Lancman Cultivates His Public Persona, and His Influence
Freshman Assemblyman explains the strategy behind becoming "Mr. Visibility"
October 10th, 2008
Assembly Member Rory Lancman (D-Queens) is not a celebrity, but his constituents could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
Every day seems to bring more appearances of Lancman-on television, in the newspapers, online and even overseas-with a frequency that has begun to turn heads outside the borders of his Queens district.
He is being called "the ubiquitous Mr. Lancman" and "Mr. Visibility."
"He's got a buffet of topics that he's very well-versed in," said Austin Shafran, director of political affairs at Sheinkopf Communications. "He's definitely hit his stride."
But for a first-term assembly member with very little name recognition, stepping up his press operation is having mixed results.
Lancman said his only goal is to shine a light on the concerns of his constituents. His most recent media appearances have shown him addressing topics that run the gamut from the presidential election to Iran freedom of speech.
In early September, he was on Channel 11 criticizing Sen. John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Before that, he wrote an op-ed for the Albany Times-Union rejecting the severity of Gov. David Paterson's (D) economic warnings. He also keynoted a seminar in London on "libel terrorism," wrote a letter to Barack Obama advising him on how to shore up the Jewish vote and publicly opined on John Edwards' extramarital woes. And in late September, he appeared before the United Nations, decrying the "hateful ideology" of Iran's government.
His intention, he said, is not simply attention.
"I'm not getting into the paper or on TV to amuse myself," he said in an interview. "That's all just one additional tool in the arsenal of trying to get a point of view to carry the day."
As a freshman legislator, he said he is attempting to wield every ounce of the limited power he has to vocalize concerns about the economy, politics and foreign affairs.
"I don't chair a committee," he said. "I'm not exactly on the rolodex of the big important people in the state."
Lancman is adamant about getting his point of view out, even when it does not seem to directly address the needs of his district, which includes the Queens neighborhoods of East Flushing, Murray Hill and Browne Park.
"This international stuff-believe it or not, in New York City, people expect their legislator to get involved with," he said.
When he dabbles in foreign affairs, he manages to do so with few negative effects, even going so far as to get a few bills signed into law-such as the libel terrorism law he co-sponsored with now-Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau).
Yet when he dove headfirst into the summer's budget cuts, rejecting Paterson's assessment that the state was in a fiscal freefall, he risked retaliation from the executive chambers.
Fortunately, there was none to speak of, and today Lancman claims victory over Paterson's rhetoric, saying his more moderate assessment of the state's financial woes trumped the governor.
But Lancman's economic opinions did not go unchallenged. Bill Hammond, a columnist from The Daily News, slammed Lancman for his "head-in-the-sand thinking" and portrayed his critiques as just pre-Election Day posturing.
"What I am learning is that my background as a lawyer and a litigator, where you respond to everything," he said, "requires discipline to not respond and get into a back-and-forth with every columnist or blogger."
Lancman's next steps will be digital, as he and his staff have launched a website to aggregate all his communications. The site so far contains just a couple of posts: a video of his response to Sarah Palin's speech during the Republican Convention and a lengthy response to Paterson's veto of one of Lancman's bills.
He also recently launched a blog exclusively about the state budget, promising up-to-the-minute coverage about the state's finances.
As for whether Mr. Visibility is planning on using his still-evolving public persona to run for higher office in the future-he ran against State Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Queens) in 2000 and, should Council Member James Gennaro (D-Queens) lose this year, is rumored to be looking at another run-Lancman chose his words carefully.
"If some other seat or opportunity opens up, I definitely might be interested," he said. "But right now, I say this with a 100-percent sincerity, there's a tremendous opportunity for me and everyone else in the Assembly."
In mid-interview, he paused to give directions to a lost constituent. Legislator, media commentator-and now tour guide?
"I'm a full-service assemblyman, baby," he said.
Every day seems to bring more appearances of Lancman-on television, in the newspapers, online and even overseas-with a frequency that has begun to turn heads outside the borders of his Queens district.
He is being called "the ubiquitous Mr. Lancman" and "Mr. Visibility."
"He's got a buffet of topics that he's very well-versed in," said Austin Shafran, director of political affairs at Sheinkopf Communications. "He's definitely hit his stride."
But for a first-term assembly member with very little name recognition, stepping up his press operation is having mixed results.
Lancman said his only goal is to shine a light on the concerns of his constituents. His most recent media appearances have shown him addressing topics that run the gamut from the presidential election to Iran freedom of speech.
In early September, he was on Channel 11 criticizing Sen. John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Before that, he wrote an op-ed for the Albany Times-Union rejecting the severity of Gov. David Paterson's (D) economic warnings. He also keynoted a seminar in London on "libel terrorism," wrote a letter to Barack Obama advising him on how to shore up the Jewish vote and publicly opined on John Edwards' extramarital woes. And in late September, he appeared before the United Nations, decrying the "hateful ideology" of Iran's government.
His intention, he said, is not simply attention.
"I'm not getting into the paper or on TV to amuse myself," he said in an interview. "That's all just one additional tool in the arsenal of trying to get a point of view to carry the day."
As a freshman legislator, he said he is attempting to wield every ounce of the limited power he has to vocalize concerns about the economy, politics and foreign affairs.
"I don't chair a committee," he said. "I'm not exactly on the rolodex of the big important people in the state."
Lancman is adamant about getting his point of view out, even when it does not seem to directly address the needs of his district, which includes the Queens neighborhoods of East Flushing, Murray Hill and Browne Park.
"This international stuff-believe it or not, in New York City, people expect their legislator to get involved with," he said.
When he dabbles in foreign affairs, he manages to do so with few negative effects, even going so far as to get a few bills signed into law-such as the libel terrorism law he co-sponsored with now-Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau).
Yet when he dove headfirst into the summer's budget cuts, rejecting Paterson's assessment that the state was in a fiscal freefall, he risked retaliation from the executive chambers.
Fortunately, there was none to speak of, and today Lancman claims victory over Paterson's rhetoric, saying his more moderate assessment of the state's financial woes trumped the governor.
But Lancman's economic opinions did not go unchallenged. Bill Hammond, a columnist from The Daily News, slammed Lancman for his "head-in-the-sand thinking" and portrayed his critiques as just pre-Election Day posturing.
"What I am learning is that my background as a lawyer and a litigator, where you respond to everything," he said, "requires discipline to not respond and get into a back-and-forth with every columnist or blogger."
“I’m not getting into the paper or on TV to amuse myself,” Lancman said. “That’s all just
one additional tool in the arsenal of trying to get a point of view to carry the day.”
one additional tool in the arsenal of trying to get a point of view to carry the day.”
Lancman's next steps will be digital, as he and his staff have launched a website to aggregate all his communications. The site so far contains just a couple of posts: a video of his response to Sarah Palin's speech during the Republican Convention and a lengthy response to Paterson's veto of one of Lancman's bills.
He also recently launched a blog exclusively about the state budget, promising up-to-the-minute coverage about the state's finances.
As for whether Mr. Visibility is planning on using his still-evolving public persona to run for higher office in the future-he ran against State Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Queens) in 2000 and, should Council Member James Gennaro (D-Queens) lose this year, is rumored to be looking at another run-Lancman chose his words carefully.
"If some other seat or opportunity opens up, I definitely might be interested," he said. "But right now, I say this with a 100-percent sincerity, there's a tremendous opportunity for me and everyone else in the Assembly."
In mid-interview, he paused to give directions to a lost constituent. Legislator, media commentator-and now tour guide?
"I'm a full-service assemblyman, baby," he said.
