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Connie Dieken

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Influencer of the Week: The Tarmac Tiff Photo-Op

Posted: 01/29/2012 4:46 pm

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's tarmac tiff with President Obama influenced a major book bump. Who knew that her Scorpions for Breakfast tome even existed before the photo-op transformed it into a best-seller?

Apparently not many. Brewer's book rocketed from No. 343,000 up to No. 7 in Amazon book rankings as a result. That's an astonishing literary leap. She transformed a digit on her right hand into a handy digital sales tool.

Was it coincidental that the testy-looking exchange was about her recently released book? After the photo surfaced, Brewer's camp quickly informed the media that the finger-wagging fun centered on the president's reaction to her depiction of an earlier tête-à-tête in the book. The president says it was no big deal. It's a political he-said, she-said. But one thing's for sure: If you're an author -- quick -- find a way to get a testy-looking photo of you taken with a celebrity whom you knock in your manuscript. Book publicity doesn't get any more magical than this.

As for the whirlwind of emotions and etiquette discussions the photo is influencing, that's wide open to personal interpretation.

You decide whether it's disrespectful. You decide if the president looks tense or amused. You decide how finger-pointing sits with you.

But the bottom line is that no one can argue with the book bump. Governor Brewer created a moment of impact and capitalized on it. The tarmac tiff photo-op influenced the country to discuss Brewer's book -- and flock to buy it.

 
 
 

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Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's tarmac tiff with President Obama influenced a major book bump. Who knew that her Scorpions for Breakfast tome even existed before the photo-op transformed it into a best-...
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's tarmac tiff with President Obama influenced a major book bump. Who knew that her Scorpions for Breakfast tome even existed before the photo-op transformed it into a best-...
 
 
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10:35 PM on 02/09/2012
President Obama is so above Jan Brewer . Of course she doesn't know how to act or represent the state of AZ. She is a tea bagger.
04:27 AM on 01/30/2012
Air Force One pulls up to the gate.
President Obama looks out.
The Arizona gov does wait.
He wonders what this is about.
Their last meeting was photo opped.
The gov's finger was in his face,
And so her book sales really popped.
Now here she is still on his case.
And in Hawaii none the less,
A presidential vacation.
Another tarmac meeting mess?
The Prez decides to have some fun.

The Prez says to his friend in fur,
"Bo, see that gov gal? Go sic her."
09:02 PM on 01/29/2012
Funny how the author equates The President of The United States of America to a "celebrity whom you knock in your manuscript".
07:04 AM on 01/30/2012
Did you say President