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View Full Version : Rachel Mills: How NOT to Spin an Issue Correctly




He Who Pawns
03-17-2009, 12:49 PM
A spokeswoman for Paul confirmed that the episode took place but declined to provide details. “We don’t want it to distract from his message,” said press secretary Rachel Mills. “Now is the time when people need to be listening to him on economic issues.”

That is the clumsiest spin attempt I have ever seen in my life. Wow. Just transparent and bad. The correct response to getting duped by Bruno or Ali G or Borat is to laugh it off and say, "Yep you got us." Note how Bob Barr and Pat Buchnan handled their encounters with Sasha, and actually came out ahead.

These characters like Borat and Bruno are expert at exposing douchebags. When people react all upset, especially after the hoax has been revealed, it makes them look like idiots.

Sorry, but Rachel Mills failed miserably with this spin attempt, and she should push the reset button and come up with a better spin FAST, because there will be a lot of interest in this story about RP and Bruno.

Mort
03-17-2009, 12:52 PM
Its better than haha you got us. She got a little bit of policy in there.

LibertyEagle
03-17-2009, 12:53 PM
Sorry, but I'm failing to see the major part of your claim. Rachel's response didn't appear to be to "react all upset". Her response seemed quite calm and reasonable to me.

ladyjade3
03-17-2009, 12:53 PM
noted.

He Who Pawns
03-17-2009, 12:59 PM
The reporter asked a question about Bruno, not about the economy. You answer the question and move on.

Again, note how Buchanan and Barr handled it. They laughed it off and said, "Yeah, that was strange!" with a chuckle and a smile.

gls
03-17-2009, 01:00 PM
Why should they play along with Cohen’s attempt to marginalize Paul?

Rachel Mills is right. Paul is a serious man leading the fight against fascism. There is too much at stake to waste time on childish pranks.

Mort
03-17-2009, 01:02 PM
The reporter asked a question about Bruno, not about the economy. You answer the question and move on.

Again, note how Buchanan and Barr handled it.

Ya no point in scoring political points we aren't trying to win people over or anything. Oh wait that's right, the country is falling apart and we are trying to change policies.

MRoCkEd
03-17-2009, 01:03 PM
I think the response was fine.
They got the joke, as noted by Jesse Benton who said "it sounds like it is going to be funny"

jmlfod87
03-17-2009, 01:05 PM
I disagree whole-heartedly with the OP. After reading Slate's article readers unfamiliar with RP's economic views may be interested enough to do research. RPforumgoers should be more prudent in their criticism of RP officials, most tend to assume too much from such trivial incidents.

He Who Pawns
03-17-2009, 01:17 PM
I think the response was fine.
They got the joke, as noted by Jesse Benton who said "it sounds like it is going to be funny"

Then maybe Benton should be answering these calls. Just sayin.

MsDoodahs
03-17-2009, 01:17 PM
The whole entire THING is intended to DISTRACT FROM THE MESSAGE.

Why bother backing away NOW?

Those who intended to hurt the message GOT THEIR WAY.

Fuckers.

LibertyEagle
03-17-2009, 01:19 PM
Then maybe Benton should be answering these calls. Just sayin.

Uh, let me think about that.



NO

MsDoodahs
03-17-2009, 01:20 PM
ROFLOL.

That was hilarious.

:D

Johnnybags
03-17-2009, 01:20 PM
non event

He Who Pawns
03-17-2009, 01:24 PM
The whole entire THING is intended to DISTRACT FROM THE MESSAGE.

Why bother backing away NOW?

Those who intended to hurt the message GOT THEIR WAY.

Fuckers.

No the whole THING is intended to be COMEDY. Get it?

Have you ever seen Ali G??

Dripping Rain
03-17-2009, 01:31 PM
her response was way better than Benton's in my opinion. I still dont find it funny. especially when i havent seen it yet

MsDoodahs
03-17-2009, 01:51 PM
No the whole THING is intended to be COMEDY. Get it?

Have you ever seen Ali G??

You're the one that doesn't get it.

It was intended to humiliate Dr. Paul.

I don't find that funny.

He Who Pawns
03-17-2009, 01:54 PM
You're the one that doesn't get it.

It was intended to humiliate Dr. Paul.

I don't find that funny.

you should follow the yellow brick road and ask Oz for a sense of humor.

jrskblx125
03-17-2009, 01:55 PM
Then maybe Benton should be answering these calls. Just sayin.

id have to agree.

ladyjade3
03-17-2009, 01:56 PM
You're the one that doesn't get it.

