Oct 7, 2013 1 min read

Speaking of battles involving Gov. Tom Corbett, as he lurches toward what promises to be a bruising brawl for re-election next year, he and his aides would be wise to read “The Selling of the President,” the 1969 best-seller about the stage management of Richard Nixon’s successful presidential campaign the year before.

The first presidential bid to be fully infused with modern marketing techniques, Nixon’s media availability was often carefully apportioned.

The less often the candidate appeared in front of a microphone, the fewer the chances he would say something controversial or self-destructive.

That’s a strategy Corbett should take note of, particularly in light of his comments last week to a television interviewer comparing gay marriage, which his administration opposes instituting in Pennsylvania, to incest.

Corbett’s office issued a clarification – something it has had to do before – and the governor apologized if anyone took offense. But Corbett’s less-than-decorous way with words on this and other issues helps feed the impression that he suffers from a severe case of foot-in-mouth disease.