Quality, Convenience, Value

Oh dear, where to start.  The trouble with humour is that's it's a tricky one to play. Like sailing, get too close up to the wind and you broach. This latest offering from Saturday Night Live is a real gem  but a Norwegian parrot at the same time.  Great strategic thinking from the advertisers; QVC must be slapping themselves on the back for this one and at Starbucks the corporate feel good factor must be pretty high. Sarah Palin also comes out pretty well, given the satire.  However back at the HQ ranch in Phoenix, Arizona, I wonder if the Republicans are feeling so happy.  From a financial point of view, Senator McCain is the political equivalent of David faced with the Goliathian financial resources of Senator Obama.  Just  how do you compete for media time when the piggy bank is wearing little more than lipstick?  It must have seemed like such a good idea at the time. Catch the media hobby horse and get your candidate in front of oodles of potential voters in a way that makes him human and in touch with the people.  However there's a very fine line between humour that creates empathy and humour that creates familiarity.  Familiarity inexorably breeds contempt. Does one really want a President that pretends to be a QVC sales rep with his wife hawking jewellery etc. This is, after all, possibly the man who will sort us all, globally all, out of subprimes and other such nasty messes. A wise Dean of Business Programmes once said that leadership should be visible. I would also add that it should be respectful of its position and responsabilities.   I wonder if Senator McCain sails?