Presidential Campaigns: You Don’t Tell Me Stories Anymore

I’m sick today, and a bit cranky, so there is no better time than the present to rant about the presidential campaigns.

I don’t know a lot about politics which puts me in the majority of the population, and therefore well within my rights to write about the topic </sarcasm>.

As do most of us, I rely on my political information from the media and influencers who shape my opinion – and my gut instinct about his or her ability to lead our country.

Honestly, I have little to no idea what is accurate and unbiased and again, I don’t think I’m alone here.

We’re a fairly savvy population, I’d like to think. And the spin only serves to insult our intelligence. To my point:

1. During the final two presidential debates, anyone in my Facebook feed thought their candidate was winning. They’re decided, and completely filtered. Anything their candidate does is good; the other, bad.
2. We give the media far too much opportunity to tell us how to think: Before we even had the opportunity to form our own opinions, David Axelrod was quick to describe Obama’s debate performance as “strong and decisive.” We then were brought over to the Romney camp to hear how brilliant his performance was.

Jonah Sachs blogged about it the lack of clear messaging in the Harvard Business Review.

“Stories are enormously important in helping us human beings make sense of our world. The more uncertain and complex the times are, the more we tend to turn to stories.”

Why aren’t the candidates approaching this like any good corporate marketing campaign should? Where is the emotional connection? Obama certainly had it right in 2008 because he understood exactly what motivated us in that time.

This year, as in most years, we’ve been distracted by digs, memes, and attacks. Vacuous statements and promises are used strategically to get them into office. Debates and stump speeches only show who is better at remembering talking points; not who is the better leader.

If AT&T can make me cry; the presidential candidate should be able to do so as well. Where are the “customer testimonials” from the Obama camp showing what he has accomplished and how his policies have personally changed households like my own? Romney can pull his stories from Massachusetts and his companies.

Oh, and if you have to manufacture the stories and the photo opps, <cough> Ryan cleaning cleaned pots at the soup kitchen, then there is a deeper problem. Do you have a lack of real stories that you need to say, fake reviews if you’re a business, and stage opportunities?

So dear candidates, I’ll go to sleep without your bedtime stories. And I’ll vote nevertheless. Someone, please wake me up when this is over. And don’t forget to vote.

I welcome your comments about the actual campaign strategies, but please leave the political dialogue out. 

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