Brand Harris
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Audio Recording by George Hahn
A decent boot camp for marketing is to work on a campaign. In these contests, there are two brands with few differentiating attributes re the product that consumers discern. Would you know who is president, at any given time, if you didn’t know who is president? The race for president of the United States is a function of perception, whoever builds the better brand. The product is purchased on a single day, and whoever captures 51% market share is given the entire market for 4-8 years and the number 2 is out of business. Elections are full-body contact marketing.
It’s not who’s better, but who does a better job de-positioning (i.e., trashing) the other brand. Elections in America have become a contest between who you dislike least.
Mo Money/No Money
An e-commerce company’s most valuable asset is its customer database. Email drives sales. Too many emails increases unsubscribes/churn. There’s a sweet spot between growth and strangling the golden goose. My first clue that Red Envelope (the e-commerce company I founded and which had subsequently gone public) was in trouble came during the 2007 holiday season, when I started receiving four times the usual number of promotional emails. I saw the same signal during the final weeks of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
In June, Biden outspent Trump 6 to 1. Polls had Biden either treading water or losing ground. But the race between the septuagenarian and the octogenarian was always close. This wasn’t about polls. For Biden, the beginning of the end was when his big-money donors withheld $90 million.
Money talks in American politics, and it usually says the winner’s name. In the previous cycle, the better-financed campaign won 93% of House races and 82% of Senate races — typical win rates in the 21st century. In every election cycle since Citizens United, the money gets louder. While Democrats pretend Biden stepping down was about his love of country or believe the former speaker was the wizard behind the curtain, the reason Biden is headed for the exit is less romantic: Money didn’t talk, it swore at Biden and told him to fuck off. Specifically, fundraising ground to a halt after the debate.
The Smoke-Filled Room
As the curtain dropped, the spotlight shifted to Vice President Kamala Harris. There are tangible benefits to a Harris candidacy. Serving four years as VP is the best training for the presidency. She was on the ticket that won the Democratic primary. With less than four months until the election Harris starts the race at letter F, vs. A. Seamless access to Biden’s money and infrastructure is a big deal. She also raised $81 million in 24 hours; and half of that money came from small donors. Sixty percent of those were first-time donors. The day after his conviction, Trump raised $53 million, but $50 million came from one billionaire. Money appears to be serenading the former senator.
And yet, watching Democratic leaders quickly fall in line to endorse Harris before a challenger could emerge is a coronation, not a contest. If you thought party elites put their finger on the scale in 2016, how does 2024 feel? The bumper sticker is the same as it was a week ago, we’ve just swapped out names: “Get behind Biden Harris, or shut the fuck up.” While the elites may have picked the heir, it was the same elites who pretended there was nothing wrong and 75% percent of America told them to hold their beer and find another candidate.
Historically, party bosses picked the candidates in “smoke-filled rooms.” And there is something to be said for expertise. But after a disastrous 1968 Convention, Democrats sped up a shift toward small-d democracy to pick their nominees. By 1976, Democrats selected 73% of convention delegates in primaries, while Republicans chose 68%. That year, Jimmy Carter beat Gerald Ford, the only person to become president without running for the office or being elected VP first. For the next three cycles, Democratic voters nominated sacrificial lambs: Carter (49 electoral votes), Walter Mondale (13 electoral votes), and Michael Dukakis (111 electoral votes). But that same system also gave us Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. There’s something to be said for a process where voters choose the nominees.
There’s no such thing as a perfect nominating process. This one is remarkably imperfect — the optics of a smoke-filled room and a candidate who won’t have the benefit of combat in the primaries. I believe the Democrats, and the Vice President, would have benefited from a Shark Tank-like series of debates in the weeks leading up to the convention. Specifically, down ballot candidates would have benefited from a media spectacle highlighting how strong the D bench is. This, in my view, could have buttressed the blue brand and made voters more likely to vote D when they weren’t familiar with a down ballot candidate. But angst and second-guessing are counterproductive at this point according to every fucking party elite… telling me several times a day. As my Pivot podcast partner Kara Swisher said, “Let’s get to work.”
Laddering
Laddering is an exercise that helps you zero in on the most effective messaging for your product. (It’s also the subject of Week 8 in my Brand Strategy course at Stern. Note: I invented the term for my course, vs. its original definition.) Messaging that doesn’t just highlight your brand’s strengths but de-positions a competitor, and illuminates a weakness. You cast yourself in a specific light that elevates your cheekbones while adding 15 lbs to your foe’s silhouette.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is a master at laddering. In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, he declared that “Privacy is a human right.” This was a clear jab at Facebook and Google, highlighting Apple’s commitment to privacy while contrasting it with its competitors’ weaknesses.
The George W. Bush campaign in 2004 executed one of the best laddering strategies in marketing history. They ran an ad titled “Whichever Way the Wind Blows,” showing John Kerry windsurfing as a metaphor for his flip-flopping on issues. This indirectly cast Bush as resolute and consistent, while painting Kerry as indecisive.
