2008 Primaries, Views on News, public relations • July 3rd, 2008

Children of the corn

by Chris Lato

In the corn-growing Midwest, members of Congress are picking sides over ethanol. This is shaping up to be a serious campaign issue, but one presidential candidate is walking a tricky line that will be tough to maintain as anger over high gas and food prices grow, and the public gets restless and demands solutions.

To set the stage, U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner recently sent a piece out to his constituents with the headline: “Ethanol Mandate Must End.” He makes the argument that record prices for gas and groceries can be traced back to a great extent to the mandate, which subsidizes the ethanol industry and gives incentives for farmers to grow more corn to use in fuel.

Sensenbrenner points to studies that contend ethanol is actually bad for the environment in a number of ways – causing more carbon emissions, prompting poor land use decisions, and requiring a huge amount of water to produce ethanol.

Now, consider this bit from a long interview with Barack Obama in the current issue of ‘Rolling Stone’ (I know, I got a lot of column fodder from this issue). The interviewer is the fair-and-balanced Jann S. Wenner, who actually makes a half-hearted attempt to pin Obama down on this one. Wenner actually sounds a little like Sensenbrenner – talk about strange bedfellows.

Jann S. Wenner: You’ve been a big supporter of ethanol. But studies show it doesn’t do anything to reduce global warming, it’s actually a less efficient way to produce energy than gasoline, and it’s contributing to growing food shortages worldwide. Are you going to continue backing it?

Barack Obama: Corn-based ethanol I see as a transitional technology. We’ve got to invest in alternative fuels.

Wenner: This one is ranked as pretty bad.

Obama: I understand, which is why we’re going to have a transition from corn-based ethanol to cellulosic ethanol, not using food crops as the source of energy.

Wenner: So you foresee this coming to an end.

Obama: What I foresee is us transitioning into other ways of developing these energy sources. The fact that we had corn-based ethanol, and that industry has matured, provides us with distribution networks and infrastructure that can ultimately be used for other ethanol sources.

Wenner doesn’t touch on why Obama has been a big supporter of ethanol, and notice Obama is carefully refusing to explicitly bash ethanol. He has his reasons – read this fascinating New York Times story to get the scoop on why this is.

For starters, I’m not a scientist but I have to think it’s not as easy as just flicking a switch to make such a massive change in the production of ethanol. Will the government be funding such a massive changeover? How long would it take? What about farmers being pushed to make a big change in what they grow, such as switchgrass, which Obama has said could be used to make cellulosic ethanol?

Also, Obama is a Senator from a corn-growing state. He has voted for the ethanol mandate in the past. Does he now repudiate that vote? Will he continue to support corn-based ethanol, of immediately push in a new direction? What will his friends in the ethanol industry think?

No one asked me, but I would suggest Obama rethink his campaign structure when it comes to those he is relying on as energy advisors, and make a stronger effort to advance his energy agenda specific to ethanol. The public is moving past rhetoric and looking for answers every time they put $80 in their gas tank and pay ever-rising prices at the local Piggly Wiggly.

Obama and John McCain both have energy plans out there for all to see. But as the cliché goes, the devil is in the details. And when it comes to politicians, it’s what they do, not what they say, that is always the most telling. Speeches may dazzle, but voting records are far more telling.

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2008 Primaries, Branding Politix • July 2nd, 2008

The case of the reappearing pin

by Chris Lato

I have subscribed to ‘Rolling Stone’ for nearly 20 years now. What can I say? I like the pop culture coverage. As for the political stuff, it’s all been downhill since Hunter died.

Anyway, I was greeted at my mailbox this week with the new issue of ‘RS’ and the grinning face of Barack Obama, eyes closed, head tilted slightly downward…

OK, the coronation of Barack Obama has begun at ‘RS.’ That’s about the least shocking news in recent memory. But what I was struck by was the very conspicuous return of ‘The Pin.’ With such a basic, copy-free cover, that American flag pin on the senator’s lapel just leapt out at me.

Remember the flap a few months ago when Obama took the time to offer a dissertation on why he wasn’t wearing an American flag pin on his lapel? Read this for a refresher.

Now, I wouldn’t deny Sen. Obama the right to change his mind (the more combative term is ‘flip-flop’). Ultimately, it is up to the voters to weigh whether Obama’s changing positions are a thoughtful reconsideration of the issues, or a sign of a candidate who is not prepared to lead.

