Recently, while participating in a workshop about branding, I overheard the following:
To the casual observer, there's nothing particularly noteworthy about that exchange, but to me--because of its rapid-fire delivery and cleverness--I thought it was hilarious. For a good five minutes, I was laughing so hard that tears welled up in my eyes. "Never heard of you" still makes me chuckle.
- Have you ever met the President, and if so, what's he like or what's it like to meet the "President of the United States"
David: Yes, I have met President Bush on several occasions. I first met him back when he was Governor of Texas. I was working for C-SPAN at the time and our CEO, Brian Lamb, flew down to Austin to tape an unedited, hour-long interview with the Governor at the Texas State Capitol. Although speculation was high, Governor Bush had not yet officially announced his intention to join the 2000 presidential race.
As I watched the discussion, I remember thinking that, should he win, I would endeavor to someday work for his administration. He was that impressive, both on camera and off. Specifically, the way he connected with the C-SPAN crew after the interview was just masterful. Although he was running tight on time (the President is known for his punctuality), he insisted on meeting each of us and the conversations were both meaningful and genuine.
Several months later, I met him in Iowa on the campaign trail and I was pleasantly surprised when he pointed to me and said, "Hey, C-SPAN Man!" I experienced the exact same man when I worked for him at the White House years later. Of course, the surroundings were a little more intimidating, but he was just as personable as I had remembered. I've also had the honor of meeting his father, former President George H.W. Bush, a few times, as well. I admire them both greatly and let's just say that kindness certainly runs in the family.
- What did you do at the White House and how for how long did you do it?
David: In March 2005, I joined the White House staff as the Internet and E-Communications Director in the Office of Media Affairs. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of WhiteHouse.gov, I also served in the press duty rotation as a spokesperson, as well as a liaison to Internet press and bloggers... I left the White House in May 2007 and joined Waggener Edstrom Worldwide as Vice President of Digital Strategies where I currently work out of our Washington, DC office. WE is a public relations firm primarily based in Seattle, WA and Portland, OR and is probably best known as the longtime agency of record for Microsoft.
- How many people does it take to manage the White House's website?
David: There are two positions (Internet Director and Website Coordinator) in the Office of Media Affairs division of White House Communications. In addition, the White House employs a team of about ten people including creative designers, programmers, multimedia producers and tech support specialists who ensure server integrity, provide timely updates and assist in the daily operation of all aspects of the site.
- Do you think we'll ever have a President that blogs him or herself while in office (not just when running for office)?
David: This is a question that I am asked often. In fact, I was just discussing it today over lunch. Honestly, I don't know if we'll ever have a true "Blogger in Chief." On one hand, one could argue that it may depend on who it is. Clearly, some candidates seem more tech savvy than others. However, on the other hand, having witnessed the lightning pace and demands of the office firsthand, I'm not sure it would be possible given the time commitment alone.
My best guess is that the next President will probably hire one (or more) press spokespeople responsible for blogger engagement and outreach. They may even decide to create a staff hosted blog on WH.gov (which basically exists now in the form of "Ask the White House") where the President could make guest appearances from time to time. I doubt an actual presidential blog would be effective since most people probably believe that the President has more pressing matters to attend to. Blogging, after all, is simply another vehicle to communicate a message and if the president wants to get a message out, all he or she has to do is one thing: step to the podium.
When I started at the White House, there were about twenty blogs I read on a daily basis. By the time I left, it seemed like there were twenty blogs per issue! Given that growth, coupled with the online progress we see in the 2008 campaign, it will be interesting to see how the winning candidate will attempt to transition from campaigning online to governing there.
- Of what are you most proud (related to the work you did at the White House)?
David: This is a tough question, but the successful launch of WH.gov's redesign in March 2007 is an accomplishment that ranks pretty high on my list. The challenge was that we had to upload new graphics and design templates, implement new Web 2.0 tools and maintain database/server functionality for thousands of pages-all without taking the site offline at any time! All in all, a terrific team effort.
Other than that, I was humbled every day to walk through the gate onto the White House complex. Regardless of one's politics, I believe every American (or world citizen) should have immediate access to the activities of the President of the United States, and the Internet has certainly aided in that effort.
President Bush often refers to the White House as the "People's House" and I approached the website in the same manner-WH.gov is the people's site. In my opinion, the primary audience is the American people and it's a terrific resource for those looking beyond the sound bite to learn more about the President's positions on the issues, as well as what is said and done on their behalf on any given day.
I was also honored to serve and although stressful and personally challenging at times, I'm proud of the team's accomplishments online, and I am eternally grateful for the experience and the close friendships formed.
- What Content Management System (CMS) does the White House use?
David: Due to its unique and dynamic content, the White House currently uses a homegrown CMS solution that was developed by internal EOP staff in the beginning of President Bush's first term. Of course, it has been modified and upgraded through the years, but the core functionality was designed to remain fairly consistent over time.
- When you redesigned the site in 2007, how much did you account for the fact that there'd be a new tenant within two years? Will changing presidents be as easy as changing a few lines in the stylesheet, or will the new president have to start from scratch?
David: When we began the redesign, we fully expected that the next president would create a site of their own after the 2008 election just as President Bush did when he took office. Previous versions of President Clinton's White House sites are housed and maintained online by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at http://clinton.archives.gov.
- Are the managers of the Web site political appointees or civil employees?
David: As I said before, the White House Web site is an important communications tool and thus, is managed primarily by the Internet Director based in the Office of Media Affairs. However, there are a number of others who contribute to the success and maintenance of the site, which includes a mix of both appointees and career civil servants.
- How many layers of people have to approve a new feature or item on the site?
David: Actually, the Internet Director has quite a bit of autonomy and has ultimate approval authority for day-to-day updates and most special features. However, as might be expected, there is a lot of coordination with numerous offices and agencies to ensure accuracy.
- Is the White House web site's mission to inform the public, or is it to promote the President and his agenda?
David: In my view, the site is designed to achieve three primary goals. First and foremost, it's the President's website so it is a place where one can find more information about [the President's] ideas, leadership and positions on policy issues. Secondly, it's an archive of the President's daily activities and offers timely transcripts, photos, audio and video of public events and press briefings. Third, the site serves as a terrific resource for those seeking to learn more about the history of the White House and the American Presidency. Of course, there are several other purposes it fulfills, but these three were paramount in my managerial approach.
- Final question: In the unlikely event that the President or one of his subordinates ever made a mistake, would it get reported on whitehouse.gov?
David: Since the site is an archive and not a news site, items aren't "reported" but rather posted as they happen. Therefore, in the rare event that a mistake does occur, it will appear on the site accompanied by an asterisk and a footnote with the corrected info.
Feel free to comment on today's MBI by clicking on the "Comments" link below. David has already indicated that he'd be happy to answer follow-up questions.
