http://www.claritymediagroup.com/blog Bill McGowan, Founder and CEO of Clarity Media Group, is a two-time Emmy Award-winning correspondent who has reported over 700 nationally televised stories. He has also anchored hundreds of hours of news and information programming. Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:24:46 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en It's now officially duck and cover time for the GOP.  Failing to CYA could mean getting slimed with a good dose of the blame that's getting liberally hurled in these final days.  Sarah Palin's dreams of West Wing privilege quite possibly have been replaced by worry over how much collateral damage her ... http://www.claritymediagroup.com/blog/2008/10/26/the-palin-principle/ In the absence of substance, image truly is everything, as the old ad campaign said.  So perhaps that's why the disclosure that Sarah Palin took $150,000 of Republican Party money and went on a shopping spree for designer clothes (at of all places Neiman Marcus) is such a damaging little news ... http://www.claritymediagroup.com/blog/2008/10/22/neiman-over-everyman/ Poor Joe Six-Pack.  It used to be that instant stardom afforded you 15 minutes of fame.  But I think Joe Six-Pack got cheated.  He was just passing the five-minute mark when along came Joe the Plumber (no relation) to bump him out of the national spotlight.  The "new Joe" became ... http://www.claritymediagroup.com/blog/2008/10/16/wooing-joe-the-plummer/ John McCain has been adorned with more nicknames than a veteran big league ballplayer: McBush, McLame, and on and on.  I want to add one to the list: Lurch.  No, not that giant breathing cadaver that worked as The Addams Family's butler.  Lurch is the constant state McCain has been ... http://www.claritymediagroup.com/blog/2008/10/13/john-mccain-aka-lurch/ Just a few short years ago, explaining my job as a media trainer frequently prompted puzzled looks.  My standard elevator-pitch synopsis of how we coach people to excel in television and print interviews was often met with, “You mean, there’s a profession dedicated just to that?”   Funny though, I haven’t ... http://www.claritymediagroup.com/blog/2008/10/11/thanks-sarah-palin-but-no-thanks/ In the second of three Presidential debates last night, John McCain evoked the name of Ronald Reagan, describing him as his hero.  After last night's woeful performance from McCain, it would appear that hero worship is where the connection between the two men begins and ends. Perhaps John McCain has "Town ... http://www.claritymediagroup.com/blog/2008/10/08/john-mccain-youre-no-ronald-reagan/ Tom Coughlin has a bone to pick with Leo Durocher.   Coughlin, the head coach of the New York Giants, should have been wildly successful in New York if Durocher's famous "Nice Guys Finish Last" philosophy had any merit.  But Coughlin had the worst of both worlds: he was perceived by ... http://www.claritymediagroup.com/blog/2008/10/06/no-more-mr-grouchy-guy/ Talk to any ardent Democrat and enthusiastic Obama supporter and you'll hear a common lament:  "why doesn't he fight back?  McCain lies about his record, patronizes him and shows him no respect and what does Obama fire back with?  Senator McCain is right..... John is absolutely right about that.... I ... http://www.claritymediagroup.com/blog/2008/09/30/obamas-political-rope-a-dope/ The first Presidential debate of the 2008 campaign is history and all the poll results are cascading in.  I've never been good at predicting the winners of these things.  Back in 1984, when Ronald Reagan had a series of senior moments in his debate with Walter Mondale (right down to ... http://www.claritymediagroup.com/blog/2008/09/27/mccains-body-of-work-in-debate/ Last week Bill O'Reilly interviewed me on his program about what Sarah Palin needs to do to "up her game" in media interviews.  My main point was that if she's going to continue to dodge and evade reporter's specific questions, she needs to develop more finesse in doing so, because ... http://www.claritymediagroup.com/blog/2008/09/27/sarahs-slippery-slope/