in the Jesuit Tradition - Rockhurst University

Photo courtesy of Smith-Lamar & Associates.delivered their own as well (Who could forgetLloyd Bentsen’s “Senator, you are no JackKennedy” crack to Dan Quayle in 1988?).In the past 25 years, presidents and theircommunication staffs have made it a priority tocapitalize on television, particularly throughpublic address. Although reluctantly, Carter wasamong the first presidents to hire a staff whosecharge it was to concern themselves primarilywith the media. He brought in a film directorfrom Hollywood to manipulate his image andenhance his leadership. Such a position is nowwidely accepted and promoted. Though hisspeechwriters would construct speechescompletely, Carter would scratch out revisionson the margins. On an archived draft of onespeech he wrote “make me sound morepresidential here” and other staff memorandaencourage the president to be “hard hitting”to show leadership qualities.Peggy Noonan, speechwriter for PresidentsReagan and George Bush, wrote in her bookWhat I Saw at the Revolution that for the firstyear in office all she really saw of Reagan was hisfoot. Her job was not to know the president butspeak with his voice and collaborate on leadership.President Reagan also drew from his actingexperience in front of the camera to becomethe “great communicator.” Bill Clinton showedhow a president, despite being caught in lies bytelevision, could turn the tables and use thesame medium to buildan image so strong thathis popularity actuallyincreased.Despite an apparenttelevision assault onpresidential leadership,the medium also serves avaluable purpose in timesof crisis. On Sept. 20,2001, an anxious andwounded nation turnedtoward George W. Bushfor leadership nine daysafter terrorist attacksin New York City,Washington, D.C., andrural Pennsylvania. Bush’swell-crafted speech transcended party lines tounderscore shared values and ignite the passionsof a unified country. On that night, televisionbecame the single-most significant reflector ofleadership; its presence was crucial to the earlystages of American healing. Millions watchedfrom home, taverns and restaurants. A NationalHockey League game between the New YorkRangers and Philadelphia Flyers was suspendedafter two periods when fans demanded to watchthe president’s address on the arena’s video screen.Television became the channel through whichleader led follower, and served as the test for thepresident’s ability to rise to the occasion. Hepassed the test. In the clarity of the moment,television was an essential channel for a messagethat forced the president to strip away rhetoricaldebris and use his language to lead others.Television will take us places we have yet toforesee and affect presidential leadership in wayswe cannot yet articulate. Its impact on the outcomeof the 2000 presidential election has calledfor legislation to restrict its freedom to shapevoters’ perceptions in the future. Despitethe notion that leadership is under siegefrom television, fundamentalleadership principles may neverchange. Character. Commitment.Service. Courage. Theseprinciples can be spun in onlyone direction. Peter Bicak, Ph.D.ROCKHURST 20