So bad it works

Towards the end of last year, when the uk had a general election, I heard a theory I hadn't heard before. There were the usual posters, tv adverts and buzzwords but there were always some that stood out and got talked about the most. They were the posts that were unclear, muddled or simply looked lie they were done in a school project. There were 2 or 3 word slogans that either covered many things as were so vague or nothing as they were confusing.

They were ridiculed in the media and copied all over social media. Tv comedy shows featured them and laughed at the parties for letting the seemingly amateur posts in to the open. The theory I heard is that this seeming ineptitude is actually intentional.

There's no such thing as bad publicity is presumably the idea. If people are talking about your dodgy messages they are talking about you. Also they will think if party one is this bad maybe I should look at party two, party one then hopes they don't see an alternative and accept part one regardless of that they show.

The story goes is that the winning Conservative party had people in especially to do this. Getting attention anyway possible, just to attract attention to the party. A risky strategy it would appear from the outside, but they were on the winning side.

I partly ask this with the American elections looming in a few months. American politics usually would stop for most of election year while the contenders fight there corners. I was actually in Florida when Obama was getting nearer the door key to the white house. It just seemed to be going for ever, I know America is big but there are televisions.

As there is less travel and less crowds I wonder if Trump thinks he can get attention by saying any old rubbish. Is there enough thought behind it that he is purposely saying outrageous things for attention or does he actually mean them. He seems to be focussing on the populist vote by saying anything he thinks the majority will support at any one time. Suggesting the governors are at fault for keeping lockdown in place for example. In reality he should be in charge and his mis handling of the situation is partly the reason it has to go on.

Is what he says designed so that people look at Biden and think trump is the least worst option or does he genuinely think he will win regardless. He will have to be careful with his threat to censor certain areas of social media for pointing out some of his dodgier tweets. It free speech I suppose to say things but he's in a place of influence and responsibility. Twitter is right to point out his recent claims about Obama are untrue, too many people believe all he says. How many tried to cure or prevent covid with disinfectant I wonder.

To this country Trump appears a dangerous clown who either makes up words or cant string a sentence together he isn't reading aloud. If he's truly like that then American politics are in a seriously bad state if he remains the best option. The again the public thought Boris Johnson a clown but he also won the race.

So maybe bad is good, or pretending to be bad is good. Maybe one day we will have back good politician's back who actually are good at what they do. Maybe one day it will happen, depends if tv is where you source your leaders from or actual experienced politicians might get the top job.