Mike Paul's Blog

NEW YORK - The following is Mike “The Reputation Doctor” Paul’s Annual Top 10 List of Reputations in Crisis for 2008. This list is compiled by and solely the opinion of global reputation management expert Mike Paul. You've seen him weekly as a guest TV news commentator analyzing top individual and organizational reputations in crisis.

1. THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS – The rising defaults on subprime mortgages in the US triggered a crisis for money markets worldwide. Many of the world’s leading investment banks have collapsed as a result and the U.S. government has proposed a massive bail-out. The crisis has become one of the most radical reshapings of the global banking sector, as governments and the private sector battle to shore up the financial system following the disappearance of financial corporations like Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch and Wachovia as independent entities and the $85bn government rescue of insurance giant, AIG. Nine large banks, including Bank of America Corp., Wells Fargo & Co., Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., received $125 billion government bailouts. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were placed under government control for their debt-filled contribution to the worst mortgage crisis in history. The global financial crisis really started to show its tortured face in the middle of 2007 and hit the world hard in 2008. Around the globe stock markets have fallen and continue in crisis, national and worldwide financial institutions have collapsed or been bought out, and governments in even the wealthiest nations have had to come up with bail-out packages to save their financial systems. Many people are concerned those responsible for the financial problems are the very ones being bailed out. By early fall 2008, the whole mess triggered a global collapse of financial confidence, as well as wrecking the money and commercial paper markets. The moves also led to massive hedge fund redemptions, which forced them to liquidate stocks. And the crisis rolls on. Over 533,000 people lost their jobs in the U.S. during the month of November 2008 alone. The global financial meltdown affects the livelihoods of almost all of us in an increasingly inter-connected world. Families are defaulting on their mortgages and losing their homes, people are living on credit cards and will soon be in even bigger financial debt or bankruptcy in early 2009 and homeless populations and beggars are increasing on the street of cities worldwide. What will we learn from this mess? We have many more months before the economy hits rock bottom. Hold on to your hat because the ride down is not over - yet.

2. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH – As the Bush administration enters its last weeks, the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press asked Americans how he's done and their responses are "overwhelmingly negative." Over the years, Pew's polls have tracked the president's decreasing popularity since the days after 9/11. His approval rating now stands at a mire 24 percent. Eleven percent of respondents think Bush will be remembered as an "outstanding" or "above average" president, "by far the lowest positive end-of-term rating for any of the past four presidents." The Pew researchers conclude that Bush's legacy has been damaged by "his administration's mixed record of competent governance" in responding to challenges like the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina. While a majority of respondents still give Bush credit on some issues, such as preventing another terrorist attack from occurring in America, overall "the U.S. government 'brand' deteriorated badly during the Bush years" both domestically and overseas. Bush’s current popularity is the lowest of any president, as well as the lowest sustained approval numbers on record. Ouch! That's a reputation in crisis!

3. THE BIG 3 AUTO MAKERS – The CEOs of GM, Ford and Chrysler all flew on their individual corporate jets to Washington, D.C. for Congressional hearings begging for taxpayer money to bail the U.S. auto industry out of financial ruin. Congress rejected the bail out, but President Bush recently gave Detroit the bail out to avoid having more crises as part of his presidential legacy. Congressman Gary Ackerman's quote on the corporate jet PR snafu is priceless: "There’s a delicious irony of seeing private luxury jets flying into DC, and people coming off of them with tin cups in their hands, saying that they’re going to be trimming down and streamlining their businesses. It’s almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high hat and tuxedo. Kind of makes you a little bit suspicious as to whether or not… we’ve seen the future. There’s a message there. Couldn’t you all have downgraded to first class or jet-pooled to get here? It would have at least sent the message that you do get it." Hello! They own car companies and they should be driving every where humanly possible as part of their branding message! It takes a special kind of incompetence to completely deplete the goodwill of a car-crazy nation like the U.S. Yet polls show that most Americans didn't want to bail out the automakers. As with the global financial crisis, there is plenty of blame to go around, from poorly designed cars to fat union benefits and complicated work rules. Sadly, it seems thousands of workers might be destined for the unemployment line.

4. SARAH PALIN – Many say she became famous this year. Not so! Sarah Palin became infamous in 2008 and there is a big difference between becoming famous and infamous! Her popularity was second only to her huge fall from grace. Once she opened her mouth to discuss the important issues facing our great nation, she became the laughing stock of the U.S. and it was viewed by the entire world. She was not ready for prime time, unless you include the skits about her and with her on NBC's Saturday Night Live. The question is were we laughing with her or against her? Sarah Palin can thank Tina Fey for all her haters out there. At least that’s what a poll by the Washington Times suggests. The paper reports that "Tina Fey effect" has turned supporters off the Alaskan governor and her former running mate, presidential candidate John McCain. Political scientist Jerald Podair tells the New York Post: "Presidential impersonators do influence elections, and in this one, Tina Fey, ruined Sarah Palin’s political career. In a political culture that takes its cues from popular culture, a good impersonator may be worth a million votes. The parodies did damage. People remember Gerald Ford through the prism of Chevy Chase. Ford was among our most athletic presidents, and he had a wide-ranging knowledge of public-policy issues. But because of SNL, many came to think of him as a buffoon." Many also blamed the judgment of Senator John McCain for his pick of a polarizing narcissist to be his vice presidential running mate. The feeling was that Gov. Sarah Palin's divisively conservative rhetoric, lack of understanding of the issues and exhibitionistic style alienated mainstream voters. The logic followed that this ultimately undercut Mr. McCain's reputation as a thoughtful and independent agent for change lost him the presidency. I tend to support both analyses.

5. BERNARD MADOFF – Wall Street today may be a vast global community with multinational reach. But it's also a small, insulated world based on trust, where your word and a handshake are your bond. Or not! Bernard Madoff, the 70-year-old money manager and former NASDAQ chairman, was arrested by the FBI for allegedly running the largest Ponzi scheme in financial history, losing an estimated $50 billion in client money. Investigators say Madoff told them that his business was just "one big lie." Of course this is terrible news for numerous wealthy individuals, banks, and charitable foundations who are now left with no money after many gave him millions, and some billions, each to manage. As far back as 1999, the Securities and Exchange Commission was receiving credible complaints that the investment arm of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities actually was an enormous fraud. In May 2001, the respected financial magazine Barron's ran a story openly questioning Madoff's trading techniques and raising potential ethical issues with the secretive way he operated. But Madoff simply called the allegations "ridiculous," and everyone believed him. Regulators ignored the evidence and failed to pick up the scent. The rest of the media just dismissed the accusations. And investors kept pouring money into his funds. This was a huge mistake. As we now know, Barron's and the SEC's tipsters were on to something. There was something fishy with Madoff's business. In essence, he wasn't earning those great returns at all. Instead, it appears that he was simply paying off old investors with money he was bringing in from new investors. Madoff also made heavy contributions to many top politicians in Washington and even had family members and friends working in various government offices. The Madoff empire was a classic Ponzi scheme, and as soon as the economy tightened up and new money stopped flowing in, the whole thing unraveled. Where was the accountability? Where was the SEC? These questions will bring chapter 2 to this saga soon. It is not over.

6. RICHARD FULD - As reported in New York Magazine, on September 15, Lehman filed for bankruptcy, the largest in history and a devastating blow to an already fragile financial system. Fuld became a symbol of failure, the face of arrogant, blindered, massively overleveraged Wall Street. Fuld is blamed for betting the farm on the way up, then stubbornly refusing to recognize the company’s dire straits on the way down. Under Fuld, Lehman became the single biggest Wall Street underwriter of mortgage debt right into the collapse of the mortgage debt crisis. A few weeks after the bankruptcy, Congress summoned him to Washington for a deeply humiliating inquisition. “You’re the villain today,” one congressman told him. For Congress, he was little better than a looter, pocketing millions as his company collapsed—$480 million over half a dozen years, another congressman charged. If that wasn’t enough pain, three sets of prosecutors launched investigations of Fuld and Lehman, probing whether shareholders had been duped. But in the end, there was no lifeline from the U.S. government. Not only did CEO Fuld watch Lehman Brothers, the 158-year-old investment bank, fall part, but he reportedly got punched in the face in the company gym and was viciously mocked on NBC's Saturday Night Live. According to CNBC, Fuld was allegedly knocked out with a single punch in the investment bank’s gym, by an angry employee who came over to Fuld on the treadmill and walloped him with the knockout punch! Some say the blow from the government was worse than the punch to Fuld's face. I beg to differ. The punch in the face alone would have put Fuld on my reputations in crisis list!

7. CHINA'S BUSINESS COMMUNITY – Made in China. Those three words are becoming a marketers worst nightmare. As reported in Business Week, after a year of massive toy recalls, tainted toothpaste scares, and poisonous pet food incidents, consumers around the globe are thinking twice—or more—before buying Chinese-made goods. Indeed, in a new survey of marketing and business professionals worldwide, 69% of respondents said the phrase "Made in China" hurts mainland brands. The word most frequently associated with Chinese products? "Cheap." "Conservatively, it will be five years before people will let go of their fear of made in China," says Jonathan Chajet, Asia-Pacific Strategy Director at consultancy Interbrand Corp., which carried out the survey for BusinessWeek. That creates some big challenges for China's exporters, even those far removed from the current problem sectors of toys and food production. In its poll of 569 respondents outside China, the survey found that this year's recalls have dealt a serious setback to mainland brands. Although the respondents said Chinese products are "a good value," few labeled them "safe," "high quality," "prestigious," or "luxurious." Let’s not forget, either, the havoc China’s development has wreaked within the country itself. Waste disposal and pollution will grow into bigger and bigger problems, as the landscape sprouts more factories and industrial complexes. Some Beijing officials, as well as those at local levels—the country has 41,636 townships—have a stronger interest in winning business than they do in preserving the environment. A significant number are undoubtedly in bed with the factories seeking building permits and other privileges. Yes, the Chinese government is good about assuring its foreign trading partners of its ecologically sound policies, but enforcement ranges from tricky to impossible. Communist officials in localities have great power. A mayor who likes the idea of a new tool-and-die factory can make it happen with relatively few checks and balances. Just as important, human rights violations in China remain systematic and widespread. The Chinese government continues to suppress dissenting opinions and maintains political control over the legal system, resulting in an arbitrary and sometimes abusive judicial regime. The lack of accountability of the government and the Chinese Communist Party means that abuses by officials often go unchecked. Especially China's policies and track record with capital punishment, the one-child policy, abuse of women and the policy of Han Chinese cultural integration towards Tibet.

