Aug 18, 2009
Just How Prepared Are Politicians?
Pretend that the United States Congress is your client – scary thought, I know, but work with me. The goal of your client is to communicate via a grassroots effort the specifics of an issue, gather feedback regarding said issue and accurately report findings of said issue to the CEO. What kind of public relations tools would you provide for your client to accomplish that goal?
Solely based upon the drama of media reports of recent town hall meetings, I’m not convinced that our elected officials were adequately prepared. These individuals were charged with addressing what has became a controversial, confusing and convoluted debate on an 1,018-page health care proposal near and dear to most Americans. Between the loud shouting and near fistacuffing, it’s hard to tell who was more prepared – the politicians or the participants.
For future meetings, elected officials might find the following public relations tools useful:
* Q&As – Shouldn’t leaders be given a list of Q&As of key concerns to better prepare them to speak intelligently on the bill?
* Handouts – How about a handout of top points with page numbered cross referencing to the proposal?
* Influencers – Did any politician or their staff meet with community leaders to solicit feedback, ascertain concerns and explain position?
* Hotline – What about a telephone hotline for constituents to call to get either a call back or a recorded explanation of key issues?
* Database – Did people sign in with qustions and contact information so Congressional staff could respond to their concerns following the meeting?
* Social Media – What did our elected officials doing via social media to inform, engage and educate?
Lack of preparation will continue to serve as a source of drama for media coverage. In the meantime, I strongly suggest that we maintain a regular exercise and healthy eating program every day to decrease the chances of us having to use health care in the future.
I shudder at the thought of having to represent anyone remotely related to today’s Congress, the lowest rated group of elected officials ever. Even if they were prepared, the bill is so full of contradictions and ambiguity that no one would stand a chance of trying to accomplish anything, much less a goal. And since town hall participants have been called un-American, why would politicians even care what citizens think anyway?
Politicians are not prepared to talk to the public about issues. There is an un-American agenda underway by the political left to move the country toward socialism. The fact that Democratic representatives even host town hall meetings is an amazing thing. They could care less about the issues. No wonder they are not prepared. They are not there to answer questions or explain their positions. Just a waste of time.