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This week we are delighted to highlight our great friend and leading media and communications professional, well known throughout New Hampshire - Scott Spradling.
Scott could be considered a modern Renaissance Man. Recently, I was able to catch up with him, but barely as he’s always a man on the move! As a former Emmy award-winning reporter, anchor, and political director for WMUR-TV, Scott has worked with many well-known people who are in the public eye. One of Scott’s claims to fame is being the first to interview President George W. Bush in the Oval Office.
Today, he works with clients to boost their profile through earned media, leading crisis communications efforts and strategic communications while also representing clients on major issues of concern at the State House and beyond. As one well-known business and political leader once said – “with Scott Spradling, you get the brains, the guts, the passion, the results!” Oh, and if that’s not enough, you might just find him some weekends over at the Rex Theater belting out songs with his amazing 11 piece – Scott Spradling Band.
I asked him, “What were you interested in growing up?” He surprised me by saying he never grew up thinking about broadcast journalism or being a TV news anchor and admitted that he really had no interest in politics. That all changed, however, when he came to NH and as he says, “I was thrown into the deep end of the pool in a place where politics is a professional sport where our Presidential Primary is the Super Bowl!” That experience introduced him to men and women who are the heart and soul of politics in NH. He met people like Governor Steve Merrill and learned what makes him tick, Congressman Bill Zeliff and then NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen, observing what made people rally around her brand of politics. It was interacting with all the people in different political positions along with many activists that motivated him. As Scott says, “It’s all about relationships”, which is what he likes and is so good at in his consulting business.
The same approach applies for those running for president who come to visit NH. We pride ourselves, and rightly so, as what we provide is the great common denominator exercise of providing a level playing field for every candidate. Granite Stater’s are not starstruck by our visitors from out of state; rather, there is a humility on our part and an expectation of the same from candidates – even the stars when they sit down on our couches or at a booth at the Red Arrow diner. We are the epitome of grassroots politics. Ask someone on the street what they think of Niki Haley, they might tell you they don’t know because, as the old Primary cliché goes, they’ve only met her two or three times! We’re not looking for polished speeches, but rather that candidates are willing to spend time with us, to meet us where we are at and talk about life and issues great and small. We are a small, engaged, open, purple state whose voters give everyone a chance, just ask Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter!
I asked Scott why is it so important to remember what past Presidents have done for this country and world? He said, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. And there are so many amazing examples from both sides of the aisle of people who have made lasting and critically important contributions to our country, ensuring our democracy along with ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’. George Washington helped turn us into a nation of ‘united states’ versus colonies under a British monarchy. He also created a blueprint example that it’s important for the most powerful person in the free world to have a term limit. Abraham Lincoln salvaged the Union in its darkest hour. Herbert Hoover and Theodore Roosevelt got us through wars, depressions and created the great safety net called Social Security. John F Kennedy and LBJ helped enact the Civil Rights Act. All Presidents have left some legacy that is of value. It’s important to remember and protect and not forget those key moments in the history of our country.”
We then discussed how to take back Presidents’ Day as for many it’s become merely a day off and a retail sales event. He said “it starts with us – we’ve got to get back to basics. Around this time of the year, we all need to make an effort to look back and spotlight these stories. We need to learn from them. Everyone can do this. While education in our schools is a great start, we need to utilize the connectivity of our communications to share these stories and lessons learned – even from our failures we can learn. We can all create a page on Presidents’ Day recognizing what we have learned, gained, lost and what we agree upon. Pick your favorite president and write about what they contributed to our history; celebrate this moment in time. This is not an exercise of idolizing our political leaders, it’s about legacy and lessons and no matter what – we need to respect the office and return to civility. We need to employ critical thinking skills and bring back a respectful dialogue so we can go back to a time where we could agree to disagree, but still have a meaningful conversation. Learn your history and keep it civil – pull out a George Washington one dollar bill and read the motto: E Pluribus Unum!”
Thank you, Scott, for your passion and love of this country and all the work that you do to help sustain this great country!
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