More on Mike Deaver

The NYT did an obit on Mike Deaver and again slanted it to tell their story. The story suggests that Reagan's trip to a German military cemetery undid Deaver. Yet, in the Reagan diaries the president comments several times that his trip there was a good thing - although complicated by the protests by Jewish groups. The Post's editorial describes what he did as "orchestration." Both stories credit Deaver with the creation of the photo op where, as the Post describes it "which positioned the former actor in visually irresistible locations where troublesome reporters' questions could not intrude." Deaver's PR sense in both articles is almost always characterized negatively. For example, Deaver once said ""The more you expose yourself, the more you expose yourself to trivialization." Yet, anyone who has watched the press around the president understands the reality of the assessment. There is an inherent tension between the president and the press. The press, especially with GOP presidents, often wants to build a story from what they think is important. Some of that coverage comes from trying to define who works for the president and their level of control. As noted yesterday, the press often thinks that GOP candidates are "managed" and thus created. In reality, all politicians try to manage their roles with the press.

One of the challenges of the modern presidency is the ability to manage the incumbent. The number of staff around all presidents has increased. The pack nature of Washington journalism has also increased. Reporters see themselves in a light that is considerably broader than someone hired to report the news. I would argue that whether Deaver was the creator of the photo op or whether he orchestrated the press' relationship is not the right question. Clearly, prior presidents did a lot of orchestration. How come the press during FDR never photographed him in a wheel chair? How come we did not know about JFKs health issues until after his death? How come we did not see Pat Nixon smoke in public? All of those were orchestrations.

Deaver seems to have understood his true role. He was a close advisor to the Reagans. But he said "I didn't make Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan made me."