2008 Primaries, Views on News • May 15th, 2008

When lefties attack!

by Chris Lato

OK, he was really funny in ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High.’ ‘Mystic River’ was a good one, too. And if you haven’t seen ‘At Close Range,’ you should check that one out.

Sean Penn is undeniably talented as an actor. He’s also undeniably a Grade-A jerk, and it seems he is going after some of his own.

Not sure what prompted this outburst at the Cannes Film Festival (Too much red wine? Food poisoning from a bad baguette?). And I would love to know particulars about what Penn considers to be part of Barack Obama’s ‘phenomenally inhuman and unconstitutional’ voting record.

As John Travolta said in ‘Pulp Fiction,’ “That’s a bold statement.”

Penn gets respect in some quarters of the mainstream press. ‘Rolling Stone,’ for example, treats the guy like some sort of left-wing avenging angel for The Sins of President Bush. He is listened to, and his opinions ‘matter.’

But this is no way to help your team win, Sean – unless you’re really pulling for Nader this year.

This is but a small example of the rifts that exist within the Democratic Party – rifts that Democrats always seem to have trouble with keeping quiet and in-house. This year, obviously, the rifts have become more pronounced than ever. How will this party be able to unite with summer around the corner, the general election coming up fast and Hillary Clinton still haunting the party like the Ghost of Scandals Past? (I kid, I kid!)

The self-destructive tendencies of the national Democratic Party are a big plus for John McCain. Howard Dean and the rest of the DNC crew have their work cut out for them – even more than McCain, who is working to find the sweet spot between conservatives, moderate Democrats, independents and everyone else.

It’s been said before that the DNC has an uncanny knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. It remains to be seen whether they’ve learned their lesson, but right now the Magic 8-Ball says “All Signs Point to No.”

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2008 Primaries, Branding Politix, Creative, Global Concerns, public relations • May 14th, 2008

McCain goes green and conservatives see red

by Chris Lato

This guy just can’t catch a break with conservatives.

The John McCain campaign has unveiled what it calls eco-friendly campaign items for sale on its website. And some conservative commentators are apoplectic about it.

Geez, settle down, people. Some of these guys are looking for something, anything, as a reason to tear McCain a new one. To those people, the question remains: would you really rather have Barack Obama? Seriously? This is hardly a case of high treason against the conservative cause.

I think it’s absolutely ingenious. From a pure marketing standpoint, the ‘green’ movement is white-hot. Heck, the whole issue is hot, and there is room for everyone to get into the debate over whether the climate change folks are right-on, or are alarmists blowing a lot of, ahem, hot air. People are talking about it, people care about it. To simply dismiss it out of hand is short-sighted and out-of touch, and McCain recognizes this.

McCain is making a move to steal a key issue the Dems claim to dominate on, and make it his own. He is working to defuse the rhetoric that he will aid and abet the big polluters, who of course are all Republicans who sleep on beds of hundred-dollar bills.

McCain’s ‘green’ collateral is a great example of brilliant thinking when it comes to campaign promotional items. On the flip side, this reminds me of a couple of minor brouhahas that erupted back in the day. Great examples of how bad choices in collateral can totally ruin your day.

Brouhaha #1: The sale of Republican-themed shirts at a GOP booth at the Wisconsin State Fair a few years back. Turns out the shirts were made in, I believe, Mexico. A local TV station was tipped off by a Democrat operative, and things took off from there.

Brouhaha #2: When I was a radio news reporter in Madison back in the late 90s, Wisconsin celebrated its 150^th year of statehood with a special ceremony that included handing out small bells to ring. Only problem: the bells came with a small “Made in China” sticker affixed to each one. Oops!

The moral of the story, if you’re doing anything even remotely political: consider ‘buying American.’ Yes, I know, Americans are involved in design, production, sales, etc. of products that are ‘made’ overseas, but what it says on the label will make a symbolic difference. Let’s face it, you don’t want to be put in the position of trying to explain the nuances of global commerce.

