The Man is a Marketing Genius

The Man is a Marketing Genius
By: R.J. Fee
February 25, 2009

Anyone can raise the price of a good or service from $100 to $200. Only a true marketing genius can then advertise a 20% sale and make the consumer feel as though they are getting a deal. You may think that you would see right through such a ploy. Yet this is almost exactly what President Obama was able to accomplish with a great portion of the American public on Tuesday night in his speech to the U.S. Congress. On the heels of the single largest expansion of government spending, He admonished the very people with whom he authorized this plundering of the U.S. taxpayer by saying that he intends to root out wasteful spending. If we are to take a look at the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we can easily find billions in wasteful spending of the taxpayers’ money. President Obama admits that decades of government’s wasteful spending and irresponsibility greatly contributed to this recession, yet his solution is the greatest increase in government spending that this nation has ever seen. Is government spending the source of the problem, or the solution? I don’t have a problem with someone trying to argue the virtues of Keynesian economics. I can absolutely disagree with them and counter with the economic philosophies of Milton Friedman (who I am sure is doing flips in his grave). However, please don’t acknowledge the bureaucratic inefficiencies of government and then tell me that you are going to rectify the outcome by having government control an even greater percentage of our Gross Domestic Product.

Although it is safe to say that I would rarely agree with a man like Dennis Kucinich, I can hold a certain level of respect for his consistency in his beliefs. Mr. Kucinich is admittedly and proudly at the far left of the Democrat Party. This doesn’t make him evil, or malicious. It simply means that his solutions to problems are often found in more government involvement. His rhetoric matches his voting record. My views are often diametrically opposed to those of Mr. Kucinich. This disparity is very healthy, and I believe this is what has historically made our country strong. That is why the founding fathers developed our electoral system and balance of power. The Democrats have gained the White House and obtained a near super majority in the Senate. They should not hide behind rhetoric that belies their actions. Have the courage to stand tall. Say what you mean, and do what you say. If the votes are there, you will get your bill through. The disparity between what politicians’ words and actions only serves to demonstrate a lack of principled commitment and further erode the trust of politicians among those willing to pay attention between elections. However, most elected officials are lawyers rather than economists. This is a fact that has become all too painfully obvious in recent years.

I don’t often listen to, or watch, these major speeches. I prefer to read the transcript of the speech the following morning. This allows me to look past the style and focus on the substance. President Obama is quite Reagan-like in his delivery. As a former actor, President Reagan delivered his speeches as if he was playing a role. As a former lawyer President Obama delivers his speeches as if he if conducting opening and/or closing remarks. The problems arise when actions and words do not correlate. The essence of marketing is making the consumer believe they are getting a great deal in giving you their money. Make no mistake about it. The intent of this newly passed law is to further federalize our nation. This bailout money is the proverbial bait used to entice poorly run private companies and financially irresponsible individuals. With the promise of security and acceptance of public aid comes the same obligation of an indentured servant. Once the banking, mortgage, health care, energy and automobile industries are effectively federalized, we will have completely redefined our economic system. Winston Churchill once said, “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” There is no more slippery slope. We will have completely jumped the fence to the house of cards that is socialism.