Posted by
Sanity 102 on Tuesday, December 05, 2006 1:47:44 PM
Most people learn early on that exercising their “right” to say what they want has consequences. As children, our first venture in calling an elderly relative “wrinkled” and “fat” may get an embarrassed laugh with a “he’s just a child” excuse, but we soon learn what can and cannot be said under the life lesson titled: “Public Manners and Behaving”.
In the social hierarchy, known as school, we find words that can never be said (the dreaded “N” word) and that some people (aka the “cool” kids) should never be publicly disagreed with.
By the time we enter the job market, we are ready for our next important “lesson” on the “cost” of using the “Freedom of Speech” card. Whether it is selling hamburgers or closing multi million dollar deals, the first cardinal rule is NOT to point out the shortcomings of the products you are selling. To provide for our families and to be able to look at the person in the mirror, we learn to focus on the POSITIVE features, with barely mentioned or smoothly glossed over “issues” of the products we are trying to convince the consumer to purchase.
If by chance someone from the company should come to us and express their own concerns about these products…our natural tendency is to be leery…but if we are not…if we get taken in by their fancy title, their articulately expressed passion and their assurances that we have the power, nay the DUTY to change the product…and we join in on the disapproval of the performance of our products…we will do so for a brief period and most assuredly, we know that the time to discuss any “issues” is NOT during the big marketing event, right?
But say we did—if we followed the fancy titles that claim to speak for our company—and lost a major share of our market, would we THEN, FINALLY, look at those FT and wonder just whose side they were on all along?
Or would we continue to “blame” the product?
Now what has all this to do with politics and why the GOP lost the majority?
Every 2 years, there are 2 “products” being sold nationally…the Conservative agenda and the Liberal agenda.
In 2002, a nation in shock after the 9/11 attack, stuck with the “old stand by” and elected more of the Conservative Agenda (henceforth known as CA).
In 2004, despite an all out push by the MSM, the GOP rounded up the best of their own media and sold the CA like their lives depended on it.
In 2006, the FT (aka the RINO press), told their base that they had the power to change the product—and that it showed their independence and their intelligence if they refused to accept the status quo. Instead of giving reasons to sell the product; the FT gave tons of reasons to “teach the company a lesson.”
And at the big bash—the big dance—the huge marketing event—(Midterm Elections) the Company (GOP) lost the market they should have owned because many of their people, spurred on by people who SHOULD know better, NO LONGER BELIEVED in their product.
For all of you that failed to make the distinction between the GOP and the Dems in Congress—you “sold” the idea of a choice between a product that hasn’t done anything to one that might.
For all of you that used emotional words like “amnesty”, “invasion”, and “treason” to express what you felt Bush was doing when he tried to balance the economic cost of losing 12 million workers and funds taken from our troops in Iraq to build a 700 mile wall with the near 3 decade problem of illegals – convinced the consumer to turn to the “nice” quiet people, selling an easy going product that requires very little emotional output.
For all of you that didn’t bother pointing out the positive accomplishments of the GOP and Bush—you gave the consumer (voter) the impression that there wasn’t any.
For all of you who continue to blame the “product”…
In 2008, you will find yourself with nothing to sell.