It was intended to humiliate Dr. Paul.

I don't find that funny.

I have to agree. I wish it had been Ali G - THAT would have been screamingly funny. I'm trying to be lighthearted about it, but its hard for me to see "humor" in this. Sry. But not finding it funny doesn't mean we have to take it so seriously.

MRoCkEd
03-17-2009, 01:58 PM
Rachel, when did you realize that it was Sacha (or at least that it was some sort of prank)?
Also, what was Dr. Paul's reaction to finding out that it was a prank and that he will be in a movie?

MsDoodahs
03-17-2009, 01:59 PM
you should follow the yellow brick road and ask Oz for a sense of humor.

Got it. You find humiliation of Dr. Paul just effing hilarious.

Feenix566
03-17-2009, 01:59 PM
There's no such thing as bad press.

LibertyEagle
03-17-2009, 02:00 PM
There's no such thing as bad press.

Hhmmm... I doubt Nixon would agree with you.

Zolah
03-17-2009, 02:01 PM
I don't want to see people blaming RP's staff, as already stated several (several several) times, Sacha Baron Cohen is good at what he does, he's sneaky, he tricks people into these sort of positions to get reactions, if he wasn't sneaky and good at what he does then no one in America would know who he was because his show would've been cancelled in 1999 or something. Point being, hundreds of people have been duped into being interviewed - they're not all dumb, it's not their fault, Sacha is just good at what he does (he and his team/crew I should say).

pacelli
03-17-2009, 02:02 PM
That is the clumsiest spin attempt I have ever seen in my life.

You must be less than 8 years old, or a liar.

jyakulis
03-17-2009, 02:05 PM
Then maybe Benton should be answering these calls. Just sayin.

what is with you constantly stirring up trouble around here? i've just been lurking around here lately, but it seems like every thread i open you are saying something divisive.

Rangeley
03-17-2009, 02:09 PM
There's no such thing as bad press.
Actually there is, its called bad press. Whether this will constitute that is another matter.

But as to the whole "laugh it off" idea, while maybe its a good PR way of handling it, I think its easy to lose sight of what actually happened. An interviewer exposes himself to the interviewee in a sexual way and tries to keep him from leaving the room. The punch line? Hes not a real interviewer!

Its one thing for him to go around saying offensive things, like in Borat, and seeing how others join right in, but this seems to be at a different level. Its the sort of prank that's only funny when the person being pranked finds it funny too. Otherwise, its just an attempt to humiliate and embarrass, and downright mean.

MsDoodahs
03-17-2009, 02:12 PM
actually there is, its called bad press. Whether this will constitute that is another matter.

But as to the whole "laugh it off" idea, while maybe its a good pr way of handling it, i think its easy to lose sight of what actually happened. An interviewer exposes himself to the interviewee in a sexual way and tries to keep him from leaving the room. The punch line? hes not a real interviewer!

its one thing for him to go around saying offensive things, like in borat, and seeing how others join right in, but this seems to be at a different level. Its the sort of prank that's only funny when the person being pranked finds it funny too. Otherwise, its just an attempt to humiliate and embarrass, and downright mean.

thank you.

Cowlesy
03-17-2009, 02:19 PM
noted.

lol, I see you! :p

He Who Pawns
03-17-2009, 02:21 PM
The point is, in the future Mills can better handle these types of calls -- and they WILL be coming -- by just laughing it off. Talk to Dr Paul and come up with a good spin line. Is he able to laugh it off now that he knows who Bruno is?

This business of saying, "No we should be talking about the economy is just fail.

MRoCkEd
03-17-2009, 02:23 PM
"Speaking of Jews trying to screw you... did you hear Bernanke's speech last night?"
:p

devil21
03-17-2009, 02:30 PM
The point is, in the future Mills can better handle these types of calls -- and they WILL be coming -- by just laughing it off. Talk to Dr Paul and come up with a good spin line. Is he able to laugh it off now that he knows who Bruno is?

This business of saying, "No we should be talking about the economy is just fail.

You're obviously new around here so Ill just go ahead and inform you that "ladyjade" is Rachel Mills. Feel free to talk directly to her. :p

I like Cohen and Ive seen everything he's done. He's duped so many people (usually just older politicians and the like that don't have time or inclination to know who he is) that Im surprised it took him this long to try to "get" Ron Paul. Unless he purposely tried to make RP look like a racist or something derogatory then I don't think it's a big deal. Most people watching Cohen/Borat/Bruno are younger people that already know who both Cohen and Paul are. ETA: Just read some of the other thread. Honestly? If RP called him a *****, like I said, most people watching that will find it hilarious since that is what Bruno portrays. An over-the-top homosexual. Hell, Ill go see the movie just for RP's interview now.

