Anti-Trust and the November Elections

The theme of this July issue is media creation and strategy, and certainly the features herein provide excellent advice for campaign professionals on that front. But one of the subtle ideas that works its way through several of the articles is the importance of trust.
If most campaigns are about trust, the one coming up in November may be the biggest election in history about anti-trust. I’m not talking about busting up monopolies, of course, but about the distinct lack of trust the average American has today regarding his or her current political representative. I’ve used the word “anti-trust” because “mistrust” isn’t quite strong enough for the mood of the country.
The headlines from a recent Washington Post/ABC survey centered around the lowest-yet approval ratings for President Obama; but, if possible, the news was worse for Congress. We know about anti-incumbent sentiment from coast to coast, but even I didn’t expect to hear that 62% of voters are not inclined to support their current representative. That’s not mistrust—it’s anti-trust.
Re-establishing trust will be the key for candidates from both sides of the aisle in this fall’s elections. Rick Shenkman’s excellent article on page 25 opens with a plea to campaign managers and politicians: “Starting today, please— please!—try to regain the public’s trust.” while Shenkman goes on to make a compelling case that rebuilding this trust would of course benefi t individual campaigns, he also outlines the larger benefi t to the country as a whole.
This month’s cover story offers a look at the unique consulting strategy of Jennie Blackton, who takes the extreme step of moving in with her clients to learn more about them, and thus, be able to live a few months in a candidate’s shoes. There’s a trust theme here, too, but perhaps not the one you’d expect. The point of the article isn’t that Blackton wants to trust her client; if she didn’t, she wouldn’t be on board. Rather, moving in allows Blackton to build the trust that potential voters are “seeing the true candidate.” Though few will be able to replicate this approach, the lesson is applicable to all.
This month’s Shop Talk, “Media’s New Kids on the Block,” offers some great insights into how digital media works in the real world of campaign management, from some of the smartest young minds in the game. You’ll enjoy it. Trust me. – Mike Hennessy, CEO