George Christensen’s PR train wreck is proof the ‘local’ media bubble has burst
Crisis comms expert Peter Wilkinson unpacks George Christensen’s recent Facebook post fiasco, and asks why politicians haven’t figured this social media thing out yet.
It’s hard to think of a good reason, any reason, why George Christensen, only days after the Florida school massacre, posted a Facebook photo of himself aiming a handgun, with the comment: “You gotta ask yourself, do you feel lucky, greenie punks?” (paraphrasing Clint Eastwood in the 1971 movie, Dirty Harry).
The post was later edited to “You gotta ask yourself, do you have a sense of humour, greenie punks?”, and finally, deleted.
And don’t get me started on the props: silly hats and handguns? The problem with using a prop is that if it’s not diverting attention, then it’s attracting it. And in these cases the attention was all negative…
I think you need an experienced minder to suggest to you to change your photo to one where u look less like a used car salesman.
Nice article.
Someone writing this from the inner city really has no idea how well this played outside of it.
Nonsense. I grew up rural. Country folk don’t, as you seem to be suggesting, look to kill, or suggest the killing of, their political opponents. A few notable nutjobs aside.
You know, because they’re decent people.
Um I think Christensen actually did it for the outrage and coverage!
I’m sure he did. Like trump he’s playing to his audience. He also knows News Corp will not attack him as they would a Labor politician.
His branding is as the irreverent political outsider who doesn’t care what PC types or so-called PR experts think. Jeremy Corbyn in the UK, Trump in the US, Latham and Hansen in Oz. So it’s all right on brand. There’s nothing for Christensen to rescue. Steve Richards’ book (“Rise of the Outsider”) is def worth a read: http://bit.ly/2EEjiUO
Christensen did it as this is who he is and what he does.
Also as a dogwhistle to the National’s base, where due to their Coalition Partnership, the more extreme are shifting to parties such as One Nation and Corey Bernardi’s Conservatives.
He also did it as a deadcat deflection from Joyce’s issues. It worked.
The Liberal National Party (LNP) is fighting for their survival with the electorate having lost 27 Newspolls in a row and no real policy plans other than tax cuts, coal & increasing our production and exports of munitions and weaponry overseas. The are also tearing themselves apart on multiple internal fronts.
Expect things to get a lot more ugly.
Poor us.
Too much to expect politicians to simply behave themselves, and if they don’t, cop the consequences without having nannies – minders – shepherding them through their cockups? They’re meant to be representing the various needs of the country, not seeing what they can get away with.
The minders for the government either are very poor at their job or are overwhelmed with multiple stupidity by this lot. They lurch from one embarrassment to another almost on a weekly basis. Me personally I think it’s the latter.
Regards the better John.