SEEKING ADVICE FROM LOYAL BUSHIES…. Too often, Republicans have an odd habit of seeking advice from those who’ve already proven themselves unreliable. Newt Gingrich was a disastrous leader for the GOP, and yet the party still seeks his guidance. Karl Rove failed repeatedly, and is considered a genius in Republican circles.
And now Republicans want to learn lessons about communications management, and they’re turning to aides from the Bush White House.
Republicans looking to recover from Bush-era defeats are turning to an unlikely source for advice: top aides to former President George W. Bush.
Former White House press secretary Dana Perino, former Bush counselor Ed Gillespie and former White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto are among those set to provide words of wisdom to House Republican press secretaries at their annual workshop this Friday.
GOP House Conference Communications Director Matt Lloyd said Perino, Gillespie and Fratto represented “the gold standard for Republican communications professionals” and were obvious choices to advise the party’s messengers.
Seriously? The House GOP conference, struggling to get back on track and suffering with the consequences of recent Republican failures, are turning to veterans of the Bush White House to help shape their communications strategy?
Dana Perino, explaining why she and her colleagues from the Bush gang have valuable insights to share, said, “We are battle-tested.”
There’s some truth to that, but it seems the point to keep in mind is that she and her team lost those battles. Their messaging proved unpersuasive.
Experience can be helpful. Successful experience matters more.
