Opinion |
In Borgen, the Danish TV drama about politics, there is a pivotal scene: during a debate among various contenders for the Prime Minister’s chair, the main character, Birgitte Nyborg, goes off script. She talks of how she has struggled with scripted responses crafted by her spin doctors to questions about the complicated challenges of the multi-ethnic society that Denmark has become. Her from-the-heart talk surprises many, and on polling day leaves her Moderate party as the single largest, when earlier nobody had fancied its chances. In essence, she hits what many communications professionals call the sweet spot, managing to put across her complex point of view in a way that is relatable to the voter.
That is the spot every political party aims at, with slogans, catch phrases, policy announcements, promises of freebies, etc.
