Christopher Ming Lee

05.14.08 - Edwards Makes His Choice

John Edwards let it slip a few weeks ago, but mum's no longer the word for the former presidential hopeful. John Edwards officially endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (Dem-Ill.) today in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He said, "We are here tonight because the Democratic voters have made their choice, and so have I."



According to the AP Press: "The endorsement came a day after Clinton defeated Obama by more than 2-to-1 in the West Virginia primary. The loss highlighted Obama's challenge in winning over the "Hillary Democrats" — white, working-class voters who also supported Edwards in significant numbers before he exited the race in late January." Click to read the rest of the story.
 
Obama-Edwards timed the endorsement perfectly, immediately stopping any momentum Sen. Hilary Clinton (Dem-N.Y.) hoped to build up after her decisive win in the West Virginia primary. It appears that Clinton is still undaunted, however.
 
"We respect John Edwards," said Terry McAuliffe, Clinton's campaign chair, in a statement, "but as the voters of West Virginia showed last night, this thing is far from over."
 
Whether or not its over, everyone must concede Clinton has a little something - she has a pair, and they're made of brass. (Technically, that's two of something, but I digress.)
 
There are plenty of arguments that she's hurting the Democratic party, and some have merit. (Edwards himself said, "we are a stronger party" because of her involvement, and "we're going to have a stronger nominee in the fall because of her work," according to the AP Press.) 
 
To stand in, quite literally, a shit storm of criticism and bad press, to continue forward when no one believes in you, is a feat most people (men or women) don't have the backbone to do. For that, Hilary Clinton should be commended.

05.12.08 - The PR Nightmare of James Frey

How do you handle the PR of nationally-celebrated writer to pariah, James Frey? Very, very quietly. Bright Shiny Morning, the follow-up to A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard, drops tomorrow. And according to Tina Andreadis at HarperCollins, the only national coverage will be on the Today Show, and an interview with USA Today.

 

According to Publisher's Weekly, "Andreadis said that at the time of the VF piece, Harper had not scheduled any other interviews... Andreadis acknowledged that Frey knows the scandal will come up interviews and is prepared to deal with those questions." Click to read the rest of the article.

Are attempts to maintain a low profile (well, as "low" as being interviewed by USA Today) the best PR strategy? Two negative outcomes of HarperCollins  pushing Bright Shiny Morning are:

1. The press might incite more people to actively boycott the work, negatively affecting sales.  

2. This on top of the fact trying to garner more media attention will inevitably incur more costs, making it more difficult to recoup costs of publishing.  

But would pushing the book generate enough sales to make up for these losses? Doubtful - those who've forgiven Frey for his fabrications probably already ordered his book. And those markets he hasn't penetrated yet, well, they'll hear as much negative press as positive, and this might not lead to a sale.

There is always the adage, however, that any press is good press....

Opposing Links: 

The Smoking Gun's Original Report on A Million Little Pieces

Stephen King's take on Frey 

A review of Bright Shiny Morning

Not just a paper... but a movement!
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04.16.08 - Springsteen Endorses Obama

Springsteen endorsed Senator Obama on Wednesday, April 16. The Boss wrote on his website he believes Obama was "born to run. He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next president."

Springsteen normally avoids endorsements, but has expressed his opinion about President Bush on several occasions. He and his E Street Band were part of the Vote for Change tour,  a coalition of musicians opposed to the re-election of President Bush in 2004, according to the New York Post. 

Springsteen wrote, "(Obama) speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years. A generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit . . ."

The race is still tight between Senator Obama and Senator Clinton as the Pennsylvania primaries approach. Obama is still reeling from the Bittergate campaign launched by Hilary Clinton. And not to be outdone, Clinton received the endorsement of salsa king, Willie Colón. 

Opposing Links 

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=7128

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=7124 

http://www.wilshireandwashington.com/2008/04/colon-for-hilla.html 

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04.07. 08 - Torch Run In San Francisco

The Olympic torch will tread on the streets of San Francisco this afternoon. But worries of Tibet protest hang over the air.

Mayor Gavin Newscom met with police and relay officials amid concerns that disruptions in London and Paris this week not be repeated here, according to The New York TImes.

The torch run has become an avenue of protest against the Chinese, who continue to oppress Tibetan rights.

On Monday, seven members of the group Students for a Free Tibet were arrested. Several protesters scaled the suspension cables of the Golden Gate Bridge to unfurl pro-Tibet banners they had sneaked onto the bridge in baby strollers, said The New York TImes. 

"Why is it you have to disrupt our celebration, when none of us went and disrupted their celebration?” question Rose Parks, general consulate to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

“Nowhere in the United States has such regular and active protest activities,” said Mr. Ballard, a city spokesman. “We’re good at accommodating free speech and keeping the peace. And we’re going to accommodate those twin objectives.”

 

More information can be found at:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88293000

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3695050.ece