Public Relations Expert Robin Cohn: PR during the election and in the new presidency

(CNN) United States President-elect George W. Bush has the burden of presiding over a country that split evenly in voting for the two primary presidential candidates. The Senate will have 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans. Many pundits have suggested that Bush stress and encourage bipartisanship in order to win the public’s favor and get any significant legislation passed.

Robin Cohn is a nationally recognized expert in corporate public relations and the author of "The PR Crisis Bible." Cohn set the standard for handling crises when she directed the response of Air Florida after the fatal crash of its Flight #90 in the Potomac River in 1982.

Chat Moderator: Welcome to the CNN chat room, Robin Cohn.

Robin Cohn: Thank you.

Chat Moderator: The aftermath of this election can be compared to that of a hostile takeover: there are fences to mend and bridges to build. How do you advise clients to start the process in the wake of a divisive event?

Robin Cohn: I think it is important, first of all, to realize that there is no instant solution. When planning the direction to take, it has to be looked at in long-term proportions.

Chat Moderator: What should President-elect Bush consider in his overtures to the Democrats as he makes his key appointments?

Robin Cohn: Actually, he has to understand that half of the country did not vote for him so he's going to have to be very inclusive. A lot of the success will depend on how Congress behaves. The Congress will have to find middle roads. If not, if one side is too far to the left or too far to the right, there won't be reconciliation.

Chat Moderator: How do you advise clients to remain faithful to their fundamental values while making skillful compromises that still enable them to do their jobs?

Robin Cohn: Quite frankly, it is quite a balancing act. Perhaps there are different ways of going or reaching goals than originally thought. In other words, thinking outside the box.

Chat Moderator: Over the next two years, both parties are going to have an active public relations (PR) machine as they try to co-opt each other's agenda and move their own agenda forward. What are the pitfalls for both parties as they do this?

Robin Cohn: It is important to realize the role of perception. Both sides are going to have to be perceived as gracious. Once the boxing gloves are on, then the battle starts again. Both sides will have to become popular by doing positive things instead of fighting each other.

Question from Blackhawk424: Robin, maybe the most crucial PR campaigns are the ones that both parties run against one another. Maybe both sides could quietly agree to stop painting one another as the devil?

Robin Cohn: In all best possible worlds, that would be the best way to go. But I don't think it is likely, one of the reasons being that there are so many different factions within each party.

Question from Oldmil: Is it even realistically possible for a member of either party to "jump the fence" to compromise? Isn't that "career suicide"? Isn't true "bipartisanship" a Utopian ideal?

Robin Cohn: The winner has to become popular. I mean, for example, that whether you like him or not, Reagan became a very popular president. It is possible to come out of a fight and go forward.

Reagan was very smart in terms of using perception and the public to portray a kindly man running the country. That is not necessarily what was really going on. But that was a perception he was successful in building.

Question from Quigibo: Who won the spin war?

Robin Cohn: I think you have to break this up into the pre-concessions era or time after concession day. Prior to concession day, I don't think either one won. The one entity that really lost -- and it was a surprise loss -- was the Supreme Court. Given the day of the concession, Gore gave an outstanding speech and, ironically, it was probably the best speech he ever made.

MESSAGE BOARD Presidential race 2000 Election 2000 Election law     TRANSCRIPTS Chat Transcripts main page Christiane Amanpour on international reaction to U.S. Elections CNN's Bill Schneider on election aftermath Joe Lockhart evaluates Vice President Al Gore's concession Former Bush speechwriter Daniel McGroarty on his reaction to Bush's speech

As soon as the concession speeches were given, the focus has gone very fast to the future and on to Bush. So we are going to watch a new story unfold.

Chat Moderator: One of our audience members, Alfred, asks if we should rally around Governor Bush and give him a chance to accomplish what he was elected to do? Would this make Bush less dependent on the conservative Republican base?

Robin Cohn: Anyone that can broaden their base is in much better shape. I think Bush is going to enter a honeymoon period because the stage has been set for reconciliation, thanks to both Gore and Bush's concession speeches.

If the changes or the steps Bush makes are strictly cosmetic, he won't win a broader base. However, if the public can see that he is actually committed to taking positive steps, then the public will be more likely to give him the benefit of the doubt. Therefore, he’ll be broadening his base and not having to be tied strictly to one faction.

Question from Dedi: Do you think Bush has packaged himself in images to reinforce an "average guy" persona?

Robin Cohn: If that's how he has packaged himself, he has been very successful. Very frankly, I don't know how he intended to present himself.

Question from Dedi: The Bush PR blitz is for conciliation. But will this ever erase the scars of this election?

Robin Cohn: I think it is a scar. This past battle has left scars and they won't go away in the near term. So Bush really has a challenge on his hands because there is no such thing as a miracle cure.

Chat Moderator: Would Bush be better off acknowledging that there are deep scars -- some of which may not heal -- but then also emphasizing the need to move forward, and then put out his agenda?

Robin Cohn: I think it is always important to recognize the true problem. A leader has to address the problem and then say what he intends to do about it.

In the case of Intel, for example, the company sent out a flawed chip thinking that the public would not be aware of it. The public did discover the flaw and Intel was in big trouble and received negative press for months. The Chairman, Andy Grove, not only apologized later but admitted that Intel had made a mistake and how he had learned from that experience. As a result, he fostered more communication within his own company as well as rebuilding loyalty with his customers.

Question from PresidentialAppointeeDubya: Would it be more beneficial for Bush to read from his heart rather than a teleprompter?

Robin Cohn: If he is a good speaker, definitely. He is not good at reading a teleprompter but we really don't know how he speaks without one. So, definitely the teleprompter is a big problem for him in terms of how he is perceived. The human part of him would be far more effective.

Chat Moderator: Compared to some of the PR challenges you have had to deal with, how does the post-election PR challenge facing the next administration rank on your scale?

Robin Cohn: Let's put it this way: I'm glad this isn't my problem to deal with.

Chat Moderator: Do you have any final thoughts for us?

Robin Cohn: Again, I think there is no instant reconciliation. At the same time, I think the public has been so tired of the whole election that they are willing to go forward and see what happens.

Chat Moderator: Thank you for joining us today, Robin Cohn.

Robin Cohn: My pleasure. And here's to the next chapter.

Robin Cohn joined the Allpolitics Chat via telephone from New York City. CNN.com provided a typist for her. The above is an edited transcript of the chat, which took place on December 15, 2000.

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