Paul Ryan is the foremost expert among elected Republicans when it comes to whitewashing unpopular positions, so if he is now attempting to brand himself as a social justice fighter, could that mean an incipient trend for the Republican Party? Paul Ryan is ready to move beyond last year’s failed…
The Unique Challenges of Political Branding
When I see corporate branding experts tackling politics, I see lots of analysis of presidential races, but not that much about broader party branding. It makes sense: presidential races command more attention generally, and you’ve gotta go where your audience is. Moreover, presidential races are often the only level of…
The Conservative News Bubble Is Psychological
Charlie Cook rightly points out that the conservative news bubble isn’t just differences of opinion or predictions gone a little wrong: What we’ve seen are “astonishing miscalculations on hugely consequential matters.” For my part, I’ve already explained why I think this bubble — the bubble that caused presidential loser Mitt…
The Conservative News Bubble Is the Most Destructive Force in the Country
Somewhere along the way, that right-wing echo chamber that used to just help conservatives swiftboat John Kerry and so forth stopped being a tool for cynical manipulation and actually took over the right-wing worldview, elites and all. It’s now caused a government shutdown and may soon cause a cataclysmic debt…
How Political Brands Are Made
Good branding requires discipline. Thus, brands tend to thrive on clear chains of authority and accountability. The Republican Party has an unhealthy brand. That’s been clear since well before the drubbing the party took in the 2012 presidential and senatorial elections. The Republican National Committee recognized the branding problem and…