8. ELIOT SPITZER – Spitzer, the former New York governor and former New York attorney general, who was once called "the Sheriff of Wall Street" for his crusade against investment fraud, had a major fall from grace. Former Governor Eliot Spitzer was forced to resign in March after he was revealed as Client No. 9 for the high-end Emperor's Club VIP prostitution ring. Spitzer had extramartial sex with Ashley Dupree, a k a "Kristen," at Washington DC's Mayflower Hotel. "Kristen" met with Client 9 the night of February 13, 2008, according to the affidavit, after describing herself as "petite, very pretty brunette, 5 feet 5 inches, 105 pounds". They were finished, three hours and $4,300 later. (It may not have been Client 9's first time there: he had a $500 credit.) Room 871 at the Mayflower Hotel was booked under the name George Fox, a pseudonym Spitzer had allegedly been using that was later revealed to be the name of his close friend, a hedge fund investor. Reportedly, some of this information came to light from a federal wiretap. Spitzer had at least seven or eight liaisons with prostitutes from the agency over six months, and paid more than $15,000 for their services. Federal agents had him under surveillance twice in 2008. According to published reports, investigators believe Spitzer paid up to $80,000 for prostitutes over a period of several years — first while he was attorney general, and later as governor. "Kristen" then called a colleague at the Emperors Club and said that she liked Client 9. "I don't think he's difficult," she said. Spitzer's problem — long before this news broke — is that there are plenty in New York who would disagree. After sweeping to power in Albany with a landmark victory — he took office in January, 2007 by winning 69% of the vote — he quickly engendered resentment for both his policies and management style. Spitzer was the architect of a widely unpopular plan to issue driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, and did not endear himself to constituents by squabbling with the Republican-controlled State Senate, and particularly the body's majority leader, Joseph Bruno, whose camp accused the governor of deploying "dirty tricks" to smear his opponents. Spitzer further humiliated his wife, Silda in March by dragging her to his embarrassing press conference . The former governor resurfaced at the end of 2008 trying to write the "stale clean" by joining Slate.com as a writer. Sad for us, the new column doesn't dispense romance advice, but focuses on the need for financial and government reform. Ironically, Spitzer attended Slate's holiday party held at former Chinatown massage parlor called Happy Endings. No, I did not make that up! Sad, but true!

9. O.J. SIMPSON – In September 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada and charged with numerous felonies, including robbery with a deadly weapon, burglary with a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon, coercion with use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit a crime. As the world watched O.J. again, a jury found Simpson guilty of all charges on October 3, 2008; and he was sentenced on December 5, 2008 to at least nine years in prison. In 1995, Simpson was acquitted of the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman after a lengthy, highly publicized criminal trial. A 1997 judgment against Simpson for their wrongful deaths was awarded in civil court by a jury, but to date he has paid little of the $33.5 million judgment.He gained further notoriety in late 2006 when he wrote a book titled If I Did It. The book, which purports to be a first-person fictional account of the murder had he actually committed it, was withdrawn by the publisher just before its release. The book was later released by the Goldman family and the title of the book was expanded to If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer, with the word "If" reduced in size to make it appear that the title was "I Did It: Confessions of the Killer". Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson (born July 9, 1947)(also known as The Juice) is a retired American football player, actor, spokesman, and convicted felon. He originally attained fame in sport as a running back at the collegiate and professional levels, and was the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, a mark he set during the 1973 season. Too bad we never get to hear about his athletic heroics any more because his off the field crimes muddy it all.

10. ROD BLAGOJEVICH – On December 9, 2008, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested by FBI agents and charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud as well as solicitation of bribery. The Justice Department complaint alleges that the governor conspired to commit several "pay to play" schemes, including attempting to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacated United States Senate seat to the highest bidder. As a result of the arrest, Blagojevich has faced calls for his resignation or impeachment and removal from office. At a press conference in late December, he claimed he will fight to hold the seat of Governor and he exclaimed he has done absolutely nothing wrong. Others beg to differ. He has been the target of multiple federal investigations and has historically low approval ratings within Illinois; Rasmussen, the top political analyst, called him "America's Least Popular Governor." The Governor was taped by the FBI saying that he considered Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat "f - - - ing valuable." He allegedly spoke with Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel 21 times, and ensnared Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. as one candidate under consideration for the seat. "Hot Rod" was overheard attempting to force Chicago Tribune to fire editorial writers or risk losing city backing for sale of Wrigley Field. Blagojevich's equally foul-mouthed wife Patti endeared herself to Chicago White Sox fans when she was over heard saying on tape, "F - - - the Cubs!" Fair and impartial observers are torn over whether Blagojevich is 1) crooked, 2) crazy or 3) stupid, given that he has known that he was being investigated for years - yet still openly discussed these schemes over the phone!

Remember, do the right thing when your reputation is in crisis and seek the counsel of an experienced reputation management expert. It will be a major challenge, but ultimately the rewards of repairing your reputation will be great. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything!™

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, TruTV (formerly Court TV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, keynote speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Comment from: chrysler dealers [Visitor] · http://www.arrigopalmbeach.com/

Nowadays everybody is suffering because of the crisis. I know very well how it feel because I work in cars business and during the last year the sales dropped with more than 40%. Imagine what this mean..over 100 billion dollars lost because of this world crisis. I`m sure that somebody is charge with this problem and I hope it will be solved soon.

Aug 6, 2009, 5:24 pm

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2008 has been a rough year for many and especially the last few months. I have many friends out of work on Wall Street and on main street. When these friends call for advice on how to handle the current crises in their lives I remind them that we are called to give thanks for not only the good things in our lives, but also for the crises in our lives. Some become humbled and want to know more and some look at me like I am crazy!

QUESTION: Do we really understand the true meaning of Thanksgiving, and how does it affect our reputations?

John was laid off at Lehman Brothers and has a beautiful and supportive wife, three kids in college, a large apartment in Manhattan and a beautiful home and large sailboat in the Hamptons. I am not worried as much about his finances as I am about his attitude toward learning from this experience.

Peter was an assistant manager at a department store on Long Island. The chain of stores recently closed and Peter, who is also married, but has a family of four young kids, is a bit concerned about his finances. He only has savings to last another month or so without a new job, but his attitude is right on! He is trying to learn as much as he can from the experience and appreciate all the blessings he still has in his life. He is spending more time with his family and also giving back as much as he can to his community, especially those in a worse position than himself: the homeless. Peter and his family will be helping to feed the homeless at a soup kitchen on Long Island this Thanksgiving. Peter is human. At times, he worries, but he tries to give his worries and troubles to God. He prays often. He speaks about his fears and concerns with his wife. He attends church on a regular basis. Peter is an excellent example for us all.

So what about John? Well, let's just say that John's identity was tied up mostly with his job. John is very angry he was laid off. What did I do when he asked for help? Well, I recently introduced John and his family to Peter and his family over brunch in Manhattan. Their wives got along swimmingly (something I had hoped for.) Peter is beginning to rub off on John. John is beginning to see how truly fortunate he has been and wants to give back for the first time in his life.

I told John before he begins giving back I thought it might be important for him to understand why it is so important for all of us to also give thanks for our pain, for our crises and for our troubles. I told him once he fully understood why he would really enjoy giving back, but only after giving thanks for both good and bad times.

We must remember Thanksgiving began as a tradition in our country only after the first settlers from England almost died. They struggled to survive and with the help of Squanto and other Native Americans, they learned to feed themselves in a harsh, cold winter environment where others perished. Times were hard. Much harder than the first settlers ever imagined. Sound familiar? Sounds like the conditions many in the world are now facing as winter is about to begin.

The difference between many of the Pilgrims and our society today is FAITH - theirs was strong and ours, at times, is spineless.

I received a call from my friend John last week. He was not angry for the first time in a long time.
"I think giving thanks is one of those things that is a purposeful decision that we have to do regardless of our circumstances," he said. "If our thanksgiving or our joy depends on circumstances, it will fluctuate all the time. I know a lot of people have had a difficult time this year. Even when we don't seem to have anything, we need to pay attention to the things we do have, instead of what we don't have. I learned if we have our health, if we have our family, if we have a home, if we have our friends, if we have faith in God, we are rich!"

I had the biggest smile on my face. I told John how proud I was of him. I shared with him how our fathers had taught us some pretty backward ideas regarding dealing with our emotions, sharing our feelings with others, especially those we love and how I thought he was on the right track with so many areas of his life with this revelation. I told him, most importantly, I was proud of how he was embracing faith as a powerful life tool and how it will greatly improve his reputation, his marriage, his career and his relationship with his kids. He agreed and also began giving back as he also began to give thanks for the success and struggles in his life.

He thanked me, but I told him he was thanking the wrong person. I shared with him that I struggle with many areas in my own life and that I was only the messenger, but I told him to give all praise to God often and always.

Remember, do the right thing with your reputation and seek the counsel of an experienced strategic public relations and reputation management expert. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything!™

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Comment from: logon [Visitor]

I think classic example of reputation management is the small town.Population is small and interactions between members frequent; most interactions are face-to-face and positively identified -- that is, there is no question who said or did what.Previously I was working for lamp post company as a reputation manager.It was really awesome experience.Reputation accrues not only throughout one's lifetime, but is passed down to one's offspring; one's individual reputation depends both on one's own actions and one's inherited reputation.

Feb 23, 2010, 2:10 am

Comment from: Numal [Visitor]

In fact we should be always Thanks of God because every work has been completed when ordered of God. I like your post. ccip certification , security+ certification , mcse certification

Jul 22, 2009, 12:57 am

Comment from: Mikes@Your Daily Word [Visitor] · http://your-dailyword.blogspot.com

I Thessalonians 5:18 (King James Version)

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Thanks for this post!

Your Daily Word

Apr 14, 2009, 7:06 am

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Many of you know I started my career in politics before switching to public relations and reputation management. For those who don't know, I was a former aide to several Republicans in the New York State legislature, a former top aide to former U.S. Senator Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY) and later a former top aide to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

In addition, I am a talking-head with several national T.V. news stations regarding reputations in crisis, but for the election cycle, I have also provided weekly commentary regarding the reputation and communications messages of both presidential candidates. However, I have usually been labeled a Republican consultant, which is not accurate. Ironically, I have worked with both Democrats and Republicans for many years. To be accurate, I am a former Republican consultant who backed John McCain early in the campaign.

