Democrats only have themselves to blame for upcoming losses

[applegrove]

Democrats only have themselves to blame for upcoming losses

By Steven Pearlstein at the Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/10/31/democrats-only-have-themselves-to-blame-for-upcoming-losses/

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Now, on the eve of the election, Democratic candidates find themselves caught in a vicious cycle in which their refusal to embrace and defend their party’s brand is discouraging the faithful and turning away the undecided, threatening their election prospects still further. What Benjamin Franklin said of revolutions also applies to political campaigns: Those who don’t hang together will surely hang separately.

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At a time when outside money, media consolidation and political polarization are all conspiring to nationalize local races, party brands are more important than ever. As Hilton and General Motors and even Procter & Gamble have discovered — and Apple has always known — having a strong “master brand” makes it easier and cheaper to succeed with individual products; a weak one drags down the entire portfolio of products. Similarly, in politics, a candidate who embraces and contributes to a strong national party brand already has the foundation for a successful campaign, able to focus limited resources on highlighting her individual qualities and achievements or the weaknesses of her opponent.

As with many businesses, the Democrats’ branding problem starts with a misunderstanding and misuse of public opinion polls.

“To say that there is an over-reliance on research is a gross understatement,” laments Srere at Siegel + Gale. “It’s asking people to tell you things they can’t possibly tell you. As Henry Ford put it, if he had asked people what they wanted, they would have told him they wanted a faster horse.”



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