The flag pin sends an undeniable message. In some states, refusing to wear that pin would cost a whole lot of votes. I appreciate Obama’s belief that his ‘ideas’ are the true sign of patriotism, but sometimes in politics the game is simple: step up and embrace the symbolism along with the substance. Not wearing the pin on the campaign trail, and offering what could be perceived as a condescending explanation of that decision, also sends a powerful message.

The flag is one of those few symbols that many Americans of all generations respond to deeply and without apology –witness the passion that emerges anytime a flag-burning story is in the news. To deny this basic truth is to run the risk of alienating large chunks of voters. It looks as though Senator Obama is learning as he goes on the campaign trail. The real question is whether he is learning fast enough.

Regarding candidates and patriotism, check out this week’s exchange between Greta Van Susteren and Karl Rove. The full piece can be found here.

ROVE: Well, remember also, Senator Obama said that he stopped wearing a flag lapel pin because he decided after 9/11 that true patriotism did not consist in wearing a flag lapel pin but in speaking out on the issues. He questioned the patriotism of anybody who thought, you know, that they were honoring their country by putting a flag lapel pin on. So I mean, I thought it was really interesting that he was so sensitive. I don’t know who he’s talking about questioning his patriotism, but I do know that he questioned the patriotism of literally millions of Americans, who in a symbol of devotion to their country, put a flag on their lapel or on their uniform or on their automobile. I mean, I just — you know, it’s…

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, I take sort of a flip on that, though. I actually — I side with Senator Obama partially on that, is that anyone who would criticize him for not wearing a flag pin, because you know, I — I don’t know why, but that’s not the measure of my patriotism, so…

(CROSSTALK)

ROVE: I agree — I agree with you.

VAN SUSTEREN: OK.

ROVE: Nobody should be criticized for not wearing a flag lapel pin. On the other hand, nobody should say that you’re not being a true patriot if you do wear a flag lapel pin, which is what he said. He said true patriotism does not consist of wearing a flag lapel pin but instead speaking out on the issues. Look, you can be a true patriot and wear a flag lapel pin or not. You can be a true patriot speaking out on the issues or not. But the judgmental nature of his approach, saying if you wear a flag lapel pin, that’s not true patriotism, that was calling into question the patriotism of those who make the decision to wear that symbol.

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2008 Primaries, Grass Roots Organization, Leadership, Messaging • June 30th, 2008

The best use of resources…?

by Chris Lato

Good-government types are always bemoaning the fact that Wisconsin’s legislative incumbents often sail to re-election without even facing a legitimate challenger – which makes this piece from Wispolitics all the more interesting.

Take a poll of friends and neighbors of what they think of their representative, and the answer is often the same when you drill down to it: the Legislature is corrupt, but MY representative is A-OK. Why? Because if the incumbent has half a brain and wants to keep his or her job, a constant presence will be maintained in the community. Appearances at parades, mailers to constituents, open houses/townhall meetings, good constituent relations, etc. are all part of keeping up appearances with those who put you in office. A good level of contact typically keeps constituents satisfied and maintains the profile of the politico.

Anyway, Wispolitics reports the Democrats are taking it to the GOP, fielding candidates in all but a handful of Wisconsin’s 99 Assembly districts. There are two ways to look at this development.

The first: the Democrats are clearly counting on a repeat of ’06, when virtually anyone with a ‘D’ next to his or her name rode the wave of anti-GOP (and anti-Bush) sentiment, regardless of actual merit as candidates. It’s also a perception game: give the impression that Dems will be out in force and aggressively take it to the other team. Remember the ‘Barack Obama invades Wisconsin’ story?

The other side of that coin is that Assembly races are extremely localized and people will respond not just to the political affiliation, but to the person doing the job. Some of these districts are so safe that Democrats are running as little more than cannon fodder.

Also, a lot of it depends on resources. If the Dems are actually willing to commit to supporting those candidates, then this tactic will be interesting to watch play out. However, if it’s all a smokescreen - these candidates are sub-par and are only out there to put someone with a ‘D’ on the ballot, and are left to twist in the wind without support from the state party - then local voters will be smart enough to see through the ploy and will likely vote accordingly.

