Case Study: 7 Almost-Criminal Examples of “Cotton Candy” Campaign Messaging
Kids love cotton candy. It’s pretty. It’s soft. It’s sweet.
It’s also totally void of substance and has no nutritional value whatsoever. Like Las Vegas City Council candidate Valerie Weber’s campaign messaging.
Lots of substance-free words strung together that basically amount to gibberish and banal generalities. Here are 7 examples…
1.) Her big campaign promise at the top of her website: "Las Vegas City Government Let You Down. I Never Will."
Bold.
Not.
Seriously. HOW has the Las Vegas city government let people down? She doesn’t say. So how will we know if she lets us down since we have no idea what “let you down” even means?
2.) Campaign slogan: “Dedicated. Driven. Determined.”
Lame-o in the extreme-o.
Seriously, how many people thinking about voting in this election are saying to themselves, “You know, the council person I’m looking for is someone dedicated, driven and determined. I’m voting for Valerie!”
That would be…no one.
That said, how does this slogan set Val apart from every other candidate who can and will claim the same personality characteristics?
Indeed, I’m sure if you asked socialist airhead Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Venezuela) if she considers herself “dedicated, driven and determined,” she’d say yes. So how is this persuasive campaign messaging?
It’s not.
3.) About Val…
“Her real-life experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors has demonstrated her aptitude for problem-solving by combining her natural leadership, analytical and listening skills.”
Oof.
What voters talk and think like that?
“Dang,” said no dad or mom at the dinner table ever, “I sure wish we could find a candidate with real-life experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors who has demonstrated an aptitude for problem-solving by combining their natural leadership, analytical and listening skills.”
Indeed, if only EVERY elected official had a “problem-solving aptitude” and “analytical skills,” we’d be living in Nirvana, right?
Good grief.
4.) How would Val fight crime? Let’s see…
“We need to work with law enforcement to have community visibility and create a group of all the stakeholders to develop a strategic working relationship and combine everyone’s best effort to ensure people feel safe in their own homes and neighborhood.”
Pure mush.
And how many of you voters have ever referred to yourself as a “stakeholder”?
That would be…nobody.
5.) How would Val make city government “work for you”? Good question…
“Through proactive planning and strategic thinking, we can get ahead of problems before they put taxpayers at risk.”
Nailed it!
Indeed, I’ve been saying for years that all we need is just a little “proactive planning and strategic thinking” and … VUNDERBAR! ... Paradise City, here we come!
6.) And it’s not just her website that’s home to such “cotton candy” campaign messaging. Her social media posts are equally substance-free. An example from a tweet this week…
“Policy over politics. We cannot get caught up in ‘business as usual’ if we want an open, effective local gov't. We must take a hard look at the serious issues facing our city & make the tough decisions now - not put them off for future generations.”
Oy.
Could you be a little more vague?
7.) How about this one?
“A proactive approach is required to make gov't work. Taxpayers cannot afford a City Gov't playing catch up to the challenges of a vibrant city. We must work together to anticipate the issues that impact our quality of life & ensure we are forward thinking instead of small minded.”
Ugh. Not exactly MLK-level scintillation, is it?
“I have a dream. That one day we will take a proactive approach and work together to anticipate the issues that impact our quality of life and ensure we are forward thinking instead of small minded.”
(Crowd erupts in thunderous applause!)
I don’t know if Val is writing this crappola herself or if she’s paying someone to write it for her. If she is, she needs to ask for a refund. Either way, she’s approved it so she owns it.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Valerie’s FAR from alone in burping up banalities like this.
She’s only a current example of a messaging crisis that continues to plague Republicans in election cycle after election cycle. I’m just seeing the pablum she’s putting out now because I’m consulting for one of her opponents.
Not that we’re complaining! Keep on keepin’ on, Val.
The sad truth is, Republican campaigns up and down the ballot from coast to coast have been talking in vague generalities like this and insulting the intelligence of voters for years.
It simply doesn’t resonate. It’s boring. It energizes NO ONE. And persuades even fewer.
And they wonder why they keep losing so many elections?
Talk and write the way regular people talk around the dinner table.
And be SPECIFIC. Tell us specifically what you’re gonna DO. And tell us specifically what’s wrong with your opponent – name names! – and why you’d be a better choice.
And please, please, PLEASE…stop boring us to death!
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