Post #4

April 11th, 2023

Dear Conservative Leader/Activist,

GIVE PEOPLE A TUNE TO WHISTLE

A good tagline for a political candidate should give people a tune they can whistle.  Some recent successful Republican gubernatorial candidates in Virginia had effective taglines that you can hum/whistle.  POP QUIZ: Do you recognize any of them? (I’ll give you the answers at the end so you can see how you did!)

A. You do the crime; you do the time.

B. No Car Tax!

C. Bob’s for Jobs

D. No Critical Race Theory Taught in Virginia’s Schools

In the November 2022 election, the Democrats developed a big-picture strategy with the long game in mind.  Their strategy included spending tens of millions of dollars to nominate the Republican candidates they wanted to run against.  They selected candidates that would fit into their campaign strategy of giving the voters two tunes to whistle.

Democracy is on the Ballot

A Woman’s Right to Choose is on the Ballot

Republican leaders gave the voters NO tune to whistle.  How do you whistle: High inflation or crime or high gas prices?  The GOP leaders did not connect a problem with Democrat candidates.

Democrats brought in effective campaigners to drive home their closing message. Repetition is the number one secret of advertising.  So, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Joe and Jill Biden repeated these tunes over and over in the closing weeks of the 2022 election:

Democracy is on the Ballot

A Woman’s Right to Choose is on the Ballot

Who/where were the Republican closers?  And what was their closing tune?    Crickets!  Crickets!

I REPEAT: WHO ARE YOU?

Your tagline should make it crystal clear what your organization does, how you’re different, and why it’s important that your audience care and act. After all, no one else does what you do, right?

If your tagline can properly, accurately be used for any other organization or candidate, tear it up and keep writing until it’s appropriate for only your organization or your candidate in your market.

Pop Quiz Answers:

1. You do the crime; you do the time. Governor George Allen of Virginia, 1993
2. No Car Tax! Governor Jim Gilmore of Virginia, 1997
3. Bob’s for Jobs. Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia, 2001
4. No Critical Race Theory Taught in Virginia’s Schools. Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, 2021