Brand X - Beinhart’s Asinine, Huff, Huff Post

Larry Beinhart of the Huffington Post writes and interestingly sour grapes article about branding in politics. Is his idea a good one? Yes. But, his ideas stink.

“If we know anything from the 2004 election, we know that branding is as essential to politics as it is to selling detergents, cars and perfume.

The Bush campaign branded Kerry as a flip-flopper and soft on terror. Kerry failed to brand Bush as anything.”

Every one of Beinhart’s suggestions reaks of sour grapes, which is why none, let me repeat NONE of his ideas for branding Bush and the Republican party would or will ever work. But, there are ideas that will work.

Here’s the problem: NONE of these suggestions will work, and here’s why.
President Loser - If there is one message Bush has gone after, it’s that we must win the war on terror. Beihnart says things like Bush lost things like the World Trade Center and the city of New Orleans, but that is just ridiculous, and nobody will believe that rhetoric.

The Grand Old Hypocrisy Party - This ideas is too long. Nobody will spread it because it’s too difficult to spread. The GOHP? It doesn’t fly. How many people who vote actually know what GOP means and what it refers to anyway. I think a survey would bring suprising results.

Loot and Pollute - Getting warmer, but still not there. Many people (on both sides) are angry about Republican spending, but the language of loot is too strong, which makes it unbelieveable. Pollute? I don’t think it’s possible to attribute this to one person.

The National Incompetence Party - This is just dumb. Attacking the party is dumb. The success of flip-flopper and and soft on terror attacked Kerry and not his party.

The Name-Calling Party - Hypocrisy won’t work. You can’t call people name callers because it is exactly what you are doing.

The Big Secrets Party - This is too easy to replicate in any party. “What aren’t they telling us?”

The Mean Girls Party - This is just, well, asinine.

Sour grapes. You can’t brand something with sour grapes. Flip-flopper worked because there were tangible examples of this happening (or least it appeared that way) and it was an easy idea for people to spread. Benheirt’s ideas would spread like frozen butter.

And of course . . . there are many blogs adding to this nonsense.
How to brand the Bush administration
Telling lies in America
howieinseattle