Things that don't mean what you think: Dems & Retail Politics

[HereSince1628]

Most of us wrongly think that retail politics is about small ball, going door to door, shaking hands, flipping pancakes in church basements.

But, today in the democratic party, retail politics means running a campaign like a corporate retail business.

Now we all have experience with needing something and heading off to a retail store for it, but once in the story finding that the only options we have are what the retail stores are stocked with. But, we accept that as ok because we've been going to that store forever and we have brand loyalty.

The retailer doesn't ever listen the answers we've given to the cashier's questions about our finding what we were looking for. They can't care. The local store front is part of a chain operation, and the local store mangers have little choice. Corporate HQ has databases full of records of things that move through their inventory and although we live in Snow country, it is fun to dream about Key West in January.

But it's all ok, because we've been going to that store forever and we not only have brand loyalty, we know where things are better than that store's mostly part-time staff.

But that's not so good for shoppers who read consumer digest and search for ideas of what you want through Pinterest web or spam matched to our web browsers. People like that are too independent to count on. They've got no loyalty and their local grocer just really gets pissed about people always asking for 2 Buck Chuck, or something that they cannot and will never carry.

True things have changed, we know it, and don't really like it but... cheap, easy, local convenience... so what they don't carry durable shoes anymore, and you can't get a pair of jeans that won't go out in the knees if you lay flooring or weed a garden. But the shoes they have are cheap and the jeans look sorta ok, especially if you like looking like you took out life's frustration on your legs with steak knife while your pants were still on... The stuff is cheap crap, but it's close by and we're brand loyal and we've been shopping there forever, the parking space, which should have the family name on it lets us 'front out'...

Now, think of Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, Rahm Emauel, etc as corporate managers and you've got the picture of democratic retail politics.

Those folks just 'know' what you need better than you do. And you've got no where else to shop, so obviously it's a Win-Win.

Now, don't call that sort of retail experience a Stockholm Syndrome. Call it the comfort of retail politics.

[unc70]

1. "Local" chain retailers losing to online

Taking your analogy further, those centralized, top down retailers are now under great duress from online competitors. Sears, Kmart, and even Walmart are closing stores. On the other hand, Amazon is offering same-day delivery in many cities, next-day in the rest. And thousands of suppliers compete in a vibrant online marketplace.

Locally, many smaller, boutique retailers with better products and services are starting to do better, creating a different storefront retail model.

In politics, the centralized, top-down party establishment parties are beginning to suffer in the face of online organizations. Sanders is showing how to use this model effectively. Clinton has primarily used the centralized model of retail politics in 2008 and in 2016. Obama was largely an individualized direct marketing, direct mail, database driven operation.

Trump is running another untraditional style campaign. It probably resembles the entertainment celebrity-based marketing delivering an immediate experience, but few goods and services.