Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Cain is in fact the Godfather's pizza man, not the Domino's pizza man. But I have to assume he's extremely familiar with pizza marketing. Reading this article about Domino's odd marketing triumph, it occurred to me that his spike in popularity following last week's Republican debate is a tribute to the same phenomenon.
"Cardboard." That word, a description of a Domino's pizza product, written by an unhappy consumer, flashed across the screen. Another called it "mass produced, boring, bland." Yet another added this dagger: "Microwave pizza is far superior."
"The spots inspired many people to retry the brand," says Glass. "It's one thing to say, 'We have a new and improved product' — customers hear that all the time. But if a company admits there are problems, customers figure that the new product has to be better. People are so used to not being told the truth in advertising. The candor worked."
Cain came out and said something no one else on that stage was willing to admit: he was "not privy to a lot of confidential information," and therefore in no position to be opining about foreign policy.
Look, we all know that this was in fact true of everyone on that stage. We're all mightily thrilled and relieved that Osama bin Laden's been dispatched. But now that the initial euphoria's passed, I note in myself--and I'm sure this is shared--the most profound of uneasiness. He was in Abbottabad? All along? Does this not indicate that none of us have been assessing our foreign policy and our priorities correctly?
The pundits who are sneering at him for saying that he didn't know--and couldn't know--what our policy in Afghanistan should be are missing the point. Sure, it's unpresidential to say, "I've got no clue. I don't have the relevant information." But haven't we all just realized that we have no clue and that we don't have the relevant information? How could anyone say anything else in light of recent events and be credible?
People are used to not being told the truth in advertising. I'd guess it was exactly that comment that caused his popularity to spike. Candor works--sometimes.
- Comment (18)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
Comments :
May '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
I know that I like it. I am tired of being lied too all the time by both sides.
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Here's what I'm asking myself: Is there any way to conduct foreign policy without this level of secrecy? I cannot construct in my mind any reasonable account of what happened in Pakistan in which the relevant information should have been shared with the public sooner than it was. Clearly the key information was--and should have been--a tightly guarded secret. But how on earth do we make informed decisions in a democracy when we have no idea what's really going on?
Jun '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Maybe things have changed, but "cancer survivors" running for President, especially as a challenger, started their climb to the White House from a very deep hole. Voters wondered whether the person would finish out their term. Maybe people aren't as pessimistic about cancer as they once were, but Cain better always let the voters hear it from him, and not just from the press.
-------------------------------------------
From: http://www.fayettedailynews.com/article.php?id_news=7652 ]
2006: Stage Four Cancer. Where? Colon and Liver.
“How bad is it, doctor?”
“As bad as it can get,” was the answer.
Following a second opinion, he was referred to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.
There he received chemotherapy, followed by removal of 30 percent of his colon and 70 percent of his liver and more chemotherapy.
Today, five years later, he is, by all standards, a cancer free walking miracle and life is just about “as good as it gets”!
He, Herman Cain, was more than believable when I heard him shout, “The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, and I ain’t afraid of nobody!”
Mar '11
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Surely one running for president must have a broad view of world affairs that would enable him/her to formulate a foreign policy statement. It's OK, more than OK, actually, and quite refreshing, to say that one cannot answer a particular question because he/she lacks privileged information, as long as one has scenarios covering various realistic possibilities. In the business world people operate daily without confidential information.
By the way, why does everyone keep mentioning the man's pizza connection, often in a deprecating manner (present company excluded)? I mean, he had a real job and was, apparently, successful at it, as opposed to "community organizers" or "advocates" or professional politicians.
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Ioannis: Surely one running for president must have a broad view of world affairs that would enable him/her to formulate a foreign policy statement. It's OK, more than OK, actually, and quite refreshing, to say that one cannot answer a particular question because he/she lacks privileged information, as long as one has scenarios covering various realistic possibilities. In the business world people operate daily without confidential information.
By the way, why does everyone keep mentioning the man's pizza connection, often in a deprecating manner (present company excluded)? I mean, he had a real job and was, apparently, successful at it, as opposed to "community organizers" or "advocates" or professional politicians. · May 10 at 4:48am
I wasn't deprecating it at all.
Mar '11
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
I wasn't deprecating it at all. · May 10 at 5:00am
I know, hence the "present company excluded" statement.
Aug '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
What little I've seen and heard from Caine impresses me, for the most part. He has real-world job experience. He seems to have pretty basic conservative principles backing him up. He speaks plainly and well.
If he is the last man standing in the Republican primary battle, I will happily pull the lever for Caine.
