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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
July 26, 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR DOUG BLASER
FROM: DORRANCE SMITH
Re: Attached Report
Attached please find my report which I hope will serve as constructive thoughts, distilled from the last ten months of on-the-road activity. My attempt is to offer suggestions based on my experiences to further serve the President in the upcoming months of campaigning.
I. PRIMARY SEASON REVIEW
The purpose of this report is to provide suggestions, based on analysis of Presidential travel, during the primaries, which may serve as guidelines for future travel during the upcoming campaign season.
In the eyes of the American public, the image of the President is derived from a kaleidoscope of different sources. The most important image-making sources are the video and stories that emanate from the White House and from the travels of the President.
Unfortunately, a large degree of the video that plays has been to the disadvantage of the image of the President. Consequently, there are numerous stories which we'd like to forget:
It must be kept in mind that the response of the viewer is not to the man but to the image. Therefore, it becomes an absolute necessity that some one person or group maintain a constant vigil over the image and over the response. We have control over the candidate; we have partial control over the media. We have used neither of these elements of control to our advantage.
As a means of comparison, read through events numbered 8 - 21 again. Now try to itemize similar situations in the last eight months that have occurred to either Carter or Reagan.
II. BACKGROUND - A LESSON IN LOSING CONTROL
What can be learned from the President's activities in the primary season (January - June) as it relates to his image?
Days in White House 115 (72%)
Days on the Road 45 (28%)
# of cities visited 97
# of events attended 235
The best understanding of the overall image is through the analysis of television news coverage of the President. Television has taught us that it's not what you say that counts -- it's how the viewer receives the impression. In terms of television coverage, how much of the news came from within the White House versus on the road? At first glance one would say 72% versus 28% in terms of actual news coverage. But, the 72% figure is misleading as no news comes from the White House a full 1/3 of the days he's inside. Meaningful video of him is even more scarce. This means that only 77 days out of 160 days, news emanated from the White House, or less than 5O%. 51.8 of the network news coverage of the President presents him in on-the-road situations.
The problem with this situation is two-fold. Once, you lose control when you step out of the White House, and you lose the most powerful tool which we possess, the incumbency. Two, the video of the President on the road looks no different from the video of Jimmy Carter or Ronald Reagan or Mo Udall. When edited together in three or four minute packages on the nightly news, the President's video playing next to Reagan's video bears little or no difference save the Presidential Seal or Air Force One in the background.
In media terms the power of the Presidency or the power of the incumbency has been squandered in the primary process. Since that time we have appeared more Presidential with the aid of the Bicentennial and the Queen's visit. Similar Presidential type settings of this nature should be constructed now for September and October, strategically programmed and marketed so as to provide a constant backdrop unavailable to anyone but the President of the United States.
III. STRATEGY
There are two key concepts that are essential for projecting the proper image: control and coordination. Some group, be it Press Office, Communications Office, or PFC should assume overall command and responsibility for the President's image. This group should always be thinking in terms of how will it effect the perception of the President. Everything the President does should be controlled to the extent that the picture which plays is the picture that we want to play getting across the point which we want to make. But, in order to do this, we must be in control of the image.
Hand in hand with this is the need to coordinate the other areas that bear on the President's image so that they work to his advantage. For instance his advertising campaign should be coordinated with his travelling schedule and his speech writing so that the message is consistent. The elements that comprise these different operations should all work together and work towards the same goal.
The most poignant example for the need for control and coordination is that the media is constantly writing stories about the petty jealousies that exist between members of the White House Staff and/or the PFC. Before we hit the road in September and October, this situation needs to be rectified as the first attempt at coordinating these dissident elements. Believe it or not, sometimes we are all striving to reach the same goal!
IV. GAINING MORE CONTROL & COORDINATION ON THE ROAD
The travels of the last months have taught us a great many things which may serve to help the image in the upcoming campaign season. Obviously we lose an element of control over the news when the President leaves the White House. But there are a number of things that should be kept in mind to help get the proper image across:
McGovern on the '72 Campaign, "As I think back on it, I see most of the mistakes that I made were made when I was tired. I think that's true of most candidates, and that's going to come across more in the visual medium than in the written."
SOLUTION
The message of the day should be scheduled before 5:00 p.m. in order to get maximum exposure and avoid the tiredness problem. Also, reporters seem to become more negative as they become more tired.
2. PROBLEM
Nixon: "One bad camera angle on television can have far more effect on the election outcome than a major mistake in writing a speech which is then picked up and criticized by the columnists."
SOLUTION
We must be the producers on the road, so the angle and shot is the angle and shot that we want to play. The local stations and networks will want cameras in every alley, and along every motorcade route. We must guard against cameras being in areas where the President may not know he's going to be photographed. Where live television is called for it helps to have the advice of the television adviser to the President.
3. PROBLEM
In the early morning following a long day of Presidential travel, the President photographs poorly.
