What If Franken Shot Straight?

What if beleaguered U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken just bought a big hunk of TV time and shot it to voters straight?

Hi, I’m Al Franken, the rookie candidate in Minnesota’s campaign for U.S. Senate.
As you probably heard, I messed up my business taxes badly. A lot of political consultants told me not [...]

Don’t Blink…You May Miss Eliot Spitzer’s Resignation Announcement

No, he hasn’t announced yet, but the speed at which this drama is unfolding makes me want to be near from a TV and computer today. In about 18 hours, Lovernor Spitzer has suffered one of the most rapid descents in American politics. According to several news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, [...]

Client #9’s PR Problem

Governor Eliot Spitzer’s brief statement today represents an interesting case study in crisis management.  Clearly, he is trying to get out in front of the story by making a statement that acknowledges some unspecified lapses on his part and that offers apologies to his family, friends and constituents.  By invoking the phrase “private matter” and [...]

Real-Time Teachable Moment From American Airlines

For those of you who are or aspire to be better crisis communicators, there’s a situation unfolding at American Airlines that will bear following. According to news reports that are effectively everywhere, a woman on an American Airlines flight last Friday died after being denied oxygen - twice - and discovering that two oxygen [...]