla's new hardcore litigation department.

 

[BillyGee]

I put 40,000 miles on my Tesla since I got it just before Thanksgiving, mostly on autopilot, and I have had it randomly stop for no reason due to overcorrection hundreds of times and I still haven't managed to hit a single toddler. In my defense though, those toddlers are squirrely.

Jokes aside though, I swear these people make these videos and bring up these talking points like nobody driving a car normally ever hits anything. Autopilot FSD have proven to be exponentially safer than a normal driver time and time again.

 

[Crissa]

Sounds like a case for Tesla's new hardcore litigation department.

Only if they can prove they continue to air the ad after being told it seems fraudulent.

-Crissa

 

[firsttruck]

Nothing stopped him from running the ads before he ran for office. You can run ads for anything with you own money. Honestly, the campaign made no sense other than he wanted to collect donations, but you could be a small non-profit easily and he'd already paid to create one.

-Crissa

I don't think is just issue of running ads.

I think by being a political candidate he can

1. Make slanderous claims as a politician and be more difficult to sue or at least having little chance of losing suit to pay damages.

2. Get more free coverage by the press as news article instead of being an ad.
People pay a little more attention to news stories than they do ads.

3. More interviews by media.

4. Easier to get donations to fund his slanderous claims. If candidate did well enough might actual get funds from government.

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