John McCain

John McCain has rejected Pastor John Hagee's endorsement based on more and more stuff coming up from sermons in the past.  There's no question that the Democrats are looking for revenge on the Jeremiah Wright matter, even though Hagee isn't McCain's pastor and just gave him an endorsement.  Is this character assassination?  Should McCain be tougher than this?  Either way, the question is, does perception matter? Absolutely. Remember, in the world of online search, Google isn't just about information, it's about reputation management. Did McCain do the right thing? Was John Hagee's endorsement a liability to the campaign?  Or has he become a victim? ... read more

By now, you've all read about Pastor John Hagee from San Antonio apologizing for many year's worth of anti-Catholic comments in his sermons and on television. From my perspective, when are we going to realize that this approach to "reaching the world" simply doesn't work? You're not going to win the Catholic community to your way of thinking by calling them "the great whore." If that worked, ... read more

I have a real beef with the Republican Party.  In a media-driven culture, they apparently have no clue about perception.  In a world of instant communication, where cell phones, text messages, and email can be sent globally, the first impression matters.  As I look at this election – and past ones as well – it’s pretty obvious that the Democrats get it.  They’re turning out women, minorities, young people – looking for a well packaged candidate that can connect with the American people.  But Republicans keep sending out the old white guys and expect them to sell ideas like “original,” “innovative,” and “change.” ... read more

In the last couple of weeks we’ve heard a lot about the “friends” of our presidential candidates. But the candidates have been quick to distance themselves from certain friends and endorsers, and in a hot political season, who you’re taking advice from becomes a very public issue. It started when John McCain received the endorsement from Pastor John Hagee from San Antonio, who’s vitriolic comments about the Catholic church have created a wave of upset Catholics. Members of the Catholic church are ... read more

Up to now, Barack Obama’s political and media strategy has been to be the “voice of change.”   No content, but loads of “change.”  It’s actually very planned.  If you listen to Obama, you won’t hear much related to actual policy, experience, or strategy.  His concept up to this point has been that hopefully, he can look good, spout the change manta, and gather momentum.  That way, he doesn’t really have to ... read more

In reading the responses to my earlier Mike Huckabee posts regarding media strategy and resilience, it’s obvious that his followers are committed and passionate. He was a self-admitted long shot from the beginning, and I think it would be instructive to see what’s kept him in the race so long – particularly since he came out of nowhere. Certainly – as his fans have repeated on this blog and elsewhere - the keys are his honesty, authenticity, commitment to his word, leadership, and his spiritual perspective. All that would be true, but it’s not the whole story. His candidacy is a excellent lesson for any underdog, and from the perspective of a media consultant, there are some other significant reasons he’s kept in the running for so long: ... read more

At this point in the race, I’m not sure I understand Mike Huckabee’s refusal to quit the race. No one really expects him to win, and at this point, we have to ask how well his continued campaigning is serving the Republican Party. Regardless of your position as a Democrat or Republican, this is an interesting media “perception” issue. For instance, on the positive side, Huckabee’s position is that his voice continues to be heard, and the differences in the candidates need to be clear. I assume he wants ... read more