Six feet under - heraldblog

Six feet under

Years ago, I was a young reporter on a small town newspaper in Michigan. One day a press release came across my desk from the Geerbach Funeral Home, informing me that the state legislature had just passed a truth in practices law for the state's funeral homes. Funeral directors, from that point on, would have to disclose costs up front to grieving customers.

I called Mr. Geerbach, and he gave me a wonderful interview, full of colorful but tasteful quotes. The story was practically writing itself. Then I called other funeral homes to give equal time. In a small newspaper market, it's important not to alienate potential advertisers.

But none of the other funeral home directors were prepared for my call. Some were unaware of the law. Others didn't answer their phone. None were even remotely capable of addressing how the new law would affect their business.

So I ended up with was a news story that made Mr. Geerbach look like the spokesman for every funeral home within 50 miles. Geerbach was already disclosing costs up front. Just the kind of person you'd trust to bury grandma. The competing had no comment.

Predictably, the other funeral home owners were not thrilled with my story. Several of them called the paper, wondering why I was giving free publicity to Geerbach.

I remembered this story the other night, while I was watching Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi stumble through the Democratic rebuttal to the President's state of the union address, the clueless morticians to George Bush's proactive, press savvy Geerbach. Clearly, they were outclassed.

The Republican publicity machine was everywhere Wednesday night. Do you think it was an accident that the grieving parents of a dead marine just happened to be sitting behind a grateful Iraqi woman who dodged suicide bombers to vote last Sunday? Did you notice that everyone else in the First Lady's section wore dark clothes - except for the Iraqi lady and the grieving mother? You could spot the actors from across the house floor, which is to say, when the camera pulled back.

Liberals and progressives are too logical for their own good, and need to get over the attitude that playing to the cameras is somehow distasteful. While George Bush is building a bullshit narrative about freedom and bravery and liberal wimpishness, the Democrats obliged Wednesday with Harry the mild-mannered bank clerk, and Nancy the sensitive aromatherapist.

4.2.05 22:59

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John / Website (4.2.05 23:35)
I completely agree. The thing that pisses me off is that Pelosi gave the rebuttal last year, and it was just as bad. You'd think someone would have tried to rectify that this time around.

(5.2.05 03:08)
We need someone with the scrappiness of Pat Buchanan, but the populist sensibilities of Dick Gephardt, or Joe Biden. The Democrats can sell their message, they just can't look like pussies when they're doing it.