Can politicians make good Marketing Managers?

It is election time in Tamil Nadu. And the limelight has switched to Madras. I am quit surprised to see some special shows being aired in some of the leading news channels. The topic ranges from the poll survey to the conservatism of Tamil Nadu. But the main question is whether the population is getting allured by the freebies being offered by the parties. So far not a single poll has been conducted to record the response of the public with regard to the freebies on offer.
But going by my interactions with the people I know, it looks like the real issue has been missed. When it comes to voting, many people think about factors like - safety of people, economic and infrastructue growth, basic amenties and a good standard of living.
How come the expectations of the people and the attractions projected by the parties are not in sync? The answer the parties give is that only a part of their manifesto is being talked about while the rest is ignored. Even though I do not buy this argument, I feel politicians can definitely become better brand managers than marketing managers going by the way their words find the headlines!