Sherpa (political consultant)

A sherpa is an experienced Washington D.C. political consultant brought on to guide an administration's nominee to Senate approval. ^[1]

History of the usage

Sherpa is a word taken from the language of the Sherpa, a nomadic people of the Himalayas. It literally means 'people of the East'. ^[2] The English word sherpa originally referred to people hired as porters and guides by climbers of the Himalayan Mountains. Sherpas have a long history of helping to navigate difficult mountain terrain. Senate confirmation has been compared to mountain climbing: dangerous and exhausting. Like the Himalayan climbers, nominees need guides "through the obstacle course of interviews and hearings". ^[3]

Role

Supreme Court and top Cabinet post nominations have become increasingly partisan and contentious. Nominees for these positions now have designated sherpas who have extensive political experience and are reliable. ^[4] Sub-cabinet nominees are generally handled by department level political staff. ^[5] The role of chief strategist and stage manager, to get someone confirmed, is unpaid, largely out of public view and without official title. ^[6] The role has many facets:

• Media messenger –shaping the candidate's image, devising strategies to deal with reporters and coordinating calls with key senators ^[4]
• Traffic cop –everybody wants a bit of time with the nominee ^[4]
• Liaison with both the Senate and the administration; act as escort for nominee to meet senators and be an adviser for the president ^[7]
• Coach –what to say and when to say it and how to have proper demeanor: ^[5] low profile, suitably humble, deferential, polite and persuasive in answering questions ^[6]
• Confidant and sounding board ^[4]
• Counselor ^[4] and hand holder ^[6]

Notable examples

Tom C. Korologos, who guided some 80 Nixon and two dozen Reagan nominations

• Kelly Ayotte (former senator) for Justice Neil Gorsuch ^[2]
• Jon Kyl (former senator) for Justice Brett Kavanaugh ^[2]
• Kenneth Duberstein (former White House Chief of Staff) for Justices David Souter and Clarence Thomas ^[4]
• Fred D. Thompson (former senator) and Ed Gillespie (former Republican National Committee chair) for Chief Justice John Roberts ^[4]
• Michael S. Berman for Justices Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg ^[4]
• Doug Jones (former senator) for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson ^[7]
• Cynthia Hogan (political advisor) for Justice Sonia Sotomayor ^[8]
• Tom C. Korologos for Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, Chief Justice William Rehnquist, and Justice Antonin Scalia ^[6]

See also

• Sherpa (emissary)

References

1. McCutcheon, Chuck; Mark, David (2014-09-02). Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Political Speech. ForeEdge from University Press of New England. ISBN   978-1-61168-657-9. p.25
2. Zimmer, Ben (2018-07-31). "Why Do Supreme Court Nominees Have 'Sherpas'?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
3. Nerozzi, Timothy (2022-02-18). "What is a Supreme Court 'Sherpa?'". Fox News. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
4. Lee, Christopher (2005-09-09). "Hill Veterans Light the Way for Nominee". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2022-05-22.
5. Hagedorn, Sara L.; LeMay, Michael C. (2019-06-24). The American Congress: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. ISBN   978-1-4408-6581-7. p. 131
6. Greenhouse, Linda (1986-08-18). "WASHINGTON TALK: WORKING PROFILE; STEERING NOMINEES OVER CAPITOL HILL: TOM C. KOROLOGOS". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-05-25.
7. "Biden taps former Senator Doug Jones as "sherpa" to guide Supreme Court pick". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
8. "Prepping Sotomayor for hearings: Get your game face on - CNN.com". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2022-05-24.