” Being the presidential press secretary requires one to handle extreme criticism while keeping a sense of humor. Dee Dee Myers, former Press Secretary to Bill Clinton certainly knows the meaning of this. Myers, this year’s John S. Knight lecturer, spoke to a crowd of students and community members about her time at the White House and her views on the political system today.”
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Being the presidential press secretary requires one to handle extreme criticism while keeping a sense of humor.

Dee Dee Myers, former Press Secretary to Bill Clinton certainly knows the meaning of this.

Myers, this year’s John S. Knight lecturer, spoke to a crowd of students and community members about her time at the White House and her views on the political system today.

She began her speech with a joke about Rush Limbaugh and after the laughter stopped, she promised to keep the jokes fair and include both parties. But she did say that the republican jokes were much more funny.

She even told one that involved both parties, as a man is drowning about 50 feet out in a river republicans throw the man a 25 foot rope and tell him the rest is up to you. The democrats then come and throw out a 100 foot rope and then drop their end.

She discussed the path that she has gone down from her college graduation in 1983 to her first job on the Walter Mondale presidential campaign. She revealed that all the campaigns she worked on resulted in a loss, until Bill Clinton.

That was the first time I realized we’ve got to work tomorrow, she said. That never happened before.

Her first day was met with 900 calls from members of the press requesting interviews with the new president.

After her time as the press secretary, she worked as a writer for the television show The West Wing. She stated that while she did most of the writing for the press secretary C.J, it offered her the opportunity to change the ending of her own experiences.

Myers also wrote a book, Why Women Should Rule the World. A book she described as not being a kumbaya lets hold hands book or a book that downs men.

I love men, my dad was a man, I married a man, I even had a little man, she said.

She used her time to discuss today’s political system and the celebrity status of President Barack Obama.

With the historical election and the evolution of social media that played a big part in the campaigns, she stated the problems that come with it.

It’s difficult for anyone trying and manage a brand, Myers said.

She addressed the differences between what her successor Robert Gibbs is facing with the news media opposed to what she dealt with.

During Clinton’s campaign, there were three major television stations, ABC, NBC and CBS, and major newspapers and magazines.

There was no internet so there was no blogs, no Web sites, no twitter, Myers said. It was more talk radio, newspapers, wire services, network television and magazines.

Now, as she said, people are able to access information about the president and his policies anytime.

It’s an opportunity, but it’s not without its costs as most opportunities are, Myers said.

While Obama has used those opportunities to create a movement during the election, she wondered about the time past it.

It’s like sending your best pitcher to the mound every night with no bullpen and expecting him to pitch a full game and win, she said

She took questions at the end of the lecture and offered some final advice to students.

Myers suggested that students follow their passions, do their best and not be afraid to fail.

She advised students to do extra things they are not required to do as often times first jobs are not glamorous but they help them stand-out.

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