For the general public, the White House press secretary is a mouthpiece you occasionally see on network, cable or internet news. If you’re among the handful of C-Span groupies, you see more. But the focus, as it should, is on the message.
If you’ve never been to a press conference and dealt directly with the messenger, you don’t fully appreciate the dynamic at play. As the direct conduit to the media, the messenger matters.
The press secretary is there to inform and explain and provide context. He’s also there to further a White House agenda. And he must do it credibly–typically amid controversy, adversity and the gotcha gestalt that defines too many preening TV reporters.
The position, ever since Stephen Early was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s go-to media guy, calls for more than an ex-newspaper hack trained as an on-message parrot. It calls for a professional presence–meaning knowledgeable, articulate, fast-on-their-rhetorical-feet sorts with unfettered-access gravitas. And, yes, a sense of humor helps immeasurably.
We know it when we see it. Mike McCurry had it under President Bill Clinton. So did Tony Snow and Ari Fleischer under President George W. Bush.
Now there’s been a change of the spokesman guard at the White House. Jay Carney has resigned after more than three years fronting for the Obama Administration and has been replaced by deputy press secretary Josh Earnest.
This might be a plus for the White House as Carney, the boyish-looking, former Time magazine reporter, had never quite transcended that “intern” image to master political theater. In fact, some observers were surprised when he–and not Earnest–was chosen to replace Robert Gibbs as press secretary in 2011.
Among those who are bullish on Earnest, a 37-year-old Kansas City native, is Tampa’s Jim Davis, the former congressman who now works in Holland & Knight’s Public Policy & Regulations Group. In 2006 Earnest was communications director for Davis’ unsuccessful run for governor against Charlie Crist.
“He did a great job for me,” recalls Davis. “In fact, I wish I had him six months sooner. He was a class act and a total optimist. He was very good at delivering a credible message–and still dealing with that arena. I’d call him a very credible messenger who’s also good at managing politics.”
Davis echoes what a lot of the inside-the-Beltway crowd, who knew Earnest as deputy press secretary and host of the White House webseries “West Wing Week,” are saying about him. He’s not just competent; he’s also a notably nice guy.
“Josh is an exceedingly likeable guy,” says Davis. “He has a sense of humor and a smile for the right reasons. He takes his work seriously but doesn’t take himself so seriously. People like that. He can also talk in plain English, which the press appreciates. And he’s always prepared. He expects the unexpected.
“And he can handle the balancing act,” stresses Davis. “He still has to tell the press what he thinks they should know–not what they think they should know.”
As a former five-term congressman, Davis knows the territory, and he knows the importance of being Earnest. He agrees with the assessment that while Earnest isn’t pushy, he isn’t a pushover either.
“Look, Washington politics is a blood sport,” underscores Davis. “Josh Earnest is a smart, nice guy who can work in the land of reptiles. He absolutely can.”