Naked City

Gov. Rick Perry is staying -- immovably -- on message. (Photo By Jana Birchum)

If Gov. Rick Perry learned anything from his predecessor about the news media, it can be summed up in three words. No, not "major league asshole," but "stay on message" -- a valuable technique designed to keep politicians out of trouble and, ideally, out of hearing range when they're mumbling derogatory remarks about certain reporters.

Perry, who took office in January after inheriting the job from George W. Bush, learned the message lesson early in his term after a bungled one-on-one interview with the Houston Chronicle. Perry reportedly told writer Clay Robison that he would oppose hate crimes legislation that offered special protections for homosexuals. The next day, Perry spokeswoman and former Houston Chronicle reporter Kathy Walt was sent in to do damage control, explaining that Robison, a veteran state reporter, had "misinterpreted" Perry's remarks.

Since then, Perry has pretty much stuck to his script, but in doing so comes across as stiff, disconnected, and unable to engage reporters the way Bush could. That's the assessment of several Capitol press corps members who covered Perry's first legislative session as governor.

"I find him really tentative," Dallas Morning News reporter Wayne Slater observed of Perry. "He's actually a nice, friendly guy, but I always get the sense that he's afraid he's going to say something wrong." Slater added that while Bush was initially reserved around the press while campaigning for governor, he quickly became quite skilled at dealing with the media. "Perry isn't there yet," Slater said. "But after being a legislator, an ag commissioner, lieutenant governor, and now governor, you'd think he would have figured it out by now."

At the same time, Perry has hardly had a bumpy press ride, due in part to the governor's extended trips out of town during the first months of the session. "All of his press relations during that period were with the local media," said Houston Chronicle reporter R.G. Ratcliffe. "When politicians get away from the reporters who know them the best, they start having it easy." Back home in Austin, Perry is, understandably, less relaxed. During a recent barbecue at the Governor's Mansion attended by legislators and media reps, a couple of reporters began pointing out similarities between Perry and former Vice-President Al Gore. "Gov. Perry gave a little speech at this thing," Ratcliffe said, "and it was odd because his cadence was the same as Gore's, and he just seemed very tense and disconnected -- just like Gore." To Perry's handlers, the Gore comparison might be sufficient reason to remake the governor's persona before he heads out on the campaign trail to face likely Democratic contender Tony Sanchez, although Sanchez has even less experience with the press. Perry, Ratcliffe reasoned, "needs to learn how to loosen up in front of a crowd."

"He really is pretty personable," said Jay Root, who covers state politics for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I think [Perry's campaign] would be better served by letting him be himself."

Another observation is that while Perry often avails himself to the press, he is not at all forthcoming. "He has been fairly accessible but he has not provided a lot of information," said one reporter. "He's actually pretty good at bantering one on one," another reporter observed, "but at press conferences, you get the impression he looked over some talking points five minutes before walking into the room."

Harvey Kronberg, who publishes the Quorum Report, a newsletter covering the Legislature and state politics, sees almost night-and-day differences between Bush and Perry and their dealings with reporters. "With Bush you got the impression that he was very comfortable with the press. He would have long, rambling press conferences, and have lengthy off-the-record conversations with reporters. Perry's press conferences are very brief. The longest availability we had with Perry was right after the session. I think it was a full half-hour." The reason is simple, Kronberg believes. "I think [Perry's handlers] want to introduce him to the public through television. They'll want to get Perry's message across through soundbites rather than through extensive print interviews," Kronberg predicted. "Print is not going to be their vehicle."