SOLUTION
The photo opportunity should come after 9:00 a.m.
4. PROBLEM
Local interviews are done mostly in hotel rooms.
SOLUTION
It's no secret that anyone looks better on tape than film. Because of security and logistics, we never go to the local station for interviews. This is the tail wagging the dog. We should insist that all interviews be done on tape, and try to go to the local station where the sets, number of cameras, lights, audio, etc. will be air quality.
5. PROBLEM
The President is sometimes poorly lit so that his forehead reflects and shadows fall across his shoulders. Sometimes he has a halo look around his head and shadows under his eyes.
SOLUTION
This is primarily the result of being overlit or top-lit. The reflections are a problem when he won't wear make-up. However, the halo and shadows may be avoided by not being lit from directly overhead.
6.PROBLEM
The airport arrival interviews sometimes upstage the entire trip. If the President has no real statement to the press, their questions to him often put him on the defensive. Many times he is asked to comment on something that he is unaware of because of the day's schedule and having just gotten off the plane.
SOLUTION
Do the local television interviews on departure, so that at least he can say what a great city he has visited.
7.PROBLEM
To the viewer, airport arrivals portray an image of a mob scene.
SOLUTION
As has been stated before, the President should be the first one out of Air Force One. No one else should descend the ramp until the President is at the bottom. Also, stage the greeters in front of the press area so that the President has to walk over to them as opposed to staging them at the bottom of the ramp.
8. PROBLEM
Too many great shots have been destroyed by the agents working the line.
SOLUTION
Arrange with Dick Keiser a previously secured photo opportunity and guarantee that his guys will back off when we've got a great shot along the line.
9. PROBLEM
The President looks non-Presidential when he wears hats and jackets presented to him.
SOLUTION
Have him hold up the hat or jacket for the cameras, but never should he put them on.
10. PROBLEM
Current rule of thumb: "Well we've got two hours here, what can we find to do with him."
SOLUTION
This attitude has led to the President attending too many meaningless events. His events should be carefully chosen, and again coordinated with the image-maker to allow for maximum exposure. Few advancemen think in terms of the 20 million or so viewers who will see the coverage, and, as a result, too often decisions are made too often to placate the locals at the expense of the press and the President's image.
11. PROBLEM
Another rule of thumb: The more exposure the better. Maximum exposure!
SOLUTION
This problem begs for the overall coordination of marketing of the image. The Nixon people were very good at this. The President has been hurt by over-exposure. The best way to control this is by keeping him in the White House and bringing the media to him, then having him come out at strategic times achieving the desired effect. But, the travel blitz and indiscriminate choosing of things for the President to do has adversely affected his image.
The President's schedule on the road should be coordinated for maximum media effect. We should know after a pre-advance what picture we want to float. We should know the type of story that should float. If we have no picture, we should then depend on a good and newsworthy speech.
12. PROBLEM
The President's travel schedule is not coordinated with his media campaign.
SOLUTION
Many times we go into a city on an advance and see thousands of dollars worth of advertising on television and radio. And we're fighting to get a crowd to meet the President at the airport. With graphics and radio spots, we could coordinate the two efforts. The overall desired goal should be consistent.
The examples listed in this report all lead to one fundamental conclusion: The President needs an image-maker or producer who coordinates the various elements which influence the viewers' perspective of the candidate so that the end product is an organized attempt at conveying that message that we want to get across. There exists in this Administration a serious need for someone to be constantly thinking in terms of the President's image as it relates to mass media. The thought process and strategy of Presidential travel should be produced for maximum effect. But this will not happen until the organizers of Presidential travel think in the terms that I've outlined. With an organized effort to coordinate the image and control the message, the end result or overall picture of our candidate should bear close resemblance to the picture that we're trying to achieve.
The role of the Press Advance Office should be the on-site coordination of the President's image to ensure that his activities are consistent with the overall idea. The press advanceman should be briefed by the image maker as to: 1) the reason for the trip, and, 2) the desired goal to be achieved from the trip or the overall scheme. The press advanceman's function then becomes one of coordinating the various elements on the road to achieve the desired goals. The press advanceman acts as the producer on the road, sensitive to the problems that directly relate to the President's image. The press advanceman must always be thinking in terms of media impact -- deadlines and feed times.
Unfortunately, sometimes decisions are made on the pre-advance or within the White House prior to the advance which lack a sensitivity to using the event in the best manner of promoting the President. In most cases the concerns of the locals and the people in the auditorium take precedent over the needs of the press who have an audience of millions, Presidential trips are not at this point produced for proper media impact. Therefore, by the time the press advanceman arrives on the scene, many of the decisions have already been made.
In my estimation, the overriding perspective should be that of the producer or image-maker.
Once established, all advance groups should work to further this perspective and guarantee that it becomes incorporated into all aspects of Presidential travel.
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