Toughest Job In The World: White House Press Secretary

Partly because I don’t have anywhere specific to be during the daytime, I’ve been able to catch every one of the Obama Administration’s daily White House Briefings.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs leaves the podium after delivering the daily White House Briefing to the media.

Many in the media were criticized for being ‘soft’ on Obama during his campaign. Certainly those assertions were put to rest the day he stepped in office. 

Luckily for Obama, now that he is in office, he doesn’t have to bear the brunt of the media’s questions himself.

No, that job is bestowed upon his Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who was formerly the Communications Director of his campaign. 

Consider the stress Obama was forced to deal with during the campaign. There is no room for error. Now, imagine what it’s like to have to speak for the President on a daily basis with that same small margin for error. 

Everyday Press Secretary Gibbs has to stand in front of room of journalists and answer tough questions ranging from U.S./Iran relations and economic issues to minute issues such as the President’s BlackBerry . 

His wealth of knowledge is practically immeasurable, and it has to be. He has to be  smart enough to dodge questions he shouldn’t answer and try to stick to his talking points while at the same time be witty enough to do it without being rude. It’s an eloquent dance.

I’ve done a few things in PR and I can guarantee that being the spokesperson for the President of the United States is a job that, despite its status and visibility, no one envies.