Conservatives Need to Fire the Marketing Department
by Leigh ScottI make silly, fun movies. Stuff you pick up at your local Blockbuster or watch on the Sci-fi Channel. I’ve always said that most of my films, because of budget limitations, end up being “two star” movies, but with a six pack and some friends, they become exceedingly enjoyable experiences.
One source of endless enjoyment for me and my co-workers is watching how the various buyers (DVD, television, and international) market the films. The trailers, posters, and commercials are wildly different depending on who the intended audience is. As an example, in the U.S. my latest film is called “Chrome Angels.” It’s a sci-fi/action/comedy about a female biker gang that runs into a town populated by evil cyborgs. At the Cannes Film Market, the distributor is calling it “Cyborg Conquest.” The trailer and poster don’t even reference female bikers, motorcycles, or comedy. They, instead, are selling it as a serious action film centered on CGI cyborgs that don’t actually appear in the film.
Hollywood has done this for years. How many times have you seen a trailer that looked awesome, only to find the film to be lame? Most of the time the best parts of the movie are in the trailer. While domestically, we rarely see the blatant trickery demonstrated by the overseas vendors, we are occasionally subjected to marketing elements that don’t match the final product.
Politics today is very similar to Hollywood. We have a President known more for his wife’s fashion and his great speeches than any policy achievements. After all, do you call someone lost without their script (i.e. teleprompter) anything but an actor? It’s all style and no substance. People pick politicians like they pick movies, based on the short version, the “trailer,” and not on the substance of the actual individual. It’s an emotional decision, based on immediate needs and not on actual principles.
And this, my friends, is where the conservative movement has lost the battle. Poll after poll indicates that the American public likes President Obama, but are against every single one of his actions and policies. On a broader scope, they actually are against the very tenants of the liberal agenda. The people love the trailer and the poster, but the movie itself gets two “big thumbs down.”
The Democrats pulled a great maneuver. They sold everyone a bunch of tired, old, ideas that we know won’t work as “Hope and Change.” They inflated their box office to make it seem like they had the number one film in the country. They created the “must see” movie event of the year, despite the fact that their production is lamer than the last installment of the “Police Academy” franchise.
In fact, they cut together a trailer like this one, that sells the film as something it isn’t:
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If you saw that trailer, then paid $10 bucks to see the real movie, you’d be pretty pissed. Imagine the reaction when the U.S. wakes up and gets the tab for the “Obama Movie” that we’re all living in right now.
All we need to do is refine and change our marketing. We know the critics (which in our industry is the mainstream media) are going to savage us, but who cares? How many summer blockbusters that make hundreds of millions of dollars get stellar reviews from the New York Times?
Conservatism is all about freedom. That’s the sales pitch. Conservatives endorse freedom. We are the modern day rebels. We are the punk rockers of politics. We like to work hard and party harder. The government is “The Man.” “The Man” tries to hold you down. Anybody who wants the “safety net” of cradle to the grave government support should be ridiculed. And rightfully so.
I grow a bit tired of the in-fighting on all the conservative blogs and news shows between the “social conservatives”: and the Libertarian wing of the party. Ditch abortion. Don’t ditch abortion. Move to the center. Don’t abandon principles. It’s a defeatist argument and one that really doesn’t need to be fought. The David Frums and Meghan McCains have it half right. Where they lose me is in their obvious attempts to gain approval from our enemies.
But they do have one thing right. In the current climate, many of the social issues are big losers amongst certain voter groups. The biggest bloc, and the one we have the greatest potential to turn, is women. Women tend to poll liberal on issues like gay marriage and abortion.
Now, before this turns into a two-hundred comment post with people yelling about not giving up their core principles, let me be clear. I do not advocate that the party pull left or advertise itself as “Democrat-light.” But I do advocate prioritizing the issues that form the foundation of our marketing campaign..
I’m sure “Transformers 2″ has a romantic subtext between Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. I’m sure that there are at least two minutes in the film of them making kissy face and being sappy. Yet, the trailer is all about giant robots trashing everything in sight. In fact, almost every shot is a giant explosion, or a giant robot. That’s smart marketing. It’s a summer popcorn movie. Give the people what they want. If there is a great romance or moments of rip-roaring comedy, that’s a pleasant surprise. But, if I don’t see a forklift turn into a robot and crush an Apache helicopter, I will be disappointed.
Did the Democrats put nationalizing the banks, firing corporate CEOs, and practically making out with Hugo Chavez in their trailer? Did their poster include Obama’s embarrassing world apology tour? I think not.
Yet, we allow the media to frame the discussions and the debates. Why, for example, did most of our pundits take the bait on the Perez Hilton thing and let the media frame the arguments as an example of the gay marriage issue being debated in the public forum? That incident was about how the left stifles free speech. It was about how women are second-class citizens in the Democratic party. Every discussion of Ms. California should have been an opportunity to bring up the media’s treatment of Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton. But it wasn’t. Instead, we allowed the Democrats to cut our trailer and replace the robot on the key art with a photo of Shia LaBeouf.
The core values of the movement can be different from the marketing campaign. That’s the smart way to do it. It’s how the Democrats took over the government and it’s our only hope at taking it back.
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320 Comments
I've seen that trailer before. That is truly awesome!
By the way, I agree completely that the Republicans need to fire everyone who has been doing their marketing. They don't get it. I also agree that there is a huge difference between your principals and how you sell them. Many Republicans don't seem to understand that. That drives me crazy.
Politics is the art of selling your ideas to the population at large. Republicans too often seem to think that the idea of selling your ideas is somehow "dirty" or "inappropriate." It's time to recognize the fact that people will not wake up one day and just suddenly realize that you're right — you need to bring them to you.
