Newt and Sarah - a (recent) study in contrasts

[underpants]

Perception is reality. That is the mantra the Republicans have lived by since Lee Atwater/Reagan days. Their base is conditioned to expect it.

Newt Gingrich came out of the gate with several disastrous performances that were mainly for the base anyway. Daring to criticize Paul Ryan and then saying that using anything he said was "no fairs". What is the textbook public relations advise in such a situation? Lay low. Get out of sight, let it cool off, repackage yourself and comeback. Often there is an apology that precedes the brief exit but not in their world- apologies are for losers and it is not the last perception you want to leave with people.

SO Newt and his wife take a two week boat trip around the Greek Isles and his staff uses it as an excuse to jump ship. A trip like that doesn't just come about from no where. This was obviously planned well in advance. What Newt, with proper counseling, could have said was, "We had this trip planned. It was part of my decision to run to help save my country....etc." Yes that brings elitism in a time of hard times and his marriage history into play but we are in the time of year when people have just begun tuning out of politics. Kids are out of school or about to be so there are family trips or the kids are going to grandma's for a week (fun time for mom and dad). They will tune out more until they are forced back inside after Labor Day.

This is where a mention of the top of campaign staffs needs to be made. The circle of people who run campaigns and those who get paid to report on them have convinced themselves of the importance of "top down" relevance. This is mostly a by-product from the corporate world of which 40% of that thinking simply justifies higher salaries -- with golden parachutes and no liability for failing miserably.

Newt's staff were all Rick Perry guys so they obvious left with the boat trip as an excuse for the likely reasons:
1. they are Perry guys and Perry is going to run
2. they are Perry guys and this guts a competitor (so goes the thinking in that IN crowd)
3. they are Perry guys so their great accomplishment is getting a Republican elected Governor in Texas following W and in the W Presidency :eyes:

There are plenty of operatives that will take Newt's money and do just as good a job...basically they couldn't do worse.

Palin starts this bus trip seemingly out of no where with no apparent itinerary and counter to the press. It is odd that I haven't seen one story in which a reporter asked a National Parks official (like any tea bagger Sarah makes her big show in public land) how far in advance they were contacted about her making a visit. Like Newt's boat trip the 4 or 5 custom painted buses that she is using weren't the result of a decision on the whim. This was planned.

Instead of Newt doing the well-advised checking out she checked in, buy why?
They emails, she and Todd (who basically runs the show) knew that the emails were coming out so they decided to frame the story with the perception of her. Yes the emails will show that she is just all show but their base loves the show in fact they don't care how the show is made. Any opponent who does mention them will just provide her with her normal VICTIM schtick playing right into her hands.

Fox News viewers who tune in this weekend may hear something about the emails but by Monday it will not be mentioned again. Would Fox News viewers more like to see the colorful pictures of the pretty lady at iconic AMERICAN VISTAS or read through 25,000 emails or even news reports about 25,000 emails? They like the pictures - the perceptions - of the pretty lady.

Palin's "staff" appears mostly to be Todd and frankly she is getting good advise from him. Todd isn't one of the high end experienced political operatives that love themselves and in turn are loved by the DC press. Does the name Bob Shrum ring a bell?

Something to think about.