Cain taps Rumsfeld spokesman
October 1, 2011 by Don Surber
Herman Cain will add a heavyweight to his campaign staff on Monday. Taking over as campaign spokesman will be J.D. Gordon, who served as a Pentagon spokesman from 2005-2009 under Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. Gordon is a retired Navy commander. He succeeds Ellen Carmichael, a 2009 graduate of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.
So how did CNN report this story? From CNN: “Herman Cain communications director resigns.” No mention was made of J.D. Gordon, at all.
Reporter Shannon Travis made it sound as if Team Cain was on the rocks:
“It’s a very amicable departure,” Carmichael said. “He wished me the best of luck. And I will forever be fond of him and appreciative of this opportunity.”
In June, two other staffers left the Cain campaign. CNN asked Carmichael if her and Boustany’s departures are a sign of more trouble for Cain.
“No comment,” she said.
“I have served Mister Cain for more than a year,” Carmichael added. “We’ve had ups and downs. We’ve had tons of money and very little money. And I’ve stuck through some very difficult and some very rewarding times on the campaign. And it was just time for me to go pursue other professional opportunities.”
The timing of Carmichael’s resignation is sure to raise eyebrows. Cain’s candidacy is currently generating headlines, having recently won a Florida straw poll, seeing some momentum in some polls and earning some positive reviews for recent debate performances. On Friday, the candidate snagged a spot on NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
But newspaper reporter-turned-blogger Robert Stacy McCain reported: “Ellen Carmichael Out, J.D. Gordon In as Cain Campaign Communications Chief.”
Gordon is a big snag for Team Cain as he has been a contributing columnist and commentator to Fox News, The Washington Times, Human Events and Capital Insider. Since leaving the Pentagon, Gordon has been a Senior Fellow and Communications Consultant to several Washington-DC based think tanks, including Atlas Economic Research Foundation, Americas Forum, Atlantic Bridge, Center for Security Policy and the Liberty & Freedom Foundation.
Who would you rather have as a spokesman: a young woman 2 years out of college or a chap who handled questions about Gitmo, Iraq and Afghanistan during the 4 most unpopular years of the War on Terrorism. On the other hand, Ellen Carmichael must have done a pretty good job as part of a team that put a political novice in third in the Republican presidential sweepstakes. It’s an upgrade, CNN.
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