One question: What marketing department? There isn't any!
This is very similar to that old joke about the Devil provoking God into a fight, and when God says, "We will make our defense, this cannot stand", the Devil replies, "Defense? How? I've got all the lawyers!"
Guess we have to buy a bunch of theaters in order to control the message ?
Newspapers are pretty cheap right now, ask Sam Zell.
AM Radio is already there message-wise.
FM Radio is NPR and music streams.
Cable TV …..humm ?
Wait ! Wait !! I've got it !!!
THE INTERNET.
Great post. But Ms. California was not about women. It was about how the left jump on you if you happen to disagree with them. I would have agreed with you on that point but look at Joe the Plumber.
Every time I see anyone who worked on the campaign for John McCain, especially the ones who threw Sarah Palin under the bus after it was over, as an "expert" on any Fox show I think how are these people still working? I know McCain wasn't a good candidate, but the sheer ineptitude on display during the whole campaign was staggering. I don't believe I heard a well articulated message the whole time. And don't even get me started on the miss-handling of Palin. The Republicans don't just need new marketing, they need a whole new marketing team.
Hm… well it was our marketing department that lost to the Democrat marketing department… So maybe we should use all that money that Dem's claim we all have to bribe their marketing department to come work for us… >:)
But I agree… we need to drop the social issues from the marketing… not lose them per se, but just kinda put them on the back burner… because honestly, I am tired of be considered an ignorant, racist, homophobic bigot that has no concern for poor people or people in unfortunate circumstances… When the total opposite is true… and I am sure it is that way with most Conservatives and/or Republicans.
I think the argument here, though, is that the Right has yet to elevate the message to an art form. Look at it this way: we're a movement, and one that's been around forever. But the movement is framed by what we're doing now, the 21st century. Any movement of worth – until fairly recently – has been framed by conservative, republican, or religious ideology. Plato, Milton, Michelangelo, Blake, Bach, Elvis… all of these guys had a "mass market" appeal, for want of a better term, that bordered on the subversive without being wholly irreverent. On the fringe without being alienating. On the progressive without kissing common sense or values goodbye. Johnny Ramone had razorblade appeal tinged with straightfaced conservatism. Reagan was a rockstar.
What we've seen from the left is that the medium is the message – if it's candy coated and hollow, take it with water like Aspirin. The pill might be bitter (don't chew!) but it goes down easy. Let's see the right take the medium to the message – we've neglected it for too long and it's made us look antiquated.
GREAT article.
Hey Leigh,
Good one! This piece was right on the money. It's the marketing stupid! Also, the conservative candidates need to be reminded that being kind to liberals is a death sentence. They are now the enemy. Ask any liberal what they think of Republicans or conservatives in general and they will confirm that fact. The leftie trolls on Big Hollywood threads are proof positive. I say let's tell it like it is and not mince words. It's time to take no prisoners and get out the big stick.
When Obama and the Democrat's policies start affecting the average Joe/Jane's pocket book, they will need a new marketing firm. One thing we do control is most of the small business in this country and every one of us will have the opportunity to explain to our customers, why every thing is out pacing their pay check. We send out heads up notice to our customers, if we know a price increase is coming. You can damn well bet, from now on they will include the reasons.
CONCLUSION: This ObamaNation is anti-American and corrupted by foreign toxins.
Democrats and their unproductive voter base are bad for business. We can no longer afford them. America's Capitalist System, our freedom-loving allies, free markets, and our jobs, assets and savings are absolutely indespensible. Democrats and their fellow parasites (educators and media liars) and their foreign, anti-American investors are not! Not one more day. Purge 2010. Vote them out then drive them out! End this dark, fascist period in America's history. Sterilize our government from surrendaCrats and abortaCrats. Arrest these progressive pirates. Remove swine virus-infected illegals. Delete islamic sleeper cells. Lock down borders. Crush an acorn, everyone – free the USA from these banana republic ballerinas.
OK so for every house closed upon in the real estate offices of America, ACORN claims $100. Time to sterilize the stealth parasites of our time. How many billions have taxpayers handed over to these worms thanks to the PukOcrats in Copngress? Crush ACORNS.
Republicans must use the same PR firm that Israel does.
McCains people are and will always be dolts. We need not only a clear leader but a tough one. One who can shovel it back to the leftish trash. The way someone like Colin Powell can go on and on about Rush when the need strikes him, we need a leader who can say Garafalo is a small bag of wind with glasses. Who is it gonna be is the question. I know who I want it to be.
The Republicans problem is that the public doesn’t know what Republicans believe, the liberals problem is the public does know what they believe which is why they rebrand themselves as center-right in the general election.
The Obama brand marketing was stellar. The no-substance candidate was all packaging and polish, logos and swag. The Republican marketing strategy was abysmal. Yes, we need to get rid of the old team and bring in new blood.
That's right in there with the Must Love Jaws trailer that was running around.
Stream of consciousness: Morning in America – probably too quaint now. Happy with the government – thank a Dem. Rush’s attitude works – happy, laughing and keeps a straight face while telling people he’s awesome and always right (the in joke is he’s joking, sort of…you can’t ever really tell – that’s the point!). Keep that attitude. Of course we are right. Never pander. Never apologize. Sense of humor! We rock and we know it and you should know it and you will know it. Eventually you will love us. Think annoying loser guy in a love story – who does get the girl. Think Anthony Michael Hall in 16 Candles. Above all – call it out simply. Think Bill Murray. If on a talk show with say, Perez – when it’s you’re turn to speak: look shocked and say something like, “Wow. That was MEAN. Why are you so mean?” The best defense is INNOCENCE! Why are you so mad? Why do you like terrorists? Why do you want people to lose jobs by overtaxing companies? Play dumb and smile! Always questions them with emotionally charged questions – Why do you HATE (fill in the blank)? Their heads will explode!
