A Star is Born

Roll Call, the Capitol Hill publication, has an article today headlined "John Thune: A Star is Born" ($) One of the more interesting passages of the article addresses Thune's status as a national political figure. Relevant excerpt:

Regardless of how his new colleagues react, Thune has already been accepted with open arms by the media as a new national spokesman for Republicans.

On Nov. 10 alone, Thune appeared on CNBC and CNN twice ("Paula Zahn Now" and "Lou Dobbs Tonight") to discuss topics ranging from judicial nominations to the budget.

He also was a guest of George Stephanopoulos on "This Week" Nov. 7, appearing with Obama, who is arguably the only Senator-elect to eclipse Thune in press attention.

Thune, however, makes a point of downplaying talk of his status as a budding media darling, insisting that much of the attention is a result of "who I was running against." "The profile of this race generated some additional attention, and we are trying to use that in a way that enables us to serve the interests we believe in and the agenda we want to move," Thune said.

Some Democratic insiders argue that with Thune not likely to face a serious re-election race again in his career, he will quickly disappear to the back bench once the election afterglow wears off.

Still, Thune has clearly demonstrated a savvy understanding of the media and how best to present a conservative message. "Demeanor is important," saidThune. "You can be a right-of-center conservative with a conservative message, but how you communicate that is important."

Other Republicans agree that Thune's communication skills are uniquely suited to pushing the Republican agenda in the media. "John is very articulate," said Rep.Tom Osborne (R-Neb.), a Thune confidant. "He will be a great asset in the Senate."

Allen added that Thune's debate performances against Daschle showcased his talent for rhetorical repartee. "He held his own against Tom Daschle who knows all these procedures and is very knowledgeable about the workings of the Senate," the Virginia Senator said.