It’s About Making Babies!

Scott Adams is usually pretty chipper about life and what lies ahead. But today .. First, his parting shot of “Signs“, today’s Dilbert Blog:

If you are a registered voter in the United States, today you must choose between the Antichrist and the only guy that scares the piss out of the Antichrist. My strategy involves buying a wheelbarrow and waiting for the rapture. I understand there will be a lot of gold fillings and diamond earrings left for me and my homeys.

Such a colorful turn of phrase. I really, really hope Scott was trying to exaggerate, to create humor out of a bit of concern. I really hope he isn’t that disgruntled.

But I have to disagree quite strenuously with a point he makes about ‘signs’

There are many election-related signs in my town. Some signs are in lawns, or along public roads. Others are waved by small groups of enthusiasts at major intersections. These signs make me a little bit sad, because there are only two explanations for their existence:

1. Voters are so dumb they can be swayed by signs.

Or

2. Signs make no difference whatsoever but the people running for office and supporting various ballot propositions are too dumb to realize it.

Either way, it’s not a good thing.

There are few things more powerful than repeating a message – witness the Presidential candidates’ thirst for ‘news’ time and other camera time. Especially if you know a bit about the person with a McCain / Palin sign (or twelve) in their yard, or an Obama sign – the number of times the names are repeated tend to count up, in a rough sense of ‘lots’ or ‘few’ or ‘none’ – but you also equate the respect and regard you have for the signed-lawn owner with the prospect of voting for the candidate.

Marketing works – Scott Adams himself contends there is no such thing as free will. Repeat a message and we are more likely to embrace that message, either in support or opposition. Look at the way advertisers jockey for page position in your local paper, or for the NFL-AFL big end of season game half-time advertising slots. Exposure, repeating the message – these pay off. Heck, even SPAM pays off – the worst offenders (like Senator Inhofe with his election time spam that he won’t keep his list up to date, I got more Inhofe ‘updates’ than ads for Viagra this last month or more) get results with repeating worthless, tasteless, shoddy messages.

We post “Be Alert – our church needs more lerts” signs in Sunday School, “Exit” signs in public buildings, “Speed Limit 55″ signs along roads – repeating the message reaches more people, reminds people, makes the message clearer and more meaningful.

For other candidates – all some people know about a race, is that they recognize one of the names – even if they don’t recall it was nailed to a couple of utility poles.

Notice how candidates seldom mention the office they are running for, or the party that supports them? They don’t want to confuse voters with connecting the name with something the voter might object to.

And that is a very big reason that the amount of money Obama has received from overseas, from radical elements, and from fictitious donor names is so concerning. Using today’s media and effective campaign strategies, yes, you *can* buy your way into the Presidency of the United States. Just see McCain and Obama trying to do just that.

What the hey – The Democratic Congress decided to *stimulate* the US economy last spring – $300 checks to taxpayers. Obama wants to do it again.

Does anyone remember where that money went? Pay part of the utilities, maybe, or a credit card bill? Does anyone remember ‘stimulating’ the economy? Seeing gas prices drop? Avoid any credit crises within six months?

So – why would it work this time? Same Democratic Congress buying votes, same lame ‘popular’ tactic, same major players.

McCain claims

“Obama wants to take your money and give it to someone else.”

And that is the wrong way to state the problem, John. Instead, try, “Sen. Obama want to take money from your employer. Where will you work then?”