Dog and Pony Politics
A parade of politician appearances follows every domestic disaster. In the post-apocalypse chaos, it is one of the few things that runs close to clockwork.
The governor comes. The president comes. The U.S. secretary of this and that comes. The U.S. senators and House members come. The state legislators come. Various state office holders come. Some come to provide serious help and find ways to cut through various forms of red tape. Others come for a photo opportunity and to get some press. They have to come, because not coming speaks louder than a superficial visit.
Their schedule usually goes as follows:
* Politician's public relations officers pepper the media with e-mails, faxes, phone calls, Morse code, smoke signals, carrier pigeons, etc., announcing their guy or gal's arrival.
* Politician dramatically comes in via helicopter, airplane or Air Force 1.
* Politician meets with local officials to discuss the situation behind closed doors.
* Politician gets a tour of the area, via helicopter, airplane or car.
* Politician grimly addresses the media.
* Politician dramatically leaves via helicopter, airplane or Air Force 1.
* Politicians' public relations officers pepper the media with e-mails, faxes, phone calls, Morse code, smoke signals, carrier pigeons, etc., regarding what their guy or gal did in the disaster area, what emotional statements they made about the damage and what kind of bold call they made for help.
The plan apparently broke down for U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, whom I happened to bump into while trudging around in the command center and looking for a story. Like a tree that fell in the forest, he was there without anyone to hear him. His press agent saw me with a notepad and media credentials and hustled me over to the senator. Hooking up with a rather flamboyant TV cameraman from Austin, we formed an odd little news team and did our an intimate news conference. Cornyn seems like a real nice guy, and I was glad I got to talk to him. During the interview, my cell phone erupted. I answered it, and it was my sister, asking what I was doing. "Well, I'm interviewing U.S. Senator John Cornyn. I'll have to call you back." We all chuckled.
With me standing there in a sweaty T-shirt, looking like a scruffy Grateful Dead concert refugee with a 1,000-yard stare, all forms of the usual professionalism were gone. But Cornyn understands. They all understand, because the media is in dogged overdrive in these situations. Let the TV people remain beautiful. We're from the newspaper.
Plus, they need us. Otherwise, their constituents wouldn't know they were there. Bad media means fewer votes.
President Bush, of course, got the Lexus of media coverage, with the governor, among the first to visit, getting second billing, like the opening act at a rock 'n' roll show. The other guys and gals were lucky to get more than three or four graphs buried in the heart of the main story.
Cue the next disaster.
The governor comes. The president comes. The U.S. secretary of this and that comes. The U.S. senators and House members come. The state legislators come. Various state office holders come. Some come to provide serious help and find ways to cut through various forms of red tape. Others come for a photo opportunity and to get some press. They have to come, because not coming speaks louder than a superficial visit.
Their schedule usually goes as follows:
* Politician's public relations officers pepper the media with e-mails, faxes, phone calls, Morse code, smoke signals, carrier pigeons, etc., announcing their guy or gal's arrival.
* Politician dramatically comes in via helicopter, airplane or Air Force 1.
* Politician meets with local officials to discuss the situation behind closed doors.
* Politician gets a tour of the area, via helicopter, airplane or car.
* Politician grimly addresses the media.
* Politician dramatically leaves via helicopter, airplane or Air Force 1.
* Politicians' public relations officers pepper the media with e-mails, faxes, phone calls, Morse code, smoke signals, carrier pigeons, etc., regarding what their guy or gal did in the disaster area, what emotional statements they made about the damage and what kind of bold call they made for help.
The plan apparently broke down for U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, whom I happened to bump into while trudging around in the command center and looking for a story. Like a tree that fell in the forest, he was there without anyone to hear him. His press agent saw me with a notepad and media credentials and hustled me over to the senator. Hooking up with a rather flamboyant TV cameraman from Austin, we formed an odd little news team and did our an intimate news conference. Cornyn seems like a real nice guy, and I was glad I got to talk to him. During the interview, my cell phone erupted. I answered it, and it was my sister, asking what I was doing. "Well, I'm interviewing U.S. Senator John Cornyn. I'll have to call you back." We all chuckled.
With me standing there in a sweaty T-shirt, looking like a scruffy Grateful Dead concert refugee with a 1,000-yard stare, all forms of the usual professionalism were gone. But Cornyn understands. They all understand, because the media is in dogged overdrive in these situations. Let the TV people remain beautiful. We're from the newspaper.
Plus, they need us. Otherwise, their constituents wouldn't know they were there. Bad media means fewer votes.
President Bush, of course, got the Lexus of media coverage, with the governor, among the first to visit, getting second billing, like the opening act at a rock 'n' roll show. The other guys and gals were lucky to get more than three or four graphs buried in the heart of the main story.
Cue the next disaster.
posted by Brian Pearson at 4:14 PM
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