This clip ran on Jim Cramer’s show “Mad Money” on CNBC within the past two weeks. For those unfamiliar with the show, Jim takes calls and emails from readers asking his advice on different securities and financial instruments.

Unfortunately for those listening last week, a lot of money was lost. Within a week of Jim saying that Bear Stearns would a) not go bankrupt b) probably be taken over and most importantly c) do not worry, or sell, Bear Stearns stock, the company, well…everyone now knows what happened to Bear.

This could potentially be a disaster for Jim, as his reputation is one of looking out for the individual investor, the “little guy”, and even though his show and books carry all kinds of disclaimers, the fact is that when takes as emphatic a stand as he did on Bear, fans will listen, and this time it cost them….a lot!

From a messaging standpoint, the problem was that Cramer did not remember his audience and the potential downside that they could face, when everyone was dealing with limited information. Less emphatic an answer, less damage, and less loss of credibility in the long run.

What is even more interesting is this clip from the Today show following Eliot Spitzer’s fall from grace. In this clip, an emotional Jim Cramer talks about his friend’s trials and tribulations — pay attention at the mid-point of this clip, about 1:23 in…

“I don’t want to come on and say he’s a good man, ’cause no one likes him now…”

Not a very convincing response. A sharp contrast to the Cramer commenting on Bear Stearns.

This is not a shot at Cramer at all. Cramer has built his reputation on consistency and honesty. However, Cramer notes in the second clip that “…this is awkward for me, it’s different than the market…”

Probably not very reassuring for his fans that stayed invested in Bear. If you are a public figure, you are your message 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.