He Who Pawns
03-17-2009, 02:32 PM
You're obviously new around here so Ill just go ahead and inform you that "ladyjade" is Rachel Mills. Feel free to talk directly to her. :p


Oh well good, then she got the message. :)

No personal offense, I was just talking business. Obviously, this story will get bigger, and it's best to be armed and ready with a good response.

torchbearer
03-17-2009, 02:40 PM
I don't think this is a big deal.

Sandra
03-17-2009, 02:46 PM
LADYJADE! You render us powerless when you mesmerize us with your "SPINNING SKILLS"!!!!! :D :D :D

ladyjade3
03-17-2009, 02:53 PM
LADYJADE! You render us powerless when you mesmerize us with your "SPINNING SKILLS"!!!!! :D :D :D

Yay! Not everyone hates me.

I'd love to tell you all my side of the story.

MRoCkEd
03-17-2009, 02:54 PM
Yay! Not everyone hates me.

I'd love to tell you all my side of the story.
tellllll
and also we want to know ron paul's reaction to the movie

He Who Pawns
03-17-2009, 02:55 PM
yeah tell us about the reactions after too...

Rangeley
03-17-2009, 02:55 PM
Pwetty pleeeease?

Though I tend to think you would have by now if you could.

Sandra
03-17-2009, 02:59 PM
Yes!

axiomata
03-17-2009, 03:07 PM
Yay! Not everyone hates me.

I'd love to tell you all my side of the story.
Don't be a tease :( ;)

jrskblx125
03-17-2009, 03:14 PM
yea seriously... tell tell tell maybe make a new thread on it haha "MY SIDE OF THE STORY by Rachel Mills"

Deborah K
03-17-2009, 03:16 PM
That is the clumsiest spin attempt I have ever seen in my life. Wow. Just transparent and bad. The correct response to getting duped by Bruno or Ali G or Borat is to laugh it off and say, "Yep you got us." Note how Bob Barr and Pat Buchnan handled their encounters with Sasha, and actually came out ahead.

These characters like Borat and Bruno are expert at exposing douchebags. When people react all upset, especially after the hoax has been revealed, it makes them look like idiots.

Sorry, but Rachel Mills failed miserably with this spin attempt, and she should push the reset button and come up with a better spin FAST, because there will be a lot of interest in this story about RP and Bruno.

Spin???? I thought it was a very classy, tactful way of handling the situation. She didn't fail at anything! Movies like Borat are vulgar, and distasteful. I think what they did to Ron Paul was out of line, and I think Rachel handled it just fine.

Xenophage
03-17-2009, 03:30 PM
I think the response was fine.

Mostly, I'm just hoping Rachel is in the movie. She's HOT!

dannno
03-17-2009, 03:35 PM
Hmm I think she did ok, I probably would have been speechless.

He Who Pawns
03-17-2009, 03:35 PM
Spin???? I thought it was a very classy, tactful way of handling the situation. She didn't fail at anything! Movies like Borat are vulgar, and distasteful. I think what they did to Ron Paul was out of line, and I think Rachel handled it just fine.

You should join MsDoodahs on the yellow brick road.

Deborah K
03-17-2009, 03:37 PM
You should join MsDoodahs on the yellow brick road.


Why's dat?

He Who Pawns
03-17-2009, 03:39 PM
Why's dat?

Because I hear the wizard of oz is passing out senses of humor....

torchbearer
03-17-2009, 03:40 PM
You should join MsDoodahs on the yellow brick road.

the wizard of oz is a satire. I think we all advocate the golden road here.

Original_Intent
03-17-2009, 03:43 PM
Why should they play along with Cohen’s attempt to marginalize Paul?

Rachel Mills is right. Paul is a serious man leading the fight against fascism. There is too much at stake to waste time on childish pranks.

Agreed.

Keep up the good work Rachel.

Original_Intent
03-17-2009, 03:51 PM
The point is, in the future Mills can better handle these types of calls -- and they WILL be coming -- by just laughing it off. Talk to Dr Paul and come up with a good spin line. Is he able to laugh it off now that he knows who Bruno is?

