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President Biden has hit the ground running on the trust front, according to an Axios/Ipsos poll conducted Jan. 22-25.
Fifty percent of Americans now have a great or fair amount of trust that the federal government will provide accurate information about the COVID-19 virus.
That’s up 40 percent from the waning weeks of the Trump administration.
More specifically, 58 percent trust Biden for accurate information compared to 27 percent who believe Trump.
Biden has now upped the ante, saying he expects to vaccinate 1.5M Americans per day, up from his original 1M goal. He is promising "herd immunity" by the summer. How about shooting for the Fourth of July?
89-year-old media mogul Rupert Murdoch has been quiet of late, laying low at his Cotswold estate in England during the raging pandemic.
But Roaring Rupert re-emerged via video on Jan. 23, attacking “cancel culture,” which is a pet subject.
He said media needs to confront “a wave of censorship that seeks to silence conversation to stifle debate, to ultimately stop individuals and societies from realizing their full potential.”
Murdoch went on to say social media is creating a “rigidly enforced conformity,” which serves as a “straitjacket on sensibility.” He said, “freedom of speech is being suppressed by this awful woke orthodoxy.”
On cue, Rupert’s New York Post published a front-page op-ed by Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, who tried to "cancel" the election, urging readers to “take a stand on the muzzling of America.”
Give us a break.
Hawley is far from a freedom-of-speech warrior. He’s a rank opportunist who used the fantasy of a “stolen election” in an effort to disenfranchise fellow Americans and advance his political dream of moving into the White House.
Along with Trump, the despicable Ted Cruz and the GOP Sedition Caucus, Hawley is responsible for the mob that stormed the US Capitol, which symbolizes America’s commitment to democracy and freedom of expression, and figurately trampled on the Constitution.
In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, former Missouri Senator John Danforth put it this way:
"Supporting Josh and trying so hard to get him elected to the Senate was the worst mistake I ever made in my life. Yesterday was the physical culmination of the long attempt (by Hawley and others) to foment a lack of public confidence in our democratic system. It is very dangerous to America to continue pushing this idea that government doesn't work, and that voting was fraudulent."
Forget about cancelling Hawley, the Post should not have provided a high-profile platform for the Senator in the first place.
Wall Street is cheering General Electric as the battered conglomerate reported an upbeat surge in year-end 2020 cash flow following CEO Larry Culp’s “financial de-risking” strategy (e.g., layoffs).
“I think we’ve done a tremendous amount to stabilize and de-risk,” he told the Financial Times. “There’s more to do but that’s a lot of financial de-risking. Hopefully the speculation about our potential demise is fading.”
The rebound in GE’s stock price has triggered a $46.5M bonus for “Lucky Larry,” which drives GE’s union rank & file nuts.
They are outraged by the decision of GE’s board to re-calculate Culp’s 2018 contract so that his bonus went into effect when the price of GE's stock hit $10 rather than the original $19 target. GE currently trades at $11.35. Ka-ching.
A somewhat defensive Culp told the FT that he didn’t take a salary when COVID-19 hit. “I think we all sacrificed,” he said.
The pandemic was good news for GE’s bottom line as its healthcare unit prospered due to the upswing in orders for ventilators and monitors for COVID-19 patients. That somewhat offset the results of the slumping jet engine unit.
GE’s rank and file also isn't exactly pleased with the board’s Jan. 5 decision not to claw back compensation from ex-CEO Jeff Immelt over accounting issues and his use of the corporate jet after it wrapped up a three-year investigation.
Immelt didn’t receive a juicy severance package when he left in the middle of 2017. But shed no tears for Jeff, he did collect $8.1M in 2017 comp and $21.3M during 2016.
Southern governors claim they know what's best for their working class, and it's not pay raises... A Ukrainian human rights group played a key role in convincing House Speaker Mike Johnson to hold a vote to send arms to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan... Trump Media & Technology Group blames short-selling and not lousy outlook for its stock slump.
The techniques deployed by OJ Simpson's defense team in the 'trial of the century' served as a harbinger for those used by Donald Trump... People worry about the politicization of medical science just as much as they fret about another pandemic, according to Edelman Trust Barometer... Book bans aren't restricted to red states as deep blue Illinois, Connecticut and Maryland challenged at least 100 titles in 2023.
The NBA, which promotes legalized gambling 24/7, seems more than hypocritical for banning player for placing bets... Diocese of Brooklyn promises to issue press release the next time one of its priests is charged with sexual abuse... Truth Social aspires to be one of Donald Trump's iconic American brands, just like Trump University or Trump Steaks or Trump Ice Cubes.
Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun puts competition on notice... Macy's throws in the towel as it appoints two directors nominated by its unwanted suitor... The Profile in Wimpery Award goes to the Ford Presidential Foundation for stiffing American hero and former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney.
JPMorgan Chase chief Jamie Dimon's "letter to shareholders" is a must-read for PR people and others interested in fixing America and living up to its potential... Get ready for the PPE shortage when the next pandemic hits... Nixing Netanyahu. Gaza carnage turns US opinion against Israel's prime minister.
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Jan. 27, 2021, by Sam Waltz, APR, Fellow PRSA
To Kevin's story, "Biden Hits the Ground Running on the Trust Front," yes, absolutely right. That's Joe.
Joe Biden is a PR Pro's "Dream Client." He scores on the three important points: (1) Source Credibility appears High; (2) Empathic in Connecting; and (3) He's a born Story-Teller.
To the latter point, Joe actually loves to teach -- some say he's in love with the sound of his own voice -- and he'll always opt for the longer answer. For years, even as a US Senator, he was also a Law Professor at Widener U Delaware Law School.
Joe is a neighbor (a block away as the crow flies) and a friend, and I've known him since before even he was 35. I came to Delaware covering politics for the State's largest paper in 1975, and Joe still was in his first term. I became its State Capitol Bureau Chief, covering the Governor, the General Assembly, the Congressional delegation and Politics.
When you know Joe, even if your politics diverge from him -- he was fully on the Left then, although more Moderate in today's Marxist Left Democrat Party -- you still enjoyed that Irish charm and warmth. His hand always was on your shoulder, and he always looked you square in the eye.
As a lifelong Democrat, a Social Progressive on civil rights but a Small Limited Government guy, I always felt Joe always was left of my more "mainstream Democrat" persuasion -- which was square in the middle in the 1960s and 1970s. Smartest move Joe made in 2020 campaign was to tell Hillary to "stay home".