We have an easier time believing people are bad vs. good — it’s a survival mechanism to assume the person/animal in front of you is foe, not friend. With a 38% approval rating, Harris has work to do. She also has a lot to work with. Her identity, record, and personal story are disco from seventies laddering heaven. Also she has a not-so-secret weapon; she’s not Donald Trump.
So, the contrasts the Harris campaign should illuminate:
Future/Past
A week ago, Trump looked relatively young, strong, and mentally fit. But that’s only because Biden was none of those things. It’s ironic that Trump’s age/vitality has morphed from his biggest strength to his biggest weakness in a weekend. Age will continue to be a big issue in the campaign.
The contrasts between Harris and Trump are stark. He’s an overweight 78-year-old white man with a spray-on tan; she’s an attractive, fit 59-year-old Black and South Asian woman. He rambles, swinging from dumb and dangerous to conspiracy theory. While Harris has found a better footing recently, her public orations as VP were best described as yogababble. However, I believe she’ll win the debate(s) just by showing up. As Kennedy and Reagan demonstrated, it’s not not what you say but how you look. Harris makes Trump look like Biden.
Good Economy/Bad Economy
We haven’t had a normal election in more than a decade. But even in abnormal elections, economic concerns — jobs, inflation, wealth, income inequality, etc. — top the list for voters. As the Ragin’ Cajun said, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
The bad news: Voters disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy 51% to 39%. The good news: The Biden economy has a lot to celebrate. Impressive job growth. Markets touching record highs. The strongest GDP growth and lowest inflation in the G7. The VP needs to come armed with receipts re: job creation and growth, and be prepared to fact-check Trump’s lies in real time at a debate (if there is one) and on social media. Her campaign will need to do a better job weaponizing surrogates to stay on message and pound home the strength of the economy. While it’s fun to mock J.D. Vance, and the cable networks love the outrage it foments, moderates vote on more boring shit (see above: the economy).
Prosecutor/Convicted Felon
Hours after being released from prison, former Trump adviser Peter Navarro spoke at the RNC. Steve Bannon couldn’t be there, as he’s serving a four-month sentence. Paul Manafort, Trump’s 2016 campaign chair, did time before Trump pardoned him. But wait, there’s more. George Papadopoulos, Rick Gates, Michael Cohen, Roger Stone, Allen Weisselberg, and 700-plus Jan. 6 defendants have either been convicted of crimes or pleaded guilty.
Harris began her career as a prosecutor and served as the attorney general of California. She prosecuted sex offenders; 26 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, and in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case against Trump, the judge concluded that he had committed rape. Harris shut down predatory for-profit colleges; Trump University was a scam. After the housing crisis, she took on the banks and got back $25 billion for California taxpayers; Trump was a slumlord who was found liable in civil court for defrauding banks.
She’s running for president. He is running from prison.
Reproductive Freedom/The Handmaid’s Tale
For decades, the religious right worked to erode the separation of church and state and overturn Roe. Trump and his Supreme Court justices ultimately delivered on that promise in Dobbs. The decision restricts reproductive freedom and endangers lives. It’s also deeply unpopular across the political spectrum. I moved to London two years ago. In that time, the most shameful shift in America is that 1 in 5 women must now travel outside their state to terminate a pregnancy. It will never be 5 in 5 — this isn’t a war on women, but a war on poor women, and wealthy people will always have access to family planning. If age will be the implicit issue in the campaign, bodily autonomy should be the explicit issue for Harris.
Harris’s best moment in the Senate was when she asked Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh if he could think of any law that gives the government the power to make decisions about the male body. Go back and watch the exchange. It’s a perfect ad that should run in every market nonstop.
Harris fights for reproductive freedom, Trump fights for White Christian nationalists.
Glass Ceiling
In 1960 the conventional wisdom held that America wasn’t ready for a Catholic president. In 2008, America wasn’t ready for a Black president, especially one named Barack Hussein Obama. In 2020 we weren’t ready for a Black South Asian woman to be VP. In hindsight, historic breakthroughs feel like destiny. But before you break one, doing so feels risky.
We’ve come a long way on gender. Geraldine Ferraro threw a rock at the glass ceiling when she ran for VP in 1984. In her first campaign for Congress, her slogan was: “Finally, a tough Democrat.” She won. But in the 1984 presidential race she frequently faced questions like, “Are you tough enough to be president?” Thirty-two years later, Trump didn’t attack Hillary Clinton for being weak. He called her “Crooked Hillary.” She cracked the glass ceiling, winning the popular vote. Meanwhile, America continues to normalize female leadership as it spreads across the world. Also, many moderates likely look back to 2016 and realize the woman would have been the better choice.
Project 2025
Harris should wrap Trump in Project 2025, intertwining his presidency with the manifesto for what the country would look like under his leadership. Haven’t heard of Project 2025? Only 20% of voters say they know about the 900-page Heritage Foundation plan to dramatically rewrite life in America. A few of its greatest hits: purging civil servants and staffing the federal bureaucracy with loyalists, eliminating the Department of Education, using the military to round up and deport millions of people, banning porn. This isn’t a policy agenda, it’s a blueprint for White Christian Nationalism. Even the Kremlin and the Stasi allowed weather reports.