However, during the campaign, my opinion started to shift. John McCain's message became more and more weak and I saw Barack Obama getting stronger and stronger. I also saw myself in Obama. I am a black man of mixed heritage like him. Like Tiger Woods and others of mixed heritage, I am Barack Obama. In fact, that is something I mentioned in a blog post a few months ago. I also believe our nation needs a change from the politics of the past, especially the recent past. Over time, I began to personally question McCain's judgment, including his choice of Sarah Palin.

Colin Powell has been one of my heroes for quite some time. In fact, he is Godfather to one of my good friends. So when Secretary Powell speaks, I listen. I greatly trust his character, his judgment and his overall opinion.

On NBC's Meet the Press in mid October, Powell said he had some concerns about the Republican Party in recent years, moving more to the right and becoming much more divisive. He also said McCain was unsure how to handle the economic problems we had and several times changed his opinion and plan of action to try to help the economy. He also questioned his choice of Sarah Palin as vice president.

Obama crosses lines (which foster further understanding) including ethnic and racial lines. Powell questioned the attacks on Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers by McCain and the Republican party. McCain's campaign strategy, especially in late fall troubled him. He was also troubled at Republicans calling Obama a Muslim, even when they knew Obama was clearly a Christian.

Powell also said Obama inspires all with the inclusive nature of his campaign. His style and substance make him a transformational figure and a new and powerful leader on the world stage. Similar to Colin Powell himself, in my opinion.

Colin Powell said John McCain was a true patriot and an amazing leader, but not necessarily a leader for this time. Both are qualified to be president, but one is more qualified to lead now.

When I heard Powell clearly voice his support for Obama for many imporant reasons and highlight his concerns, but still great respect for McCain, he echoed my concerns and beliefs and it helped me tremendously.

1) I said many times that I thought America was not ready to vote for a black president. To be blunt, I really thought white Americans, especially white men, were not ready to vote for a black president. Well, our country is changing more quickly than I expected. Americans are becoming more open minded about voting for candidates that don't look like them. That is progress! Our nation is still quite racist and we have many miles to go regarding race relations in our country, but progress is being made, especially among younger Americans. We can learn quite a bit by watching children, teens and young adults. They are breaking through racial barriers every day, even as some parents and grandparents frown upon it.

2) John McCain's message during his campaign, especially during the last two months, was like bird shot flying in all directions and not really sticking to anything. He also took some big risks that were the story of the moment, but did not hold water for the length of the campaign. Largest among the mistakes was the pick of Sarah Palin as his vice presidential candidate. Bottom line: the more we got to know her, the more we wanted to laugh at her experience or put her back in a box in Alaska. Just the opposite happened with Barack Obama. The more you get to know Barack Obama, the more you want to know more about him and his policies, not just rhetoric, but a plan of action and inspiration.

3) John McCain is a patriot. He is also an amazing leader, but he is not the man to best help us with the economy and the troubles we have home here in America. He would make a great commander in chief, but we need a commander in chief to end the two wars we have now and not continue them for the next decade or more.

As you can imagine, I thought long and hard about my vote and prayed about it. As a result of all the issues mentioned in this blog and more, I voted for Barack Obama this morning and was quite proud of it. Those who truly know me might not be surprised. I value character, ethics, inclusiveness, confidence, a solid plan, inspiring words and the ability to build great teams. Barack Obama has all of these attributes and more. It took some time for me to make a final decision, but ultimately, I know I made the correct decision for my vote and my country.

Those of you who still have not voted, please do so as soon as possible today. Every vote is extremely important. Remember, people around the world die for the right to vote every day. Please don't take it for granted.

Remember, do the right thing with your reputation and seek the counsel of an experienced strategic public relations and reputation management expert. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything!™

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Comment from: damon fields [Visitor]

Mr. Paul...i sent you an e-mail quite some time ago about assisting me in running against my local Congressman. no response was forthcoming, but i figured i would try it one last time. would you be available sometime to receive a short synopsis of what i am planning?

Jun 2, 2009, 7:04 pm

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"In tough times your instinct is to hold back, but your competitors are going to be distracted. That's the time to be aggressive and on the balls of your feet! If it's a good long-term opportunity, you can gain more ground competitively in tough times than in good times."
Ken Chenault

"Your premium brand had better be delivering something special, or it's not going to get the business. Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked."
Warren Buffett

"During a recession, corporations and service providers must invest in telling their stories and explain why their better than their competitors or they will not survive. Strategic public relations is the best way to continue to grow their brands with all of their key audiences. Why? Because unlike advertising, strategic public relations must go through the filters of third party endorsements and the media, which add much more credibility and trust.
Mike "The Reputation Doctor" Paul

ADVICE FROM THE REPUTATION DOCTOR REGARDING STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS DURING A RECESSION

My public relations firm, MGP & Associates PR, and my Reputation Doctor blog have been getting inquiries every day from corporations and service providers asking the following question since the global economic crisis began months ago:

"We are considering cutting our public relations budget. Is this a wise idea?"

It is NOT a good idea to cut your public relations budget in bad economic times. However, you should consider three important things:

3) making sure the public relations professionals you current have on your team are seasoned counselors with the needed toolbelt of day-to-day practical experience versus "kids" with little experience in strategic public relations, learning on your business and have never weathered economic storms or PR executives who just give lip service and haven't done the actual work themselves in many years.

3 WAYS STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS CAN HELP YOUR ORGANIZATION IN BAD ECONOMIC TIMES:

As Ken Chenault, CEO of American Express, said in his quote above,"in tough times your instinct is to hold back, but your competitors are going to be distracted. That's the time to be aggressive and on the balls of your feet!" You must overcome the fear to invest in bad economic times and invest in your own success while others are afraid and burying their heads. As a result, your public relations program will stand out among your competitors as they reduce their PR spending and give your organization a clear competitive advantage with sales, reputation growth and brand management!

Strategic public relations includes reaching ALL of your key audiences not just a few. A balanced PR program should allow access to all of these audiences and support your sales team with each. Key audiences are customized to each type of company, but may include current and potential customers or clients, government regulators and elected officials, nonprofit organizations and charities, the media, current investors, potential investors, young, old, married, unmarried, men and women and many more. As Henry Ford said, "you can't build a reputation on what your going to do." You actually have to do it yourself. The first step in reaching ALL of your key audiences with your story and with your success in other sectors or markets is to allow them to see, read and hear exactly how you can help them. Bottom line: tell your story to millions in your markets. Remember, public relations allows you to reach many millions with your message through the power of the media, the Internet and other powerful public relations tools.

Now is the time to best support your sales teams with the ammunition to target all of their current and potential customers with excellent print, radio, T.V. and online media stories and key messages regarding your companies expertise. Also speaking at leading conferences and seminars and writing about how you, as an expert, can help clients weather the economic storm in a blog and have your PR firm introduce you to key segments of the market you've always wanted to be in, but have difficulty entering because of a lack of current access. Remember, media relations is just one tool in the strategic public relation toolbelt. A seasoned public relations expert has dozens of tools to work with to make your business a success, especially in bad economic times! Want to learn how to walk the talk? Invest in your company's future through strategic PR. Your company is not a building. It is you and your other excellent employees. Are you worth investing in? Of course you are! Now you know why an excellent, strategic public relations program, built by seasoned professionals, is a wise investment, especially in a recession!

Remember, do the right thing with your reputation and seek the counsel of an experienced strategic public relations and reputation management expert. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything!™

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Comment from: Mike [Visitor]

I am fully agree of your article PR Is Most Valuable In A Recession. Thanks for sharing very useful and nice article. I found it much helpful and useful for me. Thanks for good recommendations. JN0-342 exam , 1Y0-456 exam , 642-066 exam

Jul 30, 2009, 8:50 am

Comment from: mlgreen8753 [Visitor]

Cheap advertising is also valuable in a recession. That may not be good for traditional advertising, but online advertising is booming because many large corporations are shifting their advertising to the Internet. I just saw a BMW advertising on Adwido, a low budget video ad network.

Aug 26, 2009, 10:50 pm

Comment from: Nyphi [Visitor] · http://nyphi.com/

I certainly think that people need to be more positive. I hear a lot of people practically giving it all up because they keep hearing on the new about how awful the recession is.

Nov 23, 2009, 7:17 am

Comment from: Tommy [Visitor] · http://www.google.com

thanks too much

Mar 11, 2010, 6:29 am

Comment from: ThomWestley [Visitor]

This may be one of the most useful advices to get over this period of recession I've heard so far. PR is indeed the key to to keeping your business present and to make it trust worthy especially in rough times. As my business evolves mostly over the internet, I have opted for an affiliate network program to raise my PR thus guaranteeing me better visibility and trust in the electronic environment and it's really starting to pay off. As you said, in times of crisis demand desperate measures.

Feb 16, 2010, 3:52 pm

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I was honored to attend the third and final Presidential debate at Hofstra University and wrote this blog on site.

1. Joe the Plumber!
McCain finally understood that personal stories work. Joe the Plumber trumps Joe Six Pack! Everyone can relate to Joe the Plumber and everyone wants him to do well as a small business owner. McCain tied Obama's economic program to increasing Joe the Plumber's taxes and sharing his wealth and Obama labeling him a rich man as a plumber grossing $250,000. It helped McCain and it is a personal story we all will remember. A big point for McCain and it made Joe the Plumber a new star. Look for him to comment as soon as tomorrow.

2. "Senator Obama, I am not President Bush! If you wanted to run against him, you should have run 4 years ago!"
McCain, the maverick, made it clear with this and other answers during the debate that he is not President Bush and he has never been President Bush. I think the comment was a great zinger, second only to the Joe the plumber story, but McCain has to continue to separate himself from Bush's policies during the next few weeks. It was a great first punch, but he has 20 more rounds to go before election day to win!

3. TONE: McCain was on offense as Obama was on defense.
Like the former fighter pilot he is, Senator McCain dropped a few bombs that had impact on Senator Obama during the third and final debate. McCain hit hard at Obama's economic plan to label Obama several times as a tax and spend liberal who will definitely raise taxes. McCain translated Obama's slick responses live and quickly on the debate set. Obama has a gift for gab, but when properly peeled back many see him now as slick as a former President who had the nickname Slick Willy.

