[Personal Note: I apologize for the dearth of posts since Wednesday. I have been on short but intense road tour of Virginia, presenting three three-hour legal ethics seminars in three days, and driving long distances in-between. My sincere intentions to keep up the commentary on ethics developments elsewhere fell victim to fatigue, age, and the surprising discovery that vene I get sick of thinking about ethics sometimes. I am sorry, and will catch up diligently.]
Governor Jan Brewer suffered through an elected official’s nightmare, beginning her televised gubernatorial debate with Democrat Terry Goddard with an embarrassing meltdown, complete with a garbled opening statement and a 16 second pause when she lost her bearings entirely and went mute, despite having her notes in her hand. Ben Smith of Politico wrote that “Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s opening statement in last night’s debate reflects either an amazing lack of preparation, or sheer panic.” Well, nobody who is going to appear on television for a debate that will decide her future employment fails to prepare. It was obviously panic, and the kind of panic that has very little to do with being governor of Arizona or the ability to do any other job, except perhaps host the “Tonight Show.”
What happened to Brewer is humiliating, and it certainly doesn’t bode well for her joining the incurably glib Sarah Palin on Fox News should she lose at the polls, but it is an occupational hazard of speaking publicly. Similar incidents happened to me during my professional performing career, and I was not an inexperienced or nervous stage actor. I have witnessed them befalling friends and role models. It has happened to many of the most experienced and competent speakers and performers of all time. The malady is stage fright, it can strike without warning, and it is Hell. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
Television and radio are particularly conducive to the phenomenon, which none of the Brewer-hating media commentators, gleefully using this incident as proof that she is a dolt or an incompetent, have apparently ever heard of. If they do much public speaking at all, it is usually with an interviewer on a talking heads political show, or at a 100-bucks-a-plate rubber-chicken dinner full of friendly fans. No one who has experienced having something—it could be fleeting thought, a face in the crowd, an unexpected noise, or nothing at all—disrupt their concentration or confidence in front of a microphone, live audience or camera would ever, ever, think less of anyone who has to endure the same fate.
The ability to speak well and articulately in public is undeniably an important skill for any leader, but it is far from the most important, or even an essential one. Not that an instance of stage fright is proof of inadequate speaking skills: it isn’t. Even if it was, however, a reporter (or a voter) would be ignorant to use such an event to conclude that the victim of the attack was unqualified to hold office.
Gov. Brewer, unfortunately for her, has a lot of enemies by virtue of her support of Arizona’s anti-illegal immigrant legislation, and many of those enemies masquerade as objective journalists. Though they would quickly dispose of a similar incident of stage fright from an ideologically-favored figure, such reporters see Brewer’s embarrassment as an opening to sell their general contempt for her to the public.
Ethics doesn’t work that way. Those whom you disagree with or even dislike should be treated with the same fairness as anyone else, and it is absolutely unfair and cruel to feel anything but sympathy and, if one has any sense, empathy, for a public figure who crashes and burns during a speech or performance. No matter who you may be, I assure you: this has happened to smarter, more talented, more experienced, more confident, better prepared people than you. Now it has happened to Gov. Brewer. It has happened to me, more than once.
It could happen to you.
Ethics Alarms 
Okay, then let’s deal with her attempt to scare the people of Arizona into voting for her by distorting crime statistics (crime is actually down), and claiming the discovery of headless bodies in the desert (there were none). I agree, anyone can have a bad day, but her refusal to recant and to address these questions, to me, make her unqualified to be dog catcher.
Jan: I wouldn’t disagree with any of that. My impression of Brewer is that she’s in over her head. I might think she’s right to sign a law making it clear that the state doesn’t welcome illegals (in fact, I do), but that doesn’t excuse misrepresentation.
None of which excuses making a public speaking panic attack a political issue.
I happen to have no stage fright whatsoever, but if people mocked me for panicking when a bee flew at me, I would be very unhappy.
I didn’t think I had any either, until I froze on stage performing something I knew cold. (I run from bees, too.)