Harris will face her own challenges after the honeymoon period comes to an abrupt end in the next week. Trump will position her as an überliberal, a failed border czar who has yet to receive a single vote or delegate for president. I imagine the Trump campaign running — and they’d be smart to — a 24/7 media loop of footage of the Zombie Apocalypse of Useful Idiots on campuses after Oct. 7. In addition, live footage from the downtowns across democratically controlled cities on the West Coast. In sum, de-position of the Democratic party and show the underbelly of institutions/metros controlled by Democrats.
Free Gift
A free gift w/purchase, or the only thing I worry the Harris campaign will miss in their messaging is even more boring. A surprising number of young voters highlighted the growing deficit as an area of concern. Harris stating “we need to get our fiscal house in order” with tough talk re cauterizing reckless spending would piss off the far-left while warming her to moderates. The former are in her ear every day, the latter will decide the election. It would also have a nice ring to it (i.e., true) as Harris is more moderate on economic issues than the perception.
Democrat’s strength is their weakness — idealism. However, the quest and vision for a better world often strays into a mix of indignance and denial. If Democrats were solely focused on beating Trump, they’d pick Mitt Romney as VP (after throwing up in your mouth, think about it) and Biden would step down to let Harris run as the incumbent.
And one final thing: Donald Trump is a rapist and an insurrectionist.
Life is so rich,
P.S. Brian Merchant, author of Blood in the Machine, will sit down with Section on Aug. 14 to discuss the backlash to AI — what’s legitimate and what’s overblown. RSVP here (it’s free).
Well written and thought out. Thanks for sharing and highlighting the stats and videos. Let’s hope the right people heed your advice here. All the best.
It’s high time to have Gen X for President. We are the generation that understands our parents needs and worries~War, Racism, Medicare, Social Security. Our parents are either The Silent Generation or Boomers. We remember the 80’s and WHO Russia really is~ The Cold War~fear of a red button and what was revealed after. We know about paying dues at a sucky job but believing it will eventually get better~no short cuts. We went to School during Affirmative Action and we have REAL opinions about that. We were unified with classmates on race or not~we experienced RUDE/Racism from School Officials~because that’s just the way it was, so we endured it. We endured a lot. Name calling, bullying, doing our own homework and projects~our parents never came to defend us or do our projects. In college, you started to learn about the new wording, African American-not Black, not Handicapped~ Physically Challenged and how that spawned into over naming everyone to this ridiculous moment of a broke woke era, we have sensitivity despite knowing how rare it was for someone to give that. Gen X was raised on all kinds of toughness from our Grandparents and Parents serving in the war or coming from a country that survived a one. Gen X on the ballot is the Best Generation on the ballot for this time and place.
Your summary is glorious. I can’t wait to read what you have to say about trump’s debacle at the Black Journalists Convention.
Ummm … Scott? Are you ok? I know you’re a heavily partisan Democrat. And this was a pretty heavy rant. I love your newsletter for your insights on econ/tech/business. I don’t really come here for the politics. But thats ok. Everybody needs to vent. Just try not to move into the Molly Jong-Fast territory …. toxicity has a heavy price on our sanity.
Watch. Galloway is just going to get angrier and nastier as the Democrats continue to implode.
So many people, so many damaged goods, that are so hopelessly dependent on a system that was specifically built to poison & attack them, that they will fight to protect it.
Angry Chickens for KFC
I’ve seen a lot of Dems calling others “weird” today because Kamala Harris called Trump and Vance weird, and I just saw an L.A. Times piece of garbage which claimed that calling people “weird” is the Dems’ key to victory.
Being the bullies of the kindergarten playground is the key to victory for Dems?
Scott, if you really have Harris’ ear after joining a Zoom call, please tell her to grow up.
Just saw you on White Dude call. If every Democrat talked like you, Joe Biden would still be in the race and up by twenty points, looking at a 40+ state sweep. Whatever you’re doing, please keep it up.
AOC just hit a new, insulting level of stupid.
Daily Mail just reported her ranting, accusing Trump and Vance of having an “incel platform” of punishing people who don’t have biological children.
Actually, when AOC insults incels, she’s abusing mostly people who don’t have biological children. Since she’s hating on us for not having had sex lately, it should have crossed her mind that if we haven’t had sex, we don’t have biological children.
Punishing people who don’t have biological children wouldn’t logically be part of an incel platform. If AOC’s brain were capable of logic, she’d have known that and realized that a platform like she said the Republicans have could not possibly be an incel platform.
I’d skip testing Biden for mental function deficiencies and send the brain testers over to AOC’s office right away.
I’d also ask AOC for an apology for her hateful, hurtful statement, but I already know she’s too consumed by her hate to know any better.
