Inaction in D.C. Opens Door for State-Based Public Affairs
As the Obama Administration muddles through its response to the “plus perfect” storm of crises that have converged, organizations interested in legislative action on key issues can only hang their heads knowing the path forward has gotten more difficult. The lack of legislative action and brinkmanship that defined Washington since the House of Representatives changed […]
From Locke to the Federalist, Government’s Role in Transportation Policy is as American as Apple Pie
Adam Smith and John Locke gave America much of its philosophical and economic underpinning. They also both argued for governmental participation in transportation infrastructure and public works. For Locke, it was an essential part of his overall proposition for the natural rights of man, while Smith believed public works served to fulfill the natural system […]
A Plea on Election Day
With the polls barely opened and voting just underway, I write this with absolutely no idea of how this election is going to turn out. I cast my ballot already, one among the millions of early voters who decided they couldn’t wait until November 6th to record their choice for President of the United States. And […]
Want More Facebook Likes? Be Careful What You Wish For
The prevalence of social media in today’s marketplace is undeniable. Nearly all the media we consume and every product we use on a daily basis has at least some social media component tied to it. Whether through QR codes on products, or share links on news stories, the grip of social media is inescapable; and […]
The Nine Lives of a PR Person
As PR people know, it’s not easy to explain what we do to anyone who isn’t in business or communications. Heck, half my family thinks I report the news, and the other half is convinced I design ads. We implement varying and ever-changing communications tactics to support clients in diverse industries, and perhaps that’s why […]
Three Reasons Sarah Palin’s Shooting Response Video is All Wrong
Link – Palin Response to Tucson Tragedy In her song “American Dream”, country music artist Lucinda Williams laments over and over again that, “…everything is wrong.” While the song’s focus is on a different type of tragedy, its chorus could just as easily apply to Sarah Palin’s latest attempt to respond to the tragedy in […]
2011 Predictions: Public Affairs & Grassroots Campaigns
Early December prompts an avalanche of ‘best of’ and ‘worst of’ the year lists. These are soon followed by New Year’s resolutions, which are ostensibly crafted after reviewing personal best and worst moments of the year in the hopes of improving next year. And do we ever have a list of ‘worst of’ moments to […]
Can We Be Too Risk Averse?
Building on the previous blog post by Peter Stanton that touched on the inadvertent disclosure that sometimes happens I began to wonder if the tools and technology we use in communications and public affairs contribute to an environment where professionals become hesitant to engage media. Living in an age of 24-hour news cycles and growing […]
Channeling Three Englishmen to Explain the 2010 Elections
As we look back at the 2010 election cycle to try and divine what the outcomes mean, we must pick our way through a maze of information that ultimately provides little concrete insight into what the next two years will offer. In an effort to distinguish this re-cap from countless others and to help inform […]