The Soap Flakes Presidency

[Stinky The Clown]

W

You've all seen them:



The famous W stickers. There are others, too.

W

That's this guy's middle name. That was his Mommy's and Daddy's nickname for him when he was a little duffer. It stuck. As an adult, he's still called W by his friends.

W

Along came Karl Rove. Political operative and direct marketer. Learned at the knees of other political operatives and direct marketers. Guys like Lee Atwater and Richard Viguerie.

Direct marketing.

Sales

Soap Flakes

It works. At least for a while.

So they package this ne'er do well son of a president and market him. In Tejas. Then to the whole country. He sells. They have a hit product. They sell him to the world. Some buy it.

But its a funny thing about direct marketing and branding. Sometimes it just runs out of steam. When was the last time you bought any of this?



Its still out there. But what a horrible name. "Naptha". Blech. Chemicals. Try as they may, it just isn't on anyone's radar any more. Or in their laundry room.

Same with ....

W

People just aren't buying it anymore. It has run its course. Market as they might, no one's buying.

They used the same tactics for their tax cuts. Made it sound all good and rosy for the 'little guy'. "Keep your money" they said. They stood his sorry ass on a mountain of rubble, gave him a bullhorn and an old fireman to hug. A marketer's dream. The Iconic Image. People bought into it.

W

They used it again for their little war. "WMD" they said. "Rape Rooms" they said. "Stalwart and plain speaking" they said.

Then they started to falter. The aircraft carrier stunt. The toppling statue. The search for the second Iconic Image.

Ooops.

So they went back to their old stuff.

But no more. It isn't working anymore. Look at his little speech to the soldiers on Veterans' Day, last week. Canned cheers and stale marketing slogans. No one's buying it. That same old pablum. It seems stale to the consumers now.

They sold him like soap flakes. People bought it. They tried it. And now they feel the dirtier for having used it. Everyone who was inclined to buy it did. And now they're rejecting it. There's no more market for ......

W

Like Fels Naptha ...... and Richard Nixon. Like Stalin and Hitler. Like Pinochet and Pol Pot. Like the Edsel and Steak and Ale.

He's a half empty and now disued box of soap flakes. He'll be out in next week's trash. Headed for history's landfill.



W

I hope you're at least biodegradable.

Oh .... and Karl?

Don't bother.

[NanceGreggs]

1. Kudos!

Very well-written piece!

[shenmue]

2. He's different in one way...

Soap is useful.

[donkeyotay]

3. Maybe they should try adding a little "New! Improved!"sticker...not

[tridim]

4. Remember "Wacky Packages"?

[Stinky The Clown]

5. No, I don't recall ever seeing these ......

From what era?

[Sparkly]

6. Kind of like McDonald's, and some designer clothes -- all marketing

and packaging. The stuff itself is often terribly made, cheap, and wouldn't sell for anything without the packaging and marketing.

Just like "W" wouldn't make it as a used car salesman without his connections and the management that's built him up as a "leader."