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Politicians should focus on policies, not `spin'

Alaistair Campbell is a close aid to British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Although he is only the prime minister's chief press secretary, he has been called "the second most powerful person in Britain" and "the real deputy prime minister" by the press.

How powerful is Campbell? He can interrupt the prime minister and his wife when they're being interviewed by the press. He can also scold Cabinet members. Some say that Blair does not even know how to make decisions without him, while others say that the prime minister is in fact his puppet.

Moreover, rumor has it that Campbell is going to step down from his post after the election in June. The BBC even made headline news out of the rumor.

Campbell himself was a journalist at a tabloid. In 1994, he quit his job as political editor of the Daily Mirror and became Blair's spokesperson, helping the Labour party to its election victory in 1997. Since he entered No. 10 Downing Street, he has been described as "Blair's Rasputin" (Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin, the notorious debauched `holy man' who held great influence over Czar Nicholas II of Russia). Not only do all the Cabinet members loathe him, but the press also regards him as an enemy. However, because of Blair's long-held trust in him, they can do nothing to him.

Campbell did not earn Blair's trust by flattery alone. The press has conferred the title "Czar of Spin" upon him, proving that he is indeed a brilliant "spin doctor" -- a politician's spokesperson who tries to forestall negative publicity. He suggested that Blair request Cabinet members call him Tony, instead of Mr Prime Minister, during the first Cabinet meeting in order to portray Blair's image as the "people's prime minister." It was also Campbell's idea for Blair to describe Diana, the late Princess of Wales, as the "people's princess," which moved the British people deeply.

The Blair administration's successes and failures have all resulted from "spin." In the era of media politics, few politicians doubt the magic of a spin doctor. The Blair administration especially seems to be bewitched by this as every Cabinet member is now hiring spin doctors to help them polish their image.

"Spin," nevertheless, can only be taken as a means, not a goal. Campbell's obsession with "spin" not only offended the press but also had a negative effect when it got out of control. The Blair administration's over-emphasis on spin has also been criticized as "just `spin,' no policies."

Blair and Campbell have a misunderstanding that "spin" is equal to "success." The Blair government is so used to spinning, that it has failed to accomplish much.

The Blair administration has indulged in "spinning," but has also been exhausted by too much spinning around when it has had to deal with domestic and international criticism for the handling of recent crises, such as the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Blair's decision to remove Campbell from his post proves that he has finally realized the negative impact of spinning.

Just like Blair, President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) successful self-transformation and his "Joshua" title have been the result of "spinning."

The Chen administration, however, has also been exhausted from running around too much. The government's performance is similar to that of the UK's as it "spins" around without carrying out any policy. Because of the pressure of the upcoming election, Blair is now eager to extricate himself from "spin" in order to protect the Labour party's endangered ruling power. Blair has also consulted leading British sociologist Anthony Giddens on state affairs. After all this, will Chen be able to learn anything from Blair?

Wang Chien-chuang is president of The Journalist magazine.

Translated by Eddy Chang
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