Tag Archive for: Chuck Schumer

Don’t try to be cool…unless you are.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer cooked up quite a media storm when he posted a photo on Father’s Day proudly displaying his culinary skills…or lack thereof.

Any person with some knowledge of cooking knows you prepare the meat before you add the cheese.

He’s not the only politician who has proven that “fake it till you make it” can be a trap. From Elizabeth Warren drinking a beer to Hillary Clinton trying on a Southern accent, even the well-seasoned can go viral for the wrong reasons.

As we know, election season brings out some of the worst fake/forced posts. Here’s how to prevent it from happening to you:

#1 — Don’t try to be cool…unless you are. People are smart enough to sniff out whether or not you’re as cool as you’re pretending to be. No one will ask you why you didn’t drink a beer, or grill, or talk in a new way. But they may ask, “What in the world?!?!” if you do.

#2 — Have a team that’s willing to say no. How Chuck Schumer’s team didn’t catch this I’ll never know. But if you’re running for office or you’re working for someone who is, have a policy that includes a gatekeeper. Another pair of eyes can help catch the ill-advised post and save you in the long run.

#3 — Be you. Authenticity matters. Sharing personal anecdotes alongside professional posts helps to build out your brand. But if you’re a geek, it’s okay. People probably know. So if, on Father’s Day, your post shows you playing chess with your kids, that’s great! It’s you. People will believe it. And it’s better you win or lose as your authentic self.

TUESDAY TIP: How to talk tax reform

The Republican’s tax reform bill entered the markup process in the House Ways and Means Committee yesterday. Given that passage of this bill would lead to the largest change in the tax code since 1986, this is a BFD.

With every tax reform discussion, the talking points write themselves. The Left cries about a tax cut for the rich, while conservatives support the idea that more money in the hands of job creators leads to…more jobs.

This attempt is no different. The current proposal to lower the corporate tax rate from 35% (The highest in the developed world! Higher than France!) to 20% is significant, and has ignited the aforementioned class warfare discussion.

(FUN FACT: Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer were all too happy to champion a cut in the corporate tax rate a few short years ago.) 

So, how can you fight false rhetoric when advocating for corporate tax reform?

Don’t let the other side define the premise. They will always use words and phrases like: “big business,” “corporation,” and “the rich,” even if the majority of people who stand to benefit from the tax cut don’t fall into these categories. For those of us who own small businesses and know how to operate a calculator (like DMG!), we know that the “corporate” and/or “big business” labels don’t define us.

Words matter, so make sure you talk about “small businesses,” “start-ups,” or “family-owned companies” to paint an accurate picture of who will benefit from this tax cut.