Speaking of Roger Ailes, he truly is the matter of the sound bite, especially when there is invective involved. If you want a weekly or daily tutorial on great sound bites, do what I do, I have set up a free Google news alert to send me an email every time Roger Ailes is mentioned in the media. Typically, I am rewarded with some golden nugget where Ailes has skewered some hapless CNN or CNBC executive. I might not agree with Ailes very often, but you can’t challenge his status as king of the sound bite.

“Dark Genius” is a new book out about the life and times of Roger Ailes, the longtime GOP political operative and Fox News Channel founder. The book isn’t great, but Ailes life is so fascinating, it almost doesn’t matter. If you are interested in media, politics, and communication, you really can’t go wrong learning more about Roger Ailes. The book earned its place at the pool this summer.

It is important to look good and reflect a positive outlook about your industry during an interview. It is equally important to know the most current facts about your industry seconds before the interview takes place. If you do not know the most current information you run the risk of looking foolish if a story has been released and you know nothing about it.

Let’s review. After the Kentucky Derby race where Big Brown won and Eight Belles had to be put to sleep, an interview was conducted by Bob Costas in the winners circle with David Novak, president of one of the sponsors who seemed unaware of the tragedy that was going on around him. He said, “Well, Bob, what a great day for the commonwealth of Kentucky and the world. On behalf of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, Long John Silver’s and A&W, Yum Brands is the proud sponsor of the greatest event in the world. Thank you very much.” (http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/07/business/sponsor.php)  He expressed his joy and excitement about the win for Big Brown, yet seemed to ignore the sad moment of Eight Belles. Most viewers thought it was a PR move to avoid any negative feelings. The truth, he had no idea that Eight Belles had been euthanized. The result was devastating however. People were furious with him according to the International Herald Tribune, one viewer said, “Based on the YUM reps’ disgraceful smiling and product plugging - while Eight Belles was dying yards away from them - I’ll never buy ANY of their products again.” (http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/07/business/sponsor.php)  Yikes!
           In hindsight it seems like an honest mistake. In actuality this type of blunder is easily avoidable. Any time you are going to make a TV appearance make sure you know what is going on around you. If you are doing a phone interview, go to Google and see if any news stories recently came out about your industry. If you are at a conference, ask for a newspaper, or simply pay attention to discussions going on that may affect you.

Question from a reader:

 TJ, why do you recommend that people never say “no comment”…there are plenty of times when we need to say that we decline to comment on something (pending litigation is a good example).

TJ Response:  

Barack Obama and his wife are great communicators and wonderful speakers. I like them both. But for the love of hanging chads, could somebody, PLEASE, tell them that “I” can not be the object of a preposition? Last night on CNN Michelle Obama said “for I” and then this morning on the Today Show Barack Obama said “for I.” What they said after that I couldn’t tell you because my teeth were still hurting so much. Come on, you are both Harvard Law grads. It is “for me, for me, for me!” It can never be “for Michelle and I” or “for Barack and I.” Now, me glad me got that off my chest.

Paulette Dean Daly, former wife of golfer John Daly, was asked yesterday if she had had an affair with the married baseball great Roger Clemens. Here was here response:

“You know what, I’m really uncomfortable talking about this. I’m just going to have to say ‘no comment’. I know Roger. I consider him a good friend. That’s all I’m comfortable saying.”

All of her “no comfortables” and “no comments” make her look guilty as sin, when it comes to this particular sin. Daly might as well have produced naked sex videos of her and Clemens. What she should have said was simply “Roger and I are good friends and I wish him and his family the best” and then shut her mouth. Don’t say “I’m not comfortable” and for goodness sakes, don’t say “no comment.” Ever!

So how did Barack Obama do in his handling of the Rev Wright Fiasco?

I give him an “A” for properly distancing himself from Wright’s past and current statements. I give him a “C” in terms of positioning himself against Wright for the future. And a “D- in terms of his ability to be positive and change the whole terms of the debate. Overall grade for handling this media crisis: “C+”

For starters, Obama did an excellent job of delivering sound bites using excellent emotion and absolutes in denouncing Rev. Wright’s inflammatory comments. Here are the best sound bites Obama said yesterday:

“…when he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS, when he suggests that Minister Farrakhan somehow represents one of the greatest voices of the 20th and 21st century, when he equates the United States wartime efforts with terrorism, then there are no excuses. They offend me. They rightly offend all Americans. And they should be denounced. And that’s what I’m doing very clearly and unequivocally here today.”

“His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church.”

“And based on his remarks yesterday, well, I may not know him as well as I thought, either.”

“I’ve already denounced the comments…”

“…an exploitation of those old divisions…”

“Reverend Wright does not speak for me. He does not speak for our campaign. I cannot prevent him from continuing to make these outrageous remarks.”

“…when I say I find these comments appalling, I mean it. It contradicts everything that I’m about and who I am.”

“…it is completely opposed to what I stand for and where I want to take this country.”

“But the insensitivity and the outrageousness, of his statements and his performance in the question-and-answer period yesterday, I think, shocked me. It surprised me.”

“But I feel very strongly that — well, I want to make absolutely clear that I do not subscribe to the views that he expressed. I believe they are wrong. I think they are destructive.”

“…what Reverend Wright said yesterday directly contradicts everything that I’ve done during my life.”

“All it was, was a bunch of rants that — that aren’t grounded in truth, and you know, I can’t construct something positive out of that. I can understand it. I, you know, the — you know, people do all sorts of things.”

All in all, these are high quality sound bites, filled with emotion, absolutes, and passion—all of them irresistible to reporters looking for a quote in a story. No fair minded person can seriously conclude that Obama endorses Wright’s world view.
When it comes to separating himself from Wright of the present, I give Obama an A+ for his sound bites.

But, where I fault Obama is not giving stronger and more memorable sound bites to inoculate himself from Wright in the future. I would have urged him to say something like this:

“I pledge to the American people that if I am elected president, I will do everything I can to make sure Rev Wright has no impact on my administration’s policies. I will make sure he never steps foot onto the hallowed grounds of the White House. Furthermore any member of my administration who invites Rev. Wright to the White house or even calls him for advice will be summarily fired.”

That is a sound bite that would be widely quoted and would allay people’s concerns that Wright might have influence in the future.

Finally, I think Obama did a poor job of repositioning the issue to force the media to move beyond it. He should have said something like this:

“I have denounced my supporter, Rev. Wright’s extremist views in the most forceful manner possible, yet my opponent, John McCain, has not had to denounce the bigotry of his supporter, Rev John Hagee’s numerous bigoted remarks, nor has John McCain been asked to denounce his support, Rev. Jerry Falwell’s remarks that America deserved 9-11 because we are pro-choice. Why the double standard? I want the American voters to start demanding that the media end this double standard. Enough is enough.”

A statement like this would have forced the media to go on the defensive, changed the dynamic of the story, and forced Sen. McCain to go on the defensive, plus it would have reframed the entire issue in more neutral terms. It would also give Obama defenders a chance to feel like they are on the moral high ground and to move on the attack against the media and other political opponents.