4. Obama's policy wonk comments didn't work tonight as he tried again to make everyone happy.
McCain took a stand and showed America he is for smaller government versus Obama's larger government. Obama was flustered several times and McCain forced Obama to admit a few holes in his policies from abortion to education and speaking the same talking points. Bottom line: many Americans still have big doubts about Obama, but he is still the leader in the current campaign. McCain won the night, but Obama is still leading the battle.

5. Pointing out doubt works.
It makes some very angry, but negative campaign messages work. You don't always have to point out your own positives. You win also by pointing out the opponent can't be trusted, is not always honest and doesn't always take a stand. Look for McCain's team to have some momentum coming out of this last debate. However, Obama will be tough to hold back the next 3 weeks. Obama is out spending McCain 3 to 1. However, McCain is still in striking distance and not out of the race yet. McCain likes to come from behind. Well, he has to be absolutely perfect the next 3 weeks to win in November. Obama must also take a bit of a fall for McCain to win. This election is still neck and neck. Polls and surveys are only a snapshot in time. What matters is what people think of November 4th and many are still undecided and independent. Many still not sure are white women in the suburbs. Hold on. We have a lot more to come!

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Its sad, so sad
Its a sad, sad situation
And its getting more and more absurd
Its sad, so sad
Why can't we talk it over
Oh it seems to me
That sorry seems to be the hardest word

Why do we struggle so much to say the word sorry? So simple a word, but so difficult to say. Not just to utter the word itself, because many times we do so, but we many times say it with anger, with sarcasm and with little meaning. The sorry I am talking about includes the raw emotions of forgiveness and truth. The action I am talking about includes the true definition of an apology.

In the famous song Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word by Elton John, the lyrics (by Bernie Taupin) describe how difficult it is to say I'm sorry in a love relationship. However, we seem to struggle with saying sorry in every relationship we have! We struggle in saying I'm sorry in work relationships, in family relationships, in friendly relationships and even in situations with strangers.

For example, last night while out for a friend's birthday party, a "gentleman" forced his way past me near a crowded cocktail table. The force of his shoulder pushing by me not only knocked me out of the way, but also spilled a drink on someone else. I was not happy and I mentioned to him all he had to do was say excuse me and I would have been glad to move over for him to pass. He gave me a dirty look and stood up at the table next to us. I was soon introduced to a woman at his same table. She began to dance with the "gentleman" who pushed me. A few minutes later, I asked her why she was dancing with such a jerk. Ironically, that message made it back to him during the night and he proceeded to ask me why I said that. I told him I thought the way he acted earlier was inappropriate. I also asked him, "if someone had treated his mother or another female in his family like that, how would he feel?"

To my surprise, he put out his hand and said he was very sorry. In shock, I told him it took a real man to apologize like that and told him it meant a lot to me. We proceeded to introduce ourselves and chat most of the night. Bottom line: we turned from quick enemies to new friends. I know deep inside it made both of us feel better and most importantly, we both knew it was the right thing to do. I also apologized to him for speaking with a bit of anger in my response to his push. He gladly accepted. Sadly, we also knew things don't always end that way.

So what are the golden reputation management rules here regarding saying sorry from the Reputation Doctor?

As I counsel clients in reputation management, I stress the importance of trying as hard as we can to put ourselves in the other person's shoes. So easy to say, but so difficult to do, especially in the eye of the storm of conflict. In my example above, I wanted my new friend, who pushed me, to understand how it felt. Not necessarily how it felt to me, but how it would feel for a woman in his family to experience what I experienced. My goal was to quickly pull at his heart to move from anger to compassion.

It takes approximately 21 days or 3 weeks for a new habit to form. Learning to say I'm sorry in a true apology, in the heat of the storm, is certainly a new habit which is worth it! Listen, we ALL struggle with it, including the author of this blog. Practice might not make perfect, but it will improve your chances for the healthier habit of apologizing appropriately. It helps to imagine yourself in the storm of conflict itself as you practice and hopefully when it actually happens, you will remember how to handle say I'm sorry correctly and calmly.

3) Saying I'm sorry correctly is NEVER a weakness. Remember, it is ALWAYS a sign of strength!

We live in a cultural today where morality and doing the right things are falling off a very slippery slope. We live in a world today where anger is quick to surface and patience and humility are seen by some as soft and weak. That is a lie from the pit of hell! There is true strength in patience, humility and kindness, especially when remembered and used appropriately in the eye of the storm of conflict. Hold on to truth as your guide.

As the Bible says in Luke 6:31: "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Comment from: cyrus ngatia [Visitor]

why is hand for man to say sorry to his wife????????

Aug 1, 2009, 4:46 am

Comment from: Herry [Visitor]

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was recorded by Elton John and released in 1976, both as a solitary and as part of the Blue Moves album. It was his second solitary on Rocket Records. The song is a sorrowful ballad about unanswered love. Thanks for sharing nice tutorial. 220-602 exam , 642-373 exam , 646-563 exam

Aug 6, 2009, 6:51 am

Comment from: alle Onlinecasinos [Visitor] · http://www.kasinomonte.com/

This song was covered in 2002 by british boyband Blue. The song was recorded as a collaboration with Elton John, and was the second single from their second album One Love. The song peaked at #2 in the british charts.really it is a great song..I appreciate it

Feb 19, 2010, 2:40 am

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According to A.P., former President Bill Clinton's mythic political skills face a major test when he takes the rostrum at the Democratic convention tonight, looking past his disappointment -- some say anger -- to speak in support of Barack Obama, the man who ended Hillary Clinton's run for the White House.

Hillary Clinton passed the same test last night with a soaring rhetorical paean to her own historic run to be America's first woman commander in chief and a convincing call for her still-angry backers to unify behind Obama, whose victory would make him the first black U.S. president.

While Bill Clinton's speech on the third night of the convention will only be a courtesy accorded former presidents, Obama -- who speaks tomorrow, the last night of the convention -- needs his support desperately. And there were fears Clinton, one of the finest political orators of a generation, would overshadow Obama's vice presidential running mate Sen. Joe Biden, who closes out today's session.

Bill Clinton, who showed flashes of anger over what he felt were unfair attacks on his wife during the Democratic primaries, has given Obama only tepid support since Hillary Clinton ceded to Obama in the close and hard-fought battle for the party's nomination in June. The ex-president was to speak shortly after his wife's name was symbolically placed in nomination -- a nod to the New York senator's strong bloc of delegates who will be in the hall here in Denver, many of them still itching for a fight.

There were fears in the Obama camp, which felt obliged to allow Clinton's pro forma nomination, that the floor demonstration for his vanquished rival could be a blot on the party's hopes of showing a unified front against the Republicans and their resurgent candidate, John McCain.

A FEW POLITICAL PR TIPS FROM THE REPUTATION DOCTOR FOR BARACK OBAMA RE: THE CLINTONS:

* Continue to look over your shoulder in regard to your relationship with the Clintons. Bill Clinton wants the presidency for his wife more than anything right now and Hillary Clinton would do almost anything to get it too!

* No matter what Bill Clinton says tonight and what Hillary Clinton said last night at the Democratic Convention, they both still think you will lose on election day. Trust me, they start their presidential campaign for 2012 for Hillary this fall!

* The Clintons believe your inexperience, and the racial divide that still exists in America, will be your down fall in November. I believe if you can gain the trust of white women, Latinos and some independents still on the fence by the end of October, you can still win against the odds!

* Don't be afraid to respond directly to your critics, expose their vulnerabilities and also still stay on your message of CHANGE. You will need both a great jab and a right hook to win this election. Use both!

* Allow your greatest third-party endorsees to discuss your great strengths much more in public. If you do most by yourself, it appears like chest pounding. Let them discuss your strengths much more in the coming months. Especially Caroline Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator Joe Biden and your wonderful wife.

* Don't be afraid to take a stand on major issues. You will never have all Americans agree with you. Stop trying to make everyone happy! Some will ALWAYS disagree with you. That is O.K. Speak clearly and loudly about your opinion and policies on key issues. With risk comes reward!

* Go to church each Sunday morning with your family with Bible in hand. This will help show those American who have doubts about your faith exactly who you are spiritually.

* Your reputation with your God, your family and with yourself is most important. If you remember those three key audiences in that order when dealing with tough decisions, they will allow you to sleep more soundly at night. These key audiences should be your guide day in and day out to stay on the path to truth, integrity and morality. God bless you on your continued journey!

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Comment from: Mark [Visitor]

I think Hillary and Bill using the mantra "Obama can't win" doesn't mean it's going to be cakewalk for Hillary Clinton who will generate Republican agreement faster than Sean Hannity can read another RNC discussion point. 640-553 exam , 650-175 exam , 642-524 exam

Aug 4, 2009, 6:37 am

Comment from: Cameron Sandra [Visitor]

Impressive article, how long did the research take?

Feb 16, 2010, 6:10 pm

Comment from: Mathew Farney [Visitor]

Why do politicians fight so dirty? Can't the Clintons just admit their defeat? Sore losers...
___________
Mathew Farney | Web Hosting

Feb 15, 2010, 9:37 am

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According to the Washington Post, Rielle Hunter, the former presidential campaign aide who had an affair with John Edwards, said Saturday that she will not pursue DNA testing to establish the paternity of her 5-month-old daughter, despite the former senator’s offer to participate in such a test.

Hunter said through her attorney that she will not be party to such a test "now or in the future."

The lawyer, Robert Gordon, called Hunter a private person who is "not running for public office" and would not comment further.

"She wishes to maintain her privacy and her daughter’s privacy," he said in a statement.

On Friday, Edwards dropped his denials and admitted having an affair with Hunter in 2006, but he denied being the father of the child.

Edwards, a Democrat who represented North Carolina and ran in the Democratic presidential race this year, maintained that the affair ended too soon for him to have fathered her baby, Frances Quinn Hunter, who was born Feb. 27. Hunter and a former Edwards fundraiser, Andrew Young, have maintained that Young is the father.

On its Web site Saturday, ABC News quoted Hunter’s sister Melissa as complaining that Rielle Hunter was being falsely portrayed as a "promiscuous person" and said she was not involved in "setting up" Edwards.

