Palin PR Nightmares
OK, I’ll be the first to chime in on this major PR story. I was waiting, because I’m a hardcore progressive and she’s such an easy target — but I couldn’t resist any longer!
Doesn’t this photo from the front page of CNN look eerily familiar? Think 1936 Berlin without the moustache! 
The PR lesson here is not for Gov. Palin, but really for the McCain team. Vet your candidate better. Good lord, he won the nomination months ago and he waits until the last moment to pick a running mate who he’s only met once? Rule number one in PR — don’t wing it!
She’s been a national figure for less than a week and already we have multiple scandals. Troopergate. Preganancygate. Experiencegate. Jewsforjesusgate. And yesterday we can add Peggy Noonan open mic gate.
Houston, we have a PR problem! I’d offer the McCain campaign some PR advice, but I can’t seem to stop laughing. Anyone out there want to take a crack at it?
Tweet
Add your Comment
Want Your Picture Icon? Go to gravatar.com and set a picture up to your email address for free. It also works on thousands of other websites, too!
Categories
Recent Comments
the rumors are true (@ Neighbor from the 90′s)...
Sorry to see you go. avic-x920bt
First the Space Shuttle program and now this???? OH NO!...
I think it’s really funny that Jason donates money...
Sad to see you go Mr Len… been a great ride
Blogroll
- Acme Photography
- Brain Matter
- Brian Shaler
- Convince & Convert
- Depth in PR
- Espresso Pundit
- Full Speed
- Full Speed Marketing
- HMA Time
- Hoi Polloi Report
- It's About The Work
- Liquis Design Blog
- Marketing Press
- Mighty Interactive
- Off Madison Ave
- Park & Co.
- Park Howell
- Phoenix Defense
- PR Advice
- Quaintise
- Random Tuesday Morning Ramblings
- Sitewire Blog
- SoCal PR Blog
- Stealthmode Blog
- tdhurst
- The Marketing Journalist
- The One to Go To
- The PR Practitioner
- Think Fast
- VUURR
Comments
September 4th, 2008 at 8:41 am
To imply through a coincidental photo that Gov. Palin resembles or is similar to Hitler in any way is patently absurd
September 4th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Yes, this whole situation is a doozie! But what’s more intriguing/frightening/hysterical to me is the media strategy for the McCain campaign.
I mean the fists all but fly during those interviews, on any network, between journalist and any given McCain rep. It seems very contentious and even snotty. Disdain oozes out of the TV.
Pulling a Larry King interview because you weren’t happy with a prior interview earlier in the day…come on… that’s just fodder, that’s not making a statement. And it’s losing an opportunity to top it all off.
Weather or not you agree with McCain/Palin, you have to question some of the tactics they are using with the press, who, like it or not, they need in the next 60-some-odd days if they want to win.
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:18 am
This is one of the funniest Valley PR Blog posts I have seen! Thank you for pointing this out so brilliantly! And yes…how true it is…but at least we can learn from McCain’s mistakes rather than our own.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I very much appreciate the viewpoints of all you well-informed bloggers. I’m curious to know if any of you Valley PR bloggers have an alternate veiwpoint? Yeah, I know this is a blog, not balanced news, but isn’t there anyone else out there who’d be interested to hear what the other side is laughing at, too?
September 4th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Len – you are right on! Did you see the story on Yahoo.com this morning where they fact check some of the comments from last night and the past few days? Here’s a sample:
FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin “got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States.”
THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor’s election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.
Here’s the link if you want to view the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_fact_check
September 4th, 2008 at 10:15 am
OUTSTANDING post!!! I could not agree more! My advice to McCain…. start paying attention!! Anyone who does not know how many abode’s they have has got NO business running our country. Go Obama!
September 4th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
What I find ironic is that Sarah has a journalism degree and was a tv sports reporter…as a former member of the Fourth Estate, why didn’t she raise some red flags to the McCain team?…surely she knew how the media would react
September 4th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
i have been a moderate dem since i moved here 9 years, from a liberal dem. last night’s palin speech moved me a little left of center.clearly, her faith, of which I support freedom of religion, says I will not ascend to heaven. so is she trying to serve all americans or just those with her beliefs. even mccain has been more moderate. he is clearly pandering to the conservative base. it’s just that the other candidates, whether or not you agree with them, spoke to the entire country.she catered to a few.
