by Winston Chua

LOS?ANGELES - Communications experts who have worked under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, along with those who worked with Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, shared their experiences with C-SPAN viewers and public relations personnel at the Downtown Biltmore Hotel.

Camille Johnson, Noelia Rodriguez, Shelia Tate and David Demarest participated in the event called “Presidential Perspectives,” sharing their communications experiences across a high-profile and complex stage of global politics. The event was moderated by USC’s Dan Schur.

Johnson is the director of communications for First Lady Michelle Obama, Rodriguez was press secretary to First Lady Laura Bush, Tate served under First Lady Nancy Reagan and Demarest was director of communications for George H.W. Bush.

As media thrives when order unravels, Demarest and panelists said it was their job to keep presidential lives as predictable as possible.

One challenge Demarest faced was conveying Bush’s leadership to a broader audience in the public domain. The senior Bush was not the orator that Reagan was, but was great at small group meetings, a fact that his advisers were intent on accentuating, where possible.

Tate, who served under the Reagan administration, was put to the test as soon as President Reagan was shot. Luckily for her, the man in charge was truly epitomized “grace under pressure.” She told of how Reagan was no different in public from the man he was in private.

Laura Bush faced different sorts of challenges during her time in the oval office, as she moved out of the private eye and into a role as public speaker, said Rodriguez. To prepare for her ever-expanding role, Laura began preparing at regional interviews to the local press before moving onto media behemoths like 60 Minutes and Meet the Press following the events of September 11.

Would Michelle Obama follow the traditional ways of Laura Bush, or the more forceful Hillary Clinton? The answer, according to Johnson, was neither. Michelle has created her own path by putting family first and following her passions, one of which is the now famous White House vegetable garden

Gone are the fears that she would be a divisive presence in the White House. Instead she has gained international acclaim and praise for her work with with youth promoting a healthy lifestyle.

In conclusion, the panelists encouraged the audience to work in the public sector, emphasizing how gratifying work in the political arena can be.