This business of saying, "No we should be talking about the economy is just fail.

I think you need to travel to the future. You would fit right in with the Idiocracy crowd. You tell others to get a sense of humor and then come and raise a big stink about it.

Rachel handled the call correctly, I am sorry if that doesn't sit well with someone who is worried that "not having a sense of humor" or worse yet being PERCEIVED as not having a sense of humor is a crisis.

I can just see the soldiers at Valley Forge - "Sure George is a good leader, but damn! he REALLY needs to get a sense of humor."

You are really being an ass, if you think that Benton could do a better job than Rachel is doing then you lost all credibility with almost everyone on these boards.

Original_Intent
03-17-2009, 03:52 PM
You should join MsDoodahs on the yellow brick road.

You should join, um, nobody at the exit. Buh bye! I SAID BUH BYE!

Deborah K
03-17-2009, 03:52 PM
Because I hear the wizard of oz is passing out senses of humor....


I have a great sense of humor. :D But not everything is funny. And what he did to Dr. Paul was distasteful and humorless.

Original_Intent
03-17-2009, 03:55 PM
I have a great sense of humor. :D But not everything is funny. And what he did to Dr. Paul was distasteful and humorless.

I wouldn't worry. It is pretty clear that He Who Pawns worries a lot more about style over substance.

Lord Xar
03-17-2009, 03:57 PM
What am I missing? I am totally lost.. Cohen got RP? IF so, did he make him look like an ass -- that is what we need to be concerned about...... not some press secretaries response to it.

gls
03-17-2009, 04:02 PM
What am I missing? I am totally lost.. Cohen got RP? IF so, did he make him look like an ass -- that is what we need to be concerned about...... not some press secretaries response to it.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/025858.html

Lord Xar
03-17-2009, 04:11 PM
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/025858.html

oh that is good, Slate made it sound like Ron was a jerkoff. Glad that lewrockwells had a seemingly better synopsis of it.

ClayTrainor
03-17-2009, 04:18 PM
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/025858.html

Thanks, haven't read this yet, gonna check it out.

Cowlesy
03-17-2009, 04:22 PM
Too bad Cohen didn't try this on Chuck Norris. Chuck may have done the world a favor.

He Who Pawns
03-17-2009, 04:26 PM
Too bad Cohen didn't try this on Chuck Norris. Chuck may have done the world a favor.

If he tried it on Beck he probably would have gotten a bj....

Cowlesy
03-17-2009, 04:27 PM
If he tried it on Beck he probably would have gotten a bj....

Somewhat funny....C+.

I can't wait until one of these days he pulls a stunt on the wrong person and someone beats the living sh*t out of him.

TheConstitutionLives
03-17-2009, 04:30 PM
What's done is done. Tasteful or not. Funny or not. The absolute best way to handle it is for everybody, especially Paul, to laugh it off publicly. If you come across too serious the media and general public will hammer him and us. Laugh it off. Don't get on forums or in comment sections of blogs and articles slamming people b/c it'll only hurt us and him. Bite your tongue, control your emotions, and laugh along, but spin it in a positive light. If it's taken too serious by us and Paul then it will make people think Paul is a toolbag. Agree or not that the joke is funny, you gotta roll with the punches.

This has HUGE upside potential if we laugh along. Paul could win alot of people over. If Paul comes off as "Better than thou" by not laughing along it will turn off alot of people and make folks think Paul is a prude who deserved to be humiliated. Remember, most of Paul's admirers are young people. Young people are the ones who will go see this movie. Paul MUST play to his base here. That's the smart move.

Zera
03-17-2009, 04:38 PM
Somewhat funny....C+.

I can't wait until one of these days he pulls a stunt on the wrong person and someone beats the living sh*t out of him.

Fuck Beck.

blocks
03-17-2009, 04:50 PM
What's done is done. Tasteful or not. Funny or not. The absolute best way to handle it is for everybody, especially Paul, to laugh it off publicly. If you come across too serious the media and general public will hammer him and us. Laugh it off. Don't get on forums or in comment sections of blogs and articles slamming people b/c it'll only hurt us and him. Bite your tongue, control your emotions, and laugh along, but spin it in a positive light. If it's taken too serious by us and Paul then it will make people think Paul is a toolbag. Agree or not that the joke is funny, you gotta roll with the punches.

