It’s no rare occurrence for a comedian to take some cheap shots at a politician, but when David Letterman compared Sarah Palin to a “slutty flight attendant” and insulted her daughter, she took exception. Palin made her anger known in several national TV interviews, throwing Letterman into crisis management mode and even bringing rumblings of an advertiser boycott.
Jerry Brown, of pr-IMPACT.com, has some advice for Governor Palin to ensure that her (very public) success does not turn into a reputation management disaster.
Palin made her point and her anger, any political motives notwithstanding, was appropriate. But, now that she’s made her point, she should move on to something else. If she keeps pushing her feud with Letterman, it’ll quickly become counterproductive.
Drawing out a battle with someone who commands a national TV audience is dangerous, especially when their specialty is making fun of people. Letterman was certainly in the wrong, but it would still benefit her to follow Brown’s advice and take the steam she’s gathered on to a new project.
JB
Jonathan Bernstein
www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com