100 Daze: Consumers' Guide
In his latest Against the Grain commentary, CBSNews.com's Dick Meyer takes a look at how the Bush administration wants you to view its first hundred days.
The 100th day of Bush II is upon us and so are the newspaper stories, the editorials, the polls, the presidential interviews with morning show anchors, the Sunday show assessments, and, of course, the in-depth, comprehensive online evaluations.
Administration strategists reportedly did not want to make a big deal of 100 Days pseudo-milestone, but you can't fight Media Hall. The stories were going to come no matter what.
So the White House put out an eleventh hour how-to-spin package for Republican talking heads around the country that was, thankfully, obtained by U.S. News & World Report's Web site. It provides a blunt road map to how the administration would like to be seen at this point in history and may be useful to political consumers trying to wade through the 100 Days spin and-pontificate-fest.
The package contains a neat chart of "Historical Insights" that compares bits of trivia about the new administration to prior ones – for example, formal press conferences: Bush II - 2, Clinton - 4, Bush I - 11. There's also a long list of "Moments to Remember": "February 26 - First Lady Laura Bush Launches Ready to Read, Ready to Learn Initiative."
And there's an op-ed style essay from the White House Communications Office and some "Final Talking Points." The talking points are especially interesting because the president seems to have used them in his interviews.
For example, near the top of his interview with Jane Clayson of the "Early Show" on CBS, the president said that he hopes people, "would say that this is an administration that’s doing in office what he would do on the campaign trail." Funnily enough, the first talking point says, "President Bush is a strong leader who is doing what he said he would do."
Political Marketing Rule 1: Say it once, then say it again. Stick to the script and people might believe it.
The president also said, "I’ve been changing the tone in Washington, and that's very important because Washington can be a very acrimonious and bitter place."
Talking Point no. 2 reads, "The president’s plain-spoken and straightforward leadership is helping replace a culture of gridlock and cynicism with a constructive spirit of bipartisan respect and results."
Translation: I am not Bill Clinton.
He's right on that one. Bill Clinton would undoubtedly have been on the tarmac to welcome back the American flight crew held by the Chinese. He probably would have gone to Cincinnati following the nights of violence there. One of the most attractive aspects of Bush's early tenure is that he refrained from such stunts. His spinners were smart to make the point.
Most of the talking points are predictable. "The president is focused on his compassionate conervative agenda," reads no.4.
Or, "The president has made bipartisan education reform the cornerstone of his administration." This conforms nicely with "Moments to Remember" no. 2: "January 23 – President Bush Makes Education Reform the Cornerstone of his Administration."
One talking point points out that, "The president has shifted the tax cut debate…over IF there will be tax relief to a bipartisan discussion of HOW MUCH tax relief Americans will have." That's true, of course, and it is a major defeat for the Democrats.
It's also instructive to note what points aren't addressed in the White House package. Three areas stand out – the sharp decline of the economy, environmental policy and the Florida recount.
The administration has taken lots of criticism for its environmental policies (and there have been several of them), so, of course, the whole minefield is ignored in their marketing materials. Let the interviewers ask about it.
Similarly, since the economy is bad news, don't bring it up. But that's another sign that the president is flailing in his efforts to be an authoritative, reassuring, visible force amidst the lay-off announcements and market declines.
As for the legacy of Florida, I'm sure the strategists think any reminder of that nightmare hurts Bush. But one could certainly make the argument that the president deserves some credit for avoiding the "crisis of legitimacy" that was so commonly predicted way back in November 2000.
That's not a complaint about the White House 100 Days offensive. Where else could you learn that President Bush has visited 26 states, met with more than 20 world leaders, attended three Cabinet meetings, and hasn't yet hosted a single state dinner?
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