GOP on the Razor's Edge as viewed Through Ed Tate's Pickle Jar
Ed Tate is a motivational speaker, corporate trainer, and the 2000 Toastmasters International World Champion of Public Speaking. He is not to my knowledge involved in politics. However, Ed uses a metaphor for trust that serves to underscore the problems that the GOP has running up to this election.
Ed observes that trust is like a bank account. From the moment you are born, you earn little deposits (on stage he uses a large pickle jar and coins to make the point) for all sorts of things from walking and grinning and then doing good things. However, when you break trust, the withdrawal is huge. The pattern continues your entire life...you build trust through a series of small acts (deposits), but when you break trust you cause huge drops in confidence (withdrawals).
It's a good story, he's a great speaker, hit the link above and hire him today.
Ed's example also holds true for what has happened to the GOP this electoral season.
Social conservative voters have given years of polling place loyalty to the GOP. That loyalty is at risk of coming undone from overall discontent stemming from national matters like foreign policy and spiraling spending to localized problems from George Allen's comments to the revelations regarding Congressman Foley.
(Editorial note: I refuse to say "Foleygate" When will we stop referring to every scandal as "something-gate"?)
The GOP has managed to hold on through a range of hits...but Foley may be the straw that breaks the camels back. I noted in a post last month that the problem that the GOP faces is not that their voters will vote democratic, but that they will not vote at all.
For those who vote GOP based on foreign policy, economics, gas prices, etc....those folks will likely turn out. Those who vote GOP based on social issues are going to see this development, wonder why the GOP did not do something about it, and then wonder why they should vote for a party that apparently gives lip service to family values and protecting children and honors it more in oratory than in action.
If this holds true, then the GOP will be in a pickle, because their pickle jar will be pretty much empty.
Ed observes that trust is like a bank account. From the moment you are born, you earn little deposits (on stage he uses a large pickle jar and coins to make the point) for all sorts of things from walking and grinning and then doing good things. However, when you break trust, the withdrawal is huge. The pattern continues your entire life...you build trust through a series of small acts (deposits), but when you break trust you cause huge drops in confidence (withdrawals).
It's a good story, he's a great speaker, hit the link above and hire him today.
Ed's example also holds true for what has happened to the GOP this electoral season.
Social conservative voters have given years of polling place loyalty to the GOP. That loyalty is at risk of coming undone from overall discontent stemming from national matters like foreign policy and spiraling spending to localized problems from George Allen's comments to the revelations regarding Congressman Foley.
(Editorial note: I refuse to say "Foleygate" When will we stop referring to every scandal as "something-gate"?)
The GOP has managed to hold on through a range of hits...but Foley may be the straw that breaks the camels back. I noted in a post last month that the problem that the GOP faces is not that their voters will vote democratic, but that they will not vote at all.
For those who vote GOP based on foreign policy, economics, gas prices, etc....those folks will likely turn out. Those who vote GOP based on social issues are going to see this development, wonder why the GOP did not do something about it, and then wonder why they should vote for a party that apparently gives lip service to family values and protecting children and honors it more in oratory than in action.
If this holds true, then the GOP will be in a pickle, because their pickle jar will be pretty much empty.
posted by Bwana | 9:34 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home