Bottom line: The McCain campaign seems to get the messages it needs to send out. The underlying McCain policy will be what tells the real story, but for now this is a clever, funny and audacious move. I’ll recycle a plastic bottle in their honor today.

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Events, Fundraising, Global Concerns, Grass Roots Organization • May 13th, 2008

Help needed ASAP

by Chris Lato

Regular visitors to this site know we’re all about the politics, the public affairs, the public relations, the messaging…you know the score. Today I’m doing something a bit different - asking for your help for a good cause.

This Saturday, in downtown Milwaukee, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – Greater Milwaukee Chapter is holding its annual NAMIWalks event. The honorary chairman is Green Bay Packer Greg Jennings and his lovely wife Nicole, who I understand will be there to walk as well.

Avicom Marketing Communications is involved as a sponsor of the event and has a team entered in the fundraiser. I will be peeling my butt off the couch and taking part. I’m asking you to do what you can to support the cause and give what you can. The program is worthy, the effort needs your help and anything you can pitch in would be welcome. NAMI is heavily involved in supporting those struggling with mental illness, along with offering support services to their families. Check out their website if you’d like to learn more.

If you can even give a few bucks, it is very easy to donate online by visiting my NAMIWalks webpage. I’m aiming low ($100 in donations) and hoping to succeed beyond my wildest goals. But I need more than donations from mom and dad to help out.

A sincere thanks for anything you can do. And now we return you to your regularly scheduled blog…

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2008 Primaries, Strategic Blueprints • May 13th, 2008

Will Wisconsin be McCain Country in ‘08?

by Chris Lato

For the last five presidential elections, Democrats have taken Wisconsin – the last two times by razor-thin margins.

What does this mean for self-styled maverick John McCain in 2008? His campaign advisors think Wisconsin is promising – so much so that moves are being made to ensure the Badger State flips from blue to red this year.

The Journal Sentinel article I linked to above points out McCain will have to run a different type of campaign to carry Wisconsin – reaching out to the independents, conservative-minded Democrats, etc.

That will have to happen – to a point. But the McCain campaign forgets about the base at its peril.

In 2000 and 2004, the GOP worked like dogs to pull off a massive get-out-the-vote effort on behalf of Pres. Bush. It took an army of people to pull it off, and it was tantalizingly close to a success. After that, though, people were burned out, and that intensity wasn’t there in 2006, when Mark Green needed that juice to beat Jim Doyle in the race for governor. That was one reason (but certainly not the only reason) why Green lost – people weren’t quite feeling it.

This time around, again, the base is still not on fire over their party’s standard-bearer. McCain, as we’ve said before, has burned a lot of bridges with conservatives and the level of drive isn’t there yet. It will have to be, and soon. A good indicator of where things are at will be at this weekend’s GOP state convention in Stevens Point.

Still, Senator Russ Feingold makes a pretty astute observation about Wisconsin and McCain. You’ll recall the two worked side by side for years on campaign finance ‘reform’ legislation. Feingold’s politics are not my cup of tea, but he’s no dummy. From the Journal Sentinel article:

Feingold, McCain’s Senate colleague, has repeatedly warned that beating McCain in the state will be a serious challenge…In an interview earlier this year, he said McCain is “a candidate who seems to be extremely conservative (but) will be very hard to characterize,” and added that, in Wisconsin, “it’s going to be tougher than winning it against Bush, and Bush barely lost it twice.”

That is the X-factor here. McCain’s ‘independent’ streak speaks to people in Wisconsin who have no qualms about voting for a Democrat governor and a Republican attorney general. And that is what McCain’s team hopes to capitalize on. The only question now is whether that will be enough to carry the state without a message that also speaks to the base.