The glorification of form over substance has reached its zenith. I will admit, though, that considering the current political climate, I'd rather see CGI robots than have to put up with most of the messages that are being shoved down our throats when actual people interact with each other.
The problem is that the Republicans had 8 years and they blew it. They have no new ideas now, and think that if they just vilify the left enough rather than talk about what they really want to do (redistribute wealth and resources from the poor and middle classes to the wealthy), the mindless proles will come running to them to be saved.
They tried to re-brand last week, to go on a "listening tour" to pretend they care, but their master, overlord Limbaugh said "no," and now it's not a listening tour–it's a "we'll tell you what to think" tour, I guess.
Less is More! Live your life your way and tell the Feds to get out of the way. Social issues aren't an issue. Punt to the states and local governement where you can vote on them properly. Pantywaist lefties can't do anything without a government there to hold their hand. We can do what we want by ourselves. We're the action heroes not the drama queens. If you spend your life waiting for the the government to give you what you think you want, you'll never get what you really need.
The only people who will be put off by a strong, no uncertain terms conservative message are the ones who will never vote for a center/right candidate anyway. Enough with the namby-pamby nonsense, and let's market conservativism for itself, and quit worrying about who might object. Ronald Reagan was called mean-spirited many times, but he didn't start cowering in a corner where he could soften his message. If we keep acting like sheep, the liberals will keep shearing us.
===They have no new ideas now, and think that if they just vilify the left enough rather than talk about what they really want to do (redistribute wealth and resources from the poor and middle classes to the wealthy), ===
Are you dumb or just stupid?
Don't get too excited the democrats have that little detail all sewn up as well.
http://www.openmarket.org/2009/04/30/censoring-cr...
Under a recently-introduced bill, H.R. 1966, bloggers would face up to two years in prison if they “harass” public figures by criticizing them in a “severe, repeated, and hostile” manner, and thereby cause them “substantial emotional distress.”
Mind you I'd contend the dems alreay are substantially emotionally distressed to begin with.
It seems to me that the left vilifies the right, not vice-versa. Look at it this way: while my personal opinion on gay marriage is "let it happen," it's clear that the majority of America disagrees. But the dissemination of the left's groupthink propaganda among the proletariat means that even a democratic discussion of these issues is hate speech. The people don't matter; the people eat our fodder and LIKE it.
And when you say "they" tried to rebrand, you make it sound like everyone with populist, or libertarian, or classical liberal, or conservative leanings got together in some cabal and decided, "let's make RUSH the figurehead! He'll pretend to care and–oh wait, he doesn't want to; never mind."
The problem (if you'd read the article) is that we haven't even BEGUN to stoop to something as egregious and coordinated as that. Give me a break, Sojourner.
The problem is Washington politics, they agree on most things, right and left the difference is by degree. You want something that would sell to the majority of Americans, be anti Washington. Perot proved that in 92 if he had not turned into a psychopath he could have won. This sent the two parties into self preservation mode they love their power, and intend to keep it. We need an unabashed conservative, freedom loving American with principled stances that doesn’t get caught up in Washington politics(Sarah Palin?) The Tea Parties were an example of the independent streak that permeates though out this country tap into that and you’ve got a winner for the voters, and the country. Washington is a swamp that needs to be drained, right and left.
Let's go full-throttle, un-pc, extreme conservative on the world and watch the left's little tiny heads explode.
namby-pamby=the end of us.
I also like the mash-up of V is for Vendetta and the muppets. This is a good one:
http://www.thetrailermash.com/c-for-cookie-parody...
I agree with your concept. What the heck is center-right? No one knows, and no one wants to chance it. We fired a lot of 'center-right' politicians that showed us how little that stood for. No one wanted to vote McCain, and he was the perfect example of center-right.
Who fired up the base? Who was cheered at every event? More importantly, who was so feared by the left they began immediate attacks? It was no 'center-right' politician. It was Sarah Palin, a no-apologies 'keep government out of my business' american who got so tired of things she ran for office. We can dance around this all day long, and RNC will probably ignore this debate anyhow. But we need a leader that will stand up for the things they personally believe in, and that can explain why. That's not the people we have now, in the RNC, or in large measure in congress either. Thank the Lord we have a few left that can speak up, but is it enough to save the party? Doesn't look so good.
wow- literally everyone who posted on this hit the ball hard… it is not the Republican message but the Brand. Obama ran a snaky campaign as a moderate/cum stealth leftist. He embraced tax cuts that will never exist and never spoke of trillions in we win you lose pork. So, what a conservative to do? Punt? No- get cracking!
Use clips from these in political ads:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117523/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235549/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0255994/
Leigh, I was all set for a good rant and you had to go and surprise me at the end.
Now I'll have to go read that Simpson post again.
Absolutely not! Are are the things we believe in. If we believe in life, our marketing department needs to find a way to explain we value all life, the life of the fireman, the life of the paramedic, the life of the old woman living alone and depending on the social security check every month. We value them! We don't consider them another 4 votes in a different state in a tight election. We need to tell our side, that's what marketing is about! If we give up one battle, one position, one moral value then the liberals have won before the ballot is ever cast.
It's this defeatist attitude that must be stomped on, and ridiculed for the nonsense it is. Marketing? We seem to have taken our cues from the 1940's french military. It must stop, and if our party is to survive, it must stop now.
