Fournier Interviews America

According to former Institute of Politics (IOP) Fellow Ron Fournier’s new book, the American voter and consumer needs mostly what Ted Danson and his cheerful barfly compatriots desired—that “sometimes you want to go/ where everybody knows your name.”

In “Applebee’s America: How Successful Political Business, and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community,” Fournier and political strategists Douglas B. Sosnik and Matthew J. Dowd guide aspiring politicians and business owners on how to market their platform or product in the twenty-first century. The key to winning the hearts and minds of Americans, whether selling coffee or getting out the vote is to: create a sense of community by a “Gut Values” connection, adapt to change, analyze the lifestyles of your demographic, use new mediums of communication (“talk smart”), and find local navigators who affect the decisions of others.

Fournier draws his material largely from his 2004 study group at Harvard. Those who missed the chance to talk to the political journalist then will have a second opportunity tonight at 6 p.m. at the IOP Forum, where Fournier and other panelists will discuss many of the topics the book addresses.

Sosnik, Dowd, and Fournier convincingly argue, through several case studies of contemporary leaders, that “Gut-Values” and authentic interpersonal connections dominate the decision-making process of most Americans, rather than particular issues or economic concerns. Americans—anxious about the fate of the world, overwhelmed by a fast-paced technology driven society, and fearful of crime in their sprawling exurbs—need leaders and products that make them feel safe. A candidate’s party affiliation or his opinions are less important to this lonely American society than his ability to make individuals feel familiar and secure.

This book can greatly enlighten those shocked by John F. Kerry’s 2004 defeat, as it gives a fascinating in-depth look at the tactics of the Bush campaign to target new voters. “LifeTargeting” mines consumer data (purchased from credit card companies) to pair with voter lists, creating a master list which can be organized by “lifestyle type,” political habits, and likelihood to vote. This master list predicted with 80 to 90 percent accuracy whether a person was likely to vote Republican and helped the Bush team “micro-target” their campaigning where it would be most effective. Whether you’re an “Anti-Porn Woman” or a “Traditional Marriage Democrat” or an “Archie in the Bunker,” George W. Bush had a specific message for you, delivered ad nauseum to your doorstep.

The book gives off two messages about the contemporary political machine: first, that Big Brother really is watching (and that is truly frightening), and second that so-called “values voters” do not necessarily associate with sweeping conservative ideals, but do vote based on lifestyle choices and how like-minded a candidate seems. “Applebee’s America,” while critical of recent tactics of the Democratic Party, shows how these leadership tactics are applicable to either party and displays some hope for the future of the left; it is a must-read for any young Democrat who wants to change the current political balance.

Sosnik, Dowd and Fournier apply a similar treatment to the successful strategies of large franchises and megachurches—these institutions have succeeded because, despite their size, they make people feel “at home.” It is at this point that the book starts to lose steam. While it is interesting to learn why Starbucks plays so much jazz (to give “romance to the coffee experience”) or why your local high school jerseys were displayed on Applebee’s walls (the kitschy flair makes mothers forget about terrorist attacks in war-torn states), these business principles seem less directed towards the lay reader and more at that slimy kid in your economics section.

A major flaw in “Applebee’s America” is that while the authors try to discuss “the average American,” the book’s principles are directed towards political and business elite, at times sounding like a manual for money-making.

The last part of the book describes the societal changes that have taken American civic society from one that bowled alone to one that finds community by supporting candidates on thefacebook.com. The authors clog the text with numbers and names, quotations, and references to other sociological work. They question the pre-9/11 findings of Malkin Professor of Public Policy Robert Putnam and his famous warning about the disappearance of American civil society.

Part leadership how-to and part sociological study, “Applebee’s America” may have tried to take too large a bite of analytical pie. The authors certainly drive home their points with statistical and anecdotal data spanning the fields of politics, business, and spirituality, but their findings are difficult to remember after an additional 100 pages on the past, present, and future of all of American society.

“Applebee’s America,” reads more like a Social Analysis textbook, with its monikers, catch-phrases and broad observations, than a New York Times non-fiction bestseller. Unless you are planning a campaign this fall or trying to butter up to Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology and Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Theda Skocpol for GSAS admissions, this is probably not the one book to read before the onslaught of syllabi.

—Staff writer Kristina M. Moore can be reached at moore2@fas.harvard.edu.