Short Statements Convince. Or, an observation on the fact that really long answers are not as compelling as short punchy statements because they kind of go on and on and people lose interest and go off and do other things and forget right in the middle what it is the verbose person is talking about because it isn’t clear to anybody which of the huge blob of words might really mean something and so when you think about it long-winded talk sounds just like a lotta words and doesn’t really make a strong point I mean y’knowwhadImean?

Posted on May 4, 2008 by Bruce Benidt

Sen. Hillary Clinton is running an ad saying she supports a gas-tax holiday for the summer — money in your pocket. The ad concludes: “Senator Obama says no.”

On Meet The Press this morning, Tim Russert asked Obama about this gas-tax holiday idea. “This is a classic Washington gimmick,” Obama said. And then proceeded to take two and a half minutes to explain why.

“Senator Obama says no” versus “Look, Tim, let me give you a long answer that explains in really cogent reasonable smart terms why this thing isn’t good public policy…”

Guess which wins?

I love Obama and am afraid Hillary’s pandering and her despicable tricks are going to work. I want Obama to spit it out, tighten it up. Media training, sir. How ’bout: “It’s a hustle, Tim. It’s not going to save drivers money, it’s going to take money and jobs from road and bridge repair and drop it right in the pockets of oil company fat-cats. Hillary’s trying to buy people’s votes when we need to be building up other forms of energy so the oil companies and the Middle East don’t run our lives any more.”

Short. It works.

– Bruce Benidt

Filed under: Communications

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7 Responses to “Short Statements Convince. Or, an observation on the fact that really long answers are not as compelling as short punchy statements because they kind of go on and on and people lose interest and go off and do other things and forget right in the middle what it is the verbose person is talking about because it isn’t clear to anybody which of the huge blob of words might really mean something and so when you think about it long-winded talk sounds just like a lotta words and doesn’t really make a strong point I mean y’knowwhadImean?”

  1. Max, on May 5th, 2008 at 2:09 pm Said:

    Yes. I know what you mean.

  2. Joe Loveland, on May 5th, 2008 at 3:14 pm Said:

    Agree with the point, and love the use of headline to make it.

    One nuance: This is a candidate that has had to constantly fight the impression that a) he has well crafted ideas and not just fluffy speeches and b) sufficient maturity and gravitas to be the leader of the free world, despite his age and boyish looks.

    So… Brief, yes. Cutsey, no. He has to watch that more than candidates with longer policy resumes.

  3. Mike Keliher, on May 6th, 2008 at 12:14 am Said:

    “Meet the Press” isn’t the forum for sound bites. Intelligent people strive for substance beyond sound bites, and candidates need to serve both audiences. Truly successful media training would empower a candidate to dance that tango with ease.

  4. dailytri, on May 6th, 2008 at 8:58 am Said:

    The Clinton Campaign stumbled onto a gold mine. A “Gas Holiday” not only sounds like it’s going to save the working Joe and Jane some coinage, but it also intimates at some great fart jokes and who can’t relate with those? The Obama camp can’t seem to recover from a variety of miscues made in the past two months. I wonder why?

  5. Mike Keliher, on May 6th, 2008 at 10:43 am Said:

    When you say “stumbled onto,” do you mean “stole from McCain”? Stealing shitty ideas is a phenomenal campaign strategy.

    I’m sure to some the sweet and simple “gas-tax holiday” sound bites seem compelling on the surface, but I’m sure to others it sounds like a desperate straw-grabbing. Is it a wash in the end?

  6. Dave Jackson, on May 6th, 2008 at 2:08 pm Said:

    Obama’s problem is when he has been pithy, he’s said things his grandmother behaving like a typical white person and bitter blue-collar folks clinging to guns and religion. He was a lot less vulnerable when all Hillary could hit him with was the fact that his speeches were too flowery and when the media wasn’t scrutinizing every word out of his mouth.

  7. Bruce Benidt, on May 6th, 2008 at 10:32 pm Said:

    Mike, exactly, good media training gets you to lead your long answer with the short clear statement.

    And thank god this blog finally got around to fart jokes.

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