By: Quentin Hoffman
A veteran of strategic communications in Washington D.C., Tamasi discussed the implications of the primary, the forthcoming election, and the future of political communications. Tamasi correctly predicted that Santorum would win the Louisiana Primary, but he didn’t expect Romney’s nomination to happen any later than April 24th.
Tamasi brought up many comparisons to the 2012 election with the 1980 election and 1992 election. One factor that will be troubling for Obama is the fact that he has been holding onto a 47% approval rating for several months now. In both 1980 and 1992, the previously ailing economies were making a recovery, but the incumbents were not reelected- their approval ratings were also around 47%. Temasi stated that for Obama to be reelected, gas prices and unemployment figures must go down, the situation in Iran will have to be handled well, and any significant unforeseen events must be addressed with precision.
Lastly, Tamasi discussed the growing role of media in American politics. He praised Obama’s 2008 election model, expecting that utilization of the internet and electronic campaigning to be the new standard for the digital age. On the flipside, Tamasi explained that are now in an age where any mistake, however small, can go viral on the internet. Romney’s “etch-a-sketch” comment is the just the latest in numerous moments that have hurt high-profile political campaigns (Howard Dean’s squeal anyone?).
Tamasi’s combination of political knowledge and PR experience make him a formidable strategic communicator- it’s no wonder that he has already worked for Mitt Romney and continues to be under high demand in Washington, D.C.