Meanwhile, the editor of the National Enquirer, which broke the story of the affair and Hunter’s pregnancy, took issue with Edwards’ statement distancing himself from photos purporting to be him holding Hunter’s baby. Edwards admitted to ABC that he met secretly with Hunter last month at the Beverly Hilton.

The Enquirer published a blurry photo this week of a man who looks like Edwards holding a baby. The tabloid said the photo was taken at the hotel.

"I don’t know if that picture is me," Edwards told ABC’s Bob Woodruff. "It could well be. It looks like me. I don’t know who that baby is. I have no idea what the picture is."

When pressed, Edwards continued: "I mean, do you know how many pictures have been taken of me holding children in the last three years? I mean, it happens all the time."

David Perel, the Enquirer’s editor-in-chief, said, "I think it’s amazing, even as the man’s coming clean, that he’s continuing to lie."

Fred Baron, a friend of Edwards’ and a campaign fundraiser, acknowledged Saturday that he had helped Hunter so that she could move to a home in Santa Barbara, Calif.

The court of law offers one verdict at the end of trial, but the court of public opinion offers many verdicts each day and 'round the clock pressure!

It is no shock to me that both the attorney of John Edwards' mistress and John Edwards himself, a former high-priced personal injury attorney, are making big mistakes in the court of public opinion. Their hubris allowed them to move from the court of law to the court of public opinion. Sadly, it is not uncommon for attorneys to do so. They both thought they could control the media, and more importantly, the public. They believed the tactics they learned in law school and in the court would guide them effortlessly in the court of public opinion. They are both terribly mistaken! They both look like dumb and dumber with their horrible plan. Haven't they heard that the cover up is what always sinks the criminal?

Ultimately, when the heat gets hot, you choose your own reputation over protecting another's reputation every single time!

Even the the extended family of John Edwards' mistress is facing the heat from the court of public opinion. They too are calling for a DNA paternity test to give certainty to the debate over whether John Edwards is the father of the child. But they will not be the only victims of reputations in crisis due to association. Look for others to surface soon and for those associated with the parties involved in this adulterous affair to defend their own reputations by spilling their guts about further details of the affair and the cover up.

* If not, why did he not insist both he and Reille Hunter's daughter take DNA paternity tests already?

* Did John Edwards really discuss his adulterous affair with his wife back in 2006, or did he recently do so and asked her to lie for him?

* Is he still covering up important details regarding helping his mistress (directly or indirectly through friends) with money, housing and more?

* Are there other details about this relationship and maybe other relationships we still don't know about?

John Edwards and his entire family need our prayers. Will you pray for them?

When asked during the presidential campaign by Beliefnet.com about his own faith in God and what the Lord had taught him, John Edwards responded with the following:

"That God will be there when you need him. That I believe in a benevolent and merciful God. That when things seem at their worst and their lowest, he will always be there for you. That no matter what you do, he will forgive you. And it is important to ask for his forgiveness. It's important in my case to have a personal relationship with the Lord, so that I pray daily and I feel that relationship all the time. And when I'm faced with difficult decisions, which I regularly am, I very often go to him in prayer."

I honestly believe John Edwards believes in God and believes in prayer. He is an evangelical Christian. He was raised as a Southern Baptist. I also believe he lost is path to truth because he turned his back on his faith and his family and started worshipping a new God, the God of self. I have been and will continue to pray for John Edwards and his family. As a fellow Christian, I believe in the power of prayer. Edwards will need God's help to come clean with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

* Senator Edwards, be TOTALLY honest with yourself before you can be totally honest with others.

* Lean on your faith FIRST to help humble you, and put your heart in the right place - on the path to truth. Seek the help of your pastor and your church. You and your family will need them weekly.

* Seek the counsel of a crisis PR and reputation management counselor with integrity. Share the entire truth with them to help communicate the whole truth to the world. That is the FIRST step in reputation repair: being totally honest.

* Your reputation management counselor will also help hold you accountable and stop the lying, spinning and half-truths.

* Spend quality and quantity time with your family. They are hurting and you will have to find more patience than ever before to save your marriage and your family. This should be job # 1 for the rest of your life. Nothing else is more important at this time, but it starts with the whole truth and your faith in God.

* You will have to fight your legal training and human nature to understand silence is deadly with these issues. Your reputation will only repair itself over time with the building blocks of an excellent reputation: truth, honesty, humility, transparency, accountability and consistency. These are key areas where you have failed yourself, your family and your public for many years. A seasoned reputation management counselor with integrity can help with all.

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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A former stripper from Boston named Candice Houlihan has come out and stated that she was in bed with New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez in 2004 and supports his wife in their divorce.

Houlihan, who is now a hairdresser in Reading, MA, told the Boston Herald that she is in full support of A-Rod’s wife in their divorce battle.

She told the Boston Herald, “I think she’s (Cynthia Rodriguez) doing the smart thing, and she’ll probably get tons of cash.”

Houlihan apparently met A-Rod back in 2004 at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

She stated she was with friends at a game, giving A-Rod a hard time when he walked over and asked her out for drinks later.

They met, and after that she stated they want back to a hotel room, and needless to say, they both went all the way around the bases.

She stated that “I felt bad afterward. I know how it feels to be cheated on, it sucks. But a couple of drinks later, I didn’t notice all that much.”

They reportedly got together one more night when the Yankees were in Boston for the American League Championship Series.

This comes out one day after Cynthia Rodriguez filed for divorce from the Yankees star in Miami Dade Court.

This comes after rumors have been flying that A-Rod was having an affair with the pop star Madonna, who is married to Guy Ritchie.

Ironically, I ran into A-Rod at the Delano Hotel in South Beach, Miami this past winter. We said a quick hello to each other (we've met and hung out several times before in NYC) as he walked by the pool with a male friend and they both admired the lovely ladies sunning themselves in the South Beach sun. He lives only only minutes away in Coral Gables, Florida, but it seemed he liked to hang around the pool, beach and the ladies at the Delano Hotel. A friend also staying at the hotel whispered, "Isn't A-Rod married with kids?" I quickly said yes and to not jump to any conclusions because he was hanging at the Delano. I know how quickly people are to judge, especially a star athlete, but the trouble Alex Rodriguez is in now will make tabloid fodder for months to come. Sadly, he has a reputation in crisis.

1. Your attorney is an expert in the court of law and NOT an expert in the court of public opinion or in reputation management. That is my expertise and this distinction will be crucial for both your short term and long term reputation.
I won't work with a client that doesn't clearly understand this distinction. In fact, it is written into every contract I sign with a client. Look no further than the case of Roger Clemens to see what happens when an attorney leads in the court of law and the court of public opinion. It is no different than allowing me to lead in the court of law because I watched a few episodes of Law and Order! You can't guess your way through reputation management and crisis PR. It is a profession for a reason. There is a reason why top crisis PR and reputation management counselors have hourly rates equal to the best attorneys in the world. We both are top professionals in our given courts and both courts are EQUALLY important. I try to work closely with law firms as we both counsel our client, but when we disagree, it is my job to best represent our client in the court of public opinion. Many law firms have called my firm back to work with other clients after seeing how we help our clients for both the short and long term. The relationship usually starts with the law firm jealous of our role, fighting us with every point and not understanding how important a client's reputation is in the process. Thank God, times are changing and law firms are beginning to eat some humble pie and learn they don't lead on all communications, especially those external to the courtroom.

2. Do you truly want to get divorced from your wife or does the situation just seem out of control?
I'd tell A-Rod if he truly believes in God, there is still a way to save his marriage. He could still reach out to his wife in a loving way and say that he doesn't want a divorce and that he wants to work it out, not only for the love his still has for her, but for their kids and for his faith and the oath he took for better or worse. He must first focus on how he has hurt his wife and his family, if he so desires, and work hard to reconcile. A marriage counselor from his church or a private practice would be highly recommended. A divorce attorney who really cares about you and what is best for you and not just billing hours towards a divorce would also echo my advice.

3. Do the right thing regarding your kids and your ex-wife.
The next thing I would tell A-Rod is if he has to get a divorce, he MUST think of his kids FIRST. Focusing on his kids and not his own ego, the comments from his wife or the legal counsel of others he will seek, will cut through the emotional fighting and frustration going on with his wife and allow him to truly focus on what is best in the long run. His attorney may disagree with this strategy, but in the court of public opinion, it is what's best not only for his reputation, but his family's reputation in the short term and long term. I will remind him that his kids will one day be old enough to read, listen and watch all the twists and turns in the divorce fight in the media. Will he be able to look them in the eye one day and tell them he did the right thing? How will he explain that money is more important than their lives and well-being?

A-Rod has to understand that he did not put his family first. As a result, whether he saves his marriage or gets divorced, he MUST put his family first now and in the future. That doesn't mean he has to quit playing baseball. But it does mean changing his old habits and priorities. He needs to focus on putting his kids to bed instead of heading to the bar or nightclub. He needed to focus on spending much more time with his wife instead of meeting other women in private places, including strippers and Madonna. He needs to truly understand how precious his kids are instead of thinking it's his wife's job to raise their kids. A-Rod has to look at himself in the mirror and ask if he is truly happy with himself or is he running away from his problems and hurting those who love him the most.

True reputation management is not about press releases, but about counseling our clients away from bad decision and bad behavior. Not about being a YES man or woman, but about saying what others don't say, but should say. It is about overcoming fear and doing the right thing. It is also about standing up for the ultimate definitions of truth, honesty, humility, accountability, transparency and consistency. These ladies and gentlemen are the building blocks of an excellent long term reputation. Combined they help build the character and integrity we all desire.

A-Rod, you know I care about you man. If I can help, you know the number. Just pick up the phone. I will also be praying for you and your family. God bless you!

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Comment from: Mike [Visitor]

Stripper Puts Alex Rodriguez's Marriage and Reputation in Deeper Crisis is really informative and interesting post. Thanks for sharing nice information.
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Jul 30, 2009, 8:41 am

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According to the Associated Press, Don Imus said Tuesday morning on his radio show that he was trying to "make a sarcastic point" with his latest on-air remarks about race, but that they had been misunderstood.

Imus resurrected his radio career six months ago with a pledge to mend the wounds caused by a racist and sexist comment he made about a women's basketball team.

On Tuesday he said he was following the spirit of that promise by calling attention to the unfair treatment of blacks — in this case the arrests of suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones.