This has HUGE upside potential if we laugh along. Paul could win alot of people over. If Paul comes off as "Better than thou" by not laughing along it will turn off alot of people and make folks think Paul is a prude who deserved to be humiliated. Remember, most of Paul's admirers are young people. Young people are the ones who will go see this movie. Paul MUST play to his base here. That's the smart move.

+1

Chieftain1776
03-17-2009, 05:14 PM
I can't wait until one of these days he pulls a stunt on the wrong person and someone beats the living sh*t out of him.

Apparently he got some of that medicine but it wasn't enough. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article71001.ece

Also I can't believe how much of a @#!@$ hypocrite Cohen is... I just found this:

Apparently, Ali G grabbed snapper Richard Corkery by the throat at the after-show party in New York, when Corkery tried to take pictures with Ali's fiancee Isla Fisher, who co-stars in the film.

Corkery said: "It was shocking. You just don't expect that someone would grab your throat." Nevertheless, the witness from the incident declared that Cohen told the photographer not to take pictures without permission.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ali-G-Beat-Up-A-Photographer-4960.shtml

Can you imagine what he would do if I pulled his Ron Paul scheme with his (hot) wife? And he was only flipping out over a fully clothed photo in public!

What....a...hypocrite!

MsDoodahs
03-17-2009, 05:22 PM
What....a...hypocrite!

:D

Yep...

A vile snake of a human being.

devil21
03-17-2009, 06:07 PM
You are really being an ass, if you think that Benton could do a better job than Rachel is doing then you lost all credibility with almost everyone on these boards.

/thread

futureleft
03-17-2009, 08:45 PM
That is the clumsiest spin attempt I have ever seen in my life.

I don't know...this is probably the clumbsiest spin I have ever seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVClHwGYL5I

speciallyblend
03-17-2009, 08:47 PM
let's play a joke on bruno and beat the crap out of him, then say you have been punked haha. well thought seemed funny. then we can put on you tube and bruno can laugh at himself haha

honestly they need to be smacked down by someone soon!

angelatc
03-17-2009, 09:00 PM
Yay! Not everyone hates me.

I'd love to tell you all my side of the story.

If I ever make it to Washington, I plan to trick you into ingesting far too much liquor and subsequently spilling the scoop.

Fair warning.

Amy is also on my list.

libertarian4321
03-18-2009, 01:45 AM
I don't think this is a big deal, unless Cohen got Ron to try the breast milk cheese...

speciallyblend
03-18-2009, 02:32 AM
easier solution ,apply for the job instead of attacking our own;)

it bothers me when folks think they can do better then others. no job in the Ron Paul revolution is easy. did you try to apply for the job at all??

so easy to be a monday morning quarterback. i would love to see the same folks criticizing everyone in the CFL apply for the job and perform before they judge others!!

constituent
03-18-2009, 07:14 AM
If it's taken too serious by us and Paul then it will make people think Paul is a toolbag. Agree or not that the joke is funny, you gotta roll with the punches.

This has HUGE upside potential if we laugh along. Paul could win alot of people over. If Paul comes off as "Better than thou" by not laughing along it will turn off alot of people and make folks think Paul is a prude who deserved to be humiliated. Remember, most of Paul's admirers are young people. Young people are the ones who will go see this movie. Paul MUST play to his base here. That's the smart move.

am I tripping, or did the voice of reason just make a cameo appearance?

LibertyEagle
03-18-2009, 07:42 AM
You're tripping.

ladyjade3
03-18-2009, 07:44 AM
If I ever make it to Washington, I plan to trick you into ingesting far too much liquor and subsequently spilling the scoop.

Fair warning.

Amy is also on my list.

Seems like a fair trade to me... ;)

Matt Collins
03-19-2009, 01:16 AM
Then maybe Benton should be answering these calls. Just sayin.Ugh......

Matt Collins
03-19-2009, 10:02 PM
I think what Rachel said was ok. The response to the media could've been better but I am not a professional PR person so I don't have any suggestions. This is where the highly paid media consultants / publicists come in handy.

Matt Collins
03-19-2009, 10:03 PM
"Speaking of Jews trying to screw you... did you hear Bernanke's speech last night?"

As someone with some Jewish blood I take offense to the fact that you are lumping me and Bernanke into the same category :mad:




:p;):D:):cool:

Matt Collins
03-19-2009, 10:05 PM
I think you need to travel to the future. You would fit right in with the Idiocracy crowd. Best movie ever!

dr. hfn
03-19-2009, 10:22 PM
lets not blow this stupid stuff out of propertion...remember who you are and we are