Losing out on ideas, and explaining the current fashion

This is just a short note to explain the dysphonia suffered by leadership, of US, Inc., as much a public leaders in many other societies.

It is illustrated by, but isn't confined to, the current political discourse. It goes something like this: the Republicans have segmented and packaged the sphere of public policy into three (or so) appealing little headings; social policy, fiscal policy, and security. Who has a burning platform on education and abortion? Who has a clearly recognized position on taxation and subsidies? Which party do we trust to keep us safe from the bad guys, and gals (to stay on the right side of sexism).

In general, is there any glamour in the complex, however real? The body of knowledge that developed to address the complex interconnection between unwanted-births-crime-education-and-taxation came to be known as Public Policy. That's a rather unsexy term. It is not, however, a catchy phrases-- like "Patriot Act", "No Childrens Left Behind", or "War on Terror". I know a bar conversation on public policy is yawwn inducing.

Which is why Democrats seem to bandy irrelevant ideas, while, the conservative's seem to have a knack for turning the right phrase. That knack is actually a studied skill, one worth admiring and learning from.

Public discourse is similar to retailing ideas-- they need to be package well, presented well, there needs to be segmentation, and position of idea-products, there are cycles to the demand for ideas, there is the soft lines of ideas-- thoughts that people like to wrap themselves in for a while, like Change You Can Believe In, others are life-style ideas, Confederate. Then there is the hardlines-ideas, ideas that people use to frame and store ideas in-- Freedom, Courage, Youth, and Hard-work. There are idea brands, Liberal, and Conservative. People like Limbaugh and Zakaria produce branded lines. Clinton and Reagan and Bush are the great exponents of these products.

But we must peel ourselves away from this metaphor-- taking along only the core assertion, that there is a market for consumption of ideas, in which old ideas go out of fashion rapidly, and new ones are constantly needed to whet the appetite of the masses. Like trousers and cravats, the core products of Public Policy will always have a market, but the packaging has to change.

It is in this sense that Hillary is hobbled, McCain flawed, and, if only in this sense, Obama promising. He is the current Issac Mizrahi, Calvin Klein, or Donna Karen, of ideas. This fashion, too, will wear out, but not without strutting its stuff for a while. Do you see it now? Sphere: Related Content