Leigh – This is brilliant, and spot on.
YOU need to be the new marketing voice of the GOP.
OR you must find a way to get this message to the others who will.
It's always my theory that this is why conservatives rule talk radio and liberals rule hollywood and television (same). You have to sing and dance a liberal message, because if you actually talk about liberal theology, you realize it doesn't work! If you actually sit down and talk about conservative principles in a boring 3 hr radio session, you realize it works. (call me biased)
You sound like someone that actually fights to win. Someone that thinks some fights are worth fighting! Good for you, of course the libs and 'centerists' will vote your comment down. But consider it a mark of honor and I hope you bring three more just like you to the polls next time. And I hope next time we have someone on the ballet worth going to the polls for!
I agree with that in part, but disagree in part.
Agree: We can't be timid about our message.
Disagree: The problem with going "full on conservative" is that this usually means stressing the more controversial issues. Those issues tend to turn undecided voters off. That's why those issues need to be put out there in a more targetted fashion.
Part of selling a product is learning who will want to hear which parts of the message and who won't, and finding ways to get the right messages to the right people. If you just make one big broad appeal, and mix all of your issues, people will pick out the parts they don't like.
Moreover, the one thing the American people want (and which Reagan delivered all the time) is a positive message. Too many of the "single issue" ideas are very negative.
I would suggest putting out a broad statement of principles, largely based on individual rights, economic freedoms and fiscal responsibility. Then target the social issues more carefully to the groups who would be more receptive to them.
Didn't I meet you at a tea party? You were standing in a bunch of patriots, and being ignored by a reporter….
I totally agree with you Leigh. Go get em.
Keep in mind, I'm talking about marketing the image — not about governing. Nor am I advocating abandoning controversial issues. I'm talking about highlighting our more popular ideas in a broad-based general appeal, and then addressing the more controversial issues with the people who are specifically interested in those.
You may consider this cynical, but it's the way marketing is done and it's the way good politicians have acted forever.
I typed faster than I thought. I want a clear conservative candidate, in what I believe to be a center-right nation. A candidate who declares himself or herself to be "center-right" is probably a liberal in training. Also, a center-right candidate, even with good intentions, can never be as effective as a conservative who doesn't waver. Too worried about the feelings of the opposition.
I was being sarcastic in the first paragraph… And I realize that these are things that we believe in… However, they are being VASTILY misunderstood to the point that we are all labeled as evil, ignorant, racists, bigots and every other negative adjective you can find out…. I am not saying we abandon them.. I am saying until we can flush out the negativity that isn't really there except for the overly extremists such as the Phelps family and the likes of them…. we need to refocus… not abandon…
Maybe my wording was not as I meant it…
I hate to admit it, but he is right. For Bush (as another Bush) to tell us when a Reagan era is over, at the expense of another bush added to the bush era, I get angry. What idea is that? What are they wanting to replace that Reagan valued? A listening tour would be much different than this charade. Are they going to hear the millions of americans that want the border secured? Are they going to hear from us anything they haven't already tested in polls and gotten the nod from in the RNC? I don't think so. So, this tour has gone from a waste of time to the level of insulting. To us normal americans, that is.
So long as we don't abandon principles, I'm game for a great deal of "marketing." But I think conservative issues are marketable without watering them down or making them so broad as to be unrecognizable. "Abortion is murder" isn't going to win a lot of undecided voters. But a clear message about families, options, and the needs of both a mother and an unplanned baby can go a long way to bringing over those who think it's all or nothing.. That said, we can never abandon the abortion issue without losing our souls. We must market those ideas that clearly distinguish conservatives from liberals while pointing out that most Americans actually lean conservative. Muddled messages (McCain) lead to defeat. We can't be all things to all men, so let's be the right things to the greatest number of people.
So long as we don't abandon principles, I'm game for a great deal of "marketing." But I think conservative issues are marketable without watering them down or making them so broad as to be unrecognizable. "Abortion is murder" isn't going to win a lot of undecided voters. But a clear message about families, options, and the needs of both a mother and an unplanned baby can go a long way to bringing over those who think it's all or nothing.. That said, we can never abandon the abortion issue without losing our souls. We must market those ideas that clearly distinguish conservatives from liberals while pointing out that most Americans actually lean conservative. Muddled messages (McCain) lead to defeat. We can't be all things to all men, so let's be the right things to the greatest number of people.
I singled out abortion just because it makes me so angry, but there are at least four or five core issues that we can stick to and make sure that we don't market them as "we agree, but . . ." or "we believe this, and if you don't, you're unpatriotic." Taxes, affirmative action, and foreign policy also come to mind.
Law, marketing can do the job. This article we're discussing hit it right spot on.
There are conservative marketers that can get an effective message out.
I'm not catholic, but this youtube clip gives me chills. Even this far after the election I think about it when making moral choices.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61wj4tJICcc
The RNC needs to get these guys on our side, and use them without tying their hands.
I love your passion Hawk, quite a journey from a ‘60s radical to an unabashed conservative, cool!
Its the tyranny, stupid! Individual freedom first, last , and always. How is that for a clear message?
This can be done. That's what the left did. It's all image and emotion. Funny. Uplifting. Funny. Positive. Good music. Famous people. Funny. Laugh at ourselves before they get a chance. Laugh at them. Do it without a teleprompter and Greek columns. Out-green them (what are they doing with that campaign platform, anyway?). Out everything them. I'm tired of them running us into the ground.
I would NEVER suggest abandoning principles — just selling them more carefully. Unfortunately, the Republicans don't seem to understand the art of the sell.
