Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been busy retailing his Sam's Club Republican shtick this week. The pundit class interprets this as an appeal to regular folks by the party that actually has very little to offer regular folks.
Not me.
Sure, Sam's Club sets up an echo with Country Club, plus, it's more Darryl Waltrip than CostCo. Somewhere deep in bowels of the GOP GNP message machine, next to the advertising specialty guy who gave us the tire gauge, there may be a white board with more party of the people catch phrases from an old brainstorming session.
Hobbyist, not Lobbyist. PBR, not NPR. But that direction's a little too (Jesse) Jacksonian, don't you think?
It may be they're actually heading toward co-marketing. I mean, with the national media exposure already in place for presidential campaigns, why not get a little cross-promotion revenue stream from subtle product placement?
Since Wal-Mart, Exxon, Tyson's Foods, Halliburton and Bank of America are to be our free market salvation, why shouldn't those great American brands play a part in the message now?
I smell licensing deals:
- Americans don't want socialized medicine. When they get the flu, they want Campbell's Soup, not Vichyssoise — a health care plan where people take responsibility for their own well being and can shop for a variety of basic, low-cost treatments from a brand whose quality they trust.
- America's clean water will be in Good Hands, too. Let's drop those complicated federal environmental regulations and create regional sales territories, with Aquafina in the east, Dasani in the west and RC Cola in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, where we've already signed an exclusive distribution deal with Hensley and Co.
- As for energy, it's the Care Bears' "Oopsy Does It!" Nothing to worry about up there in ANWR, kids. The McCain Ovaltine Office will have it covered.
- Speaking of places where it's dark and cold most of the time, we're now offering signing bonuses for the next "Like a Rock" tour of Afghanistan.Your choice of a Silverado or Suburban while supplies last.
- It's Century 21 in the USA Today, and there's no reason we can't solve America's home ownership crisis if we just roll up our Old Navys, sit down under the Lending Tree and set a Target for ourselves.
UPDATE: While I engage in irresponsible speculation, Doug Grow elaborates on the origin of the Sam's Club meme.
"Sam's Club'' was not just picked out of the air. Horner points out that a 2004 Zogby poll showed that where you shop shows how you'll vote. Those who shopped at department stores such as Bloomingdales overwhelmingly supported the Kerry-Edwards ticket over Bush-Cheney. Those who shopped at Target were split down the middle politically. But those who shopped at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club overwhelming supported Bush-Cheney.
"Zogby's done the same polling this year,'' Horner said. "Though there's been some ... erosion for Republicans, Sam's Club shoppers strongly support Republicans.''
