Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Morris Andrews

On the road pretty non-stop over the past few weeks, I returned home over the weekend and began catching up on local news through my community's two weekly newspapers. Alas, I learned that a former collaborator and conspirator had departed terra firma during my absence. 

Morris Andrews was, truly, the most amazing political mind with whom I've ever had the opportunity to work. This obit in the Capital Times outlines his amazing accomplishments...and the ability to artfully and deftly work both sides of the aisle (a skill that few today possess).

My eulogy for Morrie will take a much more targeted tack. It was his involvement in the referendum fight for Madison's Monona Terrace the caused our two paths to collide. I was the new kid in town. He was the veteran. His lower lip would often protrude when I'd suggest a tactic for the campaign...and I never knew if it meant he was considering the concept or if he was trying to figure out how to tell me I was an idiot.

It was Morrie that suggested, early in the 2-year campaign, that we field phone banks. I (the padawan) questioned him (Yoda) as to the efficacy of such a move. Why would we attempt to sway public opinion more than a year out from the vote?

With a wry smile, he suggested that this phone bank wasn't to inspire...but to gauge public opinion. He needed to know why residents opposed the project in order to mount an effective response to ultimately win the public vote.

As I look back upon the keys to the win, it was that moment that rises to the top. Within days of the weeks-long phone banks, we knew that there were only two issues that concerned voters. The opposition was flailing away with 13 reasons why the project was a bad idea. It was Morrie that guided us to focus on what mattered to the electorate and to ignore the superfluous.

My other favorite memory of those heady times was that I was, admittedly, a bull in a china shop when it came to engaging the opposition. I desperately wanted to respond to every lie and misdirection they threw out into the public discourse. It was Morrie that subtly shook his head and held me back, knowing that it was not yet time.

I'll never forget the moment, a week before the vote, that he smiled that wry smile, nodded and said "Go." And, minutes later, I faced off against an opposition spokesperson on the evening news and took him down hard.

Days later, we won with 50.8% of the vote (4 out of 5 people on the street today will say they voted for Monona Terrace, so successful it has been in the renaissance of the Mad City). Morrie's brilliant counsel accounts for at least 10% of that vote...maybe more.

Madison is blessed to have had Morris Andrews and George Nelson in position to help lead the community through the '90s. We are who we are because of these two great individuals.

Godspeed Morrie...you were an inspiration and a teacher to so many of us. And, I'm able to guide others toward success because of the truths you taught me.

Sweet Lemonade

As the saying goes, "when somebody hands you a lemon, you make lemonade."

It was more than a lemon that America's sitting President lobbed at Baltimore over the weekend...and the team at Visit Baltimore took the opportunity to acquaint readers of the Baltimore Sun, New York Times and Washington Post to some of the great aspects of the city. Like top 5 accolades for business, minority entrepreneurship, women in tech and more (click the image to see the ad).

It reminds me of the great video Rockford used to punch back at Forbes a few years ago when that publication named them the third most miserable city in America. That was a classic.

And, Visit Baltimore's response will now join the playbook for how to make sweet lemonade.

Nicely played...

The Dominican Republic's Unfortunate Dance with the 24/7 Media

Visitors to the Dominican Republic occasionally die. Visitors to virtually every destination die, far from home and unexpectedly.

In the Dominican Republic's case, it's the unusual frequency that has caught the media's attention. And, while the situation probably doesn't warrant the attention it has been getting over the past month, let's be honest. This is the kind of story today's media loves because it panders to one of our biggest fears, being alone in a foreign place with nowhere to turn for help.

And, the media coverage has had a massive impact on travel to the island. Air travel purchases are down 10% from the same period last year. Hotel bookings are down 74% for July and August and 59% of Travel Agents say their clients are reconsidering trips to the Dominican Republic.

And, Rick Springfield canceled a concert.

It all points to a debilitating year for the country. And, probably, good news for Puerto Rico.

Here's the thing: the State Department says that it is not registering an abnormal increase in American deaths in the Dominican Republic. At the same time, reportedly healthy travelers dropping dead suggests something's not right.

However (and here's the lesson to be learned), you don't say that deaths are a normal occurrence in your country (even if they are). But, that's what the Tourism Minister told reporters last month when he said that (the then) eight deaths over a 6 month period wasn't unusual.

Ummm...nobody expects to die on vacation. And, you just told them that people do that in your country?

Yeah...that didn't help.

At all.