Of course, I just saw in HuffPost that JD Vance, after the uproar from AOC and others like her made clear he offers his sympathy and prayers to those of us who are childless. That doesn’t sound like a great incel platform, and I sincerely hope Vance doesn’t think it is.
Now if you were going to open government-sponsored brothels specifically for incels, that might be a good plank for an incel platform. France had government-sponsored brothels long ago, so it’s not unheard of.
Somehow, though, I don’t think Republicans would do that, and I don’t think Democrats would do that for us.
So the same Joe Biden that allegedly got 81 Million votes, the most votes in history of The United States, just quits.
Gives up.
Joe Biden has cemented his place in American history as the Patron Saint of Surrender and Giving Up.
The same media that’s been lying to everyone for the past 4 years and claiming that there are absolutely no cognitive problems with Biden and that Biden got the most votes in history and that Epstein killed himself in a jail that was specifically designed to prevent inmates from killing themselves.
What else have these propaganda machines been lying to you about?
Why do you people still believe propaganda campaigns that lie to you?
Don’t you people feel stupid and gullible for falling for this Weekend at Bernie’s scam for the past 4 years?
Prof. Galloway –
Very disappointed in your white, privileged, male comment on Kamala Harris, “We should be open to the notion that someone who is a great Senator, great AG and mediocre VP is best suited for an executive role.” As a woman of color, her has to work four times harder than you or I as white privileged males. You and I have had the tailwinds of white privilege while Harris has had the headwinds of dealing with white privilege. I know you grew up poor, Harris grew up segragated and treated “less than.” Harris not only has values and principles, but lives them. I trust Harris based upon her sincerity, competence, consistency, and compassion. Is she perfect – no. Has she failed – yes AND she has failed forward. She working to earn the vote this coming November.
I am going to promote the Harris brand. I am wearing a ” , la” button and this is the first time I’ve ever contributed to a person running for U.S. President.
Signed: An older, white, heterosexual, Christian, able-bodied, economically-stable, privileged male.
David Carr
Are you smoking crack, Scott? You have been pretty much on the nose about a lot of things but you missed the whole boat on this one. The proof is in that you tout the economy as being pro-Harris when it was actually the Bidenomics that led to this soft landing.
My belief is that the media made a huge deal about the debate and Biden’s missteps (while ignoring Trump’s insanities) which led to a self-fulfilling cycle that then led to Democratic donors withholding funds and the Democrats self-flagellating as most always do. I’d pick a comatose Joe Biden over Trump. That being said, Kamala being the nominee has energized EVERYBODY and I’m hoping for a MAGAT thrashing that finally retires his fascism…
I noticed that the Democratic talking heads are trying not to focus on whatever Harris will do if she becomes president. Her voting record and other information that would help people make an educated guess about her presidency keeps disappearing. I hope Democrats will stop playing games and banking on her good looks.
Scott,
You did an awesome job summarizing and explaining
the facts and truth around the candidates in 2024! Thank you!
One of your best
Hi Scott, One thing that is being widely commented on in the media is that Trump tells Christian voters “they won’t have to vote anymore” if he is elected in November
“Christians get out and vote. Just this time,” he urged. “You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years. You know what? It’ll be fixed. It’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore my beautiful Christians.”
This is being interpreted as Trump saying that once he is in office there will not be any more elections, he is staying in power, just like your typical dictator.
It appears that America is in a very dangerous place. I am betting the millionaires have gotten their tickets booked to leave the country the first sign of trouble.
Are your bunkers ready?
It is safe to say that the world outside of America would prefer Kamala Harris over Trump.
Even if Trump does not win in November, the damage he has done to America during his campaign is considerable.
I believe Harris will win in November. Trump will be able to see this in the polls leading up to the election and is likely to react badly, as narcissists generally do. Trump’s reference to Al Capone is a dog whistle telling people it is ok to break the law. My big question is, when is the major upswing in violence going to start? Certainly post the November election, when Trump loses, he will encourage his supporters to fight, fight, fight, including breaking the law. 33 percent of Republicans believe it is ok to resort to violence. Republicans own most of the guns.
What is going to happen if there is a false flag attack in America on the day the election takes place and many people cannot vote?
Honestly Louise, I hope Trump is elected. If he loses the election, he will run again in 2028. And in the interim he will continue to poison the American electorate with lies about stolen elections.
Scott has gone from drinking the cool-aid to guzzling it!
At least he can spell Kool Aid
Trump left office with gas around $2 a gallon.
Under Biden, gas peaks at $6-$7. Highest prices in our nation’s history.
Gas is still at $4-$5
“The Biden economy has a lot to celebrate!” – Scott Galloway
Inflation was caused by the US Government under Trump, throwing 10 trillion dollars into the economy during Covid. They spent four times the amount they should have according to S & P.
It will take a while for the dollars to wash out through the economy, nothing Biden can do about it. The Fed has raised interest rates to bring inflation down.
They can’t help themselves
Just curious … do you understand how gas prices are set? Seriously? Explain it to me. 🙂
I so appreciate your very thoughtful and important work.sadly to use your own language,you really fucked up this time. You can do much better.
