The Death Of Spin

Isn’t it interesting how many business lessons can be gained by watching politics.

Take, for example, the huge amount of political backpedaling that we’re currently seeing amongst those who vigorously spoke out against Bush just before we went to war with Iraq.

Remember our vaunted Senate Minority Leader, Tom Daschle’s comments, taking one last swipe just before the war at Bush’s diplomatic capabilities and his unwillingness to kowtow to the UN? It seems that the good (and wise) citizens of South Dakota didn’t take kindly to those comments and if the election was held today, just about anyone stands a good chance of defeating Mr. Daschle in an election. So right now Mr. Daschle’s teams are out polling, focus grouping, and spinning, trying to come up with some way of convincing his constituents that he really didn’t mean what he said. Good luck, Mr. Daschle – it’s awfully hard to be a leader in the Senate if you can’t get re-elected!

Or Russ Feingold, whom I’m embarrassed to say is from my state of Wisconsin, who stood on the floor of the Senate two days ago to “talk about global terrorism – an effort that is surely our highest national security priority.” Really, Mr. Feingold? Aren’t you the Senator who cast the sole vote against the Patriot Bill? The one who voted against funding the military’s efforts in Afghanistan and against war in Iraq and the one who parades the specter of 9/11 in front of us on a regular basis, but who votes against almost every anti-terrorism measure that is placed before him? Try putting your vote where your mouth is!

Remember, esteemed politicians, that your voters aren’t stupid and (as was pointed out in one of my favorite Covey-isms) “You can’t talk your way out of a situation you behaved yourself into.”

The days when “spin” worked are over for politicians and businesspeople, replaced by a world shaped by Enron, CEO scandals and a President who couldn’t define what “is” is.

Americans are now looking for leadership based on courage, and principles, not the stance du jour, based on focus groups, polling and the clever machinations of back-room speech writers. The effectiveness of spin is rapidly dying and the days where you could say one thing, then have people actually believe that you meant the opposite are dead.