Stephen Hess
Stephen Hess
Stephen H. Hessis a senior fellow emeritus in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institution. He studies media, the U.S. presidency, political dynasties and the U.S. government. He first joined Brookings in 1972 and was distinguished research professor of media and public affairs at the George Washington University. He served on Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon's White House staff and as an adviser to Presidents Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter...
assuming foreign learned listening speech today
It was not a speech of surprises. Assuming other foreign ministries have been listening, I don't what they would have learned today that they already didn't know.
best bring capable creative difficult good moving outside people quite second time
It's very often a good thing in a second administration, because it's difficult to bring new people in from the outside ? time is short, all the creative things have already been done. Quite often the best you are capable of doing is moving things around.
disaster large likely president promptly speak wherever
It's more likely that a president will be there -- wherever there is -- and will speak more promptly after a disaster to a very large audience,
year
That is not an unsubstantial year for the president.
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Very early on, she will work out her sound bite, and that will be her sound bite. And she will not deviate from that, so after a while, that will lose its sting.
certainly focus presidency question seem
It certainly made this presidency. There was no question that there was a new presidency that had a new agenda. ... It certainly did seem to focus him grandly and powerfully.
invited might president situation
I think the president might have defused the situation if he had invited her in instantly.
arrogance attitude certain comedians house laugh lines lingering seemed took turned white
They took a story that was going to be laugh lines for late-night comedians and turned it into a front-page story. There was something in their attitude there that I think is going to have a lingering effect, about how a certain arrogance seemed to have crept into the White House complex.
continue harder trouble
They're in trouble. He's going to continue to have some victories, but they're going to be harder and harder to get.
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A big, bipartisan vote sends a message to the Iraqis and the White House. It's very, very significant.
carry loyalty point presidents
That showed me he'll carry loyalty to a point - which is part of what presidents do,
comment either pleasant rather refuse
They either refuse to comment or say rather pleasant things.
credit given gone moderate president public success
The year's gone well economically. The president has had moderate success in his legislative program, probably more than the public has given him credit for.
quite
There were big, big items, and that was really quite exceptional for one of these speeches.