"What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason," Imus said Tuesday. "I mean, there's no reason to arrest this kid six times. Maybe he did something once, but everyone does something once."

He called the flurry of criticism surrounding the comments "ridiculous" and said that his program's cast is now more diverse than ever — and includes a black producer and two black co-hosts, a man and a woman.

The latest comments by Imus to come under scrutiny were aired on Monday's broadcast. During a conversation about Jones' run-ins with the law, Imus asked, "What color is he?" Sports announcer Warner Wolf said Jones — formerly known as Pacman — is "African-American." Imus responded: "There you go. Now we know."

The on-air exchange came months after Imus' return to work on a new show on WABC-AM following his firing from MSNBC and CBS Radio for calling the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos."

When he returned to work, Imus gave a lengthy on-air apology and pledged to use his new show to foster an open dialogue on race relations.

And when the first ratings’ period since his return last December on ABC Radio Network was reported in April, it showed he was no longer the audience magnet he was in his previous run.

The winter Arbitron survey in New York showed the new Imus in the Morning on WABC-AM ranked 20th among listeners aged 25 to 54. Its share of 1.5 percent was a 17% drop from the morning show it replaced.

Imus also wasn’t racking up the ratings he had on the all-sports’ station in New York that cut ties with him after the Rutgers’ embarrassment, WFAN-AM.

But Imus was must-listening again Monday and Tuesday – Monday for the tape of his latest utterance that offended plenty of people, and Tuesday for his clumsy defense and explanation of what he’d said.

I was a guest on CNN's Headline News on Tuesday evening to discuss the current Don Imus racial crisis. His recent comments have put his reputation back in the court of public opinion and, once again, he has splashed mud on his own face. With our T.V. analysis, we also received viewer phone calls from across the country. Two of the callers seemed to be racist with their comments. Caller Paul from Little Rock, Arkansas said, "I agree. I like what he said. Let's look at statistics. Let them speak for themselves. Bill Cosby stood up and said hey here' what these young men are about. I don't think he is a racist. I think he pointed out what a particular race will do. I think in our country.. I don't think a black man is a minority."

Caller Jeremy from Hawaii said, "If Imus was black would we be having this discussion? If not, then isn't it racial profiling to single him out because of his skin?"

I was then asked to comment and I said,"there are still some in our country that have racist thoughts. And I think we just heard two callers who are leaning that way and that is a sad thing today in America!"

If Imus was so concerned and outraged about the plight of blacks being arrested "for no reason," which were his words, why didn't he say that clearly the first time? It sounds to me like spin. It sounds to me like stretching of the truth. It sounds to me like a slippery slope. It sounds to be like a lie!

I also mentioned in my CNN Headline News interview that if Imus was trying to make a point of blacks being arrested inappropriately, Imus picked the wrong poster child with Pacman Jones! Pacman, who suddenly wants to be known by his given name of Adam, also threw mud on his own name and reputation. Pacman can't blame the police for being arrested 6 times within 2 years of playing professional football. His crimes were so bad the NFL made him sit out the entire 2007 season. Pacman Jones is not a poster child for racial profiling by police. Pacman Jones is the poster child for professional athletes who do the wrong thing, not the right thing! Both Imus and Pacman have learned a very important lesson the hard way. The lesson is their reputation are everything and it is impossible to repair your reputation when you are stuck in the mud of denial. Sadly, both Imus and Pacman are still drowning in that self-imposed mud today.

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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PHOTO: Mark Roh, U.S. Food and Drug Administration's acting regional director, holds a bag of tomatoes being tested Monday for salmonella bacteria at FDA's southwest regional research lab, in Irvine, California. (AP PHOTO).

"Obviously the critical question is, where did these specific tomatoes come from? And we're not quite there yet. At this point today, we don't know where they came from," said David Acheson, the FDA's associate commissioner for foods.

According to A.P., federal health officials haven't yet traced the source of salmonella-tainted tomatoes but, amid an outcry from farmers, are clearing innocent crops as fast as possible.

"We're getting very close" to identifying the outbreak's source, Dr. David Acheson of the Food and Drug Administration told reporters Wednesday.

The outbreak, which has sickened 167 people in 17 states since April, is not over even though it has been two weeks since the last confirmed case of a person falling ill, said Dr. Ian Williams of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's because state and local health departments still are investigating possibly more recent infections.

The FDA has warned consumers against eating certain raw tomatoes: red plum, red Roma or round. Grape and cherry tomatoes or tomatoes still attached to the vine aren't linked to the illnesses.

Also ruled safe are tomatoes from more than 30 states or countries, including part but not all of major producer Florida, where some counties have been cleared but not others. The FDA can rule out as suspects farms and distributors that weren't harvesting or selling when the outbreak began. It is directing consumers to its Web site — http://www.fda.gov — for updated lists of safe regions.

State agriculture commissioners from the Southeast, meeting in Kentucky, blasted the FDA for harming the sale of untainted crops.

"The FDA needs to work with the states to pinpoint the source of the outbreak and eradicate it without unnecessarily harming producers whose products are not affected by the outbreak," Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said.

"We have gone overboard to try to inform consumers which tomatoes were not part of this outbreak," Acheson said.

It takes a long time to even tell an outbreak has begun, much less solve it. People with food poisoning don't always go to the doctor, or have a stool sample analyzed — and when they do, getting laboratory test results can take two to three weeks. Then health officials must spot a pattern of illness.

Health officials in New Mexico were first to alert the CDC to a brewing problem on May 22. They had a cluster of salmonella cases, including seven of a rare subtype called Salmonella Saintpaul. The next day, New Mexico officials posted to a government database called PulseNet these cases' genetic fingerprint, allowing the CDC to check whether this same strain of Saintpaul was infecting people elsewhere.

It was, in Texas and other states, with the first illness dating back to April 16, Williams said. CDC then began the painstaking questioning of patients to see what they had in common. On May 30, FDA formally joined the investigation, and the next day established a link with tomatoes. Initial consumer warnings were aimed at a few states, until the FDA went national last weekend.

Salmonella sickens about 1.4 million people a year. But outbreaks aren't on the rise, although public attention may make it seem so, Acheson said.

"We don't want to stay quiet and have consumers get sick. The downside of that is consumers say, 'Oh, the system is in crisis,'" he said. "It's not getting worse."

PHOTO: Modesto Ramos inspects the fruit of his tomato greenhouse in Santa Cruz Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, on March 7, 2007, Photo by Adriana Zehbrauskas/Polaris for TIME.

I have a lot to say about this crisis. First, I wish fresh fruit and vegetables came with a bar code, but they don't. We can't even track our baggage at the airport properly. Imagine the trouble the federal government is having tracking tomatoes. As fruit and vegetables continue their global reach, expect more and more health risks as we eat from worldwide sources of food with disregard for food safety and health concern guidelines similar to the U.S. Are system is not perfect, but it is still the best in the world. As a result, you should be very careful when you travel abroad and grab a tomato, lettuce or piece of fruit from a market external to the United States. Remember when you travel, you are not in Kansas any more!

Fruit and vegetables coming from international markets need to be viewed and eaten with a loud warning.
For example, tomatoes harvested in central Florida remained under investigation, but so are tomatoes grown in Mexico - home to 84% of America's imported tomatoes, according to the FDA. Did you hear me: I said 84 percent of our tomatoes come from Mexico! I predict the salmonella crisis must have a Mexican connection with statistics that high. As a result, the FDA in the U.S., the tomato growers in the U.S. and the Mexican government and tomato industry in Mexico all have reputations in crisis.

The Mexican government is already trying to defend its reputation in the news. Fear is driving the entire situation and fear is a killer of reputations. We are all afraid to eat tomatoes today until we hear the crisis has been averted. And after the crisis is finally over (which I predict will take weeks), we will still be a bit afraid to eat a tomato later this summer.

Fast food chains, like McDonald's and Burger King and restaurants everywhere are not serving tomatoes, even though we all know not all tomatoes are bad. They would rather pull tomatoes all together than try to explain why their tomatoes were safer than others. Restaurants also have reputations and they would rather do without than risk their own butts. Can you blame them? This logic follows one of my favorite reputation bricks: when you have to choose between your own good reputation and a reputation in crisis, you choose your own every time!

Look for the origin of the tomato crisis to come within the next few days. The pressure on the FDA to name a source will come loud and hard from vegetable growers and their lobbyists representing their interests. the American public will also continue to apply pressure through fear. As a result, I predict Mexico will be the fall guy, but we should be wise to see we have our own inspection crisis right here at home in the U.S. Farmers, grocery stores and consumers everywhere need a wake up call and the solution includes the building blocks of any excellent reputation: truth, honest, transparency, accountability and consistency. Do you hear that FDA and vegetable growers everywhere? Cutting corners and risking people's lives will put your reputation in crisis. Thank God for the court of public opinion and the media or we all would still be in the dark!

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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She was the First Lady, but, in my opinion, she won't be the first lady president. But this is more than political analysis. This column is about reputation analysis. To be direct, Hillary Clinton has an ego problem! She believes she has earned the opportunity to be president. Hillary believes she is ENTITLED to be president now! Like a spoiled child high on sugar and filled with too much self-love from an out-of-touch parent (Bill's role), Hillary needs to come down to earth. She can't win and in my opinion, she gave the presidency to Senator John McCain by staying in the race this long. She's raised the issue of race inappropriately at least a few times in her campaign. In fact, some in New York are calling her the "white" Al Sharpton for her race baiting techniques to gain more white voters.

Hillary wants a couple of more victories in states where white voters dominate the Democratic Party. She may do just that, but she still can't win. She continues to hurt her party by staying in the race and as a result, John McCain will ride a limo to the White House. Hubris seems to be her best friend today with false pride riding in the back of her pant suit pocket.

Barack Obama's reputation is not in shambles. He has weathered the Rev. Wright storm. He has positioned himself as the calm in the storm. He held a statesman's role throughout. It appears Obama is a man of integrity. Also a Christian man slow to anger and quick to listen before speaking; all very biblical indeed. We see him as an attractive and intelligent black man running for the White House. However, to be accurate, Obama is not a black man, but a bi-racial man. Yes, in this country the one drop "rule" still seems to be in place by most. What is the one drop rule? It is a rule set during slave days which said one drop of black blood made you a black man in America. Yes, Barack Obama, Tiger Woods and I are black men. But we are also men of many races and backgrounds. My blood includes English, Irish, Chinese, Caribbean and African lineage from my father's side (He is from Trinidad) and my Mom is bi-racial of black and white parents just like Barack. Yes, we are black, but we have much more inside of us than our black skin will ever let you know. We embrace it all. I am Barack Obama! I am Tiger Woods! I am Mike Paul! I am America!

