From Barack Obama’s remarks last night:
Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Thousands of miles have been traveled. Millions of voices have been heard. And because of what you said – because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another – a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
Barack’s change brand continues to capture imaginations. He is now one step closer to becoming the first African American to hold the presidency of the United States. Truly we’re at the "end of one historic journey with the beginning of another". The current debate now is who he picks for a running mate. More to the point: Should he pick Hillary? I believe he need look no further than his own brand for the answer. He’s about change. She’s not. Peep this:
“It’s backward looking to pick a Clinton at this point — and he’s all about forward looking, to being about change,” said Matt Bennett, a co-founder of Third Way, a moderate Democratic organization. “He’s all about a fundamentally new kind of politics. Picking a Clinton is by definition backward looking, and I just don’t think he wants that.”
More than angering Clinton and all of her supporters, Obama should focus on keeping the promise he made to the people who’ve supported him thusfar. He and his team have to be good brand stewards. Noah Brier is illustrating the truism that brands are a set of perceptions in the minds of consumers. To align himself with her is–and, yes, this is an opinion I share–to irreparably break and damage his brand promise.
Besides, he’s got a lot of options that will help him keep and strengthen his brand.
