Election Day

by Meredith

I love politics, while at the same time hating them.  Regardless of what you believe, whether you and I agree or disagree, I hope you vote and are willing to stand up for what you believe, and are willing to tell me and others what you think if asked.  Take a stance, but allow yourself to listen to others and think about what they have to say.  Then act on what is the best outcome for those affected by it, not only yourself.  This is what is missing in Washington.

Happy Election Day.

MN Shutdown Is Tarnishing Image

Right now, the "Minnesota nice" brand is not being upheld.

Not one politician in the Minnesota state legislation lists their primary occupation as advertising or public relations executive. Usually the ad and pr people get a bad rep for spinning the truth or creating an image that is not, but currently I believe our state could really benefit from having one on board. Clearly, current officeholders can't see how deeply damaging the state government shutdown is to MN's brand.

A brand is a set of associations that resides in people's minds. Shutdown stories have been splashed on the front pages of national newspapers. The Wall Street Journal and New York Times opined about it last Wednesday. Cable and network newscasts have routinely run reports and commentary on our dysfunctional democracy. And these-brand damaging stores have been echoed online, as well as on air via local and national talk radio shows.

Adding to the brand insult to injury, Fitch Rating just cut our bond rating from AAA to AA+. And presidential campaign ads from former Governor Tim Pawlenty, boasting that he won in 2005, remind the country that this is our second shutdown in six years.

The job cuts and holds are extremely damaging too as far as trust goes. People may or may not like a brand, but they'll still trust it. An inability for a brand to do its core job at its lowest level is very troubling.

Also, this image projects the idea that Minnesota doesn't have it figured out. We have portrayed this image of having a great quality of life, but this really damages that. Before, people across the country looked to us and thought of our great health care, great education and well balanced living.

Also, the national level may be in a similar situation if they can't resolve its fiscal crises. Wisconsin was similarly used as a framing divide for the national debate over public employee unions when its capitol was convulsed with protests last winter.

In the end, our brand is super important. Beyond the business perceptions, the state's brand is critically important, because it affects tourism and all of the lives in our state. Regardless of what happens to our brand, this entire screw up and inability to negotiate is affecting our state's quality of life. The layoffs will soon affect many more people than just the state workers and they will just need to give in on something. I hope they figure that out soon.

What do you think of the Cheeseburger Bill?

This week, a Minnesota House panel approved legislation that would block consumers from suing fast-food chains and other food companies for weight problems. The Civil Law Committee approved the Personality Responsibility in Food Consumption Act on a voice vote. The proposal is also know as the "cheeseburger bill."

The bill would prevent consumers for suing the food industry for weight gain, obesity and other health problems caused by long-term consumption of fattening foods and non-alcohol drinks such as soda.

The sponsor, Republican Rep. Dean Urdahl of Grove City, says the bill would prevent frivolous lawsuits. Urdahl has been pushing this legislation since 2004. So far, this bill has been passed in 24 states.

I'm a fan of the cheeseburger bill. I think it promotes personal responsibility and I agree, it prevents annoying lawsuits. McDonalds has been brought to court numerous times for being the problem for many consumers obesity, ever since their 2002 New York court case. It is still pending and I think it's silly. Eat something different, don't eat a cheeseburger and french fries everyday!

The Most Powerful Tweets of 2010

Twitter started as a place for users to share thoughts and feelings using only 140 characters. However, over the recent year more celebrities, government officials and PR professionals are using Twitter and share some very exciting and influential news.

Here are the most influential tweets from 2010 according to Twitter:

Ann Curry: @usairforce find a way to let Doctors without Borders planes land in Haiti: http://bit.ly/8hYZOK THE most effective at this.
After the massive 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, Doctors without Borders flew in a team of physicians to assist the wounded, but they were unable to get clearance to land the plane. Reporter Ann Curry used this tweet to convince the U.S. Air Force to allow the flight to land.

White House: Welcome to @twitter President Medvedev! RT @KremlinRussia_E: Hello everyone! I'm on Twitter, and this is my first tweet.
When Russian president joined Twitter, this White House immediately reached out and welcome him to the Twitterverse. Obama quote: Red phones no longer required.

Leigh Fazzina: I've had a serious injury and need help! Can someone please call Winding Trails in Farmington, CT tell them I'm stuck bike crash in woods.
Twitter to the rescue: When she crashed her bike in a fores with no cell phone reception, a gravely injured triathlete saved her own life when she tweeted out a desperate call for help.

BP Global Public Relations: Catastrophe is a strong word, let's agree to call it a whoopsie daisy.
After the Deepwater Horizon platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing one of the largest oil spills in history, it was a parody account, not BP's official Twitter account, that defined the discussion -- spoofing the company's attempts to improve its public image. "Gulf Oil Spill" was the #1 Trend on Twitter in 2010.

Presidencia Ecuador: Gobierno declara estado de Exception #Ecuador #30S
In late September, civil unrest in Ecuador increased dramatically after a new law cut benefits for public servants. President Rafael Correa accused opposition and military forces of a coup attempt, and used Twitter to declare a state of emergency in a tweet. Leaders across Latin America and the world tweeted response to show their support for the people of Ecuador.

