Brand marketing and politics
Do we define ourselves by the candidates we support? And, do we define others by the candidates they choose? I've noticed some people will support Bush no matter what facts are presented, facts questioning his basic ability to lead. I think, 'boy they've been sold a bill of goods'.
Have they? Have the ardent ditto heads been sold a brand, packaged and advertised like Gap jeans or (my favorite) Abercrombie & Fitch shirts? ( I see Abercrombie anything and I think naked -- this despite the fact it's a clothing company -- clearly I've been brainwashed by marketing. )
I wrote a while ago about bumper sticker politics and political advertisements that are stock, just dropping in the name of the candidate. Maybe that's just bad political marketing. Maybe the marketers behind Hillary, Bush and Obama are much better.
And the parties. Choose your brand: Republicans: true blooded Americans who support traditional family values and are good in business, or Democrats: artsy granolla eating bleeding hearts who care about the little guy and not their check book, which is unbalanced.
But I have another theory. Brands advertise their biggest weakness as their greatest strength. Think about it. Walmart has "how can I help you" plastered on the backs of their employees. That way, as they walk (or run!) away from you, you can think, "you could help me by....not walking away." Or Denny's, "A good place to sit and eat." Hmmmm. Or, Motel 6: we'll leave the light on for you. Leave the light on, bugs hate light.
So, with this (now proven) theory in mind, perhaps we have been sold a bill of goods with the political parties. The Democrats are afraid to charge big money hedge fund investors the same income tax as every regularly-employed person. Hardly looking out for the little guy. And family values? The Republicans? Which family value has you trolling for men in the local restroom?
Ahhh, but the brand. The brand sells differently. Just as Abercrombie and Fitch sells clothes by showing hot, near naked twenty-somethings frolicking on a beach, Bush has sold the war by equating support of the war with patriotism. Conversely, the democrats have sold early withdrawl from Iraq as "prudent" and "the right thing to do". Newsflash: supporting the war does not make you patriotic, and early withdrawl from Iraq does not make you prudent or thoughtful.
Perhaps we should be thinking against the brand. Perhaps we should be thinking generic.