Soap Box

Proctor & Gamble chairman and chief executive A.G. Lafley gave some sound advice to the presidential candidates that anyone involved in the retailing of consumer products and services should heed.

Lafley urged Barack Obama and John McCain not to talk the U.S. into a “worse recession” during the presidential election by being overly pessimistic about the state of the economy.

“In my business we don’t need excessive negativism,” said Lafley. “You know we are in a business where psychology matters – even in the staples business – and in the economy psychology matters. It could go negative on the economy, that could be a problem . . . We will talk ourselves into a worse recession.”

The advice is particularly pertinent to democratic candidates and delegates, who tend to focus on the negative as part of their charge toward “change.”