Jim Glassman, America's New Salesman

One point people have tried to make over the past few years is that the Bush administration needs to stop thinking of public diplomacy as simply a need to put a better sales pitch on the same American policies. Our pitch is actually fine and people understand what we're saying -- they just don't like it.

Relatedly, someone told me earlier today that Jim "Dow 36,000" Glassman was replacing Karen Hughes. I laughed at this pretty funny out-of-left-field joke. Obviously, the same George W. Bush who thinks public diplomacy is just about salesmanship wouldn't give the job to one of the least credible salespeople on the planet. Funny stuff. And imaginative! But no, this is really happening.

Comments

Paul Krugman had a good line about Glassman and Dow 36,000 to the effect that the prediction might still prove to be pretty good if you made the assumption that, due to a misprint or typo, an extra digit had been inserted, and Krugman just hoped that the inappropriately present digit was the "3" rather than the "6" or a zero.

Posted by Warren Terra | December 11, 2007 5:27 PM

They don't call him glassass for nothing.

Posted by SLC | December 11, 2007 5:28 PM

I's hard to tell, though, who is more stupid - he or Karen.

Posted by abb1 | December 11, 2007 5:36 PM

Paul Krugman had a good line about Glassman and Dow 36,000 to the effect that the prediction might still prove to be pretty good if you made the assumption that, due to a misprint or typo, an extra digit had been inserted, and Krugman just hoped that the inappropriately present digit was the "3" rather than the "6" or a zero.

Of course, Krugman has predicted stagflation, deflation, and recession over the past few years, so even given the title to Glassman's book, Glassman's got a better track record at predictions than Krugman has.

Posted by Al | December 11, 2007 5:56 PM

As I recall, Krugman called the housing bubble well in advance of most and was at the very least no worse on the internet bubble and on Enron, Global Crossing, etcetera than were most of his peers. Krugman may be a gloomy gus these days for reasons not entirely connected to economic indicators, but I think he's still very well respected as an economic analyst, and even seen as worth listening to for his predictions of economic strength (not seen as infallible or even reliable, but I don't think anyone is). Glassman, to my lay perception, is not really respected so much.

Posted by Warren Terra | December 11, 2007 6:14 PM

Actually, I think we're missing the point here: I perceive Glassman as inherently laughable as an economist. Al, apparently, wants to trust him with the kids' college fund. But all that is moot. The point shouldn't even be Glassman's personal and professional deficits but rather his lack of positives.

What the heck about Glassman's resume says this fellow has any idea how to sell the U.S. abroad, and especially in the Arab and Muslim world where we have our biggest image problem? Has he ever worked in P.R. or advertising? Has he travelled extensively? How many languages does he speak? Does he have an international profile especially a compelling one - that could help him attract attention to his efforts abroad?

I submit that even if we discount the fact that is, well, Glassman, I still suspect he isn't, well, qualified.

Posted by Warren Terra | December 11, 2007 6:27 PM

Maybe his real job is to con the third world into sinking their money into our subprime mess.

Posted by Jon H | December 11, 2007 6:29 PM

Maybe Bush's idea is to have him sell the Iranians on putting the dollar back into the denomination of oil contracts.

The Iranians just finalized dumping the dollar.

Saddam did that, too - before we invaded him. Some people think that was WHY we invaded him. I don't know enough to say for sure. There are people claiming it doesn't matter, others say it does, whether oil contracts are denominated in dollars.

Posted by Richard Steven Hack | December 11, 2007 6:39 PM

Why can't they just get Ron Popeil?

Couldn't those danged Middle Easterners be taught to love us by handy gadgets which make hummus so, so easier, and so easy to clean up?

Posted by El Cid | December 11, 2007 8:04 PM

I dispute that Glassman is not qualified. He is totally full of shit and therefore 100% qualified to serve in this administration.

Up next: Larry Kudlow for Chairman of Council of Economic Advisers and Dan Luskin as Fed Chairman.

Posted by gene | December 11, 2007 8:28 PM

What Gene said. This guy still can get a job? The man is a brilliant salesman.

Posted by bob mcmanus | December 11, 2007 8:57 PM

Krugman predicted deflation? Well, Bush has certainly blocked that problem!

Posted by Whispers | December 11, 2007 10:46 PM

Five years after most of the media cheered on a stock-market mania that blew up with disastrous consequences, journalists seem determined to sound warnings about the overheated real estate market. This time, even as housing prices continue to soar, many are erring on the side of pessimism. "I do think the press has gone way overboard," says financial commentator James Glassman. "They're scaring people."

Washington Post
Bubble Bath of Doom!
July 4, 2005

I'll say one thing about the SOB: He's consistent.

Posted by Peter Principle | December 11, 2007 10:51 PM

Apparently Al has not been reading the headlines lately. Krugman's timing may have been off, but his prediction of recession seems far more likely than Glassman's Dow 36,000.

Posted by r€nato | December 12, 2007 2:11 AM

suggestion: the title for this post should read, "Jim Glassman - America's New Turd Polisher"

Posted by r€nato | December 12, 2007 2:13 AM

I disagree with Bob McManus: Gene got it wrong, and his suggestion that Bush could next appoint other failed economists to posts requiring economists misses the mark.

The point isn't whether Glassman is a reliable economic analyst; it's that Glassman's apparent failings in his own professional milieu, disheartening though they are, are orthagonal to this job. The post calls for a diplomat, or maybe for a P.R. professional, or maybe for a celebrity. Not for some unqualified hack Cheney likes who is looking for government-sponsored travel and some really neat stationary.

Posted by Warren Terra | December 12, 2007 2:30 AM

My only real job on the internets is to point out this when Glassman gets mentioned.

Go read it. It rivals Dow 36,000 for bad predictions.

Posted by theCoach | December 12, 2007 9:45 AM

I smell a Presidential Medal of Freedom coming.

Posted by Szyk | December 12, 2007 10:23 AM

How could anyone replace Karen "10 Minutes from Competent" Hughes?

Posted by Harry R. Sohl | December 12, 2007 12:01 PM

Pace Al, who is pretty reliably always wrong, Krugman said that we would see deflation and recession unless the government took certain steps. Greenspan took those steps, and we avoided deflation, and the recession was mild. It's like Al went to the doctor, who said "You're going to die of cancer unless you get chemo", and then after getting chemo and not dying, Al went back to the doctor and said, "See, you're wrong! I wasn't dying after all!"

Posted by Walt | December 12, 2007 5:37 PM

Warren: "The point isn't whether Glassman is a reliable economic analyst; it's that Glassman's apparent failings in his own professional milieu, disheartening though they are, are orthagonal to this job. "

They're not orghogonal, they're secondary. For example, if I couldn't get a qualified disaster/emergency management person for the job of running FEMA, I could at least insist that the guy who was hired had been successful at his last job, even if that was running a horse show association.

Posted by Barry | December 13, 2007 10:15 AM

I won't speak to his business/economic credentials, but I used to work for Jim Glassman at "Roll Call" and frankly for pure smarts he reall is smarter than Karen Hughes. "Roll Call" is what in large part because of Jim Glassman. Saying that, when I worked with him he didn't seem to be such a partisan guy. Of course then he owned a newspaper and in the interim the AEI got a hold of him which may account for some of his.... whatever.

He is definitely a differently personality than Karen Hughes, don't know how well that will play out - not that her personality went over well.

Posted by ET | December 13, 2007 2:34 PM