Nor am I talking about watering them down. But take the abortion issue for example. Studies show that only a small percent of the population (single digits on either side) base their votes on that issue and that the vast majority are turned off by the issue itself. They just don't want to hear about it.
So rather than making this part of big broad-based public ad campaign, stick to other, less-controversial issues. Then address the abortion issue directly with the people who are interested through more narrowly-taylored means. Its the same way Obama "spoke white" to the public at large, but then went on black radio stations and assured them that he was one of them.
[...] This folks, is it! Look, I’m not going to let you skip over the link without reading the article. Go, read [...]
It doesn't matter how good your marketing is if you are selling crap that nobody wants to buy. You aren't a "movement." Movements refer to change. You are a bunch of archaic fundamentalists, pining for "the good old days" and trying to repress our freedoms like the taliban. There is nothing "cool" about conservatism.
Your wording is clear enough, and I understood the first paragraph was tongue in cheek. But you must understand that if our message isn't getting out, we need to find another, a better way of getting it out. We all understand by now that we can't even consider using anything connected with AP, any newspaper, any network TV station, any FM radio station, a lot of the internet… so it's not a problem with message, it's a problem with delivery.
One huge debate right now is the DC vote to recognize same sex marriage. The black ministers are up in arms. Why hasn't the RNC made the most of this? Why are we allowing to keep this under the radar screens of most people? Until we learn to take advantage of each and every single opportunity the way the manipulative left does, we are doomed. It's called taking a knife to a gun fight.
Thank you. That is EXACTLY the kind of thing I'm talking about. Halfway through that piece, I was ready to shout "Ave Maria" and run to the closest Mass–and I'm a lifelong Lutheran. Not a negative word in it. No mention of any candidate by name, and all four of the Pres/VP candidates shown respectfully (leaving it to the viewer to decide which believed what). We need to get these people together with the RNC, fast! There was not mistaking what that message was, yet the only words which related to it were "life" and "family." EXCELLENT
Andrew: Take a look at the video above. It does just what I hope to see in future campaigns. There was not one controversial thought in it, but it was one of the strongest anti-abortion messages I have yet seen. It couldn't offend anyone short of an abortion-mill doctor, but could bring plenty of votes to the conservative cause. Substitute "conservative" for "Catholic" and we have ourselves a message.
The "Freedom sales pitch" paragraph is what has the greatest potential to change the entire debate in our favor. It works in a lot of different directions and with potentially endless interpretations. And it's cool to boot!
Cain't hep it. My sister used to tell me that there's nothing as dangerous and dedicated as an ex-anything.
The Democratic approach is, "if you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bulls**t". Conservatives have got to sell the priciple first, then exemplify it with the idea. For instance, the PRICIPLE is a strong national foreign policy, the IDEA is curb foreign aid to "allies" who don't contribute monetarily to their own defense, or refuse to send bodies to support our coalitions fighting overseas. And if the message(s) are based on PRINCIPLE then IDEA we'll have very marketable products. After the Obamamanian policies fail, and they will, the public is not going to be fooled twice with Republicans trying to float amorphous drivel like hope & change again. That would be akin to fighting the last war.
http://shermansmarch.blogspot.com
Amen. But lets actually deliver the product too. I keep hearing about "the Republican brand" and that's important. But if we're the party that does nothing as the Tom Delays makes lobbying an art form, then all that marketing is worthless.
I hope the inevitable comeback is because the party reformed itself and not because the Pelosi/Reid/Obama Axis of Idiocy brought the country to ruin.
The Republican brand is irreparably damaged – you can't throw THE core principle (smaller government) under the bus and expect to have much drawing power. It's time to kill the old brand and ring in the new…like the New Patriot Party, which stands first and foremost for less government interference in our lives, chucking the tax code and replacing it with the Fair Tax, entitlement reform, states' rights, sunset provisions on government regulations and term limits for every politician! New Patriots stand for prosperity for all, individual responsibilities commensurate with individual rights and a level playing field where each can excel to the extent their drive, talents and abilities are capable of achieving. Now, that's a platform I could really get behind!
It, in fact, does matter how good your marketing is. No one wants to buy billions of dollars of bailouts and frivolous governments spending reflected almost solely on the time of the taxpayer, but it's dressed as a solution. You and those like you are living proof that charlatanism produces in spades.
And I apologize wholeheartedly for the assumption that you're a characteristically uninspired American whose virulent malevolence spills onto the internet like a plague even when your boy's in office. You're apparently a doctorate, the full professor of Manifestic Literature in the University of Progress. Allow me, please, to spell it out for you in a way you'll understand. A movement, friend, might represent a change from the norm – but a change of message and a change of methods are two entirely different things. The approach (the means) may diverge from the norm, but the destination (the end) does not. The "archaic" to you is our "classical." Our destination is demonstrated, it is classical liberalism, it is natural law, it is – in short – everything outside of the oft-tried, always-failed policies of the far left.
And as such, we, the people, are a movement; and yes, we, the people, will change our methods to reach the lackeys that cling to you because you promise the bailout for which they will pay dearly. The Taliban? No sir – we express, we don't oppress. We create, we don't destroy. We don't wish for the destruction of your party, but for the change that we need ourselves to promote, the end-of-the-line that the BOTTOM line will reinforce when it's reached in the next couple of years. We want you in the fray when we return. That's right – we include all Americans who appreciate the truth.
Nothing "cool" about conservatism? All right. Then toss away the semantics and semiotics and embrace the unpopular, the marginalized. The truth.