But John McCain is America too. In fact, he is more like America than I am! I always remind those of us on the West and East coast of America that we are statistical outliers in American politics. Much of America lives in the country or rural suburbs, loves country music, prays before eating each meal and attends church every Sunday. Those red states are REAL and outnumber the blue states. They too want change, but what type of change? Are they ready to vote for Barack Obama in the general election? The general election is very different than the primary. The Democratic in-fighting and indecision in picking a candidate has improved the chance that a Republican maverick by the name of John McCain will get comfy in the White House soon. Notice how he hung back to let Clinton and Obama throw punches at each other for months. Soon we will learn much more about this American war hero. We will be re-educated about his incredible heroism at war and his no nonsense approach to getting things done. His experience will speak volumes. Others will also try to label him too old and just like Bush (appearing out of touch). Look for McCain's experience to allow him to weather almost all the storms he'll face.

We are all looking for a candidate which exudes honesty, trust, experience and the temperament to lead and listen. McCain's Achilles' heel? His temper. If Obama can tap into that temper and stay calm in the storm again, he may still have a chance. But I put my money on McCain for now. Let's see what happens next. Either way, you should get involved in the political process. Just don't watch from the couch. Why? Because your country's reputation is everything too!

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Comment from: Smith [Visitor]

Hillary signs were everywhere, and Obama signs floated around. Some people even had both signs, as the theme of Senator's Clinton speech was about unity. I have never seen people more helpful here at the independent conference. It started with the long appreciation she received not just by her followers, but also by Obama followers who seem just as excited to see her. When she started to speak, everyone was listening. As she complete repeated mentions to Obama being the next president, everyone in the mass cheerfulness. As she talked about how McCain would be another persistence of President Bush, the crowd was in total accord. 70-620 exam , 70-647 exam , 640-822 exam

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Until The New York Times newspaper broke the story that would bring down the state's most powerful politician, Ashley Alexandra Dupre was hoping to become a household name . . . as a singer.

She's become a household name, but not as a singer. Instead, Dupre has gained notoriety as America's best-known hooker.

Client No. 9 just happened to be Eliot Spitzer, now former governor of New York State. A man who carved out a reputation as a crime fighter. He obviously set a different standard for himself. His hubris, ego, arrogance and stupid above-the-law attitude lead to his downfall.

Spitzer was forced to resign. His promising political career - some considered him a future presidential candidate - is in ruins.

Few have any pity for Spitzer. His political enemies no doubt are muttering under their breaths that it looks good on him. Politics, after all, is a blood sport.

The pity has been saved for his wife and daughters who amazingly, at least at this stage, are standing behind him, and Dupre.

The high-end call girl has become the poster girl for those who advocate for legalized prostitution, the theory being that it makes victims of those who practice the world's oldest profession.

Dupre is hardly an example of a downtrodden woman trying to feed her kids and make the rent payment.

She was earning an annual high six-figure income, working out of Manhattan's elite hotels and an expensive suite in the prestigious Mayflower Hotel, just four blocks from the White House, which is about as close as Eliot Spitzer will get to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The financial rewards will inflate her bank account for at least the remainder of 2008. Already two of her songs have been listened to by 200,000 visitors. Downloads are going for 98 cents a pop, up from a pre-scandal 20 cents.

Playboy and Hustler are locked in a bidding war to get her name a photo spread contract. Her scantily clad videos are now circulating on Youtube and the Internet overall, including a Girls Gone Wild video - big surprise there! And her former pimp, from working at another NY prostitution shop, has even made his way on CNN's Larry King and several other news shows exclaiming how Ashley Dupre was one of the best at what she did.

A few comments from the Reputation Doctor regarding Eliot Spitzer's reputation in crisis:

Never believe your own press. The media can easily become a drug.
Eliot Spitzer was called the Sheriff of Wall Street in the media hundreds of times and he loved it. It drove his mission. It allowed him to become Governor of the greatest state in the Union. Spitzer forgot he was part of a team in the Attorney General's office and he personally did not do much of the work of cleaning up Wall Street. His many aides did most of the work. He also forgot getting so much attention also brought with it many powerful enemies who had even more money than him to help bring him down. He also forgot the opposing political party was still in power in Washington and he was also on their hit list. Don't believe your own press. The press will quickly become an addiction and it will build you up and be just as happy to help tear you down.

Hubris, narcissism, arrogance and anger can easily lead to one's downfall.
Spitzer was a falsely proud man from a falsely proud family of men who loved to intimidate others and use power and money as tools of control. He is quick to anger and walked and talked with an arrogance which many hated. As a result, he was destined to fall like a house of cards. Timber! The stack was so big when it fell, it hit and hurt many associated with him. Especially his family, who not only still bear his burden, but also still bear his family name. A name that overnight went from being a name of power and privilege to a name one wants to now keep secret because of the shame and embarrassment associated with it.

Always have someone in your life who can hold YOU accountable.
Eliot Spitzer did not have someone in his life of such strong ethics, character and confidential trustworthiness who he could turn to for both advice and to share his darkest desires. He needed a major mentor, a confidante, a consigliere and a counselor. If he had a counselor he could have shared his problems with, I believe he would not be in the reputation crisis he has today. We as men (more than women) are often filled with more hubris and false pride. We also don't want to share our inner most feelings with others. We are afraid to be vulnerable. As a result, we suffer and many times, don't learn from others' mistakes. Well, here is another opportunity to learn valuable lessons from another man's mistakes. Hopefully, there is a lesson for all of us in Eliot Spitzer's tragedy.

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV (now TruTV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Comment from: Edward [Visitor] · http://rapid4me.com

He better get prosecuted, i can't understand why he hasn't been arrested yet. Any regular person would be trying to post bail now. That just shows how messed up this goverment is. Preferention treatment!

Jan 18, 2010, 6:20 am

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Dec 17, 2009, 6:53 am

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About six weeks ago, I posted a blog stating I didn't think enough white voters in America would vote for a black man for President of the United States of America and leader of the free world. Although Senator Barack Obama has done surprisingly well, including in states made up of majority white voters, he is still facing a major battle from Senator Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. It appears super delegates will eventually decide who will be the Democratic nominee as Clinton and Obama continue to duke it out. However, if Obama wins the Democratic nomination, he must still face Senator John McCain, who has already become the Republican nominee. Remember, the general election is where the real race for President begins!

But I am still very impressed with Senator Obama. He has raised more money, especially in smaller amounts via the Internet, than any other candidate in the history of politics. Obama has also put together one of the best political teams in the history of politics. He has most of the younger strategists in the Democratic Party, as Hillary Clinton has most of the older strategists in the Democratic Party. Senator Obama is also going up against the Democratic "machine" politics of former President Bill Clinton and his candidate wife, Hillary Clinton. All of this has lead me to examine Barack Obama's reputation more closely. What makes Obama special? How did he come so far politically in such a short period of time? Where did he get the balls to go up against the Clinton political machine? I call it the Obama Mojo. He has it and no other candidate left in the Presidential race can say the same. Senator Obama's greatest tool in this Presidential race is his mojo, his personality, his reputation.

A few comments from the Reputation Doctor regarding Senator Barack Obama's reputation:

Obama's natural personality and character as the calm in the storm is very Presidential and we love it.
We love a candidate who has the maturity to be the calm in the storm and this election cycle is the perfect storm for Obama. American citizens are not patient any more. We are sick and tired of the same ol' same ol'. We are sick of lies, we are sick of war, we are sick of the economy, we want good jobs, good health insurance and honest leadership and we want change now. We also want a President who is a crisis manager and the calm voice in a chaotic world. Obama seems to be just that.

Barack is a symbol of true HOPE for both the U.S. and the world.
Obama knows how to instill hope in the minds of American and world citizens. We must remember the entire world is looking at this election too. Obama knows this is the perfect political storm. He is a charismatic speaker. He can combine the words of MLK, JFK, Bobby Kennedy and Ghandi and make it sound so fresh, new and relevant to voters today. He knows that hope is not something you have experienced, but something you put faith in as a dream seeking for it to become a reality. Obama knows how to pull on our heart strings in hope of reaching our minds. Most importantly, many people follow him and believe in him because he truly believes he can do a better job as President. His confidence, his natural leadership ability, his character all hit a soft spot in those voting for him. They believe. They have hope in Obama's to become all of our dreams for change.

Senator Obama seems to have the will and the momentum for change within the American people leaning his way before the general election.
Many Americans are sick and tired of the same old rhetoric in politics and still more are saying they are not going to take it any more. Many Americans are ready to vote for change. Like JFK and Bobby Kennedy in the 60s, Americans are seeking a true leader who can walk the walk and not just talk the talk. At times, Obama's inexperience is a great advantage because he doesn't have a track record to really tear apart. He must lean on hope. We must put our faith in his hands to vote for him. He hope he is being transparent, truthful, sincere and we also hope he can actually do the job he says he can do. As a result, Obama's momentum continues to grow. Simply put, the more people who meet him and hear him, seem to like him and believe him.

However, will his personality, his character, his reputation be enough to win? Will Obama kick it up a notch higher than he is today to actually win the general election? Can he beat both Clinton in the primary and McCain in the general election? Are America's 50 states more blue or red these days? Is America REALLY ready to vote for a black man as Commander and Chief and leader of the free world? I will say this: if Obama loses, it will not be because he is not ready. It will be because America is not ready to move beyond the past and into the future.

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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According to Conde Naste Portfolio and Harvard Business Review, most of us were taught that offering an apology, any apology, when we make a mistake will take care of most offenses. But offering the right apology, particularly in the corporate world, is not as simple as saying, “I’m sorry.”

Done right, an apology can enhance both reputations and relationships. Done wrong, an apology can compound the original mistake, sometimes to disastrous consequences.

Consider, for instance, a senior member of an executive team who became angry when a junior vice president opposed him in a meeting and refused to change her position. He lashed out at her in front of the group, sarcastically questioning her intelligence and her commitment to the company in difficult times. When other members of the team told him he should apologize, he balked, thereby making matters worse. “I’m sorry she’s upset, but I didn’t do anything wrong—she’s got to learn to take the heat,” he declared.

