Mailed: February 13, 2009
Mr. David Axelrod
Senior Presidential Advisor
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. Axelrod:
It has been very discouraging to see the administration so badly out-sold these past few weeks in the battle over the stimulus bill.
Mr. David Axelrod
Senior Presidential Advisor
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. Axelrod:
It has been very discouraging to see the administration so badly out-sold these past few weeks in the battle over the stimulus bill.
Your team focused on the message that it was important to do something, which was a little like telling consumers that it is important to brush their teeth. They may know it’s the right thing to do, but they have to be convinced that your brand is the best for them.
Meanwhile, the Republicans dropped easily understood, sensational, nuggets ridiculing plans to buy condoms, sod and other silly line items funded in the bill.
In my humble opinion you should have been selling the benefits of the big items in the bill; for example, the power grid, or the computerization of medical records. I try to follow this stuff closely, and while I accept that these are good things, I certainly couldn’t explain the cost/benefit relationships of them, or extol their virtues in a very detailed, persuasive manner to someone else.
Conversations with many well-educated people have convinced me that the country’s understanding of these issues is very superficial in general -- but people want to know more.
So I am writing to offer a modest suggestion: Take those two issues, identify the benefits they will bring to society (number of jobs created, money saved in the future, new capabilities, etc.), and put those benefits into plain, everyday language the average American can understand. Give those bullet points to a good PowerPoint creator, add some engaging graphics, and then send the finished product as a self-running file via email to everyone on your considerable address list.
It would be on more than 50% of all Americans’ computers in a matter of hours. Heck, people will send all manner of silliness to everyone they know. With the country in such desperate shape people would welcome the chance to help inform their friends, families and neighbors of ways to dig ourselves out of this economic hole we are all in, if the tool were simple, engaging, and non-partisan.
You guys were brilliant at this sort of viral messaging during the campaign. In fact, it was one of the big reasons I voted for President Obama. Solving the huge problems the country faces is going to require new social coalitions, and great communications. The motivated, grassroots organization you built was so impressive I felt this could make the difference between success and failure.
I know it’s early, but these skills seems to have abandoned you since taking office, but now they are needed more critically than ever. Even the best of ideas have to be sold.
Yesterday was the birthday of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. Many people believe they were selling two of the most powerful ideas ever articulated by man, and yet 200 years later they still have to be sold.
I wish you the best of luck.
Sincerely,
d'blank
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14 comments:
D, As our late fathers would attest to. 1.Good products sell themselves. 2.Show some enthusiasm. 3 Most important know your product. It's highly unlikely that Mr Axelrod knows anything of the electrical infastructure or grid in this country beyond the generalities that we know. or he would of spoke to it. He doesn't get it "yet".
Dennis -- Are you sure you don't want to be Car Czar? This is a great idea. This would travel the internet very quickly. Not porno quick -- but quick.
I don't think the republicans are coming out of this particularly well though. Sure they picked a few things out of the legislation and ran with it but that's sort of thing doesn't have a long shelf life and has worn thin already. They seem to be selling the laughable notion that they are fiscally responsible.
Birdman - i would have considered the car czar thing until they put the 500k salary cap on it. how is a dude supposed to keep up some style on that kind of change?
Warren -- i think you misrepresent Bob & Jack. if good products sold themselves why would anyone have needed them. you got to SELL brother. there is too much noise out there to just let it play itself. and these guys knew how to do it in the election. what happened to them on Jan 20?
Dear Mr Axelrod and President Obama, The presidential campaign is over. You won, Mr. Obama is in charge and it is time to govern. Act like a leader, inspire the people, do what is right for the country and watch the people of this great country respond. We need optimism not constant pessimism. We need power sharing not power grabbing. We need great policy not great politics.
D. my premise is the product has to be good in the first place. and of course the A real salesman has to CLOSE the deal. Rumor around Warren is that the VOLT is going to cost around 40 grand. We will need a Car Czar if indeed that is the case. Oh and for all of you WGH grads, I saw the Raiders play BB last night.Awesome facility. The number one team in the state crushed the cross town catlick boys 100-27. Woody, I agreea little optimism about policy and less politics would make this unrelenting abyssmal winter a little more bearable
WGH is #1 in Ohio? Awesome!
Wait what am I missing. Less than 28 days ago the Big O was elected. He had the largest stimulus package in our history passed. Sure people snipe at it; it is always easier to criticize than do something. Still, he got it through. Now he is hitting the road in an attempt to sell the people on why this plan will help change the direction of the country.
Will it succeed, damn if I know but I hope it does. The right wing talking heads will nitpick everything he and Congress do. It is there job to oppose. Monica Crowley called this a failed presidency less than three weeks in, so much for a honeymoon. Then again, she did stop short of saying she'd like to see Dubya back in the white house.
We all hold our breath and see if there is enough kindling wood to light the fire. Meanwhile, the room is quickly getting colder and we bought the tinder on credit.
Gentlemen, get out your marshmallows!
d'blank, Two bits of bad news. President Obama has shelved the position of car czar and Warren G Harding was rated the worst president in US history. At least WGH is ranked first in basketball!
I thought Buchannan was the worst. Too bad about the car czar though. D'Blank would have been perfect. Maybe he can be commissioner of the NCAC.
Why was Garfield placed in the worst 10?
One of the top 10 traded drugs for guns as well as supported the "freedom fighters" who eventually flew planes into the WTC. What could Garfield have possibly done to be relegated to the basement?
Both Ohio and New York appear to have bred dogs for presidents.
Maybe it's the climate Hank. We here in the Old Dominion take great pride in the presidents we've produced. John Tyler being the notable exception. Admittedly it's been a while since we've had one but we like to rest on our "laurels" whenever possible.
Bad news -- turns out WGH is only #4 in Ohio boys basketball, but there is still time.
I'm outraged that Garfield should be considered among the worst (that's him at the top of my page) and even old Warren G. got us into no wars or depressions. And the only scandal, Teapot Dome, wouldn't even make the front page today.
Woodrow Wilson was Va's last President. In 2006, the leading candidate for the gop nomination was our own George Allen. Without his little macaca moment, we might have a President in the White House who'd make John Tyler seem like Abe Lincoln.
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