TJ Walker comments on George Pataki's repeated hints about a possible presidential run, arguing the announcements generate little public interest. Walker offers two explanations—publicity-seeking or lack of volunteer/donor support—and asserts the primary reason is Pataki's poor public speaking. He contrasts Pataki with other stronger communicators and predicts Pataki will not appear on the 2016 ballot.
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Former New York Governor George Pataki announces on MSNBC today that he might be announcing something to do with his presidential aspirations in the near future. And the world reacted to that news with a gigantic ho hum. Now, every four, those of you who really, really, really follow politics closely may have remembered even then it's questionable every there is a set of one day headlines that says George Pataki, perhaps soon to announce he's going to run for President. It seems like this has been going on for three decades. He never really runs. Why is this? Well, there are two main reasons. One, he may have actually no interest in running for President. He's doing this just to get a nice burst of publicity, help keep his name out there, to generate business interest, legal clients, get invited into cocktail parties, make people realize he's not dead. Now another reason may be that he'd actually like to run for president. But once he tells people no one cares, no one steps forward to donate money or work for him or volunteer. That is at least a 50, 50 chance. Why is that? Here's my theory. George Pataki is a horrible public speaker. Now, I live in New York and I lived in New York through most of his tenure as governor and I can't remember a single thing he ever said that was remotely interesting, good or bad. In any speech he's ever given, in any media interview he's ever given. He is as boring, as flat, as bland and as low energy as you could possibly be and not be a reference librarian in the lower shelves in the subterranean regions of a library somewhere. I'm sorry folks, you simply can't be seen as a credible candidate for the most important political office in the entire world if you can't communicate. Well, now some of you are saying, wait a minute, T.J. what about George W. Bush? Okay, there are exceptions. If your father is the former president and can deliver the entire fundraising apparatus to you a year before the first vote is counted, sure you can get the nomination of a major party and perhaps be president. But absent that, you've got to be a good communicator. I mean, just look at the people who've lost the presidency in the last 20 years. John McCain can be a very compelling speaker. Mitt Romney, I've had my criticisms with him, but I still think he's a pretty good public speaker. Highly articulate and at times even passionate. Bob Dole, extraordinarily funny, witty communicator. So you just don't get to be the nominee of a major party without having some strong communication skills. At least being above average and Pataky is below average. So to me that's the real reason why his potential candidacy is a bit of a joke. He's for whatever reason too lazy to learn how to be a good speaker and I'm sorry folks I'm biased. I am a public speaking trainer. I think any human being who has an IQ of 85 or above who doesn't have an actual physical impediment can be a great public speaker certainly a compelling public speaker and Pataki for whatever reason is too lazy to have ever learned how. Here's my prediction. We're going to hear more from Pataki in the next couple of months. He's going to announce that he might announce that he might run for president. He's going to announce that he's going to perhaps explore running for president. He's going to do all sorts of things that are sort of a tease. But will we see his name on a ballot in 2016? I predict no.
