The Image Messaging of the Trump Coronavirus Briefings | Eastern North Carolina Now

Publisher's note: This post appears here courtesy of the LifeZette, and written by David Kamioner.

    It seems that the White House may be taking a second look at the frequency of the up-to-now daily coronavirus briefings. Aside from a couple of minor contrived instances, President Trump and his team have done well. They have projected leadership, action, and attention to detail while the national Democrats have only viciously carped from the sidelines. But too much of a good thing (overexposure) could hurt the president's brand.

    How has the president and his team done so far? What have they communicated by speech and what have they said without saying a word? Let's take the four major players.

    President Donald Trump: Always in command and ready to do battle, the president exudes strength and confidence by the way he dresses, the way he stands, and the way he brooks little stupidity from the assembled press. But on days there is not major news, he is forced to repeat the same lines and tropes.

    While repetition is a smart move in politics, it may be smarter to save his command presence for days when his persona can be used in better ways than just repeating the mundane. His Friday performance, when he left the press gasping when he took no questions, may be the right kind of move much of the time.

    Dr. Deborah Birx: Comes across as ultracompetent and professional. Her Army career and her medical credentials make her a strong part of the team. But...her scarves.

    It may seem trivial, but presentation is key in politics and attire is a vital way to communicate a message. Aside from certain color blind pundits who have a proclivity for the bizarre, the comments on her scarves, and thus on a facet of her presentation, have not been kind.

    They have ranged from "Her scarves induce epilepsy in North Korean political prisoners" to "Dr. Birx's scarves are a Jackson Pollock painting with a migraine" to "Hermes? No. Her-mess."

    And those were not the worst of the lot. One particularly savage comment, "Though they likely are very expensive, those scarves would be better placed in the Deborah Birx Fashion Accessories section of your local Dollar General." A stand out was her recent powder blue indoor raincoat look set off by a puke green scarf reminiscent of 1973 couch upholstery.

    Vice-President Mike Pence and Dr. Anthony Fauci: They are blessedly conventional. Regimental ties, dark suits, and barrel cuffs say Ward Cleaver lives and he is back in charge. Their tone is conversational yet also no nonsense. It is what is needed to counterbalance a stylish chatty president and the fashion-challenged though brilliant Dr. Birx.