What Conservatives need to do is be as good as Democrats at managing the image. Somehow the Dems have branded themselves as compassionate, open-minded and forward thinking while branding us as closed-minded, heard-hearted and parochial. We have to simultaneously expose them as the frauds they are while showing that we stand for the principles of freedom– of thought and action.
Excellent post. I would take only one small exception to what you said though.
"Poll after poll indicates that the American public likes President Obama, but are against every single one of his actions and policies. On a broader scope, they actually are against the very tenants of the liberal agenda."
I think at this point in history a majority of Americans are in love with the liberal bill of goods. It is heartbreaking that there seems to be no sense of history learned about how bad the Great Society and New Deal were. But the idea of the loving State doing things for you rather than getting out of the way is more appealing.
I agree 100%!!
To paraphrase eh…hmm Nixon: “Only if you have been in the deepest valley, can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.” I was a kid when I heard that and It’s always stuck with me, sounds kind of like you.
Thanks for the advice. We'll be sure to pass it on to Arlen Specter for you. The Republicans blew it all right, but not because of lacking ideas. It blew it by becoming just like Democrats over many years of their grip on Congress. Hold onto that power and that seat, and to hell with doing what's right. What's so great about "new" ideas anyway? Nazism and communism were new ideas, and they didn't work out too well. Socialism isn't new, but the idea of a massive infusion of it into America is new, and it stinks nearly as badly as the other two. Love of country, liberty, the right to do what you wish with your own hard-earned money, love of family, protection of the innocent, treating real life as real life rather than an unachievable nirvana, freedom of speech and religion, defense of our nation from foreign threats, war when necessary, diplomacy that enhances our allies and isolates our enemies, and pride in the greatest nation on earth (I said "greatest," not perfect) are all old ideas which we will be proud to advance. If your "new" ideas ever replace those bedrock ideas, life won't be worth living for the vast majority of the American people. So go sell your new ideas to Obama and his gang of anti-Americans.
Thanks for the kind words! You are right. I do care and I am willing to fight politically for those who share my concern abouyt the direction we are heading now.I hope also that we have a worthy candidate in the next election.
Token Liberal here: The problem is that people already associate the Republican Party with false advertising. But be my guest. It worked for GW Bush, maybe it will work as well for you. The Republican Party has no policies, it only has principles. Because of that, it is constantly betraying its principles when it's time for policies. The times are working against you because the times are characterized by problems. For Republicans to win, you'd have to persuade people that a) you'll do better on the economy (not likely); b) the really important problem is not the economy (good luck); c) the really important problems are abortion and gay marriage (35-40% of the vote max); and d) the Republicans can handle the international threat better by Bush-type bluster and arm-twisting than Obama can by creating good will (it will take another 9-11 to bring people back around to that)
One thing I've noticed is that Obama's handlers, both during the campaign and now, have a policy of never let a negative go unanswered. G.W. Bush always tried to act "presidential" and would rarely respond. This always appealed to me as "classy" but I admit after awhile, the unanswered negatives tend to become "accepted science" as algore might say. Karl Rove does this well and needs to stay active.
Thanks. Unfortunately for Nixon, like Obama, his words were considerably more to be admired than his actions.
Lawhawk, I have to disagree.
I agree that the video is effective and well done, and it will play very well with the people for whom stopping abortion is a big issue. But I'm talking about trying to sell the party to the population at large. And all the evidence I have seen consistently shows that the population at large is uncomfortable dealing with the abortion issue and would rather not talk about it.
Use this video to reach the people for whom the issue matters, but do not make this part of the broader campaign.
We’ll see sounds to me like, 1965, 1979, 1992. America is an inherently conservative country and the pendulum will swing back, right. In fact I would argue based on polls it already has. Barry’s approval ratings are still good but his policies are tanking in the polls, for whatever polls are worth. Like I said we’ll see?
I just like the quote. Take the Washington politician out of it.
"It’s how the Democrats took over the government and it’s our only hope at taking it back."
No, it's not. For the last time, guys, the Repubs were not defeated on substance. They were defeated by a corrupt press that lied, dissembled, and obfuscated Obama into office. Heck, if the press hadn't decided early on to throw Hillary overboard and run interference for Barack, he wouldn't even have been the Democratic nominee.
Having said that, I agree with Leigh's basic premise that conservatives should make better "trailers" and more appealing sound bites. The problem is, I just don't know how you do that when the arguments you're selling require more than 30 seconds to articulate. The left has the permanent advantage here because they have no coherent arguments. They have goals they want to achieve, and any "argument" that helps them sell their goals will do for them. They don't actually believe any of their bull***t, as exemplified by their hypocrisy on–just to take one example from a possible pool of hundreds–feminism and women's rights. They simply use whatever means are necessary in order to achieve their goals, and since right reason doesn't get you to where they're going, those means are almost invariably dishonest. This works for them because they are never forced to make their case from beginning to end, while conservatives are always forced to begin from square one in every forty-second interview.
Moreover, even if conservatives did a great marketing job, the corruption of the press would prevent their marketing from reaching the ears of the "consumers" who most need to hear it. Let's face it, it's not people with engaged brains who conservatives need to reach. Of that group, either they already agree with conservatives, or they are lefty ideologues beyond salvation. The ones we need to reach are the dummies, who bumble through life with little idea what they're doing, and that group doesn't read newspapers or political websites and blogs. They see stuff flash by them on the t.v. while they're chowing down a Big Mac in the company lunch room. So long as access to those people is controlled by forces hostile to conservatism, they remain largely out of our reach. The only thing that can overcome that is word of mouth, which is difficult to generate among the dumb set, unless you throw dignity and self-respect to the wind and just go all American Idol with American politics–which, come to think of it, may be what Leigh actually means.
