Yes, Hillary Clinton can still win but it's going to take a bit of quick thinking and implementation of some key strategies.
I'm just imagining for a moment that I'm the coach at half time. My team was ahead in the first quarter and then let the opponent back in and now we trail by a touchdown.
I have to tell my team, "look, yes, we played horrific-ly in that quarter. We let the fans down. And that won't happen in the Second Half."
"We got comfortable."
"Now we have the second half where we can score and then go ahead or we can simply keep doing what we've been doing that got us here...and go home..."
Hillary gets all excited and says, "So what DO we do?"
Fair enough.
We have to spin...fast.
There are a few principles in sales and marketing in 2008 that have been adjusted in the last decade. Not changed, just different proportions of significance.
1) Trust and credibility are crucial. We can turn off our brain and do something else if we trust someone. We buy the brand because we KNOW it is good. You don't wonder whether you should get in iPod or go to Starbucks...you just do...
2) People want value. They want to know that what they are buying is really a good value. It's a better product than the rest of them. They want a lot in return for their stack of chips they are spending.
3) They want a good experience. Something unique, exciting, calming, soothing.
4) They want to be able to IDENTIFY with the person, the brand they are doing business with. And today, this is perhaps more important than anything. Is it going to be perceived as "cool" for me to vote for Hillary?
That question needs to be answered, "yes" by Hillary.
Not so long ago, Myspace.com was THE "space.com" to use, to network socially in. Then seemingly out of nowhere Facebook.com comes in and has not only caught myspace.com but is actually ahead of facebook.com in many ways that matter.
Hillary has to do what facebook.com has done.
Hillary must use the facebook model, accomplish the four key points above, and she can get back in the game.
If she doesn't, well, she doesn't.
So what do all the metaphors mean?
Facebook gave the people what they wanted. Facebook gave people a way to connect in unique and fun ways. Facebook let in other companies applications to run in facebook.
Result: Now you can buy someone a cyber-drink on facebook. You can reach out and touch someone without shouting at them or being so "dark" like myspace is.
Facebook gives you lots of ways to have a chance to be important.
Now myspace has to catch up.
Good luck.
In reverse order:
Hillary must go back to being a person that first and foremost women and white voters will identify with. She had those votes and she's given a lot of them back. She's tried to capture Obama's voters and has gotten off message.
Specifically, "In 2008, the United States of America will elect it's first president who works from sun up to sun down, puts the children to bed, makes breakfast in the morning and goes off to work at a job that people told her she couldn't ever aspire to, when she was a kid."
Now that will be enough right there to hammer home 5,000 times between now and Texas.
Every woman can identify with that. And quite a few men do as well.
You can't get Obama's demographic, and therefore you shoot for the people in the middle who decide races. Forget going after everyone. It's the people who were for Clinton, now leaning Obama that Clinton needs to get back.
Specifics:
It's time to send husband Bill out of country for a week to 10 days. This campaign MUST be about Hillary and NOT Bill. Bill can come back later and help sew it up, but right now, media attention often has as many photos and articles about the former president as it does the former FIRST LADY, who is running for president.
It seems counter-intuitive to ask a former -resident ...who is your husband...to take a break for 10 days...but he needs to get out of the spotlight.
One person making mistakes is hard enough. Two people means there are twice as many reasons to NOT vote for Hillary Clinton.
Next, gear up the message, not of change, but of a new era of responsible change where the person in the White House is the person who represents the person in YOUR HOUSE.
Hillary Clinton, good wife, good mother, good, hard-working, Senator. And so are those in "the middle" (well maybe they aren't great Senators but they see themselves as hard-working.)
As for the Iraq issue, she needs to simply put it behind her with one sweeping theme:
The men and women serving in Iraq will receive the full support of the American people and Presidency until it is safe to begin their withdrawal. Like it or not, progress has been made. Like it or not, we voted based on information that was given to us. Everything changes in retrospect, but the lives of American's depend on responsible actions now and then we bring our people home as soon as is humanly possible.
End of story.
The "experiencing" of Hillary Clinton is difficult compared to the charismatic Clinton. So use that to your advantage, Hillary.
"Mr. Obama, as you learn the ropes of Washington, you'll eventually find your way. It's easy to be charismatic when you haven't made enough decisions to make many mistakes yet. That will happen in time for you. Mistakes are where you gain your experience and learn what works and what doesn't. The presidency isn't about physical charisma, it is about connecting with people and understanding what they want and need."
Finally she must show value.
The people are buying a president and they don't want to screw up again.
They want someone like THEMSELVES running this country and Hillary must show that her VALUE is that she... is just like America.
She may have to show the nation that she can compete on an intense level, be passionate and show it. Show a powerful presence and literally go nose-to-nose with a man who is a foot taller than she is. If she wants votes she has to have the presence of leadership that Obama is good at projecting but we don't know if he truly has.
She can win but she needs to pull the husband from the game for a rest. She needs to focus on the voters who are considering her. Latinos, women and whites.
She has to understand that she can't try and appeal to everyone. Represent her demographic which this campaign has shown to be remarkably "about" since the beginning.
And she needs to embrace being the Underdog. America LOVES an underdog, especially Democrats. They will vote for the underdog if the person recognizes it publicly...much like the New York Giants did three weeks ago.
Never count out someone who thrives on being an underdog.
That's the spin that needs start tomorrow morning.
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Posted February 21, 2008 | 01:42 PM (EST)