September 5th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Relax people, the Hitler thing was a joke. Didn’t you notice the winking emoticon? I couldn’t resist when I saw the photo. I definitely don’t think Palin is Hitler.
She is, in my opinion however, part of a large fascist-like movement in America trying to limit our individual liberties and advance a corporate and anti-secular agenda that is ruining the country and destroying our reputation in the world.
GOP Publicity Stunts « HMA Time Says:
September 5th, 2008 at 9:46 am
[...] 5, 2008 Len Gutman posted a funny entry on the Valley PR Blog yesterday about the tabloids’ latest darling – Gov. Sarah [...]
September 5th, 2008 at 10:26 am
This is posted 9-5-8. One week ago Palin was unveiled as the savior of the world. It is almost a sure thing she will ascend to presidency, either through McCain’s demise or after two terms as vice president.
What amazes me is the public’s acceptance of someone they know nothing about. Ironic Len posted this picture. It is a good analogy of the U.S. public ‘s acceptance of Palin. People, you know nothing about this woman. Just because she was knighted by McCain, the whole RNC was throwing palms before her feet everywhere she walked.
It is a fantastic lesson in public relations. In one short week she has taken the world by storm. Don’t you wish you could deliver these results to your clients?
September 6th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Anyone know the name of politician Kathy Cox? Didn’t think so. She doesn’t have McCain’s PR machine and she’s WAAAY more qualified for VP than Palin. She may be more qualified for PREZ than the two clowns running.
She’s superintendent of schools in Georgia. Sort of our Tom Horn. She’s female, smart, Republican, experienced politician with years of political savvy and the first person ever to win the big $1 million in two years on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. She’s about the same age as “Barbie” Palin. She won the show without using any of her “lifelines.”
What does Palin have that Cox, or Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, don’t have? These are two EXPERIENCED, SEASONED female politicians.
Palin’s young, hot and has a good body, something the more experienced politicians don’t have.
Is McCain the Ted Deitrich of politicians? Tell me you don’t know local cardiologist Deitrich’s reputation for hiring inexperienced female staff members for their looks.
If the only reason McCain chose her was for her looks, what does that say about the public accepting her so rapidly while they know nothing about Cox or Hutchinson – or Palin herself?
What if Palin is so power hungry nothing stops her? So go back and look and Len’s photo. Hmmmm.
September 8th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
OK Len, fair enough, but right-wingers have the monopolopy on limiting personal freedoms? Is there not currently legislation being considered in CA that provides restrictions on how low/hi homeowners will be able to set their thermostats?
Also, I understand that traditional light bulbs are being phased out in favor of the new energy-conserving bulbs. Which political party is behind this I wonder?
September 8th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Just had to pass this along…
http://whatssarahthinking.com/
September 10th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Pat,
Thanks for passing along.
Today Sarah Palin is answering questions from the Anchorage Daily News:
http://whatissarahthinking.blogspot.com/2008/09/9-questions-from-anchorage-daily-news.html
marguerite
September 11th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
This is also worthwhile…
http://womenagainstsarahpalin.blogspot.com/
Women Against Sarah Palin
On Wednesday, September 3, we sent out an email to 40 friends and colleagues asking them to respond to Sarah Palin’s candidacy as Vice President of the United States. They forwarded the letter to their friends across America. To date, we have received more than 90,000 responses from women of all ages and backgrounds. Below are their voices.
Quotes for the week ending 13 Sept, 2008 « Says:
September 13th, 2008 at 1:02 am
[...] Len Gutman, at ValleyPRBlog, a on Saragh Palin’s PR nightmares. [...]
2008 in Retrospect: The Good, The Bad, and The Absolutely Hilarious! « Says:
December 31st, 2008 at 3:02 am
[...] Palin flounders media interviews and blows her debut in serious [...]