Are We All Strategists?

Politico’s Daniel Libit explores the frequent use and misuse of the term “strategist” when it comes to ID’ing cable news guests.

Among the things that the proliferation of TV cable news has wrought is slackened standards for what constitutes a political strategist. Now used as a catchall tag for a whole host of people with varied — and often peripheral — backgrounds in electoral politics, the term has all but lost its meaning.

One of those real strategists doesn’t like all the posers. “I think it’s absurd,” says Ed Rollins in the article. “Everyone calls themselves a strategist. I have been doing this for 40 years, I know most of the players, and I go on these shows and think, ‘Who are these people?’”

Libit cites some questionably ID’ed analysts. CNN’s Amy Holmes (who will not be strategizing tonight on Larry King Live) has been labeled a “Republican strategist” in the past, but now is a “CNN political analyst.”

Or there’s frequent Fox and MSNBC guest Laura Schwartz who asks to be called an “analyst.” She tells Libit that she is labeled “political analyst” on The O’Reilly Factor and the very next hour will be labeled “Democratic strategist” on Hannity & Colmes.

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