Vaccines for STDs (Sexually Transmitted Disasters)
7th November 2011
You can learn an interesting persuasion lesson in studying how two seekers of a Presidential nomination handle accusations of sexual misconduct. Currently, Herman Cain, candidate for the Republican nomination, stands accused of sexual harassment from at least two women during his leadership at the National Restaurant Association. You should now recall 1992 and Bill Clinton’s similar problem when Gennifer Flowers accused him of sexual misconduct while he was governor of Arkansas.
How the two campaigns responded to this problem reveals effective persuasion. Both campaigns knew several days before the news broke publicly that charges of sexual misconduct were likely to be made. That foreknowledge is of stupendous persuasion value. It permits you to shape the information marketplace as opposed to just taking a blind side shot. The reaction to foreknowledge is the crucial persuasion lesson here.
The Cain campaign did nothing except wait for the accusations to hit. They then responded with a full, head on denial, followed by dribbles and drabs of details over several days. Cain is clearly in trouble on this issue and is doing nothing to contain it or to shift the topic of conversation. His handling of the aftermath – forget the content of the accusations – is sufficient to kill his chances of nomination.
Now, make the persuasion contrast.
Clinton, always the master of persuasion, if not his domain, had either read my Primer or was just the Natural. He used the foreknowledge to inoculate the public on the impending charge of sexual misconduct. The Sunday before the Monday Ms. Flowers held her press conference, the Clinton’s appeared on 60 Minutes and in a wide ranging interview brought up concerns about problems in their marriage over time, including extra-marital sex. They openly, but carefully, describe having “problems” like many do in marriage, but having resolved them fully in the past. Mrs. Clinton in particular made a forceful stand, declaring that she would not be abused as a wife and wouldn’t let any hanky panky happen on her watch.
The next day, Gennifer Flowers was old news. Her shocking accusations were not shocking. The Clintons had already discussed this and the wife had declared everything hunky dory. Flowers came across as a conniving actress aimed at capturing her fifteen minutes of fame and possible fortune rather than as someone who had crucial evidence about the character of Bill Clinton. Clinton survived the accusations and was able to employ this event as a shield when similar accusations arose again in the future. It wasn’t until a blue dress appeared after Clinton’s deposition that Mr. Clinton finally faced the consequences of his sexual misdeeds.
Get the point here. A persuasion strategy like inoculation actually works in the real world in real time and for very high stakes. Especially with bad news, forewarning permits a maven to control the discussion. Realize that you are going to take a hit because it is bad news. That’s what bad does. But, you can maneuver to minimize the damage rather than standing there and taking the full hit.
Inoculation works in a simple way: The best defense is a bad offense.
With inoculation, you lead the attack on what you actually wish to defend. Clinton, in essence, encouraged people to think about his past sexual misdeeds, but under his control and direction. When Flowers then offered the true attack, it was old news, discounted, suspicious, and boring. Clinton’s self attack did, of course, generate negative attitudes towards him, but not nearly as bad as if he’d left it all to Gennifer Flowers.
Herman Cain, by contrast, took no persuasion advantage with his forewarning. He lost the chance to inoculate, absorbed the full damage from the accusations, and is floundering in the storm.
Yet, even people who cover politics are missing this lesson. Consider this headline from the Christian Science Monitor.
Clinton did not wait out the storm. He manipulated the storm to minimize the damage and control how the Other Guys thought, felt, and acted. He used persuasion theory.
Mavens, learn the lessons political journalists miss.