2008 Primaries, Branding Politix, Strategic Blueprints • July 1st, 2008

And the best candidate for vice-president is…

by Chris Lato

You’ll never believe this. Or maybe you will. At first blush it seemed ridiculous, but upon reflection it makes some sense.

Colin Powell for Vice President? For BOTH McCain and Obama? This story offers a fascinating, if egg-headed way of reaching this conclusion. His is the one name that hasn’t really been on the radar screen until now. Perhaps Powell paid for the study?

But consider: Powell is seen as a moderate who can work from the middle to achieve consensus. And while he has been tied to GOP administrations and his initial support of the current Iraq war, he offers the ‘elder statesman’ heft that Obama needs, and a moderating influence for those ‘McSame’ critics who believe McCain is little more than a war-monger in the Bush mold. He’d be a pretty strong pick for either one, if you believe (as I do) that the VP choice matters more in the 2008 cycle than it has in the past.

Interestingly, this story surfaces as the debate rages over the degree to which McCain should discuss and campaign on his military service record. Wesley Clark took McCain to task, and now Obama is backpedaling while the GOP lines up in a massive fit of outrage.

I remind you only of this: four years ago, if memory serves, the military service records of our presidential candidates was a pretty darn big deal. Remember the howls from the left about President Bush’s service in the National Guard while John Kerry was in Vietnam? Remember how Kerry proclaimed he was “reporting for duty” at the 2004 national convention? Hmm. I guess certain political experts are counting on the voting public to have a short memory about these things. But I digress.

Back to the VP-picking: Will anyone choose Colin Powell? Nah. He’s probably not interested. But it’s fun to ponder these notions of a dream ticket, and how things like ego trip up notions of a perfect pairing of candidates.

Just like Obama won’t pick Hillary for VP, and McCain is said to be weighing whether he can stomach Mitt Romney as a running mate (seems like a long-shot to me, but that would be a pretty strong ticket), this is the kind of prognosticating that we can - and probably will – be doing right up to national convention time.

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New Media • June 25th, 2008

Politicians tweet to future voters

by Jon Tingley

You may have heard about a crazy new thing called Twitter lately. The truth is, it’s not that new, and it’s not that crazy. Twitter was launched almost two years ago in July and has since gained almost 2 million users worldwide. The number of Twitter users is constantly growing, as is the sites popularity; around 2 million tweets are sent each day. As you’ll read below, a few politicians have started using Twitter and one has seen overwhelming success.

What is Twitter? Well, as confusing as it sounds, the idea behind the service is very simple. The service is based on the question “What are you doing now?” and from that, you can communicate your own or your business’s status to the world. Twitter was created as a cross-platform tool to communicate your status to friends. All you have to do is create an account, find some people to follow, find some people to follow you, and start tweeting. The beauty of it all is that your followers can choose how they would like to receive your updates, either by text message, instant message, or on the web. You can also update your status from your mobile phone, instant messenger, on the website, or through the multitude of applications and plug-ins that have been created just to tweet.

What can this do for you? Twitter may have been intended for individual use, but it hasn’t taken long for a few enterprising minds to think of ways to use this in political settings.

For example, Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton and John McCain have all embraced the service as a way to recruit and communicate with America’s youth. While it has been successful for two of them, Obama is leading with nearly 42,000 people following him over Clinton’s 4,142 and McCain’s 68. What’s interesting about Obama’s use is that not only does he have thousands of followers, but he is also following over 43,000 people; imagine the tweets he gets. Click the links for their pages. Obama. Clinton. McCain.

The bottom line is that we are living in an age where information is updated and disbursed every second. For a politician to succeed, they will have to figure out how to keep up. Will Twitter be the way?

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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 • April 21st, 2008

Pennsylvania blues

by Chris Lato

Will the Democrats’ long national nightmare finally come to an end this week? Will Barack Obama finally seal the deal? Or will Hillary Clinton surge in Pennsylvania, allowing her to continue justifying her quest for the White House?

The attacks are flying on TV in Pennsylvania, and John McCain is helpfully tossing a grenade here and there to keep everyone on their toes.

The polls show things are holding up well for Clinton. However, the question is whether she wins big enough. It still won’t mean a huge boost in terms of delegates, but Clinton would at least be given the moral victory of a popular vote boost, and maybe help keep some money flowing her way…which means the Democrats’ nightmare would continue.

In any event, it seems very unlikely that this will end after the votes are counted Tuesday, unless Clinton is absolutely blown out of the water in Pennsylvania. At the same time, The New York Daily News makes the case that Clinton may feel compelled to stay in until the convention – which also feels unlikely. There’s a lot of dead time between the end of voting and the convention proper, and if things are still in the same general situation, look for the Dem leaders to really turn up the heat to push Clinton out.

But, political junkies rejoice - this thing shouldn’t end for a little while yet.

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2008 Primaries, Views on News, public relations • April 16th, 2008

No liberal media here…

by Chris Lato

News flash: the press loves John McCain and isn’t too keen on Barack Obama. Anyway, that’s the takeaway from this article.

Give McCain credit: he has made the press feel really good about themselves for a long time, and that warm and fuzzy relationship may pay some dividends this election year. This coziness is part of what gets conservatives’ knickers in a twist – that McCain is sleeping with the liberal enemy (figuratively speaking, of course).

I’m struck by this article’s portrayal of the media as fawning over McCain and giving the cold shoulder to Obama. Why would that be? For starters, the press has taken a beating for appearing to allow the Obama love-fest to go on unchallenged. Editors are probably feeling the pressure to appear they aren’t in the tank for him, and the press is starting to turn.

