June 09, 2010 09:09 PM UTC

Camp Romanoff Weirdness Becomes Comedy

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• by: MADCO

A few days ago I posted a  diary about some recent silliness from the Romanoff campaign.

Specifically , a slogan – Senator Festavus, a Senator for the rest of us.

And some branding- The Backbone Express (a Chevy van) and The Backbone Tour– the van and candidate driving around Colorado.

For even posting about something so silly, I was slammed a little bit – it’s just a campaign tactic, it’s  a weak “attack”.  My post was not an “attack” and this kind of messaging is not a campaign “tactic” either.

Meanwhile, the Denver Post also noticed the similarity to John Andrews’s Backbone America. And that it is recognizable to Colorado politicos as an John Andrews Republican thing.  

The Post  referenced comments from other D’s

Some Democrats, including former state Senate Minority Leader Mike Feeley, admitted they did a double take when the saw that Romanoff was using the Backbone theme.

I contacted John Andrews.

Pretty funny – imitation is the sincerest form of flattery –   JA

The Post also quoted a Romanoff spokesman trying to be funny

Romanoff’s campaign spokesman, Roy Teicher, was asked about Romanoff

choosing a phrase so closely identified with Andrews, one of the chief

critics of Colorado Democrats. Teicher had some fun with his response.

“Is it your understanding that he owns the word? Or did Russ Feingold own it? Who owns the word? Let’s get to the bottom of this,” Teicher said in an e-mail.

It sounds like  Teicher and I agree: this is silliness. Not a campaign tactic. Not a message. Just silly.

Of course Andrews doesn’t own the word.

Obama doesn’t own the words Hope and Change.

Pailn doesn’t own “that hopey, changey thingy” nor “hockey mom.”

Likewise, no one owns the phrase “put lipstick on a pig.”

But for a campaign that has a message control problem, or at least a perceived message control problem, which is even worse, this kind of silliness does not inspire confidence that he can win the general.  It certainly isn’t going to persuade anyone who is not already attending Camp Romanoff either as day camp or sleep away camp.  Instead, like the songs and slogans we learned at camp when we were kids, this kind of silliness  leads to fun reminisces and strong friendships for the campers.  

Meanwhile – the van broke down.  

Perfect.  The Breakdown Express

A campaign that is challenged to budget for media or staff, instead bought a custom van.  And painted it.  And built a branding message around it. And it broke.   Just perfect.