In the vein of all things political this week, I've been looking at the impact of paid media on the elections. No need to point out that the Dems got absolutely hammered by digruntled voters. But was it the misleading ads, the relentless tea party coverage and the extreme soundbytes from the extreme right polluting our eardrums that have contributed -- to what I believe -- is a temporary demise?
Or could our polarized, 24-hour/cable news cycle have tipped voters over the edge?
Or perhaps it was the billions of dollars that under-the-radar orgs like
American Action Network, or American Crossroads pumped into the most heinous ad
campaigns that, anywhere else, would have led to massive libel suits?
The answer is all of the above. And more still, the lack of communication from Mr. POTUS and Co.
Like millions of Americans, I fell in love with the new vision being sold to us in 2008. I don't believe that vision has changed drastically. But what's clearly lacking is communication from the White House - and from our President.
Working in PR, I know too well that when a company you work with cuts back on the communication, or "goes dark" for a while, this is exactly the time that eager competitors pounce - and find their spot in the limelight. Sometimes deservedly so, other times not.
We've seen that spending $140 million doesn't assure a win (too bad Ms.Whitman), but consistent communication does.
So Mr. President, here's my PR advice to you right now.
Communicate with your people, or die.
Because sorry won't be good enough in 2012.
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