Palin Beats Hillary in Metaphor Wars

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Sarah Palin's image framing herself as a
"pit bull with lipstick" is on more lips today than Hillary's framing of Bush
and McCain was last week as "twins in the Twin Cities." Says Anne Miller,
communication expert and author of "Metaphorically Selling," "It's about time
the Democrats fight metaphor with metaphor." Metaphors create instant, visual,
emotion-laden effects on people. The Democrats have been out-metaphored by the
Republicans for the last twelve years going back to Newt Gingrich's "Social
Contract" and have paid the price dearly for their lapse.
Even the Democratic "Bush 3" characterization of McCain doesn't lock into
the brain as solidly as the image, or the sound of, a "pitbull with lipstick."
Republicans grasp a fundamental principle of persuasion that seems to elude
Democrats: Imagery trumps logic. Where were the comparable Democratic
commercials to match the Republican commercial showing Kerry windsurfing with
the metaphoric tagline "Any way the wind blows"? Where was the Democratic
equivalent to the "wolf attack" commercial that brilliantly played on voters'
fear of terrorism?
With Bush vulnerable on the war, the economy and the deficit, it should be
easy for Democrats to produce an equally devastating and memorable anti-
Republican commercial and message, but so far they haven't. Aristotle said,
"To be master of metaphor is everything." Someone should tell that to the
Democrats if they expect to win this election.
Anne Miller is Founder of Chiron Associates, Inc., a leading sales and
presentations consultancy. For twenty years, she has helped Fortune 1000
companies sell millions of dollars of services and products. She is the author
of the popular "Metaphorically Selling." Her free Metaphor Minute newsletter
is available at http://www.annemiller.com .
Contact:
Anne Miller
Chiron Associates, Inc.
cell: 917 974 6626
office: 212 876 1875
amiller@annemiller.com

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SOURCE Chiron Associates, Inc.

Anne Miller of Chiron Associates, Inc., +1-212-876-1875, or cell,
+1-917-974-6626, amiller@annemiller.com