Also, McCain hasn’t been shy about cozying up to the media. He is seen as quotable, a straight shooter, sometimes to his detriment. The press likes that.

Obama is a dazzling orator, but some in the media are asking what is underneath that veneer. The press, in particular, may be feeling their B.S. detectors are at their limit. Obama’s comments in San Francisco are prompting another round of questions: just who is this guy?

This ties into my experience, and the notion that the ‘liberal media’ is overblown. Granted, I did not work for an outlet in New York, Chicago or LA. My ten years in broadcast journalism were entirely in Wisconsin, including five years as reporter and, later, news director for the Wisconsin Radio Network (not to be confused with Wisconsin Public Radio – but it often is anyway).

There are liberal reporters and editors in the media. I have worked alongside plenty of them. I’m friendly with some of them. I’ve hired a couple. Everyone has opinions, and some do a better job of concealing them than others. That’s where the real problem lies.

But in my experience, reporters thrive much more on old-fashioned conflict and on challenging B.S. That’s what gets the ol’ juices flowing. In dealing with the press, I counsel clients to look at reporters not as an enemy, but someone who has a good sense of when you are being honest and when you are blowing smoke. You can win them over by engaging on an honest level with reporters, knowing that everything you say may be used - most of the time, you will be OK.

Come in with your guard up, convinced that the evil liberal reporter is out to ‘get’ you, and things probably won’t go well. You’ll appear secretive, evasive, combative – not a good combo.

BONUS PARAGRAPH: So, you think your job stinks? Maybe you want to send your resume to this outfit. It reminds me of the abuse heaped on the real estate salesmen in ‘Glengarry Glen Ross.’ Always Be Closing! (I’d link to Alec Baldwin’s speech from the movie, but it’s way too profane for young, impressionable ears and eyes.)

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2008 Primaries, Events, Leadership, Speeches • April 15th, 2008

Random campaign trail notes…

by Chris Lato

I see no exciting theme from today’s news feeds, but here are a few fun items of note:

• Union members picket DNC in Michigan and Florida. How low will Hillary go to sew up the nomination???? Actually, it’s just an educated guess that the Clinton team is behind it. Have fun working that little snafu out, DNC! Having said that, those states made their bed and now they have to lie in it, as my mama used to say.
• From the ‘Worst Kept Secrets’ File: McCain prefers to run against Clinton. No s**t, Sherlock, what was your first clue?…as an old buddy used to say.
• The “We’ll Pass, But Thanks for Playing” Award goes to Bob Barr, who is striving to become the Ralph Nader of 2008. Always aim higher, as my teacher used to say.
• The Idiot of the Week Award goes to this guy. Geez, racist much? Keep it up and I’ll wash your mouth out with soap, as my grandma used to say.
• Barack Obama is a liberal elitist who looks down his nose at Middle America. Paging John Kerry! He knows a thing or two about answering to this charge (belatedly). This line of attack pretty much writes itself and rest assured, you have not heard the last of it. As for Obama’s awfully misguided comments, never forget your audience, as some former bosses used to say.

Now get your butt outside and clean up the yard, as my daddy used to say.

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2008 Primaries, Branding Politix, Creative, Messaging, wispundits • March 18th, 2008

Who are you?

by Greg Batiansila

It’s a question the electorate asks of a candidate, a question campaigns work to answer. It’s a question Romney and Hillary haven’t answered clearly - and it’s cost them.

One local adman, Steve Eichenbaum, has shown proven excellence in showing his candidates as a man of the people. It was Eichenbaum who showed Democratic Senator Russ Feingold as a suburban underdog with little money but a lot of honesty and integrity. This election year, he’s developing similar folksy charm for Steve Novick, a Democratic underdog in Oregon.

Should every candidate be cast as a man or woman of the people? Hillary’s handlers have tried it with sometimes damaging consequences. Clearly Barack’s people are comfortable with depicting him as something beyond “everyday.”

In John McCain’s latest advertisement, his campaign has positioned him as a timeless figure – quite the opposite of the everyday man. In the ad, McCain’s words are intercut with images and speeches of some of the greatest leaders in Western history.

The advertisement is brilliantly crafted. Who is John McCain? The ad answers: McCain is Churchill of this era. Where Obama’s strengths focus on his oratory, this advertisement says much without words. Time flies by, the cosmos undulate, it says. Greatness transcends these things. The wonderful shots at the close of the advertisement shot - in lush, cinematic saturated glory, and then melting to what looks like the cosmos - are brilliant.

I give the ad tremendous props for swinging for the fence and answering the age-old political question with gusto. Sometimes when you swing for the fences, however, you just miss.
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2008 Primaries, Fundraising, Leadership, Messaging • March 6th, 2008

The value of endorsements

by Chris Lato

No big shock – President Bush has endorsed John McCain for President.

This is how the game is played, even though the two have had a stormy relationship in the past, particularly in the 2000 campaign. The Bush team was accused of dirty tricks that helped knock McCain out of the race.

However, McCain soldiered on and even campaigned for Bush’s re-election in 2004. As an aside, I had the pleasure of being in McCain’s presence for a 2004 Bush event in Madison – we walked him from the Historical Museum to a speaking engagement and he handled the hecklers in style. He has a forceful, even intimidating presence, but he dutifully did everything that was asked of him without complaint.

Consider the value of endorsements. Much like yard signs, endorsements don’t vote. Some say they hold little to no value. I disagree, to a point.
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