Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Bigger is Better

As much as many would like to believe otherwise, size DOES matter.

Especially when you're Barack Obama. A 21,000 seat convention center hall for my upcoming coronation? Not big enough.

You got anything bigger? Like a Stadium?

Sure you do. I'll take that...

And, so it will be, as the final night of the Democratic National Convention will be at Invesco Field...with over three times the number of screaming fans.

What an insanely smart move on so many levels, as reported by the New York Times. But most importantly, it will make McCain look small...or like a copycat if he asks for the Metrodome.

Where's My Jetpack goes even farther in his analysis.

Obama's Team is so Smart.

Dude, Where's My Lake?

When one of your most important tourism assets DISAPPEARS within the first weeks of the summer season, what then?

Torrential rainfall this past weekend cut a path around a dam in the Wisconsin Dells and DRAINED Lake Delton...home to the famous Tommy Bartlett Waterski Show, the Wisconsin Dells Ducks and many more attractions.

While this incredible destination has become sensationally diverse over the past year (and will still successfully welcome millions this summer), our hearts go out to those that depend on this Lake. And, we urge the Wisconsin DNR to not let procedural bureaucracy stand in the way of mitigating this incredible loss. Now.

To our friends in the Dells...we'll keep coming and we'll keep spending. Hang in there...

On Hubris

Our "coverage" of Brandworks University over the past couple days pre-empted comment on the events of Tuesday night, when Barack Obama emerged as the expected Democratic nominee for President.

As the dust begins to settle, some thoughts:

• The whole concept of Super Delegates sucks...and subverts the American ideal.

• That said, it was the hubris of the Clinton campaign that cost her the nomination. I've watched most of the victory/concession statements in this too-long campaign...and whoever has been advising her on the tenor, timbre and tone of her public persona has done a disasterous disservice on par with Gore and Kerry's handlers. Honestly...what is it with the majority of today's Democratic strategists?

With the exception of Obama's campaign, Gore, Kerry and Hillary all suffered from personas that did not resonate with the American public. In Hillary's case, she was too often shrill and fell into the trap that so many women speakers fall into...trying to sound like a man.

It doesn't work. It never works. And why should it?

And, then, Tuesday night...she sounded like the kind of person we all wanted her to be. The campaign was clearly over. She dropped the attitude. She dropped the chip on her shoulder. She talked with us...not to us.

She was, at once, the likable candidate so many wanted to see.

And minutes later, Obama took the podium to announce his victory...

And I saw a different candidate.

Hubris had come to call.

That hubris misunderstands that a sense of being "right" will prevail when all the American public wants is to feel good. And "attitude" doesn't make America feel good. Authenticity does.

Here's hoping one of the two surviving candidates can find a shred of it.

• Oh yeah...besides the fact that Super Delegates suck, isn't it interesting that both the Electoral College AND the Democratic Nomination process have now both seated candidates that didn't win the popular vote?

Me thinks the rules of this game are long overdue for change.

Just a thought...

Greetings from Upper Crustacia

Forget geo-political boundaries. Rick Meyerowitz  nails the new America with this map (click to enlarge) that accompanies the New York Times' review of "The Big Sort" by Bill Bishop.

My favorites are Dobbs (along the Grande), West and East Hummerland and Nimby and New Nimby in the Northeast. Yours?

But, how will the electoral votes be redistributed?

Thanks to Richard Florida for the catch...

This is So Not Good for Tourism

There are three people that could become President of the United States. On Monday, one of them again showcased his unfortunate lack of understanding of the importance of the travel and tourism industry.

When asked by Roger Dow, Jonathan Tisch, Chicago Mayor Daley and others to support the creation of a Federal Tourism Policy, John McCain reportedly "listened intently." But, he only voiced support for upgrading the nation's air traffic control system.

Of course, he didn't have to do anything more than listen intently. He knows the travel and hospitality rarely votes in its self-interest.

We so need an independent candidate that understands the fiscal, social and international branding importance of tourism.

Like Jesse Ventura.

We Get the Candidates the Media Wants Us to Have

The only Democratic Presidential candidate that ever really talked the issues during this way too long campaign was John Edwards. But, issues are boring. The Media didn't want issues...they wanted a story. And so we got Obama-Clinton. THAT'S a story. Juicy. Controversial. History in the making. An African American and a Woman. That'll sell advertising!

Every time Obama looks invincible, the media fawns over Hillary. Voters follow. Hillary wins and the media returns to breathlessly feature Obama as needing a comeback victory. He gets one. Now, it's back to featuring Hillary.

It's a game in which the media wins...and we lose.

About a year ago, I posted on the great book called "The Way to Win" in which Mark Halperin and John Harris talk of "The Gang of 500"...the 500 or so members of the media, consultants and staff hands that will decide FOR us who the final combatants will be.

I've been grousing about this for months...but Seth Godin absolutely nailed it yesterday on his blog in the wake of Hillary's skin-of-her-teeth win in Indiana. It's the most dead on political observation I've seen since The 44th sadly went dark.

Never Think Your Vote Doesn't Count

It's easy to think that your lone, puny vote is meaningless.

That is, til you look at what happened in Guam this weekend.

Obama by 7.

That's VOTES...not percent.

This Summer's Vacation Planning

As hard as the media tries to scare the hell out of American travel consumers about rising gas prices, 69% say those prices will have no impact on their choice of destination. That from the just released AOL Travel/Zogby International Study.

At the same time, 57% say they will spend less this summer than last.

So, they're still coming. It's a question of who feels the pinch first. Retail, Hotels, Attractions or Restaurants.

My money (all puns intended)...is on Retail to Lose, Hotels to Place and Attractions to Show. We'll still eat :)

Black Market Candy

From Slashfood.com (via Iconoculture) we learn that the politically correct ban on sweets and candy in our public schools has spawned an underground movement of kids selling contraband Snickers to other students.

Just like aggressive cleansing of a neighborhood drug trade can lead to more violent crime as former dealers move to other revenue generating options, is this really what we want to encourage our third and fourth graders to learn?

How to be pushers?

Got Nuthin Better To Do?

The Federal Government is attempting to block the Hot Springs (AR) DMO from trademarking its logo that refers to the Hot Springs National Park.

The DMO has been using the logo since 1987. The Interior Department now accuses it of perpetrating a fraud on consumers.

So...ummm...what? It's been OK for the past twenty years but now the government thinks that consumers will get confused about the destination vs. the Park?

Don't y'all have something better to do? Like make the Park appealing to a clientele that no longer finds National Parks at all interesting?

Rather than screwing with an agency that is trying to keep you relevant?