The "do more" of the PT and PSB and the debate of ideas
The slogan adopted by presidential candidate Eduardo Campos (PSB), that "it is possible to do more," and the incorporation of the phrase by President Dilma, with "it is possible to do more and more," is the subject of an analysis by columnist Fernando Rodrigues of Folha de São Paulo; according to him, the discourse serves both those who are in power and wish to remain in power, as well as the opposition, but something deeper is missing: the debate of ideas beyond political and electoral marketing; the strategy has already been used by Obama, Tony Blair, FHC, and also by José Serra.
PE247 - The slogan adopted by the PSB (Brazilian Socialist Party) that "it is possible to do more," and its incorporation by the PT (Workers' Party) with "it is possible to do more and more," is the subject of an analysis by columnist Fernando Rodrigues of Folha de São Paulo. In his assessment, the discourse serves both those who are in power and wish to remain – conveying the idea of continuity with what is working well – and the opposition, with the purpose of spreading the intention that despite the progress, it is possible to further advance the achievements obtained.
Triangulation, as the strategy was dubbed by marketing expert and political analyst Dick Morris, is not new. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and even José Serra have successfully used this political marketing strategy. The exception to this list is José Serra, from the PSDB party. According to the journalist, triangulation serves the interests of the candidates, but what the country expects is something greater: a debate of ideas that truly propel Brazil forward beyond political and electoral marketing.
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"Do more"
For several months, Eduardo Campos has been repeating his eventual slogan from the 2014 presidential campaign: "It's possible to do more." Since the weekend, Dilma Rousseff has appeared on TV in short commercials in which she quips that "it's possible to do even more."
It's difficult to be original in politics. Eduardo Campos' strategy is good, but it's far from new. In March 2010, when leaving the government of São Paulo to run for the presidency, José Serra ended his speech with "Brazil can do more."
New? Not really. In 2008, Barack Obama had used "yes, we can." Can we do what? It was implied, obviously, to do more than was being done.
The theorist behind this was the marketing expert and political analyst Dick Morris. He even gave the strategy a name: triangulation. The recipe mixes a bit of what's working well in government with a dash of audacity from those on the outside. The result is a model for achieving more.
Dick Morris's formula was used by former US President Bill Clinton. In the United Kingdom, Tony Blair became synonymous with the Third Way. He combined the achievements of the conservative Thatcherite years with the advances of "New Labour".
In 1998, Fernando Henrique Cardoso was re-elected with the slogan "Brazil cannot go backwards. Move forward, Brazil." In other words, he promised to do more. The PT and Lula elected Dilma in 2010, asking for votes "for Brazil to continue changing" [for the better].
The "I'll do more" strategy is universal. It serves those who want to be re-elected. It's useful for the opposition, which aims to unseat a well-regarded government within a context of relative economic stability.
Ultimately, it's also as Ciro Gomes summarized the other day in one of his proverbial brutal pronouncements: "It's good, but can we do better? That's marketing talk. Brazil needs a deep debate of ideas." But that's asking too much.