MC Rove

Sometimes it pays to be silly. Even when you're the top advisor to the most powerful man in the world. Check out Karl Rove at the Radio and Television Correspondents Association annual dinner and roast HERE. (Caution--white men dancing. Hide the children...)

When you're in a high-pressure job where everyone seems to be taking shots at you, it's good to let loose and show everyone--especially your critics--that you have a sense of humor. Even if you don't have a sense of rhythm.

Savvy Schwartzenegger

Say what you want about his politics, but you can't deny that Arnold Schwartzenegger is a pretty smart cookie what it comes to working the media. Yesterday, he handled his latest controversy with perfect strategy and style.

Tuesday, the Governator called talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh "irrelevant," prompting the conservative Republican icon to accuse the governor of selling out his principles. Rush responded by calling Arnold a RINO (Republican In Name Only) and accused the governor of abandoning his conservative supporters.

Now, a politician has a number of options when he or she gets attacked by the media--none of them good. Ignore the comments and they become the "truth." Hold your own presser and try to refute the attacks--but then it turns into a ping-pong match you can't win.

Or you can do what Arnold did. Ask for an interview with the person who called you out. A risky proposition, because it usually backfires and you're left looking more ridiculous than before...unless you're a polished performer like Schwartzenegger. (Read the transcript HERE.)

He greeted Rush Limbaugh in a friendly, jovial manner, established they were old stogie-smokin' buddies--and then proceeded to dominate the conversation! Didn't let El Rushbo get a moment to respond. In fact, after the interview, Rush joked to his listeners:

Perhaps one of the reasons for Governor Schwarzenegger's sharp turn to the left under the guise of compromise has been owing to the ideology of his wife Maria. But after this interview, I'm not sure Maria gets a word in edgewise in their house. Governor Schwarzenegger obviously learned English and he hasn't stopped talking since!

The Governator's strategy was brilliant. Confront the media on their turf. Try it the next time you're under fire...but only if you're prepared to dominate the conversation.

...And Now, How NOT To Handle A Heckler

It's remarkable that so many people working as communications professionals don't know how to communicate.

For instance, you'd think that a public information officer working for a controversial politician would be especially careful with his words--particularly in a setting where the media was ready to pounce on anything he said that might be "newsworthy." Unfortunately, this guy wasn't...(if you need the backstory, check out "How NOT To Handle A Media Stunt.")

It gets better. Better as in, "Raise your hands if you didn't see this train wreck coming." Our intrepid PIO agreed to take part in a public forum on freedom of speech--of course, he's the guy who (on his boss' orders) physically tried to keep several radio station talk show hosts out of the mayor's presser last month.

This poor guy is stuck trying to defend his boss' actions in a no-win situation (Mistake #1,) so he tries to inject a little levity into the proceedings by starting out with a lame joke (Mistake #2) that referred to the time-worn advice to speakers about imagining their audience wearing nothing but underwear (Mistake #3--that advice never works, by the way. It's well down on the effective presentation skills scale, right below "Break wind frequently.")

And the joke falls flatter than a pancake jumping off the Sears Tower. Here's what he said (courtesy of the Toledo Blade:)

"Two ladies that I used to work with when I worked at the [Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority], though, made me promise I would not picture them in their underwear when I spoke," Mr. Schwartz said of the women who were seated in the front row.

Mistake #4. Cue the crickets.

Not having endured enough discomfort, the PIO now has to handle a heckler who turns out to be the C-I-C of the radio station (meaning "Clown-In-Charge.") Having conveniently ignored an invitation to appear on the dais with the PIO, the heckler chooses instead to lob a few snarky comments up on stage. The PIO falls on the grenades and the entire forum degenerates into a screaming match.

Chances are that the relationship between the mayor's office and the radio station will never be repaired until the personnel changes. However, there are two key lessons to be learned from this brouhaha--one, always deal with a heckler calmly and politely. And since you have the microphone, you control the room...so if the heckler won't shut up, then ask the moderator or host to politely remove the offender.

Two, never argue with a fool. Your audience may not be able to tell the difference.

No Where To Hide

I've said this repeatedly. Every client is reminded constantly. If I could put a disclaimer on a politician's forehead, I would. If there's a camera or microphone nearby, as far as you're concerned, it's ON.