Clarence House: The Prince of Whales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton - www.princeofwhales.uk.gov
In a royal first, Clarence House, the Prince of Whales' private office, created a Twitter account to announce Prince Williams' engagement to Kate Middleton. Now how Henry VIII did it.

Johnathan Schwartz: Today's my last day at Sun. I'll miss it. Seems only fitting to end on a #haiku. Financial crisis/Stalled to many customers/ CEO no more.
When the CEO of one of the most high-profile technology companies in the world announced he was stepping down, he kept his resignation letter to 140 characters. Johnathan Schwartz left the Sun Microsystems with this simple message.

John M. Foster: Congratulations to Raul Labrador on a hard-earned win, and best of luck as Idaho's next congressman.
Twitter was a powerful campaign tool during 2010 U.S. Midterm Elections, and Election Night results often broke first on Twitter. Demonstrating how quickly the world of political communications is changing, Idaho incumbent Walt Minnick's campaign manager issued a concession tweet.

Carles Puyol: Gran ambiente en la rua!!! orgulloso de ver a tanta gente feliz. http://twitpic.com/24qkg5
The FIFA World Cup final represented the largest period of sustained activity for an event in Twitter's history: during the final game, people from 172 countries tweeted in 27 different languages. Twitter put fans in direct touch with teams, players and commentators - and when Spain celebrated it's big win in the Final, Charles Puyol captured the zeal with a Twitpic of the scene from his perch at the victory ceremony.

The White House Teams with Monster.com To Connect with Job Seekers

Due to the uproar last Tuesday and claim that congressional leaders are not helping the economy produce jobs, the White House is teaming with Monster.com to answer employment questions from the public.

Starting today, November 8th and running through Sunday November 14th, job seekers and members of Monster.com community can go to the Monster.com Facebook page and pose a question to the Obama Administration with regard to America's unemployment state. The questions that get people talking and rack up the "Likes" will be answered by the White House, who will video tape responses and post them online.

The Obama administration has used social media many times before to reach out and communicate. President Obama has answered questions on YouTube and recorded video responses, and recently the White House has answered questions on Twitter. However, this is an interesting public relations move by the president, because he is going right to the people who are affected by jobs congregate.

Can You Use a Trademarked Logo Without Permission? State Fair Asks for Logo to be Removed from Bachmann TV Ad

During Minnesota State Fair time, if you were watching TV, you may have seen the Michelle Bachmann ad criticizing Tarryl Clark for 'raising taxes on a variety of State Fair goodies.' The ad was criticized for not only slander, but for showing the Minnesota State Fair logo twice during the chimerical.

"I know, I know, it's State Fair time and you don't want to hear about politics," says Jim "The Election Guy," a character in Bachmann's TV ads. "But while you're at the fair, you should know Tarryl Clark here voted to raise taxes on your corn dog. And your deep fried bacon. And your beer."

While Clark did vote 'yes' on a bill that would increase taxes on liquor sales, Bachmann's claims about corn dog and bacon taxes are a bit misleading. Her campaign says Clark favored a transportation bill that included a metro sales tax hike, which affects corn dogs and bacon but does not specifically target those things.

The State Fair was upset because their logo appeared twice in the TV ad and Fair officials asked the image to be removed. "The State Fair does not endorse any candidate running for political office," said a State Fair official.

Bachmann's campaign said that although they believed they have legal right to keep the image in the ad, they would switch it out for a generic one "out of good faith."

This got me to thinking, what is the proper usage for logos? I think of this issue as almost like a product placement the State Fair did not ask for. The American Advertising Federation (AAF) believes product placement is a good way to advertise, but says it is when everyone benefits from it: the placement source, the company being promoted and the consumer. Also, it is alright if the placement is disclosed in some way. Also, product placement is always agreed upon by both parties involved. That is the issue here. It may not be illegal, but if you're not going to ask for usage permission, don't complain when the party in question doesn't like it and asks to be removed from the situation. I think the Bachmann campaign should be lucky they didn't get into more trouble.

For more questions and answers regarding ad usage, look to the AAF's website here.

Threat and Anxiety: Why Negative Political Ads Work

The race for the next Minnesota Governor is underway and has been for about awhile now. The election is over two months away, but the three candidates are already battling it out on TV with negative campaign ads and I'm already sick of it. Negative campaigning has long been a part of politics. This got me to thinking though, why do candidates use negative campaign ads, attacking the other person? Because they work.

Candidates use negative attacks because they work. By threatening voters, by making them anxious, afraid, and fearful, candidates can win elections.

A controversial attack ad now running in Minnesota comes from The Alliance for a Better Minnesota, an independent liberal group. The ad in question is called "Missed Votes" and it's here.

The ad claims that Tom Emmer has missed 142 votes (1 out of every 5 votes) in the state legislature in 2010, and compares it to missing one day of work each week. It's geared to target everyone, not just one party in particular party or its supporters. It aims to anger those who are working hard to keep their jobs by working more hours than usual and upset those who are unemployed, want to work and are looking for work. The ad threatens Minnesotans and makes them fearful of electing Tom Emmer as Governor because he may not do his job.

