Jim Parham, PR Chronicle

For the past month, I’ve been traveling back-and-forth across America on a government-sponsored project. It’s been a lot of cramped, oversold airplanes and wide-open spaces.

My trips to Washington state, Oregon, Texas, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada and Georgia have refreshed my understanding of what makes our country great.

Besides the great variation in geologic environs, there’s a great variation in the citizenry. This deep diversity makes a rich, never-ending storehouse of opinion and strength.

So, to extract some knowledge of the local flavor, I ate at some very local establishments. Among the tidbits of gastronomic gifts, I found:

I met a ton of highly engaging and interesting people along the way. Remarkably, I found each person I spoke with to be highly interested in what’s happening in America today. Many were concerned about the economy, wars and nuclear waste. That makes a lot of sense.

But what I also found was extreme optimism that things will get better, wars will end and we will take care of our nuclear, cold-war legacy in a proper and safe fashion.

It’s good to take a road trip now and then.

Somewhere along the way, I was exposed to a wonderful public relations expression called the Law of Opposites.

Although less familiar to the general populace than laws such as the Third Law of Thermodynamics, or DUI, or DWI, it has a place in our toolbox.

This is the law that states: When you say something, it’s highly likely that people will believe the exact opposite is true.

Do you know who Richard Nixon is? If not, you may not be scarred by the period of discontent and cultural revolution that typified his tenure as President. But, he should have learned the law of opposites before he began public service. At one point in his fabled and rocky career, he said, “I am not a crook.” Well, in the Land of Opposites, this is interpreted by many citizens as, “I am a crook.” Eventually, he had to resign as President because of bad break-in artists and sloppy audio tape management.

Let’s put this law to another test. President Obama, addressing both chambers of Congress on the 9th day of the 9th month at 9 p.m. Central time, in 2009, (something seems strange here) basically stated that healthcare reform will not add one penny to the national debt.

Applying “The Law,” we hear: “Boy, this reform is going to cost me a bundle.”

It works not only in political life, but in – believe it or not – Hollywood. For example, when you hear an actor, who is paid $40 million for a bad movie, utter, “This isn’t about me, it’s about those behind the scenes, who made this happen,” you wonder…Well, then, why is he or she making $40 million per movie?

This works in your daily life, too. Examples include: “No, officer I didn’t know I was speeding,” or, “No, Hon, I haven’t been cheating on you,” or, “I don’t search the Internet for ‘that’ kind of stuff!”

So, as would-be practitioners of the art/science (choose one) of public relations, be careful what you have your client say to the masses. And, closing on yet another presidential note…if you say, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman,”…well, okay you get the point.

Nope. Not on the heels of Woodstock’s anniversary would I venture into the flashback frenzy of those halcyon days by suggesting a return to the extended Summer of Love that many those my age enjoyed.

No. I am talking about the recent College Administrator Uprising from universities, such as the one at I am employed, and that, of course, involves the steadfastly popular brew we know as beer.

College administrators from a dichotomy and diverse set of schools are upset that a beer company has launched a series of aluminum atom bombs that look a lot like each school’s color scheme.

You know, cream and crimson, black and gold, purple, white, red… Well, the list goes on.

I love it when a company hits the marketing mark better that a cruise missile. Who wouldn’t want a tailgater replete with snazzy libations matching the flags on the Winnebago and 50 percent of the shirts at the stadium that day?

Even if you don’t like the beer, it’s a color feat left untouched by just about any insulated cozy you have currently molding in last season’s tote-along cooler.

But what I really envy is the beer company can do this with a marginal advertising budget. Instead, the buzz is being built (here, I am speaking in terms of the duality of alcohol and public relations) by the university administrator.

You cannot buy the hype created by learned leaders at universities who are simply, “opposing” this marketing ploy by beer manufacturers. That’s what the beer boys wanted.

It is a simple law that I just created — well, actually it’s been around for awhile: The best way to get college students to desire something is to get (1) parents to oppose it or (2) the university to oppose or ban it or (3) maybe have it manufactured by Apple®.

This, my friend, is a surefire roadmap to success.

Cheers.