Look, I'm going to tell you what's really happening or what it really means.
When it comes to commentary and analysis by the political commentariat in this chaotic days, "look" is the key word or password.
Those of us who find ourselves watching TV coverage of the unending series of crises, revelations, allegations, "breaking news," false alarms, mysteries, double talk, spin doctoring, talking points, conflicting claims and leaks get accustomed to hearing the oft-repeated "look."
If you have been paying attention, you have frequently heard pundits, politicians, panelists and press secretaries begin their comments or interjections with "Look ..." Sometimes it comes off as condescending. For many it is a seemingly obligatory salutation that conveys pseudo gravitas.
In the middle of all this, the White House communications staff has been under fire and at the center of controversy, particularly Press Secretary Sean Spicer and Deputy Sarah Huckabee Sanders. On a recent day when Sanders, daughter of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, conducted the press briefing, she said "look" at least seven times, following a short appearance on the Today show earlier that day with four "looks."
Spicer's credibility was diminished from the very beginning of the Trump administration when he was dispatched by the president to deliver a rant attacking the media for reporting on the size of the crowd at his inauguration. Trump and Spicer insisted the crowd was of much greater proportions than anyone looking at the photographic evidence would conclude.
It was a sign of things to come. Spicer has developed a reputation for combativeness and has been famously parodied on Saturday Night Live. Shades of Ron Ziegler, Nixon's hapless press secretary during Watergate, though he was best known for stonewalling.
Trump has threatened to cancel White House press briefings, saying that Spicer and Sanders couldn't be expected to achieve "perfect accuracy" at the rostrum. On several important topics, Trump's comments have been at odds with those by his spokesmen. Messengers often take the heat for the messages they deliver.
The seemingly dysfunctional Trump communication operation has been compared to a three-ring circus or a shovel brigade and there have been bizarre occurrences such as prohibiting U.S. journalists from witnessing the meeting with Russian officials in the Oval Office, which was photographed by Tass, the Russian news agency.
There has been speculation there could be a shake up in the Trump communications team lineup, which might give Sanders a higher profile. Trump reportedly believes his problems are not substantive, but a result of poor public relations and branding.
Trump himself has provided ample examples of "look." Remember his "Look what happened in Sweden" remark, which seemed to be a reference to terrorism, but nobody in Sweden knew what he was talking about. Notable recent cases came in his interview with NBC's Lester Holt when Trump began by saying about firing FBI Director James Comey, "Look, he's a showboat, he's a grandstander." Later in that interview there was a double "look" -- "Look, look, let me tell you ... I want that thing to be absolutely done properly," referring to the Russian investigation. And he said, "Look, I want to find out if there was a problem with an election having to do with Russia."
It is those who are commenting on or analyzing Trump administration actions or statements or tweets who provide a steady stream of "looks" -- the CNN roster includes Gloria Borger, Dana Bash, Jeffrey Toobin, Sara Murray, David Axelrod, Alan Dershowitz, and the champion of "looks," Ana Navarro. Charles Krauthammer of Fox News is a long-time leader in this category, and MSNBC has its share as well, including Joe Scarborough. Some print/digital journalists such as Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush of the New York Times have joined the "look" ranks in appearing on CNN. And there are public figures such as House Speaker Paul Ryan who give the look command.
Whether a verbal tic or a rhetorical device or a means of appearing authoritative, "look" is heard at every turn in political/media circles.
Look, we shouldn't need to be told to "look." Considering what is happening in national government, politics, and media, we should be constantly on the lookout.
Commentary on 05/24/2017