The phrase “sex sells” resonates in contemporary politics because there is a perception that new allegations of a Senator soliciting sex in an airport bathroom, a Congressman posting nude pictures of them on Twitter, or that the President sleeping with somebody is always taking place amongst our political elite. The perception that there are more scandals taking place in contemporary politics depends on a view towards history as even our most “distinguished” political leaders found themselves in negative events. President Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemmings, President Kennedy’s affair with Marilyn Monroe, and President Clinton’s affair with Monika Lewinsky reveal that scandals have always pervaded American politics. However, the contemporary voter has a propensity towards following scandals due to changing technology that allows events to unfold instantaneously, the sensational nature of a scandal, and the natural inclinations of the public to view a scandal as a wider reflection on changing social and political norms and behavior. Sex still sells in politics and this has always been the case since the founding of our nation; however, the scandal market has become more competitive, fast paced, and dynamic than ever before – providing an interesting framework to study the field of scandals. The most recent casualty on the battlefield of crisis communication and image restoration is the case of the Mayor of Toronto, Canada – Rob Ford.

Rob Ford is currently fighting for his political life. Mayor Ford is embattled in his own scandal concerning allegations, and his own admissions that he has used crack cocaine, is an alcoholic, and he is prone to violent outbursts. However, Mayor Ford remains defiant, he is planning to run for re-election this coming year for his position, and he maintains that the voters must decide whether his actions have compromised his ability to serve as a political leader. Mayor Ford remains defiant towards the public and his fellow city councilors, and he joins the growing number of politicians marked by scandal and their efforts to return or remain in political office. However, there are more and less effective strategies to restore a tarnished image, yet if done correctly from the outset of allegations it is possible for any politician to survive a scandal.

First the overall principle of an account explanation must adhere to the principle of “full disclosure” meaning that the politician’s behavior must be fully explained and full transparency concerning the negative event must be fully accessible. No information can be missing or unaccounted for because it creates the perception of deceit, which will not be tolerated by voters. The full disclosure principle will set the tone of the rest of the image restoration because the politician can control the discussion of the scandal if all the information is laid out before the public to review. If any information is left out then the politician will be forced to “backtrack” during the later stages of the account explanation, and will create a second round of scandal leading to confusion and a perception of deceit amongst the public. One clear and concise message must resonate throughout the entire account explanation process.

Second, the politician must justify and apologize for the scandal. The justification and apology strategy is the most effective way to account for a negative event and restore an image because it seeks to link a negative event with an acceptable outcome and establishes responsibility for the action. Refusals and denials are the least effective strategies to account for a negative event because the public will demand access to information, and the politician cannot refuse access to information during a scandal because the public trust has been violated. The politician might utilize concessions for their behavior such as offering to seek counseling (sex/illegal substance scandal) or financial compensation (financial scandal). Generally, the public is a forgiving demographic because the public at large make mistakes concerning private behavior, and if a politician makes a similar mistake and apologizes they can be forgiven. However, the public will not tolerate a denial or refusal following a scandal.

Third, the politician must rally the support of his/her own partisan base and political party to survive a scandal to either remain in office or run for re-election. Making sure fellow party officials and colleagues are not criticizing your actions and support your efforts to remain in public office is essential to survive a scandal. The support of your colleagues is necessary to continue to work with them on legislation to maintain your image as an effective politician who is getting work done for your constituents. The public and the politician’s supporters will react negatively if members of the politician’s own party do not support him/her and this reduces the politician’s ability to transition into stage four.

Fourth, the politician must shift the public focus off the scandal and onto a substantive policy or political issue that the politician has worked on over their term of office. The public must perceive the politician as having a strong professional record and to be recognized for something besides their scandal to be viewed as a legitimate and credible figure. The demand to be viewed as serious and having a legitimate professional record to run or retain a political office is essential. The important of having an image of a reputable and professional expert on a certain political issue can shift the focus away from the scandal and onto an issue that more positively resonates with voters.

These steps applied from beginning to end and repeating these steps with full disclosure as the centerpiece of the process can be utilized for a politician to survive any scandal. Mayor Ford has failed to adhere to this “scandal playbook” because he initially refused and denied the allegations of his drug abuse; he has maintained a defiant and hostile attitude to voters, the media, and his fellow colleagues – who are calling for his removal of political office. The failure of these two precepts will prevent Mayor Ford from being able to shift public attention away from the scandal onto his professional record to counteract the negative blowback from the scandal. Yet, Ford plans to run for re-election to allow voters to decide his fate; however, Ford’s continued negative behavior and continued failure to adhere to his own concessions to seek professional help for his substance abuse will not resonate with voters. Rob Ford’s failure to properly account for his actions, his failure to implement an effective image restoration strategy, and his declining support from constituent and city councilors will ensure a slow political death for his political comeback. The most important lesson to be learned from Rob Ford is that crack is indeed whack – or better yet the best way to avoid a scandal is to simply not engage in the behavior in the first place.