Friday, July 2, 2010

Public Figures Don't Make It Through This

This is not something I relish, and I'm not stating any personal opinions as to whether Damon should stay or go.

I'm just saying, from a PR perspective, I don't see how Damon Evans makes it through this, given the minor details already being disclosed from the police report.

Working in politics, I see a fair share of these incidents, in front of the media spotlight and behind the scenes. Some of them I've watch purely as a public observer, and some of them I have known the people involved and know the real truth (although I've never been apart of their issues and downfall).

There are times when people make it through these things (David Vitter, Mark Sanford, and John Ensign come to mind), and times when it becomes too much.

If you read this AJC article that gives just a few details of the incident report, this matter is becoming more damaging by the hour, and is inching to a point where there is no coming back. And, that's without actually reading everything in the police report, only what the AJC has chosen to discuss.

The one benefit that Damon does not have, unlike politicians, is a pseudo-autonomy where they must be persuaded to leave or walk out on their own accord. Damon is an employee of someone who will have to make a judgement call on whether this has reached the point of no return.

From that PR perspective, I think it is over for his tenure at UGA.

Overcoming this seems too much, and from the cases I've seen from the inside of the political realm, it really has the feeling of a spiraling downfall where there is no recovery, no matter how much redemption the person pledges (or even if they actually follow through with it).

Unfortunately in public relations, there are times when you cannot be sorry enough. It is just not possible.

Here's hoping I'm wrong...

1 comment:

CONFEDERATE DAWG said...

SORRY GUYS THIS COULD BE A DUMB ?, WHY DOES UGA USE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC WHEN IT WAS USED BY THE YANKEES AGAINST THE SOUTH IN THE WAR FOR SOUTHRON INDEPENDENCE?

ONELOVE GA
GO DAWGS!