Photos like this really make you wonder about folks in Washington, D.C.
Is it really the case that not a single person on the Senator’s staff said, “Maybe we should have the poster say something else.”
Much has been made of the leadership shake-up within the McCain campaign in recent weeks, and one item that
critics of the campaign mentioned near the top of their list of complaints was the staging of the Senator’s public events.
The staging and imagery of a public/press event is so often overlooked, and usually to the detriment of those trying to deliver a message. In doing media training with political candidates, I often use an example of the candidate who makes installation a crossing signal at the scene of a horrible car/train collision a center piece of his campaign. Then, he announces the proposal in a boring conference room at the local school district building instead of bringing cameras and reporters to the actual site. Doing so would have allowed the pictures to help him tell his story just as much as his words.
One area under new leadership in the McCain camp is his event advance and set-up team. Now in charge is a guy responsible for staging candidate and President Bush’s public events. And, for closer followers of this kind of thing, President Bush has utilized simply stunning imagery to help communicate a message throughout his campaigns and his presidency. Announcements staged in the shadow of Mt. Rushmore and with the Statue of Liberty and a huge American flag in the background come to mind as two immediate examples.
If this photo from John McCain’s visit to Michigan this week is any indication, it looks like at least this part of his campaign shake-up is paying off.
Under the best of circumstances, it’s not easy to convince someone to part with their money in support of a politician. Under some of the worst circumstances, it’s next to impossible… as the NY Times notes this afternoon.
Some of the replies are unprintable, given the coarse language, the donor said. A sampling of others included:
“Why would I help pay off debts that Hillary amassed simply to keep damaging Senator Obama?”
“Gas prices are up, the markets are in turmoil, my kid’s fall tuition bill is coming soon. Writing checks to politicians I don’t like is not at the top of my list.”
“Not a penny for that woman. Or her husband. Or — god forbid — Mark Penn” a reference to Mrs. Clinton’s former senior strategist, whose firm is still owed several million dollars for work that included aggressive attacks on Mr. Obama.
Maybe if the Clinton Relief Fund continues its struggles, they could simply ask for a penny for these folks’ thoughts.
I’m pretty sure that almost everyone who’s worked in media relations has experienced a conversation that goes a little something like this.
You: “Hey, that story you wrote was ok, but that headline was horrible. What’s up with that?”
Reporter: “Look, I write the stories, I don’t write the headlines. Take it up with my editor.”
After seeing this headline and story about a recent opinion poll, you might be able to also add:
Reporter: “Look, I write the stories, I don’t write the headlines or actually read the polls.”
Welcome back to the Sterling Blog. We’ve been away for a bit doing what we should be… working.
Saw this this morning, though, and thought it would be a good entree back.
Today’s tip: Look for your comfort zone. This goes for everyone from presidential candidates to your average job. When you have a message to communicate, if you can, deliver it in a venue where you feel comfortable.
Clearly, John McCain thrives in the townhall setting and could do without the big speech behind the formal podium. For those of us watching, we could do without it too. He knows his comfort zone, so does his campaign, and, as the Times points out, look for more of those townhalls in the weeks ahead.
But, this kind of strategy is not reserved for only those seeking the highest office. If you’re a business executive with a real ability to connect one-on-one but a penchant for locking up when standing behind a podium, put the stuffy boardroom and rigid podium away and deliver your next piece of news at a more informal roundtable of reporters in your office. If you run an organization with business before the city council and you hate the confrontation of a face-to-face but are the second-coming of Winston Churchill behind a podium, then forget the one-on-one meeting and go to a council meeting and deliver your message in public.
Bottom line, look for your comfort zone, because when you’re comfortable you’re more effective and that’s the whole point.
From earlier this week. The Michigan Information and Research Service pundit piece.
Is Wright Doing Right By Obama?
MIRS asked political pundits if the Rev. Jeremiah WRIGHT is making things right for presidential hopeful Barack OBAMA? Over in the 17th House District, pundits also were asked to handicap the chances that House Speaker Andy DILLON (D-Redford) will be removed from office.
Meanwhile, the major issues of individual health insurance market reform and energy reform are a big deal at the Capitol, but are they a big deal from the voters’ point of view? And who, or what, is behind the health care mandate ballot initiative?
Q. Did the Rev. Jeremiah Wright help Barack Obama with his visit to Detroit?
“Any time Jeremiah Wright appears in conjunction with the discussion of race it cannot help the campaign of Barack Obama, not for a nanosecond,” said political consultant Sam RIDDLE. “There is a complete disconnect between the message of Rev. Wright and the perception of mainstream white Americans. This explains why as Jeremiah Wright has risen in terms of news media coverage, Barack Obama’s popularity has fallen in the polls.”
Matt RESCH of Sterling Group agreed that Wright staying in the limelight isn’t something that helps Obama.
“If I were Barack Obama, I would be very bitter that Rev. Wright continues to cling to the public and media spotlight,” Resch said.
Read the rest of this entry »
Maybe that’s an oxymoron, but The Telegraph did just that.
A very interesting list of the Top 50 American political pundits.
MIRS asked me to contribute to their Pundit Piece again today, and as always, I’m glad to oblige.
How Much Of A Long Shot Is Hillary?
Today, MIRS asked political pundits to set odds on the chances that U.S. Sen. Hillary CLINTON will win the Democratic presidential nomination. No two answers matched.
Meanwhile, we also wondered what the chances are that Detroit Mayor Kwame KILPATRICK would be invited to the annual Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce (DRCC) shindig on Mackinac Island. Also, who will the Dems get try to tackle State Supreme Court Chief Justice Cliff TAYLOR? And what’s in the crystal ball for Secretary of State Terri Lynn LAND?
Q. Some political folks are doing a “death watch” on the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton. What are the odds on her getting the Democratic nomination?
“I’d put the odds at 10 percent,” said Matt RESCH of Sterling Corp. “But I certainly wouldn’t underestimate the stick-to-itness she could display over the next few weeks.”
Read the rest of this entry »
This is a fascinating article in today’s NY Times. Basically, the breaking news here is that cable news networks are making a move to focus more on the… wait for it… news.
It’s a marked change for cable news, which over the last few years has followed the lead of Fox News and promoted vividly opinionated hosts who shape the news flow to suit their own personas and pet peeves.
The Times quickly adds.
The focus on campaign news is not a public service; it’s a ratings thing.
So, get ready.
The 2008 presidential race truly is about change: Tucker Carlson of MSNBC, Paula Zahn of CNN and John Gibson of Fox News were swept out of the way to make room for newsier programs that treat each night like election night — a Super Tuesday that never ends.
CNN gave Ms. Zahn’s slot to Campbell Brown, who is the host of “Election Center,” while MSNBC turned “Tucker” into “Race for the White House” and put David Gregory, the chief White House correspondent for NBC, in charge. Fox News replaced “The Big Story,” led by Mr. Gibson and his co-host, Heather Nauert, with “America’s Election HQ,” whose hosts are Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmer.
New York Times reports:
McCain Considering Vice President Picks
Isn’t that kind of what people running for president do?