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Branding Politix, Grass Roots Organization, Views on News • June 26th, 2008

Shameless self-promotion…and another take on Twitter

by Chris Lato

After a couple days in sunny L.A. to work with one of my finest clients, I am back in Wisconsin with this commercial announcement: turn your radios to Wisconsin Public Radio this Friday, June 27 at 8 am to enjoy yours truly on the ‘Week in Review,’ with host Joy Cardin and fellow guest Matthew Rothschild of ‘The Progressive.’ I anticipate more shouting than your average episode of ‘Hannity and Colmes.’ As always - if you call in, be kind.

Since we’re in the middle of a promotion break, ever heard of ‘Twitter?’ A techie genius I work with tipped me off to this…and its possibilities as a promotional tool for political campaigns.

It’s interesting, because not too long ago I remember reading a story (from a reporter, I think – might have been a PR guy) about how the news release is dead – an outmoded way of communicating. Now, Twitter is here to tell us that e-mail is dead, too – if you can’t boil down your message to 140 characters or less, fuggetaboutit.

Read Jon Tingley’s take on Twitter below – as you can see, the Obama campaign is on top of this trend, while McCain’s team isn’t quite there yet. It offers a striking difference – Obama supporters are more technologically savvy based on these numbers. Obama is counting on the youth vote this fall, so it all makes sense.

Twitter has its place in an information-overloaded world where even brief e-mails will cause one’s eyes to glaze over before hitting the ‘delete’ button. Tweets can help connect with voters and volunteers. It is another arrow in the campaign’s quiver that should be deployed. As part of a well-considered campaign that fully incorporates social media opportunities, one shouldn’t ignore these trends.

However, it’s a mistake to over-rely on these trends and proclaim traditional methods of information disbursement dead. They aren’t. For example, there’s a reason every campaign spends millions upon millions of dollars on TV ads – because huge amounts of people can be reached with a single ad. News releases, when well-targeted, provide more detailed information for the media and those who want to do more than skim.

Call me an old fogey (I can take it) but there’s still more smoke than fire related to online campaigning. Again, I stress it should play a role – potentially a big one, depending on the size of the campaign and the resources available – but for the vast numbers of those potential voters out there, who want to feel close to a candidate and who can’t get a sense of who to support from a 140 character message, they need more ways to connect.

It is awfully easy to appear to have an army of support out there by manipulating the online community – just ask Ron Paul. However, there has to be more to fully communicating one’s campaign. Otherwise it will eventually be exposed as the empty exercise it is – just ask Ron Paul.

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2008 Primaries, Messaging, Views on News • June 19th, 2008

Feingold still hearts McCain

by Chris Lato

He’s backing off considerably, and falling into line like a good Democrat, but it’s clear Russ Feingold still thinks John McCain is a force to be reckoned with this fall.

This has to be giving Democrats heartburn. It wouldn’t be the first time Wisconsin’s senator has said things that get the DNC’s teeth gnashing, but in a charged and competitive election year, Feingold’s continued words of praise for McCain as a colleague and candidate have to sting. They should also be admired by any reasonable person who’s not on the extreme fringes of either party – which represents a good chunk of Wisconsin voters.

Feingold’s intelligence and political instincts deserve respect. That said, his comments about McCain should give pause to those who think Barack Obama is simply going to have his way with McCain this November. It’s just not shaping up to be that easy, and Feingold can read the tea leaves as well as anyone.

McCain and Feingold have both positioned themselves as ‘mavericks,’ but while they can articulate the decisions and stances they take in a well-reasoned manner, they are also political animals who understand when they can take a calculated risk by stepping away from their parties.

McCain is paying the price for that this year, however. His already strained relationship with conservatives means they have been slow to embrace him. At the same time, as Feingold understands, the current political climate favors someone like McCain, who holds appeal beyond the established base. It’s a tricky balance McCain has to strike, but it can be done. Beating the ‘McSame’ drumbeat is disingenuous and won’t fly – and Feingold has to know that.

The connection between McCain and Feingold is striking. It’s a combination of political savvy and native intelligence that makes them spiritual blood-brothers. They are both very good at navigating shark-infested waters.

It must be tough being a communications manager for either one – the endless challenges and headaches would be enough to write a book. But the way McCain and Feingold operate, on policy and in public, works for them. John McCain and Russ Feingold are their own best PR managers.

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2008 Primaries, Branding Politix, Creative, Report from the Field, Views on News • June 12th, 2008

Notes from the silly season

by Chris Lato

In the “Herding Cats” department, some party leaders are straying from the pack – and it’s happening on both sides of the aisle.

