Our Brand Is Crisis
"We must own crisis and we must brand crisis." So says advertising consultant Tad Devine in this insightful documentary. Along with James Carville, Jeremy Rosner, and other Greenberg Carville Shrum (GCS) pollsters and strategists, he's helping to shape the campaign of Bolivian presidential candidate Gonzalo "Goni" Sánchez de Lozada of the MNR Party (Goni first held office from 1993-1997). That was in 2002. As with most American elections, things start off on a positive note and soon turn negative as the "crisis" changes from the economy to the competition, Evo Morales (the MAS Party) and Manfred Reyes Villa (the NFR Party). Goni's own campaign manager believes that his age and perceived "arrogance" are stumbling blocks (and possibly the cigar-smoking millionaire's wealth, since only the very rich can afford GCS). Rachel Boynton's debut feature tracks the process from start to finish: 100+ days of brainstorming sessions, focus groups, and television appearances. It'sThe War Room, Part II: The Bolivian Years. Unfortunately, Bolivia is not America and Goni is not Bill Clinton. The violent anti-government riots that break out in 2003, as the country's economy remains in tatters, bring to mind the old saw, "Be careful what you wish for..." In the end, it's easy to demonize GCS, but Boynton doesn't point fingers--with a true populist like Clinton, their plan just might have worked.--Kathleen C. Fennessy