As the Obama administration prepares to pack its bags, many wonder if the face of the administration, press secretary Josh Earnest, would continue a life of politics. But when asked, Earnest told me on Tuesday that he was “not planning” on running for office himself.
Earnest, widely considered an appealing face of the Obama administration from the televised daily press briefings, had been mentioned as a candidate for office in his home state of Missouri. “What I can tell you is I know there are a lot of talented young Missourians who are Democrats who should not be overlooked,” Earnest replied. “There's certainly a bright future for Democrats in Missouri, but I’m not planning to be one of them.”
Amid choruses of praise from correspondents in the packed James Brady Briefing Room where President Obama himself in a surprise cameo, Earnest made it clear that while he thoroughly enjoyed his experience at the White house, he did not see politics in his immediate future.
It's not unheard of for popular press secretaries to pursue a political career: Pierre Salinger, press secretary to President John F. Kennedy, won the Democratic primary for U.S. senator from California in 1964 and was subsequently appointed to the Senate to fill a vacancy. But he lost his bid for a full term that year to Republican George Murphy. And in 1974, Democrat Roger Tubby, the last of President Harry Truman’s three press secretaries, was defeated in a bid for Congress against Rep. Robert McEwen, R-N.Y.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax.
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