3 Big PR Mistakes for Politicians this Week

This past week has been rough for a few politicians who made some critical mistakes when it came to communications decisions. Not only are these mistakes embarrasing, but they show just how little some of these current office-holders and presidential hopefuls know about communicating. From bus tours to Twitpics- this week had it all. Here's a little list I created with my favorite (and most entertaining) mistakes of the week:

1. Newt Gingrich and his bizarre PR statement
After speaking out against Rep. Paul Ryan's budget plan and stating that Ryan was “right-wing social engineering", Gingrich came under heavy fire from his party, and his young campaign looked a faulty. If that wasn't enough, his spokesperson released the one of the strangest and most unprofessional statements I or anyone has probably seen:

"Washington cannot tolerate threats from outsiders who might disrupt their comfortable world. The firefight started when the cowardly sensed weakness. They fired timidly at first, then the sheep not wanting to be dropped from the establishment’s cocktail party invite list unloaded their entire clip, firing without taking aim their distortions and falsehoods...But out of the billowing smoke and dust of tweets and trivia emerged Gingrich, once again ready to lead those who won’t be intimated by the political elite and are ready to take on the challenges America faces"

I have one word for this statement: WEIRD. Sounding more like a science fiction novel or an epic battle scene from a movie, this statement was cleary out of line. If Gingrich continues his GOP run, I suggest he finds a new press secretary.

2. The name of this scandal says it all: 'Weinergate'

A 'personal' photo from Representative Anothony Weiner's Twitter account was sent to a 20-year-old college student over the weekend. He claims his account was hacked- but why can't he answer simple questions about the controversy? He obviously was not prepped before he faced reporters. Note the recurring 'giving a speech analogy':

3. Sarah Palin's Bus Tour

As someone who is neither for or against this former VP candidate, I have to say that her recently-launched bus tour is a nothing more than a publicity stunt (no surprise here). My Twitter feed was buzzing with Sarah Palin sightings around Philadelphia yesterday and all I could do was roll my eyes. She's been vague at describing the reason for the tour, but it's so obvious. She's testing the water, seeing what happens to her poll numbers, and yet again trying to hype the Sarah Palin 'brand'. And when there's speak of 'hype', Donald Trump most likely isn't too far away.

I put this on my list of bad PR moves only because I think that Palin would have a much better chance at a presidential run by lying low and avoiding these large publicity stunts that made her infamous. A reality show, numerous books, and a bus tour? Is she the next GOP presidential candidate or did she just win American Idol?