Free media coaching for President Bush
A public relations firm out of Florida recently offered to media coach President George Bush, for free. An article in the South Florida Daily Business News says that O’Connell & Goldberg Public Relations made the offer back in August. According to the article, the firm feels
there’s plenty that could be done to help polish the president’s presentations, from his vocabulary, tenor of speech, inflection and pace of delivery to posture, facial expressions and overall body language. The agency would work with President Bush to enhance his vocal dexterity and help him project a positive image. In addition to reviewing the keys to a winning interview style, agency professionals would place the president before a camera during simulated scenarios and critique his performance to reinforce proper interview techniques.
No word on whether Bush took them up on the offer. And isn’t a bit late to be offering up what I agree was needed years ago?
Thing is, you know the President gets media coaching; you cannot be in high-level politics these days without getting it in some form. So why are there still many weaknesses in his delivery?
Posted: September 27th, 2007 under Fun Stuff, Political Tips, Your Presentation.
Comment from Ike
Time October 1, 2007 at 4:28 pm
What you see as weaknesses are really strengths. Bush wasn’t born speaking dumb, he was taught.
Go look up his gubernatorial debates with Ann Richards from the 90s. He’s a completely different guy. Articulate, crisp, engaged, and on message with deadly accuracy. He had four main talking points in that campaign, and relentlessly stuck the landing with every attempt. He was flawless.
Now, he’s an artifact of Targeted media training. The “aw-shucks folksy” bit is created specifically to engage his base, AND infuriate his political opponents. Most Democrats spend so much time on Bush-is-an-idiot jokes they completely underestimate him. (Much like Richards did, to her political detriment. I feel Bush got addicted to playing the underdog with lowered expectations…) And to a great extent, it will continue. Too many of the Democratic contenders are running their campaigns against the Bush track record, even though Bush won’t be on the ballot, and their is no VP or heir apparent in the wings.
If there was any genius to that campaign, it was the realization they could stick to their base and rev them up without trying to win over too much of the moderate crowd.
Would I advocate Targeted Media Training for everyone? Absolutely not. 99.999% of executives and spokespeople have a vested interest in NOT sullying their personal or corporate brands, unless the tactical goal really is huge, like say the Oval Office.