Obama PR Strategy: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Steve Adubato, Ph.D.
CBS 2 Political Analyst

There is no doubt that President Barack Obama is an excellent public speaker.  He’s dynamic, charismatic, and knows how to play to the crowd.  We saw that during the campaign as he out-charmed all of his opponents for nearly two years.  But Obama’s challenge today is a very different one, in trying to sell his economic plan to both Congress and the country. 

Barack Obama has become a one-man sales force.  He is, in fact, the country’s “Salesman-in-Chief” when it comes to promoting complex and controversial bailouts and fiscal schemes to prop up our country’s financial giants, including the banking industry and automakers.  The President’s task is daunting, and no one can accuse him of not being “out there” pitching every place he can— on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, on ESPN talking about the NCAA Tournament, on 60 Minutes, on the Internet, on primetime press conferences on every major television network.  In many ways, it’s a welcome relief that we have a President who can put two sentences together and actually speak the English language the way it was intended to be spoken.  Conversely, George W. Bush was one of the weakest communicators to serve as President.  In fact, Obama has had more primetime press conferences in his first couple months in office than Bush had in his last few years in office.

 However, the danger for Barack Obama is that he is bordering on being overexposed.  It’s almost too much of a good thing.  Press conferences are great, particularly when you are answering tough questions, but when you pre-empt American Idol, you are treading on dangerous ground.  Of course, we need to see our President, and hear him explain his fiscal policies.  But I’m not convinced we need to see him on every television network, or on every magazine cover, on a regular basis.  The more the President is out there, the greater the risk is of him making dumb mistakes— saying stupid things, like trying to make a joke on The Tonight Show about bowling a 129 and some ridiculous reference to “Special Olympics.” 

But Barack Obama needs to understand that being a candidate for President is not the same as being President.  When you are running for President, you need to be everywhere all the time and try to look “presidential” in the process.  Right now, Obama borders on looking like too much of a candidate for President, when the election is long over. 

My advice is that Barack Obama start picking his spots, back off just a little bit, be a little less accessible and obvious.  I’m not talking about hiding or going undercover, but rather not being so omnipresent.  I’d never thought I’d say it, but our President is, in fact, getting overexposed.  Most Americans already like him and want to trust him; we just don’t need to see him all the time. 

Finally, this may be easier said than done because like I said, Barack Obama seems to be the only effective salesperson in his administrations’ fiscal policies.  US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is a terrible media figure.  He doesn’t present well, and clearly does not instill much confidence.  As for Hilary Clinton, she’d be great, but she’s the Secretary of State, and Obama doesn’t want her anywhere near his limelight.  Plus, it’s not her job. 

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