Threat and anxiety are powerful stuff in political campaigns, and recent research says that these negative emotions are strong predictors of candidate support and voting behavior. It has been found that candidates chosen are more likely to physically threaten the subjects actually lost 65% of the real elections (involving those same candidates).

War and WikiLeaks: Who is a journalist and are journalists’ still considered the gatekeepers to society’s information?

What occurred on the floor of the People's House on Tuesday afternoon was quite possibly the first ever congressional wiki debate. Lawmakers are privy to all sorts of classified information and confidential briefings about national security, but as they argued about a new spending bill to fund the war in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, they spent a good bit of the afternoon bickering about things they'd seen on the Internet.

WikiLeaks is an international organization, based in Sweden, which publishes anonymous submissions and leaks of sensitive documents while preserving the anonymity of sources. Its website, launched in 2006, is run by the Sunshine Press. The organization has described itself as having been founded by Chinese dissidents, as well as journalists, mathematicians and start-up company technologists from the U.S., Taiwan, Europe, Australia and South Africa. (www.wikileaks.org/)

Earlier this week, the site became an issue when thousands of classified U.S. military documents, regarding whether or not the U.S. should leave Pakistan, were posted on the website.

Currently, no information in our society is secret and with the updates and changes in cell phones and the creation of social media sites such as blogs, twitter, Facebook, etc. anyone can share information easily. No longer do we need to depend on journalists and news sites to be the gatekeepers. This raises a question to me, who is a journalist? What classifies someone as a journalist? I think the line between who is and who is not, is very thin.

Obama's PR Efforts to Assure War in Afghanistan is on Track

This week the Pentagon will attempt to convince the American people that the war in Afghanistan remains on track, despite the mess in military leadership.

Tuesday, General David Petraeus, head of US Central Command, was expected to testify before a Senate committee. This would be his first appearance on Capitol Hill since being picked to lead the war in Afghanistan following Obama's firing of General Stanley McChrystal for criticizing the administration.

Mourning over what he called "a lot of obsession" about the July 2011 withdrawal for US troops, Obama on Sunday defended his war strategy and said the US would assist the Afghans "for a long time to come." When asked about a five-year exit strategy endorsed by the Group of Eight major industrial democracies, Obama told reporters at the economic summit in Toronto, "I don't have a crystal ball." Obama added "I think that right now the debate surrounding Afghanistan is presented as either we get up and leave immediately because there's no chance at a positive outcome, or we stay basically indefinitely and do quote unquoted whatever it takes for as long as it takes." He repeated his view that beginning to pull out troops next year doesn't mean the US will "suddenly turn off the lights and let the door close behind us."

Obama's pick, Petraeus, is a signal that there won't be significant change in strategy. Everyone will be watching carefully to see what other changes might be in store.

The PR effort comes amid mixed reviews on US success in Afghanistan. Obama is advancing a risky new war plan that relies on some 98,000 US troops to prop u the Afghan government and prevent al-Qaida from returning.

This is an important issue for Obama because he said during his 2008 campaign he would end this war and bring troops home. However, he probably did not fully understand the complexity of this war and how hard it would be to suddenly pull out. Obama will need to find a balance between assuring the American people that he is making change and settling down our presence in the Middle East, yet make those who feel nervous about us a retaliation from al-Aida is we abandon the area.

Obama plans blitz to boost public opinion of health care bill

The first anniversary of Obama's presidency could hardly have been gloomier. Especially since the day before on Jan. 19, Republican Scott Brown shocked the political world by winning the seat long held by Kennedy, a lifelong champion of health care reform. The ramifications were huge. Obama's public opinion rating was dropping and he hadn't brought about any change liked he promised during the 2008 election season. However, with a lot of determination, deals and luck, Obama sealed the deal on his health care plan.

On Monday, President Obama began an immediate public relations blitz aimed at turning around Americans' opinion of the health care bill and so far there's been progress. A USA Today/Gallup Poll finds that 48 percent, calls the legislation "a good first step" that needs to be followed up by more action, and 4 percent says the bill itself makes the most important changes needed in the nation's health care system.

The reshaping the legislation's image will take place in three phases, White House aids said: the immediate aftermath; the seven months until the November midterm elections; and the several years that follow, during which many provisions in the measure will gradually take effect.

Obama and those in favor of the bill have a lot more PR to do though, especially since no Republicans are in favor of it and will do everything possible to point out the negative aspects of the bill.

A lot of the public dislike of the legislation is bound to not understanding how it will affect them or suspicious about Washington and the historically low approval ratings of Congress as an institution. Turning around that sentiment will require the law to be implemented smoothly. Many Americans believe that no matter what, the government always finds a way to screw something up. White House officials say they will handle this by developing a comprehensive public education campaign that helps people understand is as it comes on.

White House officials say that Obama will not make health care a daily topic for the rest of the year, and will quickly shift to financial reform and the economy. Hearings on revamping financial regulations will begin Monday.

But officials say there will be several key moments before November's elections when popular parts of the health care legislation, such as the provision that prevents children from being denied coverage and changes to the "doughnut hole" for seniors, will take effect. Obama will surely build high-profile public events around those moments.