SIDE BAR 3:   "WHO CAST THE FIRST STONE?"

Who started Negative advertising? For all their posturing, it was the Democrats who invented the genre. The first negative TV spot that attacked the candidate, was created in 1956 by the Democratic ad agency, targeting General Eisenhower. The ad used footage from Eisenhower's previous campaign commercial.

When Building a Bridge, hire an Engineer
So who the heck was Dick Morris? A lot of Democrats close to the President had asked that question before. Morris is often--though not openly--credited with the Machiavellian moves that Clinton made in shifting right of center when things were going sour in his first term. Morris once worked as a pollster for a Hollywood studio, finding out which of the three alternate endings an audience would prefer in a James Bond movie. He had the knack of understanding consumers. As the ultimate professional, he had no problems with 'conflict of interest'. He had helped Clinton comeback in 1980 as governor, later called him a 'fatally flawed candidate' when he was working for a Republican, and subsequently returned to the Clinton campaign as chief political strategist. He is grudgingly acknowledged as being responsible for re-engineering the party. Like an ad man, he knew the message didn't have to be invented--it was already out there-- and would often scour the newspapers for issues such as anti-smoking, violence on TV, and education, around which he could craft his big idea. (See Sidebar 4 : "Buzzwords and Big Ideas"). He knew the psychology of package design. He was also probably the architect behind that huge cliche we heard--ad nauseam-- about building America's 'bridge to the future'. On the fateful opening day of the Democratic Convention, the tabloid scoop that Morris had been involved with, and disclosed White House secrets to a hooker, was a little too close to Clinton's Jennifer Flowers saga one season earlier. Would it create enough bad press to shave off some of the popularity points that Clinton was predicted to gain in the final run up? The Republicans certainly thought so. There were 'bridge' jokes and hooker humour circulating like wild fire.

This was like opening night. The speeches had been scripted, the campaign coffers were full, and the polls were looking good. Morris had pushed Clinton firmly to the center on key issues of welfare reform, balancing the budget, and the Big Idea of family values. Family values? Can the architect of such a grand concept afford to flirt with infidelity and not sully the event? As any marketing person will tell you, at a big product re-launch, once the media has been bought, the copy has been fine-tuned, and the packaging is on its way to the store, the ad man doesn't need to hang around to push product. He must move on to the next campaign. When Morris resigned, taking, as most consultants do, the escape exit, it didn't damage the 'bridge' construction.

Fast forward to March '97. There is no doubt we will hear a lot more about Clinton's Arkansas past, the first lady's hairdo--or fingerprints, and anything inane enough to occupy the minds of a country somewhat bored now that the electoral blood-sport, and the inauguration razzmatazz is over. Dick Morris is probably a Creative Director for the Saatchi and Saatchi brothers, and Bob Dole--I am not making this up-- is appearing on an NBC sitcom. He's probably the first presidential contender to appear on network TV commercials and not have to pay for them! And although his is a cameo role, he gets to co-star with Brooke Shields.

President Clinton isn't so lucky. After all that expensive commercial air-time, he faces a different kind of media glare : Product scrutiny.