Yet another fact free screed. But what’s more telling is the your most ardent fans want to cancel any dissenting opinion. That’s how fascism gets started.
You are a hater.
Fascism gets started when the incumbent denies he lost the election. And then tries to stay in power. Donald Trump is the biggest sore loser in the history of politics.
How about not selling Harris like $300 tennis shoes?
Trump has many issues, but so does Harris. You drag in Project 2025, but fail to mention Trump DOES NOT endorse it. Why did you do that? How did Harris get into politics? Sex with a powerful man. Somehow that doesn’t matter in this #metoo world. What was her commitment to her jobs? Third WORSE record of voting attendance in the Senate. 93% of her VP staff quit, citing her laziness and lack of interest in the job. She had a Constitutional duty to report BIden’s failing mental state to Congress, but she didn’t.
Scott, you have put yourself into a position of public responsibility. You need to tell the whole truth. Even if that means no more guest appearance on MSM.
The citizens of America funded our Universities to create a fair and honest society of educated and responsible citizens. Instead, we have created manipulative, biased, and irresponsible media personalities. They in turn created an environment where only people like Harris and Trump want to be our leaders,
This is the first time that I’ve read the comments to one of Scott’s columns. I think it’ll be the last. “How did Harris get into politics?” My God, can you hear yourself?
Jan 6th, lol
Please unsubscribe.
You are very disrespectful to say the least
Can someone please define a “White Christian Nationalist “ to me? Has anyone reading this post actually met one? How many are there approximately versus the “Uber Left “ that I hear about? When was their last big rally whereby people and police were injured?
We should put to rest the notion that the transition from Biden to Harris was a coronation. The party base is overwhelmingly fired up about Kamala. Multiple polls have demonstrated near-universal Dem voter enthusiasm for her candidacy, and her record-setting donations post-announcement (including a sky-high number of small dollar donations) say even more than that. People vote not just with their ballots but with their wallets. The Dem voters have spoken. They want Kamala. They did NOT want a renewed primary contest that would have damaged the party’s ability to mount a swift and unified campaign against Trump.
I completely agree with Andrew. A vote for Biden/Harris was a vote to have Kamala Harris step up if Biden was unable to perform his duties. Why his endorsement would seem like a thumb on the scale is beyond me. The response to her possible candidacy is proof enought (donations, volunteers, voter registrations, endorsements, enthusiasm) that she has the smarts, toughness, skills and experience to make it as President.
The focus on the Democratic party process and candidates is to the detriment of pointing out the moral bankruptcy of the Republicans who would not find another candidate, but a convicted felon, who refuses to admit he lost in 2020 and who lies as often as he breathes. The opinion of many former Trump administration officials, National Security professionals, international allies and others needs to count for something.
As an interested bystander (I am a Brit), I have been watching the US election process with increasing alarm. It is very clear that America (and the rest of the world) deserves better than Donald Trump and I fear the consequences should he succeed. So, Harris is a breath of (unknown) fresh air – hopefully she can succeed and lead America to a better future.
Before spewing DNC propoganda, please consider placing a disclaimer. Thank you.
One final thing: muppets love Marxist dogma.
Scott sadly this newsletter has gone from being thoughtful to just another Democratic stooge.
Hi, Prof., have been and will remain a fan of your work. Ironic however to see a person of your keen intellect and ability with analytics to be so deeply drinking the media koolaid when it comes to politics. Simple example….job creation. Adjust for Covid effect and who really created more jobs? Of the jobs claimed as “created” by Biden, how many were jobs just being recovered? How many more are part time jobs? How did you parse the data to account for non-citizen jobs? This particular article is rife with biased analytics because it is so fervently wanting to push a certain agenda. Similar to your stance on the whole vaccine saga (a treatment which is now very obviously proven to have been neither safe nor effective), you forsake intellectual honesty and objective facts for the desired agenda. If US society can’t get objectivity from educators / leaders such as yourself, no wonder the media (on both sides) lies constantly with no accountability.
Great comment John
Well said
Great comment John! I lost faith in Scott’s objectivity as he described Biden in a recent article as a relatively good guy. I agree that Trump has MANY faults however to not understand or see Biden’s past and present or be objective lets me know that Scott’s articles will be highly politicized through November with biased journalism. There have been many good newsletters by Scott however I’m now losing interest.
As a thirty year old independent, these are the issues I want addressed by someone with power: housing prices, childcare costs, the cost of college tuition, and ultimately what the hell we are going to do to encourage my generation to have children. After insurance, it cost my wife and I $10,000 to have one child with no complications. Childcare is more than our mortgage. We both have “white collar” jobs and masters degrees. We could not afford another child even if we wanted one. This reality is simply beneath a nation as great as ours.
Ty! I am a republican and…
Country over party. A concept that cult members cannot grasp.
I do not want a convicted criminal as president- regardless of party.
I do not want a president that is sworn to uphold the constitution that defiantly does not.
