obama’s rally in chicago

Yesterday I wrote about tuning out of this election… but old habits die hard.  In this final weekend before the election I’m shifting from “tuning out” to “turning out”:   

Moving America Forward Rally with President Obama
Saturday, October 30th

Location:
The Midway Plaisance Park, Hyde Park, Chicago
59th Street and Dorchester Avenue

Ticketed and Special Guests entrance:
58th and Dorchester Avenue.
Accessible from the From 57th Street Metra Station. Approach from 57th Street and Dorchester Avenue.General Admission entrance:
North and South sides of Woodlawn Avenue at both 59th and 60th.

ADA Entrance:
58th and Dorchester Avenue. Accessible from the From 57th Street Metra
Station. Approach from 57th Street and Dorchester Avenue.

Parking:
Parking is limited. Public transportation is highly recommended.

Doors open at 4:00

Attending:
Rally is free and open to the public on a  first come first serve
basis. RSVP is strongly encouraged via this link:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/Chicagorallyrsvp

Musical guest:
Common

Security:
Attendees will go through airport-like security, please limit personal
items: the more brought, the longer it takes to process. No signs, no
sharp objects, no folding chairs, no big bags.
Transportation:
Parking is limited, use of public transportation and carpooling is
strongly encouraged. Site will be accessible via the 57th and 59th
Street Metra Stations as well as the Cottage Grove Green Line CTA
Station. Service will be increased on both the Green Line and the
Cottage Grove CTA Buses.

election 2010: tuning out

Here we are, just days before the Midterm elections and I’m fighting the urge to tune out.  Yep, I’ve had it.

People who know me well, know that I love politics and debate about policy, etc.  I’ve been active in political campaigns both local and national…worked tirelessly up until the last vote was counted…but this year I’m definitely feeling the effect of what may go down in history as the most contentius of election seasons.  If you doubt it, listen to NPR’s story that aired this morning on the relative truth of this year’s political ads.

The endless negative ads, the robo calls at all hours, the tsunami of fundraising emails have worn me down.  And if you listen closely to the campaign rhetoric and the media accounts of this election cycle, you’d think we should rename our country “The Divided States of America.”

I’ll be traveling on election day so I’ve already cast my absentee ballot…which was a nightmare in and of itself for a number of reasons.  But I’ll spare you the details.  So I’m essentially done.  Maybe a few last “get out the vote” calls, but no more contributions, no more attention to untrue political ads.  It’s over.

I hope that when all is said and done that, as a country, we’ll pause and take a slow, deep breath and stop to consider how extreme this election cycle has been and its true effects – beyond that of simply getting any one candidate elected over another.   How many votes will be cast on Tuesday based on a candidate’s actual stand on public policy? 

State and national political parties, and candidates in 2012 – you’re on notice: I, for one, expect better from you next time around.  Our democratic process has been on shaky ground since the 2000 presidential election and this year has seen the worst.  Clean up your act – the American people deserve…and expect better!

the power of social media

If you still have any doubts about the power of social media, take a moment to look at what Dan Savage has accomplished in a few short weeks with a YouTube account and a belief that GLBT youth need to hear the message that “It Gets Better.”

Last month’s suicide of Billy Lucas in Greensburg, Indiana prompted advice columnist and author Dan Savage to record a video with his partner to deliver a message of hope to young people, and invited others to do the same.  Hundreds of videos have been added to the campaign’s page by people from all walks of life, including President Obama.

In a few short weeks, Dan’s video has been viewed over 950,000 times and the entire “It Gets Better” channel has been viewed 1,730,234 times as of this morning.  The amazing exposure of the campaign is bound to save lives and shift the conversation about bullying and discrimination based on sexual orientation in America.  There are many lessons to be learned from this campaign – about society and social media.  What does it say to you?

the money tree

Check out this interesting social media experiment: this video tells about a women who hung 100 $1 bills in a tree in Chicago. Watch what happens and how people react.   What can we learn from this experiment?

reality vs. perception

I came across an editorial this morning that points out that a couple of the biggest assumptions on which much of this election cycle’s anti-incumbent fervor is based are, in fact, false.  With the mid-term election now less than 30 days away, there is mounting evidence that the government’s actions with the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and other government-financed rescue efforts actually worked.  

While the economy is not where most would want it to be, it appears it could have been much worse.   In this blog I try to address topics related to marketing and brand communications more than politics…but this is definitely where the fields intersect.  Read “Reality vs. perception – TARP, rescue plans worked” here.  It will be interesting to see if perceptions about these programs can be shifted.