Today's Wall Street Journal article, "How Dysfunction Helps the GOP" is a must read for all communications professionals. In it, columnist Thomas Frank writes:
Where the conservative mythologists show their hand is when they use their own monumental screw-ups, committed during conservatism's long years in charge of the government, to prove that government in general is a futile proceeding, and that Democratic health-care plans, in particular, can't possibly succeed.
As a professional communicator, I've been both impressed and outraged with the oversimplified, inane soundbyte-driven campaigns run by the GOP over the years. In fact, when media training on the art of the money quote, I often use the example of George H. Bush's, "Read my lips: No new taxes." Beautiful, really. Who cares if it were true: this is Washington, after all.
The GOP has been great at presenting top-line arguments for complex issues to sway voters with severe ADD for years, truth and nuance be damned. Not to say the the Dems are more truthful, they just aren't very good at the art of money quotes.
But my point is not to bash the GOP, but to point out the fact that this sort of BS messaging isn't cutting it anymore for anyone, anywhere. That includes all of us in the business of business. For years, when these sort of half-true spins were pointed out in the press, the GOP fluffed it off as an attack by the "liberal media." Guys, this is the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Time to rethink your strategy.
Since the economy has blown up, the expectation of transparency and authenticity from government and corporations alike is at an all-time high...and likely to stay that way. If the GOP doesn't adopt a more nuanced approach, they will be in danger of becoming completely out of touch. Being the party of bashers won't serve them well as the economy improves. Instead, it will confirm that they had little to do with the progress and everything to do with the collapse. And that is simply not true.
Surely, Americans are SICK of the hot air in Washington. Al Franken was voted in to the senate, for crying out loud. This CAN'T be the answer for change. In the end, we need both parties to bring the level of discourse and debate to a much more productive level or the whole lot of them on both sides of the aisle will be out on their butts.
Let's hope they get the message or more Franken-type calls for help are sure to ensue. Chris Rock 2012, anyone?
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