Flutterby™! : Underwriting

Doc Searls linked to Reid Stott's skepticism about "Gonzo Marketing":

[Pause] OK, will my sponsorship be a prominent part of the site's design and branding? You know, Joe's Garage Talk is brought to you by Acme Auto Parts, plastered all over the pages?

No, this is a community, and they pride themselves on their independence. But if you underwrite this community of shared interest, well, you can't quantify the good will that will buy your company.

What struck me most about this is that these (very rational and believable) arguments against sponsorship without advertising are a damning indictment of the American political system. Because folks, like, say, Steve Jobs, will just try to convince us that they're participating in the community and the political process when they give a quarter of a million bucks of, say, Pixar's money to the Democrats.