John Tantillo’s Winner and Loser of The Week

Brand Winner...	And Loser...

John Tantillo’s Winner and Loser of The Week:

Winner:  Sarah Palin

Loser:  Duke University                                                       

Winner: 

I’ve simply had it with the critics who say Sarah Palin is not qualified to be President.  Is she electable? I’m not sure.  Is she qualified to be elected?  Definitely.

Was Harry Truman, the haberdasher, qualified?  Of course he was.  Is Barack Obama?  I’m no longer sure. 

The Presidency is an enormous job and the person who holds that job must be bright to contend with all of its challenging aspects.

But it is precisely because the presidency is such an enormous job that it is ridiculous to think that the person holding it must be an expert in all of the areas upon which he or she will inevitably be called upon to make a decision.  A great President surrounds himself with great experts and knows how to accept counsel.  He or she is the center and also the bridge between the direction of State and the people.

And this is the key to Sarah Palin’s qualifications.  She is likeable.  She has the common touch.  She might be seen as a verbal bumbler, but she isn’t seen –even by her enemies— to be insincere or aloof.

Fact is, the common touch and the rest of these qualities can’t be learned.  But you can learn all a President needs to know about Russia, China, the economy, et cetera.  Palin is certainly bright enough to get up to speed –she’s demonstrating this right now in her thought pieces and television appearances. 

Right now we’re seeing just how hurtful the lack of a common touch can be to a Presidential agenda.  The fact that President Obama can’t seem to relate or “emote” has done untold damage to his ability to find support among the people.

Palin has a great strength that can never be learned and she’s learning the things that can be.  Is she qualified?  No doubt about it.

Loser:

Duke University’s brand is in trouble again.  Four years ago it was the lacrosse team creating a scandal… now it’s the viral Power Point presentation of a recent female graduate documenting her sexual exploits with members of that team and others.

Obviously in this age when the Internet can spread what might have otherwise been a campus joke into a worldwide phenomenon, you could argue that it’s not Duke’s fault that this “got out there.”

But fault doesn’t have much to do with it.  Fact is, even a quick look at the Power Point and the coverage it’s getting reflects badly on the school.  After all, the picture it paints of the school, the athletes, the girl and the culture suggests that behind Duke’s image standards are slipping… 

Set aside for a moment that we as a nation might hope and expect better from our college students, simply put Duke has a problem because in the highly competitive world of university admissions looking like you’re not really serious as a school has serious consequences.

After all, whose paying the tuition bills?  Certainly not the students.  And parents have a right to wonder how it is that Duke can graduate students who would not only have the bad judgment to behave this way but the even worse judgment to make it public. 

Duke needs to take immediate action.  The woman behind the Power Point might have graduated but perhaps they can either officially or unofficially censure her behavior.  Whether or not they can do this, Duke’s next step must be to launch a program aimed at increasing standards among its students and possibly instituting a behavior code.

Sure, we’re long past the age when character was something that universities were meant to shape, but if you’re a school like Duke episodes like this can’t just be let slide.

And, remember, things are always easier when you keep marketing and branding in mind.