Presidential Symbolism

I'm just as fascinated by presidential politics as I am by brand building. With the upcoming presidential election, I'll be sneaking in the occasional posting on how the candidates are building their own brands, or in both candidates cases partially re-staging their images. As the campaign heats up, pundits will be analyzing every last word the candidates say, while Obama/Romney will each will look to twist the other's misspoken words against them. This got me thinking on the importance of leveraging classic American symbolism to convey a message, while both leaving the pundits no place to run and elevating themselves to Presidential status. To this end, below is a reposting from a blog I started (though only had one post) on election strategery.

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2010

Mosque Mess

Overview: On August 13, 2010, the President spoke about the proposal to build a mosque two blocks from the site of the September 11 terror attacks.

What Obama said: "Muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country...And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan."

These comments have been criticized by many on both republicans and democrats alike because they either disagree with his opinion that the mosque should be built - a CNN poll finds nearly 70% of Americans oppose the mosque - or they worry that his image will take another hit as he becomes further linked with Islam.

While I am one of the 30% of Americans that agrees with Obama and appreciate his want to do the right thing, I believe there was a more appropriate way to address the situation given the sensitivity of the subject.

What Obama Should have Said: "On January 20th, 2009 when I was sworn in as the President of the United States I put my hand on the bible and I took an oath . I took an oath, solemnly affirming that I would preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. And that oath, obligates me to preserve, protect and defend freedom of religion for all Americans."

While the substance of the message is the same, by invoking the power of the presidential oath, the constitution, and finally the bible, Obama's message would have carried more weight. In changing his approach, he would have left less rope for his critics to run with and lifted him above the messy debate.