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Behind the Bush Campaign
With Stuart Stevens
GOP Political Consultant and Author
Monday, Sept. 10, 2001; 1 p.m. EDT
How did Bush practice for the 2000 debates? What happened behind the scenes during the Florida recount? How afraid of McCain was the Bush camp during the primaries?
In his new book, "The Big Enchilada: Campaign Adventures With The Cockeyed Optimists From Texas Who Won The Biggest Prize In Politics," veteran GOP media consultant Stuart Stevens gives a glimpse into the Bush campaign and Election 2000.
Stevens will be online to take your questions and comments on the Bush campaign and his new book.
The transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests
and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
New York, N.Y.:
What exactly does a media consultant do? How often do you find yourself defending your profession at cocktail parties?
Stuart Stevens:
Media consulting is a complete professional charlatan -- myself included. It is a necessity of the political system that reflects the dominance of television. We make commercials and try to control the strategy and the direction of the campaign as much as possible. With any luck at all media consultants will disappear from the political system the same way Tammeny Hall Bribemasters have faded away.
Texas:
Where you responsible for the "RATS" ad? Don't tell me you actually think that we would believe that you had no intention with that. I also work with commercials and I know that every frame is carefully picked and scrutinized. Can you honestly tell me that there was no way you did not intend to have the word flash on the screen?
Stuart Stevens: I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, but the RATS ad falls somewhere between the accidental and the dumb. The ad was actually produced by the Republican National Committee, not the Bush campaign. But it was approved by the Bush campaign and no one including the dozens of media outlets who reviewed the spot noticed the single frame with the word RATS.
Should we have caught it? Sure. But being apparently lazier than you, I have never reviewed a spot frame by frame since there are 30 frames a second. That would be over 900 frames a spot. But I have to give credit to the Gore campaign for successfully making the RATS ad a major event.
Somewhere, USA:
What I have read of your book so far seems pretty damn funny. Was the humor level of the Bush campaign that high throughout or are you just giving us the highlights? Do you think the Gore camp was as funny?
Stuart Stevens: I think that there is great humor in almost every campaign, but more often than not it is like a good joke on death row - it tends to go unnoticed since there are more pressing problems. President Bush has a wonderful sense of humor and is always the first to laugh at the absurdity of any situation. And also quick to find humor in his own actions, which is a trait you have to love.
If the Gore campaign couldn't laugh at something like paying Naomi Wolf $15,000 a month to help dress the Vice President than surely it must have been a long bleak campaign for them.
Provo, Utah:
In writing your book, what kind of bias do you have that you feel your audience should consider to be fair?
Stuart Stevens: Good question. I am a fervent fan and supporter of President Bush. I tried to make this clear in my author's note at the beginning of the book. This is not a book, unlike the Clinton books, which is intended to tell you the real horror behind closed doors. I like, admire and enjoy the Bush world people.
San Francisco, Calif.:
Why do you think a Bush campaign aide sent a tape of Bush practicing for the debates to a Gore campaign advisor (former Congressman Downey)?
Stuart Stevens: It's deeply depressing and troubling on a personal level that Yvette did this. I have no idea of her motivation and, until she pled guilty, insisted fervently that she was innocent.
Arlington, Va.:
I remember reading that on the last press flight before the election Bush coming over the loudspeaker and joking with the entire crew and then playing the SNL sketches of him. Were there any SNL sketches that hurt him? Was his embrace of SNL, even going so far as to appear on it before the election, strategic? Who's idea was it?
Stuart Stevens: The president is always quick to find the humor in any situation, including when he is the lead in the sketch. I think everybody, Gore campaign included, had a good laugh at the Saturday Night Live routines and it certainly was a welcome break from the oppressive tension of a campaign. Remember, there was an entire industry of humor focused on President Kennedy. When Americans are laughing at themselves, it is usually a good thing.
Jackson Heights, N.Y.:
How involved in his son's campaign was George H.W. Bush?
Stuart Stevens: More as a father than as a political advisor, as best I could tell. He was obviously deeply interested in the race, like any father would have been. But I think he was very reluctant to give any specific advice unless directly requested. I don't know of any key decision which was made or strategy adopted that one could say was the result of President Bush's father's influence.
New York, N.Y.:
How frequently did Jeb Bush contact George between Nov. 7 and Dec. 14?
Stuart Stevens: No idea. Nor could I tell you how often the President spoke to other family members throughout the campaign.
New York, N.Y.:
What were some of your favorite dirty tricks of the last election?
Stuart Stevens: I think the era of dirty tricks seems to be fading, probably because of increased press scrutiny and probably because at best they are a waste of time. But the leaking of the DWI story, which may or may not fall under the category of a dirty trick certainly had a major impact on the campaign.
Boston, Mass.:
Hi Stuart,
Your book sounds interesting... I'll have to
pick up a copy. Until then, a couple of
questions:
How do candidates practice sincerity?
Is the process stop-and-start? I'm
wondering if, during a mock debate,
advisors jump in and correct the
candidate as they go along, or if they save
it for the end...
What was the hardest thing for Bush to
rehearse? Did they give him some
simple lines to use if he totally forgot what
the real message was?
Thanks!
Stuart Stevens: If you can fake sincerity everything else is easy, but for better or worse I don't think anyone is the political world is very good at it, with the obvious exception of Bill Clinton. Bush is as genuine and sincere an individual as I have ever encountered. There were no efforts to rehearse sincerity since he would have thrown any one out of the room who suggested it and he didn't need it
Our mock debates tended to have a discussion afterwards, not interrupting the flow of the mock debate. That was the style which President Bush, but I think everyone does it differently.
With any debate preparation it seems everyone in America seems motivated to send in suggested lines and deadly quips. I don't believe President Bush used any during the three debates, preferring, as is his style, to put things in his own words. The problem with good lines is that they often sound like good lines rather than a sincere expression from the debater.
College Park, Maryland:
We hear so much about a "liberal bias" in the media. As a media consultant, you seem to be the most likely to encounter such bias. Is there such a thing, and if so, how does it manifest itself? Is there an overt effort to spin and characterize their reporting to the left? Or is it just the political leanings of the journalist seeping through?
Stuart Stevens: I believe it is more the political leanings than an overt conspiracy. The majority of the media elite came of age during the civil rights movement, Vietnam and Watergate. They grew up with the belief that Republicans and conservatives were wrong on all three of these defining issues. That mindset continues and will continue until that generation is replaced by the generation who came of age during the Reagan years when liberals were wrong on everything from standing up to the "Evil Empire" to Walter Mondale's dedication to raising taxes.
Va:
Hello. Do you think the 2002 congressional elections and the 2004 presidential elections will be more local and state-focus than on the national level?
Stuart Stevens: The economy will be a key element in all of these races. If the economy is doing badly Republicans will suffer. On the other hand, if we can move out of this bad stretch and avoid a deep recession Republicans should be in very good shape.
Jackson Heights, N.Y.:
Mr. Stevens, good afternoon!
How did the Bush campaign deal with negative news stories about their candidate--allegations about his drug abuse, Guard service and so on. Was there a damage control team? What sorts of tactics did they employ.
Thanks for being here!
Stuart Stevens: There was an effort to answer every serious allegation with facts, with the belief that the facts kill the story. It is impossible to counter groundless wild allegations with facts if the allegations themselves have no basis in fact.
Stuart Stevens: I hope that if you read "The Big Enchelada" you will not only enjoy it but get a better sense of the president, the people who serve him and a glimpse into the controlled insanity of the whole presidential election process.
Thanks.
washingtonpost.com:
That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the
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