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John Tantillo's Brand Winner... And Loser: Sarah Palin and Political Pundits
Posted by The Marketing Doctor at 7/8/2009 8:05 AM 
Categories: Branding
Tags: political July 3 waste president roads vice-president political pundits teachers Stanley Fish pundit data Sarah Palin brand fish media branding family values research marketing governor troops Tantillo Alaska press conference political punditry core brand features core brand
Categories: Branding
Tags: political July 3 waste president roads vice-president political pundits teachers Stanley Fish pundit data Sarah Palin brand fish media branding family values research marketing governor troops Tantillo Alaska press conference political punditry core brand features core brand
Brand Winner… | And Loser |
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John Tantillo’s Winner and Loser of The Week:
Winner: Sarah Palin
Loser: Political Pundits
Folks, without further ado:
The Winner
Everyone —especially the political pundit class— seems to be calling Sarah Palin a loser, a quitter, a committer of political suicide by leaving office mid-term.
They are all very wrong.
What’s being missed is that the usual political calculations simply do not apply to Sarah Palin, one of the most unusual public figures to come along in years.
With this decision and this announcement, Sarah Palin has been absolutely true to herself. Long-term, this will translate to a success that will leave most political pundits in the dust.
Why?
The pundit class is basing their analysis on calculations of the past (i.e., people who got elected president didn’t quit as governor) and on the assumption that Sarah Palin made a political calculation in resigning.
They are simply not seeing either Sarah Palin for who she is, or what truly matters to the millions who support her, and they can’t compute that there were no political calculations involved.
Her decision was one with her brand for two main reasons:
1) She’s practical and holds government to this standard. This means that when she was watching millions be spent on what seems to amount to frivolous investigations against her, she couldn’t stand by and watch the money be wasted. Not only was she being hamstrung in her job, but dollars were being thrown out the window. Her frustration over this waste showed at her press conference. Not only does this point back to the sincerity of her brand and reinforce that she actually cares about every taxpayer dollar, but it puts her “quitting” in a different light: by stepping aside and risking hurting her political career, she is actually saving Alaska money (one of her core promises to the people of that state).
2) She embodies family values and put them first. For the political class, a family is often an accessory, but even so, families are semi-sacred ground for the media. Except for Sarah Palin’s. By any reasonable standard, her family was dragged through the mud. The wife and mother making the announcement on July 3 was someone who could not and would not bear anymore. She made a choice that came out of the deepest part of herself (her core brand) —no wonder the political class was left scratching its collective head. They hadn’t taken her claims of loving her family seriously. But the wives and mothers who make up Palin’s supporters got it.
Fact is, as Stanley Fish over at The New York Times pointed out: if you just listened to what Palin said at her press conference, you’d understand that this was not someone making a traditional political calculation. This was someone being real about her choices and her pain.
And that’s why Sarah Palin has just strengthened herself for the long run (if she ever chooses a political future). She wasn’t erratic at all; she was true to the things she believes in.
Just listen to her latest interview with the AP:
“You would be amazed at how much time and resource my staff and I, the Department of Law especially, spend on this every day. It is a waste. We are spending these millions of dollars not on teachers and troopers and roads or fish research and other things that are needed in Alaska."
She’s a woman who means what she says and does what she believes. But the pundits simply aren’t listening.
So let the pundits piece this out over the months and years ahead, but one thing is already clear: her base is still with her, and Sarah Palin is poised to grow.
The Loser
Political punditry… But, really, I said it all above except for this:
The best political pundits of the future are going to be coming from outside the political pundit class. They will be people who apply new lenses and templates to the old questions of building consensus, getting the vote and governing.
Like all great brands, they start with and grow from listening —not from listening to their own little echo chamber. Real data is the key to real marketing.
And remember, it’s always easier when you keep marketing and branding in mind.
TODAY'S TANTILLO TAKEAWAY -
Real data is the key to real marketing.
John: Totally agree on you assessment of Sarah Palin. I'm single, white, 58 years old and conservative. I love the women for here open, honest approach and conservative values. As I watch Joe Biden make a fool of himself every week, I laugh at those who were afraid that as President something might happen to McCain and Palin would become President.
Reply to this
You are one of the few who 'gets it.' Even the GOP pundits are lost when it comes to Sarah Palin.
She is one of us, she is elegant, she is down to earth and she walks her talk.
I am more proud of her today than ever before. She is not just another hot-air filled politician. She is real.
She is also correct. She CAN and will effect change - with or without being a politician. Actually, she can make more happen without being hampered by political obligations.
I do not and never have viewed her as a quitter. Her decision was smart and thoughtful. She is feisty, a fighter and is honest. She has perserverance, stamina and fortitude.
She puzzles the others because she plays by the rules and will not compromise her integrity or ethics. The pundits, media and politicians are the quitters, losers and cowards. They quit when the going is tough - they lay down for the opponent and allow the opponent to rape and pillage. Not so with Sarah Palin.
How many times do we see the politicians forget why they are in office? How many times do they give in to gluttony, greed and temptation?
Sarah could have taken the easy way out - she could have done the politically acceptable thing: stay in office - costing her state millions of dollars OR she could leave the state in the hands of an incredibly competent team. The state of Alaska is a fortunate state. I wish we had a Governor and Lt. Governor + team as incredible as Alaska has. That team actually honestly cares about Alaska. Wow!
Our state is on the opposite end of the things. They are selling our state down the river. Our Governor is a GirlyMan liar, our politicians are not lovers of the USA or California. Between them - they seek to destroy our beautiful state and play a part in destroying our incredible country.
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