Sen. Edward Kennedy's Chappaquiddick Speech (July 25, 1969)

One of the most (in)famous and disturbing apologia speeches of all time.  U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, 43 years ago today, attempts to explain his behavior on the night of the car accident killing Mary Jo Kopechne.  A full transcript and partial video of the speech can be found here and an interesting CNN article about how today's press media would cover the speech is here.

Bully Pulpit: Schwarzenegger Calls California Democrats "Girlie Men" (July 19, 2004)

What was the deal?  At a rally on July 17, 2004, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, addressing shoppers at a megamall rally and frustrated at delays in the budget process, called state Democrats "girlie men" for their refusal to publicly embrace their special interest loyalty to unions and trial lawyers.  The phrase alluded to a then well-known Saturday Night Live skit in which two Schwarzeneggerian (just go with me on that) weight lifters named Hans and Franz regularly wielded the term against the unbuff and unmanly.  An example of the routine can be found here.  Democrats objected to the remark as sexist, homophobic, bullying, and beneath the dignity of the governorship.

What did he say?  Not much.  The governor responded only through his staff in the days after the rally.  A report about the incident can be found here and a video clip here.

How did he do?  Well, no one was exactly shocked by Schwarzenegger's bluster.  One spokesman scoffed at the the idea of an apology (mortification strategy) but did employ a few image repair strategies, such as correction (the line was dropped at a subsequent rally) and denial (the term was not intended as a comment on the masculinity or sexual orientation of Democratic lawmakers).  The actual intent was explained as the governor's "way of saying they're wimps" for giving in to special interests. Okay, I'm pretty sure that differentiation doesn't help the quality of political discourse in our country, but I guess it's less offensive...?  In response to the criticism that the line is not typical of U.S. political rhetoric, Schwarzenegger's camp even offered the controversy as further evidence of his popular outsider brand (bolstering strategy) by arguing that "there are a lot of things that are not normal in politics about the governor."

Final Call?  Cakewalk.  Although the "girlie men" remark may have been beneath the dignity of the governorship, it probably wasn't beneath the dignity of the mall food court where Schwarzenegger delivered the line.  Frankly, Schwarzenegger probably could have ignored the flap altogether and still emerged unscathed, as evidenced by the fact that he used the term again later that summer during his high-profile speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention.  No, really he did, as you can see here, although his newly-coined "economic girlie men" was a bit awkward.  Yes, this case appears somewhat silly at the surface, but it clearly illustrates Democrats' precarious standing in the post-9/11, post-Iraq invasion world of 2004.  Positioned as outsiders on national security and military issues, the party endured endless attacks for being "weak" and is still struggling to break free of that easy-to-tell media narrative.  There's also probably something to say about a parody subject's appropriation of parody for political attack.  But I think I've probably written enough about this...

The Ridiculously Good Wife: Sen. David Vitter Linked to the "D.C. Madam" (July 16, 2007)

What was the deal?  A federal investigation into an escort service run by Deborah Jeane Palfrey, a/k/a the "D.C. Madam," turned up the phone number of U.S. Senator David Vitter, a Louisiana pol who built his career on moral issues, family values, and the sanctity of marriage.  Uh-oh.  When the news broke, husband and father Vitter released a statement admitting calling Palfrey's service prior to his election to the Senate in 2004 and while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Following this admission, Vitter went into seclusion for a week during which subsequent media reports linked the senator to a prostitution case in New Orleans.  The fresh charges and Vitter's hiding intensified the media scrutiny until, finally, the senator, along with his wife Wendy, called a press briefing in Metairie, Lousiana.

What did he say?  A transcript of the Vitters' statements, delivered five years ago today, can be found here and the video here.

How did he do? There's both good and bad in David Vitter's relatively brief statement.  He gets to an apology (mortification) quickly enough:  "I want to, again, offer my deep, sincere apologies to all those I have let down and disappointed with these actions from my past. I am completely responsible. And I am so very, very sorry."  The senator also explicitly denies the New Orleans allegations.  The most sophisticated strategy in Vitter's speech is to emphasize the framing of his misconduct as a private matter from a distant past and, therefore, not warranting public concern in 2007.  He often reminds the audience of the age of his dirty deeds ("actions from my past," "no matter how long ago it was," "dealt with this personally several years ago," "my past failings").  He further stresses the private nature of his situation when he states:  "Wendy and I dealt with this personally several years ago. I confronted it in confession and marriage counseling. I believe I received forgiveness from God. I know I did from Wendy, and we put it behind us."  The suggestion is that, if God and his wronged wife can forgive Vitter, the public should move on as well.  The senator ends with a transcendence strategy, focusing on a greater purpose which by turn makes specific misconduct appear smaller.  For example, he justifies his unwillingness to offer specifics to the press by citing "a lot of important work to do for Louisiana" on water resources, hurricane and flood protection, immigration, and transportation issues.  This "important work" is so important, in fact, that Vitter claims that from the press briefing he will "go immediately to the airport and to Washington for votes" (emphasis added).  

What doesn't work is Vitter's continued stonewalling and press criticism (attack the accuser strategy).  The senator peevishly frets:  "I'm not going to answer endless questions about it all over again and again and again and again."  See what he did there?  Vitter used "again" four times which shows he's pretty mad about all of the questions he hadn't answered yet because he was in seclusion.  And his whole "no questions" = "endless questions" move makes him look pretty unreasonable.

The most fascinating part of this apologia effort is when Vitter steps away and his wife, Wendy, takes the podium and pretty much shows up her husband.  She does a better job executing both the "private life" and attack the media strategies.  Speaking "as a mother," she chides the press for being "camped at our church--at our home, and at our church every day."  Hard not to sympathize at least a little bit.  Then Wendy goes on about how the couple dealt with this years ago, her forgiveness and love of her "best friend," and the increasing strength of their marriage.  Then, for good measure, she declares, "I'm proud to be Wendy Vitter."  Whether there were other feelings seething inside which contradicted her words, Wendy's show of support hit all the right notes and may have made it easier for the couple to escape the briefing without answering any questions while also encouraging the public to move on as well (similar to Hillary Clinton's support of her husband during the Lewinsky scandal).    

Final Call?  Speedbump.  Although Vitter got plenty of grief in the short term for his skeevy misdeeds and hypocritical posturing, he has endured.  Louisiana voters reelected him in 2010, and his marriage to Wendy is intact to this day.  Granted, the Pelican State historically boasts a high tolerance for roguish behavior in its elected officials.  Also, the Vitter scandal occasionally resurfaces in media coverage when public officials get caught consorting with courtesans, such as the recent Secret Service prostitution case, so this incident most likely will stand as the senator's most lasting political legacy.  However, Vitter remains an outspoken national lawmaker to this day.  And he should probably thank Wendy for that.