The Art of Conversation Part 3

This could actually be around part 37, but sometimes lessons need to be learned.

Messaging.

Messaging is done through .....drum roll please.....messages. Effective messaging is done through catchy messages (I think of jingles- almost everybody knows the ingredients of a big mac). I call messages talking points, a lot of others do to, but for the sake of definition that needs to be clear.

I believe that an effective messaging campaign has several layers.....more like the atmosphere than like an onion. Fast cold moving top layers, thick stickier bottom layers, and dirt to let everyone know where the sky starts.

First, you have a base line message, the dirt, this is who you are.....no one is really a republican or democrat they just have more baseline beliefs that fit in one party of the other. This is a book unto itself.

Second, the day-to-day rhetoric, or sticky bottom layer, is the trench warfare of messaging. These messages are the ones that we read about in the Wall Street Journal every day, or hear about in the news every day.

Third, the top level rhetoric, of fast cold moving top layer, these are the long term sound bites used by the parties.

Current examples of top level rhetoric:

Get the troops out of Iraq, this is perfect because, duh, at some point they will come home and when they do the Democrats will claim responsibility

The cost of the war is ruining our budget: Another great long term talking point. This will be used when the economy falls apart because of the burdensome taxes and regulations that are being suggested and passed every day. In reality we are not anywhere near historic levels of defense spending and we are below projections. (WSJ Oct. 4, 2007)

I have several ways to combat this strategy, and I will get to them as this blog develops.

You can also see more like this by visiting my blog at Political Bear