It gets worse...because cell phone technology has made it possible to record short video, and since it seems that everyone has a link to YouTube or MySpace, you can't be safe in any public setting. Read this article in the NYTimes and see how the 2008 presidential candidates are weighing the pros and cons of using the Internet. Howard Dean embraced the Internet in 2004 and developed a formidable fund-raising/volunteer campaign...until the video of his primal scream hit everyone's Web browser, and suddenly, it was goodbye, Howie.

Again, my advice is that if you're in a leadership position that requires you to make public presentations, keep it clean from the moment you enter the room until the moment you leave. You never know when someone's watching. And recording.

What Was Hillary Thinking?

This one is going to be played over and over for weeks...and we still won't know what Hillary Clinton really meant.

At a town hall meet--sorry, she's calls it a "conversation stop"--in Davenport, Iowa, the former First Lady and hopeful first lady President was asked the question, “with all the bad and evil men around the world, what equips you to deal with them?” Hillary repeats the question, paraphrasing it like any good speaker should...and then she pauses and lets loose this wicked, Cheshire Cat grin, and suddenly the audience erupts with laughter. (The Chicago Sun-Times has the best account of it here.)

Look at the video and tell me what your immediate reaction was. Yep. She's gotta be thinking about Bill. That smile was a little too knowing.

However, Hillary bristled at the suggestion that she was dissing her husband, telling reporters to "lighten up." She offered a couple of different explanations to her "bad men" comment, but two things are apparent. First, whether or not she meant it, there are a lot of her supporters who will nudge and wink each other over Hillary's naughty little inside joke because they love her for standing by Bill during Monica-gate. That's not a bad position for someone of Sen. Clinton's history and reputation.

Second, she's either the clumsiest conversationalist in media history...or the most brilliant. And if you're running against Hillary, prepare for the latter.

Handling A Hit Piece

Barack Obama is certainly the most talked about politician in America. The glowing reviews of his autobiography, the comparisons to the glory days of JFK and Camelot, the chatter about his presidential aspirations are all part of a brilliant PR campaign. However, there are other people with high hopes who are willing to provide the media with fodder for scandal. How you handle a hit piece could mean the difference between ultimate success and tragic failure.

Check out this article from yesterday on Insight Magazine's website with the header, "Hillary's team has questions about Obama's Muslim background." Here's how the story begins:

Are the American people ready for an elected president who was educated in a Madrassa as a young boy and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage?

This is the question Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s camp is asking about Sen. Barack Obama.

An investigation of Mr. Obama by political opponents within the Democratic Party has discovered that Mr. Obama was raised as a Muslim by his stepfather in Indonesia. Sources close to the background check, which has not yet been released, said Mr. Obama, 45, spent at least four years in a so-called Madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia.

"He was a Muslim, but he concealed it," the source said. "His opponents within the Democrats hope this will become a major issue in the campaign."

When contacted by Insight, Mr. Obama’s press secretary said he would consult with “his boss” and call back. He did not.

Big mistake. Politicians have an alarming tendency to avoid confronting controversial issues in their past--but when you can show that you have overcome the issues or solved them in a socially acceptable way, why not embrace the problem and celebrate your victory?!?

In this case, Sen. Obama could say, "It was never my intent to hide my Muslim upbringing--I guess since my life is now filled with the love of Christ, it just seemed to me to be a part of my childhood environment and not a conscious life decision that I should be worried about. I am much more concerned that there are politicians who preach tolerance yet promote intolerance. If they want to use religious bigotry to further their worldly ambitions, then I feel sorry for them."

Insight Magazine has presented a ticking bomb for Obama--and if he really has the right stuff for a presidential run, he will difuse it rather than refuse it.

UPDATE: It looks like the hit piece was based on false information--here are the details from the Chicago Sun-Times:

"Barack Obama's week-old presidential campaign has been hit with a smear. Hillary Clinton's White House bid, launched Saturday, has been attacked with an unfounded accusation.

Contrary to what was reported in Insight magazine and then repeated on Fox News and in other news outlets, including a column that ran in the Sun-Times by free-lancer Mark Steyn, Obama was not educated in a radical Islamic school when he was an elementary student in Jakarta.

And there is no evidence whatsoever that Clinton's campaign had anything to do with spreading the damaging rumor that Obama hid a Muslim background."

A free pass for both campaigns...but my advice still stands.