Is cash all that matters?

As LetsTalk reported for 3BP last week, Rep. Zach Space has a sizeable chunk of change in the bank for his re-election bid - $800K.

His challenger, Jeannette Moll, has $52k.

That's quite an advantage.

But what these financial reports don't detail are the benefits gained by what's called 'earned media'.

For those that never worked in politics, earned media is a term used by pols to describe favorable media coverage, as opposed to paid media, which is favorable coverage via advertising.

Well, with the saturation of negative stories about Space regarding his vote on Cap and Trade, he now is dealing with serious negative coverage of his efforts supporting Obama's health care plan.

While U.S. Rep. Zack Space hammered through the new Health Care Reform Bill in Washington, D.C. Friday, protesters showed up at his office voicing their opinions as to why they don't agree with the bill.

[...]

"I've tried and tried to get Space on the phone, but I can't ever get anyone, so I decided to come in personally," Mendenhall said. "I'm truly blessed and grateful that I can be here, but it wouldn't have been possible if a plan like Obama's gets put in place. I just want Space to listen to us and read whatever bill is put in front of him carefully."

And the money quote?

"It scares me to death what the people in Washington are doing to us," Miller said. "I voted for Space but when he voted for the Cap and Trade, that was it."

In a story all about health care policy, how gratuitous a shot was that? Ouch.

So how much is all this earned media worth to Jeannette Moll?

It's priceless.