No, this opinion piece is not about the Super Bowl, or the beer advertisers that spent millions of dollars on thirty second commercials, or Justin Timberlake ripping off Janet Jackson’s bra at halftime.
With the perspective of 20-20 hindsight, there are the five lessons to be learned from the unexpected implosion of the Dean for America presidential campaign.
LESSON #1: He who lives by the Internet dies by the Internet.
Three years ago, the dot com (dot bomb) bust in the technology sector of the economy occurred because Internet revenue projections exceeded the actual market place demand. Although the Dean campaign tapped into a new and successful fund raising Internet methodology, there is one serious flaw. The Internet contributions are extensive with respect to the number of donors, but very small in individual amounts.
This led to an incorrect assumption by the Deaniacs of how much cash they could potentially generate by erroneously projecting an ever expanding number of Internet supporters that in fact does not exist. The decision of the Dean organization to forgo federal campaign funding was predicated on this flawed assumption.
The same rules apply to business and politics. Exclusive dependence upon the Internet for operating income is a financial Titanic waiting to happen.
LESSON #2: It’s mentally and physically impossible to be “on” one-hundred percent of the time.
It simply can not be done. Great athletes are successful because they understand the concept of “tapering” when they decelerate their workouts to regain strength before the main event. Howard Dean failed to taper his campaign preceding the caucuses in Iowa. When his crusade smashed through critical mass catapulting him into front runner status, Dean permitted his schedule to become so frenetic that he left himself no down time to THINK. As a result, neither Dean, nor his staff, had the opportunity to craft a long term defensive and offensive front runner strategy.
LESSON #3: Never bad mouth your enemies in public.
Terry McAuliffe and Bill Clinton have similar personalities. When criticized, they do not become angry. They prefer to get even in not so subtle ways. Regardless of all the scenarios about the intentions of Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton is going to maintain control of the Democratic Party apparatus. Howard Dean threatens that control. So what does Clinton do? He listens to Howard Dean’s comments that the United States should have sought a UN mandate before invading Iraq. Clinton then goes back into his archives and pulls out a letter from Governor Dean in which Dean tells Clinton that the United States should not waste its time securing a UN mandate to invade Kosovo, and that the United States should take unilateral military action without the UN’s consent.
The letter is then released to the media through the Clark organization two days before the Iowa caucus. Clintonism. Don’t get angry, get even.
LESSON #4: It’s the message, and not the man.
When Howard Dean stepped up to the microphone in Keene the weekend before the New Hampshire primary, the reception, according to the Brattleboro Reformer, resembled the arrival of a rock star. The quotes in the Reformer expounded upon how exciting it was for the Brattleboro residents to be in the presence of Howard Dean.
Dean becomes caught up in the excitement of his supporters (you can not blame him) and unfortunately allows the event to focus on the “man”. Dean is the man to bash Bush. The crowd loves it. With all the television cameras rolling, Dean’s opportunity to convey a coherent message of why he is running for President is never articulated that night. It’s not the “man” that wins elections – it’s the “message.”
LESSON #5: Just because someone asks you a question does not mean you have to answer it.
“Governor Dean, why is your spouse not campaigning with you?”
“Because,” responds Dean, “I’m not going to drag my wife around like a prop in my campaign.”
Excuse me. Husbands do not “drag” their wives around (with the exception of Fred Flintstone) or call their spouses “props” unless they really enjoy sleeping on the living room couch. The only way to answer a question that you do not want to answer is to flip the inquiry back onto the reporter using the moment to your political advantage.
“Governor Dean, why is your spouse not campaigning with you?”
Dean stares at the reporter for five seconds before responding. This momentary pause will shift the focus onto the journalist creating a non-verbal perception that it’s a dumb question. (Donald Rumsfeld is a master at this technique).
Dean then replies in the following unrushed cadence: “Late last night when I talked with my wife, we communicate at least once a day, (smile, pause, and let it sink in) she told me an interesting story. It seems her patients are calling her office volunteering to change their medical appointments so she can have some time off to campaign with me. Well, there is one thing I can assure you. When I’m President, the people of the United States will feel very secure knowing that when I go to bed at night I’m in the company of a female physician with a fabulous bedside manner.”
KABLAM!!! The Fox television reporter is verbally slammed head first into the ground. And best of all, the reply is self depreciating humor that the voting public adores.
So, there you have it. These five lessons are not rocket sense, but rather common sense.
If you have any other thoughts as to why the Dean campaign imploded, your comments will be appreciated.