Democrats don’t like Barack Obama. Republicans don’t like John McCain. Hillary supporters are saying they’d rather vote for McCain - “Anybody but Obama.”

more »

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2008 Primaries, Grass Roots Organization, Strategic Blueprints, Views on News • June 11th, 2008

In search of…Obama’s ground troops

by Chris Lato

Well, this is interesting. Turns out Barack Obama may not have a gargantuan campaign operation running full-steam ahead in Wisconsin after all. Please refer to my Tuesday column for more about this fracas, but it does make my point that campaigns routinely talk tough about organizational strength, but the hot air often can’t be backed up by facts.

I know what you’re thinking: this is a news release from the Republican Party. We all know it’s full of lies and scurrilous innuendoes. How can we trust it? more »

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2008 Primaries, Grass Roots Organization • June 10th, 2008

Are McCain’s Wisconsin ground troops MIA?

by Chris Lato

At first blush, this doesn’t sound good.

What has John McCain been doing these past few months? Is an opportunity now lost? Has Barack Obama laid the groundwork for an unstoppable juggernaut of a campaign in Wisconsin?

Hold your horses a moment. In past columns I have discussed the need to have a strong ground game, and the importance of field organization in winning races in Wisconsin. It’s not the sexiest part of the campaign, it doesn’t get much attention, but it is absolutely vital, especially in a battleground state such as ours. And the Trib article suggests McCain is already falling behind. more »

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2008 Primaries, Leadership, Messaging, Views on News • June 5th, 2008

Well, duh

by Chris Lato

Not to beat a dead horse, but if you needed more evidence that Barack Obama doesn’t want Hillary Clinton as his VP, here you go.

I have said before that an Obama-Clinton ticket would be awfully tough to beat – but that it isn’t going to happen for a variety of reasons.

It’s not just the Clinton finances, though – it’s also the years of Clinton baggage and Obama’s fairly obvious desire to be his own leader and not have the Clintons looking over his shoulder and potentially starting slash-and-burn campaigns when they don’t like how President Obama is handling things.

More importantly, consider the message sent if Sen. Obama were to select Sen. Clinton. The Clintons represent the past – Obama says he’s looking to the future. Wouldn’t that be something of a contradiction, going back to the bad old days of divisiveness and scandal, to have the Clintons back in the White House? I think Team Obama is smart enough to know that. Luckily, Team Obama has all sorts of reasons to smack down talk of a ‘dream ticket.’

There’s also the bitterness – the divide within the Democratic Party that one senses will be extremely difficult to repair. Robert Novak writes of the sense among Democrat women that 2008 was their time to shine – and that they were denied yet again. Race and gender disputes are bubbling under the surface. It threatens to erupt in outright ugliness.

It is an open question whether the party can heal itself in time to rally ‘round Obama in November. Much like John McCain has to woo conservatives back to the tent, Obama now has to figure out how to navigate the minefield of simultaneously embracing Clinton, distancing himself from the VP talk, and uniting a fiercely divided Democratic Party.

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2008 Primaries, Branding Politix, Buttons, Messaging • June 2nd, 2008

Cha-ching!

by Chris Lato

Once the ‘Holy cow! $200 million!’ shock wears off, what does this tell us?

First off, for all the talk about new ways of executing political communication (social media, internet, Facebook, you name it) TV is still king, far and away. If you want to catch a lot of attention and eyeballs, it is still the way to go if you have the dough.

But money isn’t enough. John McCain was outspent roughly three-to-one by Mitt Romney, and look who’s still standing. Sometimes all the marketing money in the world won’t get voters to buy what you’re selling – especially if your message is garbled and you have failed to define yourself, what you stand for and why you are running.

And, what a mind-blowing number for the Democrats. All this over a battle for the nomination that has been great fun to watch, yet has allowed John McCain to run his campaign unscathed by Democrat attacks for months. Admittedly, if the Dem nominee will have this level of support at his disposal, McCain will be pelted with a non-stop barrage of attack ads any time now.

Despite the $46 million spent by the Hillary Clinton campaign, the study points out that in a number of key states Barack Obama still had the airwaves all to himself for a significant period of time – and made his biggest gains for a two-week stretch in February. Pure tactical outmaneuvering, coupled with the means to make some big buys, that helped move the needle in Obama’s direction.

Get ready, Wisconsin – the political airwave war in the Battleground Badger State is about to get underway….

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