Regnery Publishing
256 Pages
I have a guilty pleasure. I love politics. I hate politics, but I love politics. Election night is one of my favorite nights of the year. The prognostication, as awful as it always seems to be, is intriguing. While I know I could never be a politician, I love watching the inner workings of the night. So when a book comes out, I typically try to read it. Sure, this one has been out for a few years, but it’s still interesting. To be clear, I am not endorsing anything that Sean Spicer endorses in his book, The Briefing, but rather comparing his experiences with that of another press secretary from the other side of the aisle for a fuller picture.
The White House Press Secretary is an awful job. You literally leave your morals at the door and lie for a living. And if they tell you otherwise, they’re, you guessed it, lying. But what type of person is behind the podium, the real person when the cameras are off? That is what I dove into this book to discover. Who is Sean Spicer? While I knew we wouldn’t get a full testimonial from reading his words, I might be able to glean enough by reading between the lines where the public persona and the real person are often hiding.
To be clear, Spicer has built a public persona that feeds to his fans. There are certain expectations to be met, much like a rock star who has to wear a dress while drumming. Even if he’s grown beyond that, it’s what his legion of fans expects. I expected Spicer to stay on point during his talk about the Trump days. The stories I wanted were the ones away from the White House.
His early years, when he was finding himself, are intriguing. His growing interest in politics resembled much of mine, but he went much, much deeper into the morass of the American political experience. In my opinion, it’s far too easy to deal with absolutes than to carefully think through the nuance. Spicer, in his own words, thinks in absolutes. He’s a conservative and liberals are evil. That’s the message his acolytes expect and he stays firmly on message. I applaud him for it. If those are your convictions, then stand by them. Don’t bend them because they’re unpopular or because they might be popular. Stand by them because it’s what you believe in.
My issue is that the world doesn’t work in absolutes. There is no such thing as single factor causation, and there are many, many shades of gray between the poles. For the most part, Spicer plays in the black and white, ignoring the gray. It is this mentality which artificially divides us. He plays into this because it gives him clicks and views. Good for him, but I was expecting more of the real person, not the cultivated bobblehead.
I think Sean Spicer is a great family man. The obvious love for his wife and children shines through in his words. The time spent away from them as he worked in the various political circles pained him. Sometimes we make sacrifices to live out our dreams. Others may question those decisions, but it is not their judgement to make. That falls squarely on the people directly affected, not you and me. I also admire him for his dedication to his military service. I was actually annoyed when some people criticized him for fulfilling his civic duty while he was “supposed” to be at the podium. It’s these inane comments, from both sides of the aisle that prompt my disdain for most pundits.
I also felt anger on Spicer’s behalf when he was describing what happened when Anthony Scaramucci came on the scene. I felt that Spicer was a sacrificial lamb for the dual histrionics of a petulant Donald Trump more focused on spectacle than substance and Scaramucci bullying his way through things beyond his understanding. It was a backhanded thing to do to someone who had been loyal and hardworking.
While Sean Spicer and I probably don’t see eye to eye on many political things (Full disclosure: I am registered Republican, but have been adamantly anti-authoritarianly independent for the past two decades), I feel that I could sit down and have a beer with him. Just because we don’t agree politically doesn’t mean we can be social with each other. Despite current opinion, our politics shouldn’t define us. Our actions should. That being said, we probably shouldn't talk about politics when we meet up. We should talk about how Gronk should have been on my podcast. That’s way more fun than anything that happens in Washington.
The Briefing by Sean Spicer is an intriguing look at the life of a White House Press Secretary. I know it’s a terrible job that I could never do. The look on my face would betray my true feelings, which isn’t good in that job. I was far more interested in the man away from the podium. If Spicer wrote another book that detailed that more, I would be all-in. That would be a fun read, especially if he went into more detail about being on the campaign trail - as long as he was honest. We have a jaded view of what happens during a campaign. It isn’t all roses and rainbows. I bet Sean has great stories to tell. Maybe he can come to Buffalo and we can talk about them over some beer and wings.
Craig Bacon is intrigued with the democratic process in our great nation. Free elections are the backbone of a strong nation. But sometimes a beer could be the thing we need to bring us together.