The Anglification of American Political Crisis Management?

One of the things I found fascinating between Britain and America, was the difference in handling scandals. The typical British response to scandal is immediate resignation of a senior person in charge taking full responsibility, whether or not they were directly involved in decisions that led to the scandal. Recent examples being Cabinet Minister Peter Hain, over the donation scandal, BBC One controller, Peter Fincham, whose department failed to correct footage in a tv trailer that was cut together in a manner that implied that the Queen stormed out of a photography session with Annie Leibovitz, or Dr. Tony Barrell over a rail crash inquiry. Frequently, one steps down in order better fight to clear one’s name, and it is not necessarily considered an admission either of implicated or real guilt. A reentry into your profession or political office is possible after the public has had several months to forget about the scandal. (Of course, this is not to imply that this is the only cause of resignations, or that this mentality completely covers all of the examples mentioned.)

In America, politicians and business leaders alike typically resort to the bunker mentality. As a general rule, as investigations are conducted, supporters expectations adjusted to a different level, constant wind testing, and political survival is of the utmost. Back down at the wrong moment, and you may be branded for life as a has-been. This was true during Watergate, Iran-Contra, Whitewater, Travelgate, Monica Lewinsky, the early investigation of the CIA Leak. After Senator Larry Craig’s airport dalliance, he apologized and promised to resign and fight to clear his name…and then wanted to wait until his appeal was considered…or until the end of his Senate term. When I interned for the House, I was “privileged” to witness the House proceedings expelling a sitting member of Congress, James Traficant, who also happed to be a convicted felon who pleaded against expulsion on the basis that he had not yet exhausted his appeals. Currently, Rep. William Jefferson has been indicted on federal corruption charges, and is still a sitting member of Congress. However, the Bush administration began to actively use a new SOP for response to scandals, almost immediate resignation or withdrawal of a nomination. Linda Chavez, Scooter Libby, Monica Goodling, etc. Whether investigate by the legislature, judiciary or merely by public opinion, the matter more quickly, and/or silently passes by.

These days, the Clinton and Obama camps seem as though advisors are almost in a competition to see who can be the next to fall on their sword after a gaffe. Samantha Power resigned as a voluntary foreign policy advisor to presidential hopeful Barack Obama after calling Senator Clinton a monster. (Now granted, as foreign policy is a profession where communications are examined any possible nuance, calling someone a monster is not likely to advance your career). Ms. Power quickly fell on her sword and resigned. Geraldine Ferraro recently stepped down after questioning whether Senator Obama would be [a candidation for the presidency] if he were not a male African-American, while stating that she was only on the Mondale ticket because she was a woman. Ferraro resigned from Clinton’s campaign before her comments had been on the national scene for 24 hours. Most recently, Senator Obama’s former pastor resigned after making racially and religiously insensitive comments he had made surfaced, and again, they had only been public a brief time, when he resigned from his role as advisor to Obama’s campaign. While I am not surprised to see the resignations, I am surprised at the rapidity with which the resignations have taken place, days rather than weeks or months, perhaps the impact of the 24 hour news cycle?!?

All this is not to say that the bunker mentality has altogether passed from American political and/or business topography, but rather that the currents of change are trickling in. Whether these changes will continue, only time will tell. Enough ramblings for the weekend.