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2008 Primaries, Views on News • May 12th, 2008

Good idea, gimmick…or both?

by Chris Lato

At first blush, a federal gas tax holiday this summer sounds like an awfully good idea as gas prices in Wisconsin edge toward a sickening $4 a gallon in some places. US Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) is on board, although not without his own twist on the issue – paying for the holiday by suspending earmarks. It’s the kind of tacked-on idea that can torpedo the whole endeavor, although Ryan deserves much credit for being a consistent conservative in going after how Washington conducts its budget business.

Hillary Clinton and John McCain like it, arguing taxpayers need a break this summer. Barack Obama says it’s a gimmick designed to pander. A politician - pandering? Shocking!

I will say I’m down for anything that lowers gas prices. The jury is still out on who would benefit, with a fair number of economists saying a gas tax holiday is not the way to go.

It is interesting to consider whether this is just a cheap election-year ploy, designed to get votes and nothing else. Consider the tax rebate checks, which are now in the mail or being direct-deposited nationwide. When Congress approved the checks in 2001, critics called it a gimmick. Seven years later, with a new round of checks going out, do those same critics still see things the same way? Is it a gimmick to put some tax money back in people’s pockets? I, for one, am looking forward to getting that $600.

Still, the underlying problem is that it feels like nothing is being done to address the long term issues that are contributing to the sky-high gas prices. In that sense, rebate checks and tax holidays ARE gimmicks – they sell a short-term solution to a long-term problem. It requires bravery, innovative thinking, and big action to get to the bottom of why we are here and how we can change course. The tax holidays and rebate checks grab headlines for their political supporters now – but what happens when the summer is over?

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2008 Primaries, Views on News • May 8th, 2008

When ego gets in the way

by Chris Lato

With Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign basically in death-rattle mode, the inevitable question surfaces: what about a Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton ‘dream ticket?’

Well, holy cow. That would be some ticket. I daresay that kind of powerhouse ticket would be awfully hard to beat – that is, if the rivers of bad blood between the two camps could somehow magically disappear.

Too bad it’ll never happen.

The old political saw is that the vice-presidential candidate makes little difference in an election. This year, though, the rules are changing.

John McCain is no spring chicken. He is well aware of the focus on his age and the need to pick a younger running mate in case his health goes south. That pick will weigh on the minds of voters who will otherwise say McCain is too old.

For the Dems, the idea of having the top two survivors of this extreme-fighting match of a primary season united on the ticket has to be powerfully appealing. So what’s to stop it?

Ego. From both candidates.

Start with Obama. Beyond all the political baggage the Clintons bring, does anyone think Obama wants Hillary Clinton, and her former president husband, kicking around the White House and demanding their say in what’s going on? And bad mouthing him when the Clintons don’t get their way?

Obama wants to be the leader. As president, he will not be looking to share this responsibility. It would be an extraordinarily awkward arrangement. He knows better than to undermine the image he is looking to present.

Which leads us to Clinton. After a bitter, hard-fought loss, is her desire to get back in the White House so strong that she would be willing to play the role of second banana under President Obama? It’s hard to process that one.

It will be fascinating to watch this all play out in the next few weeks. The talk of an Obama-Clinton pairing will undoubtedly heat up. And it will undoubtedly collapse.

And if I’m wrong, well, I’ll shave my head bald.

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2008 Primaries, Views on News • May 7th, 2008

The Empire Strikes Barack

by Chris Lato

This is funny and very creative stuff that is worth watching all the way through. If you’re into “Star Wars,” and have the good taste to believe “Empire” is the best of the series, then you’ll enjoy this even more.

Yes, it’s very pro-Obama, but what the heck. Funny is funny. It may also be the last time we need to acknowledge Hillary Clinton as a force to be reckoned with.

After the results from Indiana and North Carolina Tuesday, what does it all mean? For starters, Clinton’s argument for why she is still in the race is now much, much weaker. There is still a path to the nomination for her, but it is twisted, muddy and treacherous. Near-miracles would have to occur at this point. Even the Drudge Report’s big headline on Wednesday read THE NOMINEE under a pic of Obama. But she’s still in it for the time being, so maybe she knows something we don’t.