I do not want a pathological liar that gas lights the country- apparently successfully.
For some- Extreme partisanship makes ethics and morals difficult to uphold.
first smart thing I’ve read on here
Strategically, Romney is my first choice pick for VP, too: it would be a modern version of TEAM OF RIVALS, and potentially reunite these divided states.
100% agree. I don’t understand why there are so many delusion, arrogant MAGA idiots reading your posts. They should have figured out where you are coming from by now. The members of the Trump Cult are impervious to facts about Trump so why don’t they stay in the media bubble they created?
I signed up for this blog to learn about business, not learn that the author hates trump. Thumbs down on pushing the fact he’s a democrat onto his reader base.
Well said!!
Congratulations, Scott, you hit the nail on the head. Trumpists are simply furious!
I agree with Scott that trying to sell Kamala will require some serious marketing genius. However, the latter half of this writeup is partisan and I’m disappointed that Scott puts his partisanship over the principles that he allegedly espouse. On Scott’s podcasts and even previous article, he has talked about how society has neglected young men leading them to hopelessness. Vice President Kamala Harris along with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle are living embodiments of our society putting the interests of incompetent women over the interests of qualified men. His political views will directly adversely impact the future of his sons, the very people Scott said on his podcasts have given his life true meaning. But it seems partisanship overrides everything, Scott rather put the interest of a childless unqualified woman over his own family’s future.
I admire your business content. I’m working on my third degree right now which happens to be an MBA. I’ve been in tech for about 25 years. You have great business educational advice which is why I’ve followed you since my first masters degree. However, I would advise that you stick to business and totally keep your political views and beliefs to yourself. Politics, religion, and cultural differences are a sure fire way to upset people. You’ve built a brand for yourself but now you’re all about political babble. It is a turn off and and becoming miserable. Perhaps you’re aiming for an MSNBC slot?
“Donald Trump is a rapist and an insurrectionist” viciously untrue
You finally lost me.
Sorry Marlene but TRUE!
As a Muslim woman who grew up in the Middle East, I have been following you for years and respected you, I thought you were brilliant, and dared to say things others do not say. In your recent writings and talk, you leaned into how to be a better human. Your humanity does not extend to everyone I guess. Anyone reading your content for a while would recognize the difference; this is so one-sided that you are endorsing Harris. How many people died under the Trump administration versus Obama versus Biden? You made less of yourself with this post. It is not about who wins; but you think and write this. Unsubscribed
Agreed, how can such a smart guy be so deranged? Bizarre neo-leftist discordance from Scott. Disappointed.
There is only 1 target market for the democratic campaign: the swing voter. (Democrats will vote Democrat). So: is mrs Harris the right candidate to appeal to the swing voter?
Unsubscribing.
While I admire most of Prof G’s media- I’ve read all of his books and listen to his podcasts- his Trump Derangement Syndrome is too much for me.
Scott is entitled to his opinions and I appreciate his opinionated delivery (No Mercy No Malice has always been a great title from the accomplished marketer) but it is too exhausting to read his hell-bent anti-Trump articles. Life should indeed be too rich to spray such odious attacks against Trump from across the Atlantic Ocean.
Couldn’t agree with you more!
The biggest problem with not settling on a candidate quickly would have been that the republicans would have continued to run a campaign for the presidency, the democrats would not have. It would have been stalled. Ceding the field to the opposition for weeks would have been a disaster.
Campaigning for political office has parallels to marketing, but they are not the same thing.
Your liberal confirmation bias is showing again. Ain’t gonna happen. Keep dreaming.
White Christian Nationalist! You must work for MSNBC. A person has a view on something and you label them. Many times you preach about labels keeping people down. This is as a divisive bunch of hot air as anything can get. You’re normally educated and thought provoking but this is just a third grade rant with some half ass stats, so sorry you’re ketamine didn’t work. If this sounds like babble, That’s the point!
How the fuck did I get on this bullshit – paranoid newsletter anyway? What a waste of time and hot air. Man – get it together man.
Smoke-filled room? First, nobody smokes these days. Second, the response to Harris’ elevation from small dollar donors, to new voters and volunteers, all indicate that wasting three months on some kind of ersatz primary process is not necessary or wanted. Democrats, working, middle and upper class, are anxious and eager to get going on the deconstruction of Trump, and all of us can see that Kamala Harris is the perfect candidate for that task–prosecutor vs. felon. Finally, I doubt there is any other candidate that could have created the excitement and stepped so gracefully into the top of the ticket than Kamala Harris. Give your calculator and your marketing plan a rest. We have an election to win.
الكلام الاول والاخير للبيت الابيض
Hey Scotta That was an interesting read and could see how this would help the nominee for the democrats! What would you do if you were advertising for Trump’s campaign? Having differing view points allows us to expand our mind.
Posting those phony Job Creation numbers allows everyone to see what a dishonest, small person you are. I used to think you were a creative thought leader but actually you’re just another left-wing hack, begging for attention…sad & pathetic
Thank you for noting galloway’s statistical frauds.