Well, I have more orthodox social anxiety, so going out on stage is no harder for me than asking a stranger for the time. Of course there’s a little tension, but it doesn’t raise above the background level, let’s say.
How I figured it out (aside from performing on stage and not being bothered by it).
Once, at a party, I did karaoke of a song I only somewhat knew, and the disc started malfunctioning and the text wouldn’t appear (but the music was uninterrupted). Sometimes I knew the line, sometimes I didn’t. I have to assume some people would freak if that happened.
Second, when I was at PAX East this year, they had a warm-up session for a band that was playing. They were short a keyboardist and said, “Anyone want to come up here and jam?” I play a little stuff on the keyboard, but once I got up there, it was clear they were all WELL out of my league. Nevertheless, I was up there for about 20 minutes or so, giving light accompaniment when I could.
But being on a stage and not knowing what to do… that is literally the stuff of some people’s nightmares. But for me, it’s not a huge deal.
Full disclosure: I’m also phobic of needles, hospitals, heights, sudden noises, and balloons (because people mess with them and they pop, startling me. The sound of a balloon being inflated with a helium tank still puts me on edge).
You and I may be related. I also have a phobia about balloons, and also styrofoam, but it’s the feeling of them and the sound pf them being squeaked or rubbed on fabric that sends me over the brink..
No sympathy.
That’s what debate club is for. [Practice.]
That’s why good broadcasters read copy
out loud before they go live. [Practice.]
People also want to know that elected leaders have
the ability to THINK on their feet, not freeze up when confronted with a problem…
I think that’s probably the most typical reaction.
But it’s still wrong, and it’s based on many misconceptions:
1) Debate skills have almost nothing to do with governing skills.
2) Reading one’s notes in an opening statement has nothing to do with thinking on one’s feet.
3) Experience has nothing to do with it. There is a famous sound clip of Lowell Thomas, one of the greatest radio broadcasters ever, completely losing his composure due to something funny that happened in the studio, and laughing uncontrollably through a newscast filled with grim events. Not enough practice? Experience? Lowell Thomas???? Just a bad day, that’s all. Proof that it can happen to anyone.
Why do you think the President is so attached to his teleprompter? He can think on his feet, but there is always that risk.
Those who refuse to acknowledge this are letting their dislike for Brewer and/or their own lack of experience with public speaking (I’ve done it for 35 years) get in the way of basic fairness.
Glenn Beck speaks very well on his feet. He tells a story and can wrap people right up in it. Gyasi, are you saying that you want Glenn Beck for President?
Good point. “speaking on one’s feet” is a useful skill for a leader, but hardly a necessary one. Good on their feet: George Carlin; Ronald Reagan, Jack Kennedy, Kathy Griffin, Casey Stengel, Donald Rumsfeld, Bill Clinton, Rush Limbaugh, Tony Blair, Sarah Palin. Not so good: Robert Gibbs, Barack Obama, Stephen Hawking, Jimmy Carter, Dwight Eisenhower, Joe Biden, Al Gore.
So what?
Excellent analysis. Just another example of people basking in the glow of someone’s perceived failure.
By the way, heights (unless on a very fast roller coaster) and sudden noises, two things that also make me cringe.
Hey, Jack: I, too, missed you, and was initially worried that there might be really bad problems involved. I’m glad to know that wasn’t the case and, in any event, you need not apologize. Day in and day out I can come to your site and find posts that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. If I don’t always agree with you, that only enhances the process. And what do you charge me for this? Nada, that’s what.
If you need to take a few (or several) days off for any reason, that’s jake with me, as my maternal grandfather used to say (I don’t understand the etymology, but he sure liked the expression). I figure the result will be even better posts.
As for getting tired of thinking about ethics sometimes: I’m a librarian, and once in a while I get real tired of books. If one of your other readers runs, say, a tire repair and sales business, but sometimes gets sick of smelling rubber, it goes with the territory. Getting tired of even a beloved job on occasion isn’t unethical, it’s normal.
Meanwhile, thanks for a great website.