the nasty dance

[A. Joseph Ross]

On 22 Mar 2008 at 23:52, Keating Willcox wrote:

> I think radio is the perfect medium for him to get his message out. 

It once was, but I'm not sure it is now.  People won't listen to 
speeches with a lot of comprehensive, specific programs.  As John 
Kerry found out.  People want the kind of inspiring generalities that 
Obama has been giving them.  That, of course, results in criticism 
from the other candidates that he's short on specifics -- they are 
too, of course.

Campaigns traditionally have position papers on various issues, which 
some people interested in particular issues may even bother to read.  
Now the position papers are on the Internet, with all the details 
that a political campaign, without access to the government's 
planning resources can come up with.  

Nixon had a better idea in 1968.  He used radio speeches to discuss 
particular topics in detail.  It was a good idea, and it worked for 
him.  But it wasn't because people listened to radio, it was because 
other media covered it.  The text of his speeches appeared in the New 
York Times.  Summaries or excerpts, or sometimes the full text, 
appeared in other papers, and there were summaries on the evening 
news shows.  Would that happen today?

-- 
A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                           617.367.0468
 92 State Street, Suite 700                   Fax 617.507.7856
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