Political Parties in the Age of Television
Former White House press secretary Mike McCurry talks about the decline in influence of the political parties, beginning in the 1970's, when television shifted the focus of campaigns to the candidates rather than their parties. "People began to conc...
Leader for a Nation: High Crimes and Misdemeanors
At times Congress has taken steps to curb misuse of power through its Constitutional power to impeach and remove a president from office. President Nixon may have been guilty of major offenses in relation to the Watergate break in and cover-up but h...
Monica Lewinsky Episode, The
Former White House press secretary Mike McCurry talks about the disappointment felt by White House staff members when the details of the Monica Lewinsky episode came out in the Starr Report. "And I think the President understood that, " Mr. McCurry ...
Job of Press Secretary, The
Former White House press secretary Mike McCurry explains that he spent most of his time as press secretary researching issues he knew he'd be asked about in press briefings, as well as trying to make sure he knew exactly what the President thought a...
Language of International Diplomacy, The
Former White House press secretary Mike McCurry talks about the need to speak "an entirely different language" as a State Department spokesperson. "While you're doing the briefing in English," Mr. McCurry explains, "...it's a peculiar variant called...
Politics of Extremism, The
Former White House press secretary Mike McCurry talks about the tendency to be, "...provocative, or angry, or loud, or shrill..." as perhaps the only way to cut through the enormous amount of information that is cluttering the political landscape at...
News Organizations
Former White House press secretary Mike McCurry explains how and why news organizations often cover events the way they do, especially in the case of high interest news stories. "It becomes kind of this moment of high drama in which the press has on...
National Conversation, The
Former White House press secretary Mike McCurry blames the press for failing to provide the American people with the context or the information needed to understand the important issues confronting the United States. "There's just basic, fundamental...
Party Politics: Elections Won in the Center
Elections are won in the center and that is where both parties compete. Over the last decades of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century the Republican right wing has been a more potent force than the liberal left wing of the Democ...
Of Presidents and Saints
Former White House press secretary Mike McCurry argues that America would be better off if it recognized that Presidents are not saints. "I think sometimes we shackle our presidents by not understanding that they are human beings in addition to bein...