Jun '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Ioannis is exactly right.....A broad view of world affairs must be presented by all the candidates. It's required in any management level job interview. A scenario is presented and the candidate is asked to formulate his plan and articulate his thought process.
Reagan did that masterfully. Simple phrases like "peace through strength" and "trust but verify" conveyed what we needed to know. Situational details would of course vary, but the conviction to proceed along a moral and thoughtful path was evident.
Oct '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
To address Claire's question I'd say that this is where the distinction between a democracy and a republic is significant. We have to put a certain amount of trust in the President to make those decisions for us. I think it's for us to evaluate those decisions after the fact. We're never going to be able to make those decisions in real time,
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
I agree, in principle. In practice, I'm shocked by the disjunct between my assumptions and reality, and disquieted by it--deeply.
Oct '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
How could anyone say anything else in light of recent events and be credible?
I apply that litmus test all the time when I'm debating a Lib and refuting a Lib pundit they're quoting - "how can so-and-so have any credibility when they're saying now the exact opposite of what they said then, without explaining their pivot point?"
It's why I won't vote for Romney in the primary. His Romneycare stance gives him no credibility in my eyes on anything else. If he would admit the truth about Romneycare's failures, I'd have a lot more respect for him. But absent that, anything else he says about anything fails to be credible in my eyes.
It may very well be credible...but because "(I) have no clue and...(I) don't have the relevant information..." all I can go on is what is known about Romneycare and his steadfast refusal to admit it. So it makes me doubt any other views he says he has, about anything.
Oct '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
StickerShock:A scenario is presented and the candidate is asked to formulate his plan and articulate his thought process.
Reagan did that masterfully. Simple phrases like "peace through strength" and "trust but verify" conveyed what we needed to know. · May 10 at 7:24am
I disagree with the latter Reagan phrase. That one always struck me as a simpleminded non sequitur. "Trust" implies the need or desire not to "verify." If I trust my kids to be where they say they're going to be, I don't go online to check the GPS tracker embedded in their cell phone (and maybe I don't even have the GPS tracker active in their phone). If I trust my wife, I don't employ a private investigator.
"Trust but verify" is the kind of bumper-sticker soundbite that is meaningless when evaluating presidential (and other, for that matter) candidates. I'm glad Mr. Cain is confident enough to acknowledge that which he doesn't (and can't) know rather than resort to mindless slogans.
Edited on May 10, 2011 at 9:21amOct '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Isn't that exactly what the current POTUS said when asked about the gun-running operation that left at least one federal agent dead? I for one will not hold a presidential candidate to a higher standard than the president himself when it comes to knowing information that the candidate can't possibly know, and I will look favorably upon candidates who are strong enough to be willing to state the obvious (how low is the bar when stating the obvious is considered "strong?!")
When a candidate says, "I don't know. I'm not privy to that information.", I think, ok, that makes sense.
When a sitting POTUS says, "I don't know. I'm not privy to that information.", I think, are you kidding me??? Where are the adults?
Jun '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Dittoheadadt, I view "trust but verify" as basic common sense. In my personal life, I have absolutely no problem trusting my husband when he goes out for drinks with the gang at the office or my kids having reasonable amounts of freedom. But if any odd behaviors cropped up, I would not make accusations.....I would verify that my trust was deserved. (Or that it wasn't!)
Whether it's people of organizations or countries, I think we have to extend our trust if indications point to that being a wise decision. At the same time, things are always changing. Being open to the possibility of suspicious or potentially damaging evidence floating about is simply being realistic.
Oct '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Apparently christianne Amanpour got a tip about bin laden being in a villa in Pakistan a few years ago. The fact that she knew is even more frightening.
Oct '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Oct '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
Yes, that's true...but Reagan was talking about the Soviet Union! If ever there were a country not deserving (and richly so) of our trust, it was they.
We weren't offering to trust them, with the option to verify if things got odd. We were saying we would simultaneously trust and verify. Which made it a meaningless slogan.
Dec '10
Re: Herman Cain, the Domino's Pizza of the Republican Party
You evaluate what a person did, in this case with respect tp pizza. Herman Cain wasn't a pizza man, he was a turnaround specialist that took a failing company and made it profitable. He did so by watching, listening, then making decisions that he then sold to an unruly class of managers. He has a tendency to distill his managerial philosophies into what sound like lame slogans, but he pressed those slogans upon his employees so that they would always have a sort of corporate bible to refer to, to always be able to make local decisions that would then fit with the philosophy he was trying to create.
Cain did not come to Godfathers claiming to have a successful pizza strategy. He found a way to apply successful strategies to pizza.