That was awesome! A perfect American values message without a spoken word.
I'm at work and can't devote too much time to reading all the comments, so perhaps someone mentioned this, but have you noticed that Republicans who do the talk show circuit tend to talk in phrases like "We believe the president's proposal will stabilize the private sector and lead to future economic development" (that is, he has an opinion that might be wrong); but Democrats tend to sound like "The president's economic proposals will create or save three million jobs!" (that it, he's damn sure of himself.) Perhaps a variation on bin Ladens "Strong horse/weak horse" theory, but I can't help thinking that sounding like you might be correct will come off badly when someone else sounds cock-sure of himself and 40 percent of the voters are too dumb to realize that they're being lied to.
Part of good marketing is targeting. The population at large is nothing more than the sum of its parts. A message broad enough to be for everyone is too broad to be terribly worthwhile. That video would not be the campaign, but it would be an important part of the campaign. As would similar messages on each of the issues that are important to conservatives and have to be "marketed" to the public in a way that is palatable overall, but sends clear messages to the core constituencies without grossly offending the opposition. That message, for instance, did not mention abortion even once. Again, anyone who would be offended or switch his or her vote because of it would never have been a conservative pro-life voter at all. But some people who are uncomfortable with an anti-abortion message might start thinking about it differently after seeing the video. Many of those people are currently fence-sitters saying to themselves "a plague on both their houses." We need to do two things with our marketing: Assure our core constituency of our firm beliefs, and persuade those who have not yet decided which side is correct without sounding like zealots.
Absolutely NOT! If anything, they should use the same PR firm that those scumbag HAMAS terrorists use;
for the whole WORLD bashed Israel constantly both during and after the recent Gaza campaign precisely because the terrorists' PR machine was infinitely more effective!
As I'm sure you've noticed we are always in agreement about everything in regards to those lunatic murderous Jihadi Muslims, but when it comes to the PR battle, Israel has ALWAYS been woefully INeffective, and consistently outsmarted by the filthy terrorists: for years by Arafat and his Evil minions (including Dmimmi Carter!), and now by Hamas and Hizbollah (and of course Arafat's current replacement).
Of course. I took it as a compliment. Years of campaigning against Nixon (except for 1972) tend to make my fingers move across the keyboard without my will. Thanks again.
Yes, that's a very effective video (for us to watch) but can it move people to change their minds? Perhaps without the Life issue, which I'm beginning to think we should put on the back burner UNTIL WE ARE IN THE MAJORITY. In other words, to be as successful as Dems we must learn to LIE, which comes naturally to us, but causes internal strife in US. The stakes are too high now, we have to do it. We have to BS our way back into office and find a celebrity, media savy, good looking candidate who will attract, and I mean ATTRACT, young stupid voters by promising them STUFF. THAT is how you win. Later, you can, as Clinton did on taxes, take it all back ("I worked as hard as I ever have but cha' know I just caent fine no tax cuts in this here budget").
Wake up Republicans, get a clue. Leigh is DEAD ON here. This is American Idol country, not some Christian University Student Council that needs electing!!!!
In the meantime, PRAY for our country.
Where is Roger Ailes when we need him the most…?!
I meant to say "which comes naturally to THEM" ha ha, perhaps a personal Freudian slip?
Hey Saul, I agree with you; apparently my comment wasn’t quite as clear as I would have liked. What I was trying to say is that Israel and the Republicans must share the same pitiful PR firm.
Conservatism is all about freedom. That’s the sales pitch. Conservatives endorse freedom. We are the modern day rebels. We are the punk rockers of politics. We like to work hard and party harder. The government is “The Man.” “The Man” tries to hold you down. I've said this before, bring back the bourbon swilling, cigar chomping old dog GOP and the party is on!
That's all you had to say…
NOW it makes perfect sense (whew, that's a relief!).
Needless to say, I thought you meant "must use" as a suggestion rather than a criticism!
NOW it makes perfect sense (whew, that's a relief!).
Needless to say, I thought you meant "must use" as a suggestion rather than a criticism!
I think I have to agree with this article. I would add- "keep it positive". I mean, who wants to join up with a party of haters anyway?
Andrew, the people that seemed to play to, was people that take the responsibility of voting very seriously. That listen and decide based on every piece of information they can gather. They don't want to be told what to vote for, they want a reason to 'vote for'. Not all Catholics voted against Obama, in spite of his horrible record on abortion.
This goes back to the article, we need better marketing. If you ask any woman if they should be able to decide what they want reproductively, they will say yes. If you ask the same woman if sexually active people should use 'responsible' birth control they will say yes again. But, those same woman probably would not consider abortion as a first line of birth control. So, it's a matter of marketing.
The liberals know how to make our every issue offensive, we need to know how to make every single issue positive. And more than that, we need to make them larger than life, so simple they cannot be turned against us again.
I'm a "social Issues" voter and I absolutely agree with this. Here's why. People who vote abortion do research into candidates; people who care about social issues look at voting records, they KNOW what candidates vote no matter what they say. And if they say they are pro-life but don't have a record to back it up, they don't trust them anyway (which is really what happened to Mitt Romney, he has a flip flop record on abortion and gay marriage).
So as long as you don't indicate you are going to throw them under the bus, and make sure you indicate that you are going to appoint good judges who won't legislate from the bench, social issue voters don't need to be wooed and marketed. We know who is on our side and who isn't without the marketing.
Yes, cranky you are exactly right. Marketing will get our toe in the door, nothing more. But at least that will slow the advance of marxism.
