Saturday, July 3, 2010

Why the Brady Campaign Often Fails-and How They Can Achive Success (Part 1)


Problem: The Brady Campaign has its heart in the right place. It really does. But very often, it appears and is ineffectual. And this is pretty common whenever a public interest/safety/health group takes on the agenda of a corporate interest. For example, when a consumer group points out obesity is a major health problem in the US and suggests trivial reforms to the fast food industry--the fast food industry responds by claiming Americans have the right to eat as they wish and that those calling for reform would have us eat nothing but tofu and beets for the rest of our lives.

Sound familiar? See the pattern? This is how most every industry responds to calls for regulation or reform: We have the right. Those suggesting change are unAmerican. Change will result in something far too horrible to contemplate.

IOW, industries will do or say anything--even lie--to keep to their agenda. And when it comes to lying and doing most anything, the NRA are masters.

Public interest/safety/health groups are hampered from the beginning because while their constituency is everyone, it is also no one. These groups don't get huge financial backing from industry; often, there is no industry aligned with them. In order to counter such industry-backed groups, it's necessary for public interest/safety/health groups--like Brady--to use every tool at their disposal.

In Part 2, I show Brady how to open up the toolbox.

3 comments:

  1. They should just wait and talk about it at the next anti-gun show.

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  2. If the Brady Campaign's handful of members used their brains for something other than making snarky comments about penis compensation, they might actually accomplish something. *gasp* They might even attract more members and get more money.

    Because right now, no one wants to join an organization composed of a bunch perpetually negative, condescending whiners.

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  3. Jadegold: “The Brady Campaign has its heart in the right place. It really does.”

    I agree, their heart is in the right place- it is just their brain that isn’t.

    ReplyDelete