The Art of Politics

Miss Communication

Karen Hughes' recent press appearances a reminder of how much the White House misses her...

Former White House Counselor and Bush aide Karen Hughes has been making the rounds promoting her new book, and the appearances underscore how lacking recent White House communications have been.

The departure of Hughes, coupled with the departure of Ari Fleischer, has created a real effectivity vacuum in the White House. Hughes is extremely effective, erudite, and perspicacious, and furthermore able to use all three words properly in a sentence. The ability of Hughes to effectively shape information into a positive message is a skill not seen lately in the long columns on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Much of this is embodied in Scott McClellan, a well meaning but uninspiring figure who too often in confrontations with the press reminds one of an effete Oliver Twist pleading "Please sir, I'd like some more". Whereas Ari shared Hughes' effective precision of language as well as demeanor, I half expect McClellan to end many of his press statements like a beaten down commission salesman at a highway gift shop, asking a defeated "so, you gonna buy it or not"?

Hughes has made herself available to the White House for the re-election campaign, and Bush will undoubtedly make full use of her exceptional skill. As to McClellan, Bush might consider a previous Republican's dealing with a McClellan - failing to take the battle to the enemy led Lincoln to remove a McClellan once, perhaps history needs to repeat itself.

Posted by MEC2 at April 9, 2004 06:02 PM