I believe in the craft of Public Relations, when it is done right, which starts with telling the truth. As I wrote in chapter one of my book, “Tell it like it is, clearly and succinctly. Natalie Wood did not die from ‘excessive hydration.” She drowned. And Tupac Shakur didn’t die from ‘lead poisoning.’ He was shot. The art of being clever or linguistically illusive will compromise the integrity of your organization.”
The Obama Administration has a master’s degree in linguistic illusiveness, from Benghazi to the IRS to Obamacare. But yesterday’s example took the cake; at least for now. Described as a “rookie” White House spokesman, Eric Schultz embarrassed himself and, unfortunately, the craft of Public Relations. Supposedly this White House adheres to a decades-old U.S. policy of negotiating with terrorists: we don’t. At least not publicly. When asked how exchanging five Taliban operatives from Gitmo for soldier and alleged deserter Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl did not violent that policy, Schultz twisted like a Rold Gold pretzel in one of the most painful press conferences I have ever witnessed. It was part Anthony “Show me your” Weiner, part Baghdad Bob.
Rookie Schultz called the Taliban an “armed insurgency” as opposed to ISIS, which he said was “a terrorist group.” When a befuddled ABC News reporter followed up that pathetic answer by asking Schultz why he didn’t think the Taliban was a terrorist group, the young White House PR guy’s head almost exploded until he attempted an answer: “I don’t think that the Taliban (painfully long pause)…the Taliban is an armed insurgency.” And then, when finished, I think Schultz experienced one of those annoying vomit burps.
Schultz had another painful gem while making a fool of himself. He said the prisoner swap was a “traditional end-of-conflict interaction.” Think the Japanese and Germans at the end of WWII. But obviously Schultz had been paying more attention to ProActive zit cream ads than actually reading the news. The “conflict” with the Taliban is far from over.
Just last month, the Taliban went into the Army Public School and Degree College in Peshhawar, Pakistan and slaughtered 145 people, more than 100 of which were children. Don’t know about you, but that sounds a whole lot like garden variety terrorism.
Perhaps as a PR practitioner I should cut Schultz some slack. Hell, maybe this White House has put miniature cattle prods in the ears of its spokespeople and those talking similarly at the State Department. Say the words “terrorist” or “Radical Islam” and you get a massive jolt.
But I am not cutting any slack for Schultz or chief spokesman Josh Earnest or the spokeswomen at the State Department. They all have been a disgrace to my profession and, more importantly, the United States of America. Look for Saturday Night Live to open up their next show mocking this national embarrassment.
whatdidjesusdrive 