On this Thanksgiving Day, I offer one of my favorite clips of the past several years.
Shortly after returning to Alaska following her defeat in the 2008 general election, Sarah Palin visited a local turkey farm to pardon a turkey.
But she was totally oblivious to the bloody turkey slaughter occurring over her shoulder.
I suggest you watch the entire clip – the final sentence sells it.
Ms. Palin isn’t alone in failing to check her background.
Just last month, MSNBC head Phil Griffin launched his network’s new brand – with CNN playing in the background.
And the head of Ms. Palin’s ticket, John McCain, was widely panned in 2008 for using a lime green background that made him look sallow. It’s a superficial criticism, to be sure – but it detracted from his message during an important speech.
It’s hard to know whether the camera operator who set up this interview did so on purpose. But it’s the job of a spokesperson – or a spokesperson’s staffers – to ensure that the background doesn’t detract from the message.
