At 8:14 p.m. EST on the same day as a terror attack that claimed more than a dozen lives in New Orleans, the governor of Louisiana posted this:
BEHOLD ... THE RATIO:
The governor was likely already scheduled to eat in New Orleans, considering the Sugar Bowl college football game was originally scheduled for Wednesday night (but was pushed back to Thursday after the attack).
But someone on his comms team didn't understand the PR optics of a fancy restaurant juxtaposed with a mass casualty incident.
The comment section had thoughts:
Let me zero in on Kylie's comment there.
The governor (or whoever runs his social media) said he is proud to be part of a "resilient city," a clear nod to the horrific crime with a dose of optimism that the amazing people of New Orleans are going to get through this time of tragedy.
It seems like he was trying to kill three birds with one stone: Address the crisis while also acknowledging a local business while also reassuring tourists that the city is safe.
But every politician should know that efficiency and best intentions doesn't equal effective communication or positive public reception.
(Translation: When people are scared and hurting, don't post pics of your nice dinner at a restaurant that most Americans can't even afford. It's not going to come off as encouraging or uplifting.)
The heat got so bad that the governor's comms team posted this follow-up message less than two hours later:
See? I told you: He was trying to reassure visitors so his state didn't lose out on those sweet, sweet tourism dollars.
I'll let you fine people judge whether it's a good idea to be worried about money immediately after a mass murder.
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