TOUCHDOWN(S): OBAMA AND CLEMENT SPEAK TO THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Two different public figures on two different issues, but both illustrate a similar point. Usually we counsel our clients to focus on positive aspects of their messages, talking about what a situation IS, rather than what it isn't, or what may or may not happen. Well, rules are made to be broken, and when circumstances warrant, sometimes grabbing an elephant in the room right by the tusks is the best strategy. That's what U.S. President Barack Obama did in Turkey this week, when he stated unequivocably that "the United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam." Leaders from around the Arab world hailed the strong pronouncement, and the Globe & Mail's Patrick Martin wrote "in the space of little more than 24 hours ... Obama made enormous strides in doing away with 7 1/2 years of America's perceived Islamophobia." In the other corner was our federal Industry Minister, Tony Clement, agreeing that it is possible that an auto giant like General Motors or Chrysler could conceivably go bankrupt. "There used to be a phrase in the auto sector, 'too big to fail.' I don't think that phrase exists anymore in this sector or any other sector," he said. Too much attention to negativity can derail the rest of your message if you're not careful, but under the right circumstances, sometimes the best thing to do is address it head-on.