When the offender is embarrassed and worried about losing face, this kind of sidestepping can take place. But, in fact, offering an apology is not a sign of weakness, nor does it amount to backing down. On the contrary, offering an apology can be a potent reputation enhancer.

Apologies matter for two reasons. First, they mend relationships. When an offense has torn the fabric of a relationship, an apology is a stage in its repair. Second, apologies mend the transgressor’s reputation. Following an offense, some people—not just the offended but all who know about the affront—may have concerns and doubts about the transgressor and even question his character. An effective apology can reassure people that the transgression is understood and not likely to be repeated.

Too often companies, as well as individuals, miss the opportunity to reap the good that an apology can provide. In early 2002, NSTAR, a New England public utility, admitted it had improperly moved nearly 24,000 of its electric customers to the “default” service category—a much more expensive service option—without those customers’ knowledge. NSTAR apologized “for any inconvenience.”

But were NSTAR customers, and the public, really concerned about inconvenience? Of course they weren’t. When the story became news, customers and the public saw double-speak and deceit, and NSTAR’s credibility fell. The misdirected apology the company offered only sent the public’s opinion lower.

Mending fences is not only the right thing to do on a personal level, it also makes good business sense. So why do so many people and institutions fail at it?

To start with, most people find being in the wrong to be embarrassing. And when they are embarrassed, they may go into denial and try to minimize the offense, as NSTAR did. In other cases, the offender may try to blame the victim, as the senior executive did with the junior vice president.

Even if an apology is offered, it may be unrecognizable as such because the embarrassment or anger of the person giving the apology distorts it. This can be a disastrous mistake; credibility, once lost, is very hard to gain back.

So how do you build a good apology? Apologies involve three elements: Acknowledgment of a fault or an offense, regret for it, and responsibility for the offense. You can put them all together, but a sincere, effective apology need not necessarily express all three; whether it should depends on the circumstances.

Because we don’t separate out acknowledgment, regret, and responsibility, we are often at sea, finding it unnecessarily painful to apologize when it would actually be reasonably easy to do so. Instead of getting caught up in blame, we can acknowledge another’s anger or dismay, or regret an offense, even when we don’t feel responsible for a wrong.

1. Find words that are clear and accurate—not provocative. A good apology should make the person wronged think, “Yes, she understands.” Often what the offended person wants is accountability and vigilance; he wants to know that it won’t happen again.

2. Don’t apologize for the wrong thing. People and institutions tend to apologize for what they find forgivable, as in the NSTAR example. If there is no clear relationship between what the offender is apologizing for and what the offended experienced as the original wrong, the apology actually exacerbates the problem. At best, the offender will seem blind to the problem; at worst, he will be perceived as intentionally distorting it.

That gives the offended two problems: The original offense, and the sense that a similar offense is likely to occur. The offended party thinks, “How can I accept this apology? It makes me appear to be complicit in allowing the problem to happen again.”

3. Consider the angle of approach. Decide whether it will be easier for you to apologize position to position or person to person. If you are angry with the person you’ve got to apologize to, it may be easier to frame the apology in terms of your respective jobs or ranks.

For example, while the senior executive remains angry at the junior vice president, he can’t offer a sincere personal apology. But he could apologize to her as a senior administrator to a more junior colleague, from his position to hers. Example: “We both work for a good company, and, as your colleague, I should try harder to see past our individual differences. I’m sorry I spoke harshly.”

Such an apology is likely to resonate favorably with both parties, even when anger between them remains.

In other circumstances, a person-to-person apology is easier to offer. For someone who equates an apology with loss of stature, for instance, the person-to-person apology can appear to be a magnanimous act that does not diminish her. Example: “I can’t agree with the stance you are taking, but I like you and want us to work well together. I’m sorry I spoke harshly.”

Choose the approach that is easier for you to do well. That will save you from making an apology that is so grudging that it fails.

4. Don’t think in terms of an “expression of regret.” Instead, your goal should be actually communicating your regret, that is, getting it across to the other person. Expression is one-sided—as though one were getting an apology off one’s chest. Communication, however, occurs between people, and an apology needs to work well for the other person to be effective. Take the focus off yourself, and keep it on your counterpart and the three elements of an apology—acknowledgment, regret, and responsibility. That protects you from sounding defensive, and your apology will be better received.

5. “I want to apologize” is not an apology. It’s no more an apology than “I want to lose weight” is a loss of weight. Do the work. Deliver a clear, direct apology; don’t hide behind vagueness, circumlocution, or clichés.

You may not be able to control whether your apology is accepted, but you can control its quality. So make every effort to control what you can. This will increase your chances of feeling good about what you have done with your apology—instead of feeling bad about having to do it.

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Comments:

Comment from: Andrea Obston [Visitor] · http://aobston@aomc.com

Mike - This is fabulous. I just added it to the syllabus of a class on Crisis Communications I'm teaching at Quinnipiac University. Thanks. 'd also refer you and your readers to a book called "Dealing With An Angry Public" that deals with this issue.

Sep 15, 2009, 10:39 am

Comment from: Myrtal [Visitor]

I have some questions while I found your knowledge of apology is best of all.
How have others succeeded?
What works and what do not?
What triggers forgiveness?
How do you make someone understand how sorry you really are?
And when should you NOT apologize?
Your apology Chart is really very realistic I appreciated your great attempt.

VCP-310 exam
000-253 exam
156-315 exam

Jul 29, 2009, 12:05 am

Comment from: John Kador [Visitor] · http://www.effectiveapology.com

Excellent discussion of the finer points of apology. Apology is an art. On the other hand, it is also a craft in that all good apologies tend to touch on the same five points. I call these the Five Rs. You are right on with four of them: Recognition (specifying what you are apologizing for), Responsibility (taking unalloyed responsibility without a hint of defensiveness), Remorse (actually saying the magic words "I apologize"), Restitution (making concrete amends), and Repetition (promising not to do it again.

My new guidebook to apology, Effective Apology: Mending Fences, Building Bridges, and Restoring Trust, spend a lot of time on the restitution step. That's because I believe that effective apologies are performed. They require action. That is, you can't talk your way our of a situiton you acted your way into. The quesiton is what kind of restitution is appropriate. Sometimes it's easy. If I borrow your cell phone and lose it, I get you a new cell phone. But what if I'm late for a date? Or I betray a confidence? Oftentimes the quality of restitution is part of the art of apology. See my blog on apology at www.effectiveapology.com for more.

Apr 14, 2009, 3:34 pm

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According to CNN, four decades after Martin Luther King Jr.'s death -- and just weeks after Barack Obama's win in the Iowa caucus -- a CNN poll finds more Americans than ever before believe the country is ready for a black president.

Seventy-two percent of white Americans and 61 percent of black Americans surveyed in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Monday say the nation is ready for a black commander in chief.

That number is higher than it was two years ago, when 65 percent of whites and 54 percent of blacks felt the same way. It's also higher than the proportion of either men or women -- 64 percent and 65 percent, respectively -- who currently believe the nation is ready for a woman in the White House.

The top six concerns for both whites and blacks in making their presidential choice this year are exactly the same in the following order -- the economy, Iraq, terrorism, health care, gas prices and Iran -- though blacks place a higher level of importance on all those issues.

But the groups part ways over the issue of race relations. That concern is roughly as important as taxes to black voters this election year, with roughly 41 percent saying it will have a major impact on their presidential vote. But just 12 percent of whites feel the same.

Roughly 4 in 10 individuals in both groups say that the country has fulfilled all, or at least a great deal, of King's dream. However, they have different views on whether King's dream will ever be fully realized in the United States. When asked whether race relations will always pose a problem in the United States, about half of black Americans, 52 percent, said yes -- and just 43 percent of whites shared that view. When posed the same question in 1993, 55 percent of blacks and 53 percent of whites thought race relations would always be a problem for the United States.

The survey, which includes interviews with 1,393 adult Americans, including 743 whites and 513 blacks, was conducted by telephone January 14-17 and has a sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

A few comments from the Reputation Doctor regarding Barack Obama's reputation and predictions for the upcoming election:

There is a big difference between responding to a poll to say America is ready for a black president and actually voting for one yourself in private on Election Day.
Let's be honest and let's be blunt. Many of the same people who say one thing in a poll actually believe something else and their actions speak louder than their words. No different than a corporation caught with racist or sexist policies against its black and female employees saying it has a zero-tolerance policy against any type of discrimination. It sounds good, but it is a lie and seen as the right thing to say versus the truth. There's a big difference!

Racism is still alive and well in American and it will prevent Obama from becoming the first black President of the United States in this election.
In my opinion, racism lives in a different form today in America, but it is still very much alive. Racism may not scream as loudly as it once did in the past, but it is still alive and well and hides behind the doors of America in every state of our United States. Most Americans are not really ready to vote for a man to lead the free world that looks different than them. I do believe more whites than ever before are ready to vote for a black man for president, but not in the numbers needed for Obama to win. He may be Superman to some, but racism is his kryptonite.

Obama's reputation as a young, intelligent, determined leader who is learning quickly on the job may guide him to a future presidency.
Barack Obama is a quick study and a man who knows how to inspire many younger Americans, but America is still filled with many older Americans who remember the past and lived in a day when a black man could not even vote in the U.S. Ironically, that was only 44 years ago. I know because I was born in 1964. I predict Obama will lose the Democratic nomination this time, but he will be back in the future.

Yes, we have come a long way, but we have miles to go before a black man becomes leader of the free world and becomes President of the United States of America. The list of current and past presidents is all white and all male. One day a black man will change all that. His name just might be Barack Obama, but the year it happens won't be 2008. However, it may be the same man and the year may be 2016. And yes, a woman will be president before a black man is president. Hold me to my predictions. When a woman becomes president, it will change the reputation of our nation forever. When a black man becomes president it will be a movement across the world for all to see. From slavery to the presidency. What a legacy. What a country.

Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.

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Comment from: Fuck Barack & Dems [Visitor] · http://sgthartsock.blogspot.com/

please...now we have an uncle tom for the DemoKKKrat party

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7KmtezWVGU
http://www.black-and-right.com/the-democrat-race-lie/

who's an illegal alien

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlu3_TaJaCs

thanks to the liberal media for that one..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tILWFTU702k

Oct 31, 2009, 5:35 pm