Carly Fiorina has joined the Buzzfeed Video cast of players in a new promo spot Buzzfeed is flogging as an effort “to show the men of BuzzFeed what it’s like to be a woman in the workplace.”
I’m sure you know what’s coming.
I sat at my desk for a good ten minutes working through my feelings about this one. For years, I have encouraged Republicans to be bold with their messaging, to branch out to different markets, and to stop taking themselves so damn seriously all the time.
Humanity goes a long way when it comes to connecting with voters and gaining trust on a more personal level. The most successful candidates are those who are able to create an emotional connection, whether it be through humor, tenderness, or shared anger over the direction our country is going.
Buzzfeed should have worked for Carly Fiorina—here’s why it didn’t:
Carly is funny, engaging, and smart—but she used that power for evil. She walked into a young, modern, progressive venue, and threw her own womanhood under the bus in an effort to pander to a base that will never vote for her.
Fiorina has defined herself as a businesswoman, CEO, and force to be reckoned with; she should not have to—and should never (NEVER)—have to play into the hands of liberals who work every day to manufacture divides in our society.
This isn’t effective outreach; it’s Stockholm Syndrome.
As Professor Jacobson once said with regards to conservative candidates going on shows like Letterman, that exposure comes with a price. Generally hostile venues are always risky venues; it doesn’t mean we should never walk the fence, but we should be careful about who is waiting to catch (drop) us on the other side.
Ted Cruz also did a video with Buzzfeed, but in my opinion it worked much better than Carly’s because it was pure goof. When people remember Cruz’s Buzzfeed debut, they’ll think about a silly guy doing some Simpson’s impressions; when they think about Fiorina’s, however, they’ll have the inequality narrative reinforced in their heads—which will lead them straight down the path to a vote for a Democrat.
That’s a problem.
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