We have to start someplace, and this makes sense as that first place to start. But we need to remove rudderless politicians that say 'the era or Reagan is dead'. They are not leaders, and will lead us right where we are today. My own congressmen, a normal conservative put in earmarks this time. He has been getting phone calls and letters, and finally went on local radio stations explaining himself. It's the people that are dragging him screaming, holding him accountable. We need to do that until our RNC gets the message, and makes the legislators toe the line. The DNC does.
America must be an inherently liberal country too, otherwise there wouldn't be anywhere for the pendulum to swing from. I don't know about the historical analogies because of the unique current fatal sandwich of the debt and the credit crisis–the latter of which is probably not quite over. I don't want to go all partisan on you and rebut point by point, because I think there is a lot to what you say; however, the thing about public disapproval of President Obama's policies versus his personal ratings is that everyone's policy approval numbers are in the tank. The President (pardon my manners) has the advantage of at least being liked and trusted. But that's not really on point.
Wow, sounds like Rhom Emanuel.
Reagan won, and he didn't do it your way. He explained what he stood for, then he went out and stood for it!
We don't need more politicians. If your theory worked, McCain would be in the white house. The libs know that routine better than us, and will beat us at that game every time.
Anti, it's nice to know you're still around. And still in rare form, from the sounds of things.
We aren't selling crap. We are selling the things that made America great. Can you imagine if the left had tried fighting world war 2 without drilling for oil? Without building factories? Fighting the battle against polio by taking doctors out of a lab and putting them in an office, in front of a mountain of paperwork? Taking the railroads and automobiles that put the horse and wagon off the streets and regulating them the way they've done the car industry? The left would have placed restrictions on mileage on the trains and we'd still be dying trying to cross death valley.
What the left does best, is taking a wonderful message and poisoning the delivery so it's not going to be addressed on it's merits, but on the spin they generate.
We are a movement. The last time it was done correctly was Gingrich's contract with america. Those stayed in office as long as they remembered why they were there. And they did change things, it was a movement from the left, back towards the center. What you liberals fail to realize, is that the democrat party was 40 years ago where the republican party is now. The true right has been stuffed further and further into the closet, and the republican party can't win without us. See the results McCain got.
Leigh Scott wrote:
“We are the punk rockers of politics.”
Really?
James Dobson might be shocked to learn he’s a punk rocker in any sense. Same goes for Eric Cantor ,Sarah Palin,Hannity,Hank Jr,Mitt Romney,Lee Greenwood,John McCain,Rush Limbaugh,Michelle Bachmann,etc. .
Republicans are the punk rockers of politics?
Ask Jello Biafra. Or Henry Rollins, Patti Smith,Crass,Green Day, The Clash, Avail,Fugazi,Born Against, Richard Hell, Kathleen Hanna,they would tell you this a ridiculous statement.
No,republicans are the Heritage Foundation of politics. The Christian Coalition of Politics. The Focus On The Family of politics. The Eagle Forum of Politics.
“But Oily, what about Johnny Ramone?” What about the Conservative Punk website?
What about Joey Ramone, who wrote a song that attacked Reagan(‘Bonzo Goes To Bitburg’). And the Conservative Punk site was just an attempt by right wingers to copy Punk Voter.
The only “punk” band the GOP of 2009 resembles is Skrewdriver.
Laws based on religion are not "classical", they are archaic. Only backwards, third world societies govern that way. You will never win on a platform of stupidity and ignorance. Your problem is that our society is changing and becoming more educated, but you want to enact regressive policies. No amount of fancy marketing is going to put lipstick on that pig. The truth is conservatism has FAILED America repeatedly.
Oily, I understand what you are saying. But I also understand what the author was saying. In the realm of politics, we are the second rate game players. We have substance, but not the flashy form. In the rock and roll world, flash is everything. So, when we play our values down we loose every single time.
Token, it galls me no end to agree with you. "I'm a compassionate conservative" was a lie, he was compassionate but not any conservative by any standards. I know I felt lied to, and even though I held my nose and voted McCain I hated doing it, for exactly those same reasons.
If republicans are just learning that marketing is the key to winning then I would have to say that republicans are not the Capitalists that everyone thinks republicans are. I guess republicans really are not capitalists considering the perception that most CEO's vote democrat.
Until republicans have a message that can be marketed to the majority then the party will go nowhere.
We need to define our issues based on Ideas that people can grasp. I would hope republicans may start defining issues from the perspective of State Rights vs. National Powers. Abortion and Gay Rights – state issues. Foreign Policy – national issue.
Bill of Rights
Amendment 10
States' rights
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Get back to Basics folks you do not have to reinvent the wheel it is right in front of you.
Then Market the hell out of it. What are the Dems going to say the Constitution sucks and we need to get rid of it.
Republicans should only hope Democrats are that stupid!
I disagree with the idea that "a message broad enough to be for everyone is too broad to be terribly worthwhile."
Every successful political party or politician has had one or two issue(s) that they used to appeal to the majority of the population. Reagan made such an appeal with getting America working again and making America strong. Bush: read my lips. Others: trust busting, keeping America safe, keeping us out of the war, etc. etc.
You need something that the public can latch onto and say, "yeah, I agree with that and I think you deserve a chance to try to put that into action."
That is what the Republicans are lacking, a clear, simple, narrow message with broad-based appeal.
Base-pleasing issues like abortion do not carry enough potential to attract people to be made part of that message. Indeed, they are more likely to make the party sound like zealouts — hence, they are base pleasing, i.e. highly partisan. Thus, they should be reserved for base-targetted advertising (something the Republicans already do quite well).
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