“progressives” shut down govt over fake covidiocy layoffs, give slow-joe credit for the inevitable rehire rebound.
galloway is a poor analyst.
In light of remarks from Vance coming into mainstream discourse this week about childless politicians/voters and parents’ votes needing to carry more weight, I was hoping to hear you disavow very similar comments you’ve made on two occasions on Pivot. Unfortunately, that did not happen on today’s Pivot episode when Vance’s comments were briefly discussed. You said something to the tune that mothers should be given an extra vote because they have a stake in the future via their children. It’s not different from Vance simply because you said mothers and he presumably would give the extra voting power to fathers.
As a Black person who ran in white evangelical circles pre-COVID and was thus exposed to lots of politically conservative ideas in person and on social media, I’m used to hearing voting dog whistles.
“Only landowners should vote.”
“Only net taxpayers should vote.”
“Parents’ votes should weigh more.”
To hear you say that the same about mothers twice, which means it wasn’t a joke but possibly a true opinion, was disheartening.
I enjoy your insights on tech, business, and for the most part on boys and men. But some of the political takes (like Romney for VP) leave me like, “What?”
As I commented a few weeks ago, I do not believe America is ready for a female president or a second minority president until it actually happens. I believed like Lawrence O’Donnell‘s opinion on his MSNBC show “The Last Word” that Biden was the only person who could beat Trump. But, O’Donnell quickly pointed out that the political winds have shifted at least for the presidency. It will take at lot of effort to overcome the inertia of which side will galvanize enough voters to vote for their side. Sitting this vote still seems to be the lead. But I do think the side who will sit this one out has changed. That will be enough for Harris. I look forward to being wrong this time.
I would say the strength of the Democrats is rewarding constituents with someone else’s money. That’s not exactly ‘idealism’ but it is effective. If I can depend on them for a larger check each month, I’m in their camp whether it’s Kamala or a mummy like Biden on the ticket.
Thank you Dr. Scott. You are the man.
Scott may not always be right, but I *love* seeing politics the way a world-class CPG marketing analyst would. Keep it up!
Scott: I am grateful you no longer use “big dog” vocabulary. My experience with big dogs brings to mind this unfortunate story: rayjardine.com/adventures/2024-07-GR10-Pyrenees/index.php (life is not always so rich).
DEI may have gotten Kamala the job as VP but it won’t carry her to presidency. She is an underwhelming orator and has nothing to show for her time as VP, despite being tasked with fixing the border. I’m afraid for grassroots democrats, she will get the same treatment as Biden. She will, like Biden not be the one calling shots, a small circle of powerful democrats and donors will give her a script to read off of, and then remind everyone she is a woman of color, casting any dissenters as mere sexists and racists. Probably for the best though, if America were ever to learn the ‘real’ ideology of Kamala, they would be terrified.
Unsubscribed, I thought your writings were more moderate to middle but the more I read the more it sounds like left wing propaganda.
Scott’s accuracy is proportional to the amount of butt-hurt Trump apologists it brings to the comment section. Well done, Prof G. Harris/Romney would absolutely get my vote, but so will Harris/anybody else.
Scrolling through and when I landed on your comment: “amount of butt-hurt Trump apologists,” I felt like I’d met a fellow traveler. Thanks. Not sure that Prof G cares about all the pearl clutching haters, working up a self righteous lather.
You made one point that is so true and makes me think that many Republicans are true morons. The power of incumbancy is huge. Biden absolutely should step down to give maximum power to the Harris campaign. But to me the interesting part is how many Republicans are calling on Biden to step down. Are you guys really that stupid? Biden should say “I agree with Mike Johnson, I effective tomorrow we will have a new President, President Harris.” How long will it take them to notice that they mortally wounded their own candidate?
Being President would inhibit Harris’s campaigning. She’d have two jobs to do in the same time available. Let Biden get on with the BAU stuff while Harris gets herself out there, undistracted. If Biden needs to make any big calls, it benefits Harris and the Democratic brand. There is no downside.
Let’s make bumper stickers, hats & mugs: “She’s running for president. He’s running from prison.” The first sentence at the top in white font over blue highlight; the second sentence below in yellow font over MAGA red highlight.
Scott, last newslettter prompted a reply but I was too busy. How does your endorsement of a senile old progressive look now – jumping on the bandwagon because you’re terrified of being labeled a misogynist or racist?? check your facts, Trump has never been convicted of being a rapist or even charged with insurrection. and Putin only invaded Crimea and Ukraine because of the panty waist presidents Obama and Biden.
Spot on. Well said
I scrolled all the way down to end, to skip the drivle, and Donald Trump is neither a “rapist” or an “insurrectionist”. Why do you constantly lie?
TDS much! You shill.