So….put aside partisan leanings for a moment and ask yourself: Obama vs. McCain. Who ya got?

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2008 Primaries • May 6th, 2008

The Democratic Dichotomy

by wispundit

The battle for the Democratic nomination continues after Obama narrowly escapes defeat in Guam by 7 votes. The fact that Guam’s four delegate votes mattered to Clinton and Obama is a telltale sign of how close this battle really is. The question Democrats should ask themselves now is: what is this prolonged battle doing to the Democratic party? This power struggle between Obama and Clinton could divide the party and lose them the election if they don’t figure out how to unite after their nominee has been chosen.

Howard Dean has said that the deciding will be done by June 3^rd, but many still question whether he has the power to make that kind of guarantee. Both Clinton and Obama have shown how dedicated they are to winning, so unless one of them suffers a huge loss soon, I don’t see this fight ending by June. While the two continue to throw punches, McCain is out recruiting more Republican voters and improving his image.

It’s hard to blame the Democrats though, both nominees are pretty evenly matched. For example, both have a hard time remembering the facts about their past. Hilary spoke in March about her experience in war, which proved to be far from the truth. Obama has made a similar mistake in addressing his relationship with good ol’ Rev. Wright. In the beginning people seemed to believe that Obama had never heard or supported Wright’s radical views, but now his assertions are becoming hard to believe. The effect of these follies is magnified in this election because it is not a fight between Republicans and Democrats, but a fight between Republicans, Obama and Clinton. The two Dems are concentrating more on battling each other than beating McCain and I’m not convinced that the Democratic party will be able to rise from the aftermath in time to win the election. According to a poll in Pennsylvania, 26 percent of Clinton supporters said if Obama won the nomination they would vote for McCain, while only 19 percent Obama backers said they would support McCain if Clinton won.

As this battle continues, the Democratic party loses ground in the eyes of the electorate. Who will win the nomination? It’s hard to tell, but unless things shape up soon, the Dems are in for a world of hurt.

Just for fun, check out Conan mocking Wright on Late Night.

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Messaging, Views on News, public relations • May 5th, 2008

Opportunity Missed

by Greg Batiansila

Some of the best public affairs centers around timing. If something you represent or advocate is getting assailed publicly, you must act quickly, succinctly and directly. Did I say quickly?

So when the head of a major corporation in Milwaukee comments on Milwaukee’s “anti-business” attitude…if you work for City of Milwaukee, you must act quickly, succinctly and directly.

From a public affairs perspective, my first call wouldn’t be to the Journal Sentinel or any media outlet. Why bother getting into a media contest? My first call would be to John Shiely. I want him to know we’re listening. I want him to know my cell number. I want him to realize that we’re humans, that we can work together. I want Shiely to think he has advocates working for the City of Milwaukee.

Then I’d call the media. I’d let them know exactly what we’re doing to make Milwaukee a haven to business. Let them know that I’ve had an open and honest conversation with John and that he’d be included as we move forward.

Instead, according to JSOnline, I see the City of Milwaukee has responded with a yawn.

Now, some of these suggestions may already have been implemented behind the scenes to no avail. But bringing opinion leaders together as part of the solution is a great first step if it has not happened yet.

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Uncategorized • May 2nd, 2008

The Crisis of Crises

by Greg Batiansila

One of the best methods of public affairs - and something you’ll see overwhelmingly in an election year - is inundation. If you inundate the media and populace with a thought or idea, even if everyone furiously tries to wipe away your inundation, there’s bound to be some residue.

Case in point: the mortgage crisis. It’s a crisis, right? Based on the inundation of reports you’ve seen, heard and read, the mortgage industry is facing a crisis that is applying blunt-force trauma to the economy. Sooo. What’s the foreclosure rate? According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, it’s at 2.04 percent of all outstanding loans.

Granted, the number is higher than the previous quarter. But if 98% of loans are not in foreclosure, is there a foreclosure crisis? In an election year - and with some really great public affairs saying all the right things - there sure is.

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