Tuesday, May 05, 2009

The Republicans are rebranding - They're more out of touch than I realized.

Oh my goodness. Having come from corporate America, I am all too familiar with the term "rebranding." It's a term that is thrown around when a company decides to refresh its image, all in the hopes of tricking more consumers into buying something they clearly didn't need (or they would already be buying it, right?).

I have a background in marketing. I studied it at the undergraduate level and also earned my MBA. After this, I found myself disgusted with, well, myself...and what I was doing. I've since realized that marketing is a career that I can no longer bring myself to pursue.

That said - yes, I fall very far onto the left side of the political spectrum. I am proud to say I make my political decisions (and place my votes) on principles and duties in favor of emotions and selfishness. I try very hard to see through the political banter (yes, from both sides) to see the truth so that I can make what I consider to be the right decision.

This is why I am so disappointed that the republican party is rebranding itself. How appropriate that during a time where we are seeing an economic upheaval, the party that cherishes sameness is latching onto the very system that has failed us: corporate America. Who wants to bet they hired tons of private sector consultants to help with their rebranding? And to do what exactly? Instead of re-examining the ideals of the party in order to ensure that the party still represents America (and not just some elite group of fat-cats), they've just decided to re-vamp their image? If only the problem were simply the surface.

A party that no longer holds the trust of the voting public has bigger problems than its image. A party that has its voting base in the ignorant and closed-minded has bigger problems than branding. A party that bases its persuasion tactics on the same shameless tactics used to coerce people into killing one another - fear, threats, promises of fruits in the afterlife - rather than telling the voters the truth...that is a party with a problem....And this problem is one that rebranding can't solve.

Rebranding is a band-aid. The republican party should show not only the voters, but also itself the respect of actually fixing the root of its problems. It is out of touch. It does not represent all of America - only an elite set interested in pushing their judgements onto others instead of living and letting live.

Rather than rebranding - I suggest the republican party consider creating a product that people actually want to buy instead.