In a previous post, I said that the winner of the election would be the one that does a better job of repositioning the other. While many have weighed in on the reasons why Obama won the election, the Republican strategist that perhaps knows the most about repositioning political candidates, Karl Rove, said in Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal that the Democrats succeeded in defining Mr. Romney “as a rich guy who didn't care about them” (the average Joe and Joann in the battleground states).
Effectively changing Romney’s brand image
Repositioning is one of the most misunderstood words in marketing. When used correctly, it means changing the image of a competitor’s brand. Mitt Romney tried to reposition Obama as a “tax and spend liberal” that created “Obamacare” and did not live up to his promises to revive the economy. It worked with nearly half the electorate, but did not sway a sufficient number of voters in states with the largest number of electoral votes. As Rove said, Team Obama did a better job of repositioning Romney as out-of-touch with the needs and aspirations of the middle class. Obama and Biden also struck the right chord with women, Hispanics, and young people.
Vulnerable but not responsible
While Obama was vulnerable on the economy, many voters chose to blame our economic problems on Obama’s predecessor, who fought two wars off the balance sheet and did not sufficiently regulate financial institutions. They also found fault with an inflexible Republican-controlled Congress that blocked Obama at every turn after the midterm elections. The objective was to limit the President to one term. While this objective was not achieved, the American Public became collateral damage and suffered the consequences.
Say goodbye to blue and red and hello to purple
One thing is clear. A majority of Americas are tired of our dysfunctional political system. They want politicians to work together to solve our serious problems. They are tired of the blue states and red states and the divisions they represent. They want politicians to listen to them and not be so doctrinaire. Historically, Americans have been practical, willing to compromise, and work things out for the greater good. Other countries and political systems have followed strict doctrines – left and right – resulting in failed societies and limited freedoms. That’s un-American. The majority of Americans are somewhere in the middle even though some are considered conservative and others liberal.
Abraham Lincoln had it right
One of our greatest President’s, Abraham Lincoln, said a house divided against itself cannot stand. He knew the problems facing the country were too great to have our political leaders working apart rather than together. Differences of opinions are welcome. Intransigent positions are not. In the song, America the Beautiful, there is the line “for purple mountains majesties.” Perhaps it is time to combine the blue and red to create those purple mountains majesties that we can scale to new heights and properly lead the world as we once did.
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