The "new era of bipartisanship"

Barack Obama, May 1, 2010

Now, the second way to keep our democracy healthy is to maintain a basic level of civility in our public debate. These arguments we’re having over government and health care and war and taxes -- these are serious arguments. They should arouse people’s passions, and it’s important for everybody to join in the debate, with all the vigor that the maintenance of a free people requires.

But we can’t expect to solve our problems if all we do is tear each other down. You can disagree with a certain policy without demonizing the person who espouses it.

Barack Obama, 2009

In Jonathan Alter’s “The Promise: President Obama, Year One,” President Obama is quoted in an interview saying that the unanimous vote of House Republicans vote against the stimulus bills “set the tenor for the whole year ... That helped to create the tea-baggers and empowered that whole wing of the Republican Party to where it now controls the agenda for the Republicans.”

HYPOCRITE, n. One who, professing virtues that he does not respect, secures the advantage of seeming to be what he despises. - Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

Where are the President's advisors? They need to explain brand damage to him:

In the long run, the only thing that counts is the perception of the brand in the consumer's mind. That's what marketing people should focus on. Not current sales which for luxury brands are certain to be hurt by the economy.

Save the brand and when the economy improves, so will the brand's sales.

Damage the brand in order to reap additional sales in the short term and you'll wind up like Packard.

There's a good chance that the President's advisors know this. There's also a good chance that the President doesn't listen to very many people. Smart.