Technically, “Whichever Way The Wind Blows” was just a straight-up-the-middle attack ad. His campaign was something like “a safer world and more hopeful America.” But I agree that Harris needs a good campaign. Advertising is my world; plenty of it in politics. The role of President is an 80/20 issue for branding. 80% is about winning hearts, 20% winning minds. But if you poll people, they’ll tell you it’s the opposite, because they want you to think they are smart. Media focuses on the same thing, because it doesn’t know how to measure the 80%. Advertisers do. Obama nailed the 80%, you could feel it. Trump, too. Hillary failed miserably at it. There are two strategic insights that win over hearts: Hope and Change. Hope was W and Obama. Change was Trump and Biden. Hillary was neither. She was just “not that guy.” If Harris wants to win and has the team around her who can truly help her with the right messaging, 20% will be what’s outlined in this article and 80% will simply be getting people excited for (choose: Hope or Change). And let’s not forget that the target audience is 300k+ people in 7 states.
Trump will win the debate by focusing on the issues. How is the border security job working out? Do you know the costs to give free healthcare, housing , education and VISA cards to 10 million illegal invaders. What is the diference bertween Russia sending 500,000 people to Ukraine and other third world dictatorships sending 10 million to the US? How many people supported you in the 2020 primaries (hint less than lowfat milk, 2%) , how many primary voters supported you for President in 2024? How did you get your start in politics? What was your relationship with Willie Brown, a married man? Why did a supposed non-partisan media site just remove their rsting of you as the Senator with the most progressive voting record ? Where do your progressives policies differ from Joe’s regarding higher taxes, war on energy independence, force feeding EVS to us and higher inflation & interest rates? I am waiting to see the word salad that spills out of her mouth.
cope and seethe, trump trash
To be honest – you demonize Trump , but not any of the Democrats. To pretend that Trump is this evil manipulator is an unfair characterization of a man you do not know. By being so much against him, you alienate 50% of your audience. Furthermore, your position on abortion is revolting. Are you glad to be alive, and how would you have felt as an unborn baby gasping for life as a knife slices you apart ? There was a film called “ Silent Scream, “ by the late Doctor Bernard Nathanson. He later repented, released this film, and died after finding spirituality in his life. You put out these horrific rants, and I wonder why your viewpoint should bring angst into my day. Maybe watch “ Silent Scream, “ and get off your arrogant disregard for human life. Trump is far from perfect, like all of us, but came around with the abortion issue. The family of a young man he hired invited Trump for dinner years ago. The parents admitted they almost had him aborted, but opted against it. Trump realized what a loss it would have been had that pregnancy been terminated. Maybe you can change also, and return to a balanced viewpoint on these human life issues. The opposition to Trump believes as you do. Shameful.
I voted for Biden but your bias toward Harris is beyond ridiculous. This is a coronation . How bout firing military personnel for not getting the vaccine for when the govt jammed something on a male body. The term “ reproductive freedom” is another term for slavery. The women owns what’s in her womb thus she’s allowed to kill it
Mitt Romney as veep? I’m not throwing up in my mouth, I’m pointing and laughing. Scott, you’ve been living across the pond too long.
A New York Times opinion column (or maybe The Atlantic) suggested the same thing. It got completely trashed on Twitter over the weekend. It’s a surprise to hear Scott come out this week and say the same thing.
Get rid of Electoral College. Limit campaigns to five weeks; voting is COMPULSORY and Electronic; NO private donations for any campaigns. All monies are from a public fund. Age max is 65 years old for one term of six years. Reduce Congress by 25% and identify as Public Servants C or S. NO sane people will run for office if we don’t update the system.
Trump will win the debate by focusing on the issues. How is the border security job working out? Do you know the costs to give free healthcare, housing , education and VISA cards to 10 million illegal invaders. What is the diference bertween Russia sending 500,000 people to Ukraine and other third world dictatorships sending 10 million to the US? How many people supported you in the 2020 primaries (hint less than lowfat milk, 2%) , how many primary voters supported you for President in 2024? How did you get your start in politics? What was your relationship with Willie Brown, a married man? Why did a supposed non-partisan media site just remove their rsting of you as the Senator with the most progressive voting record ? Where do your progressives policies differ from Joe’s regarding higher taxes, war on energy independence, force feeding EVS to us and higher inflation & interest rates? I am waiting to see the word salad that spills out of her mouth.
Meant to say that the Electoral College was brilliantly designed to protect Federalism, states rights and protect the rest of the country from voters in CA, NY & Ill. As a 3rd gen Californian, I understand the damage they’ve done and pray to God that kamala doesn’t get a chance to Californicate America.
Contrasting Biden’s “job creation” against Trump’s gives the game away. There was a small thing called Covid and a global shutdown of all commerce.
And Trump will say inflation and rent increases are 100% Biden’s own doing; presidents take too much credit for positive stats, and deflect for any negative stats. The point of this article isn’t so much about politics, but about marketing and perception.
Trump is neither of the things you’ve accused him of at the end of this note. What has happened to you the last two years? You’re an ignorant far left nut. Go Away, please.
correct.
How to derail all the momentum you had built up in the past week and go further backwards
– Make Romney your VP