Sherpa (political consultant)
{{Short description|American political consultant}}
A sherpa is an experienced Washington D.C. political consultant brought on to guide an administration's nominee to Senate approval.{{Cite book |last1=McCutcheon |first1=Chuck |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jNdhBAAAQBAJ&dq=sherpa+washington+political+guide&pg=PA25 |title=Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Political Speech |last2=Mark |first2=David |date=2014-09-02 |publisher=ForeEdge from University Press of New England |isbn=978-1-61168-657-9 |language=en}} p.25
History of the usage
Sherpa is a word taken from the language of the Sherpa, a nomadic people of the Himalayas. It literally means {{gloss|people of the East}}.{{Cite web |last=Zimmer |first=Ben |date=2018-07-31 |title=Why Do Supreme Court Nominees Have 'Sherpas'? |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/07/why-do-supreme-court-nominees-have-sherpas/566345/ |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}} 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".{{Cite web |last=Nerozzi |first=Timothy |date=2022-02-18 |title=What is a Supreme Court 'Sherpa?' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-sherpa-biden-doug-jones |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}
<span class="anchor" id="Role of the sherpa">Role</span>
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. Sub-cabinet nominees are generally handled by department level political staff.{{Cite book |last1=Hagedorn |first1=Sara L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ui6bDwAAQBAJ&dq=when+did+sherpa+make+its+way+to+capitol+hill&pg=PA131 |title=The American Congress: A Reference Handbook |last2=LeMay |first2=Michael C. |date=2019-06-24 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-4408-6581-7 |language=en}} p. 131 The role of chief strategist and stage manager, to get someone confirmed, is unpaid, largely out of public view and without official title. The role has many facets:
- Media messenger{{snd}}shaping the candidate's image, devising strategies to deal with reporters and coordinating calls with key senators
- Traffic cop{{snd}}everybody wants a bit of time with the nominee
- Liaison with both the Senate and the administration; act as escort for nominee to meet senators and be an adviser for the president{{Cite web |title=Biden taps former Senator Doug Jones as "sherpa" to guide Supreme Court pick |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-supreme-court-pick-doug-jones-sherpa/ |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}
- Coach{{snd}}what to say and when to say it and how to have proper demeanor: low profile, suitably humble, deferential, polite and persuasive in answering questions
- Confidant and sounding board
- Counselor{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Christopher |date=2005-09-09 |title=Hill Veterans Light the Way for Nominee |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2005/09/09/hill-veterans-light-the-way-for-nominee/6eca6015-8e37-4330-acd8-17cbaabef0e3/ |access-date=2022-05-22 |issn=0190-8286}} and hand holder
<span class="anchor" id="Notable sherpas and nominees">Notable examples</span>
File:Tom C Korologos.jpg and two dozen Reagan nominations]]
- Kelly Ayotte for Justice Neil Gorsuch
- Jon Kyl for Justice Brett Kavanaugh
- Ken Duberstein for Justices David Souter and Clarence Thomas
- Fred D. Thompson and Ed Gillespie for Chief Justice John Roberts
- Michael S. Berman for Justices Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Doug Jones for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
- Cynthia Hogan for Justice Sonia Sotomayor{{Cite web |title=Prepping Sotomayor for hearings: Get your game face on - CNN.com |url=https://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/28/prepping.sotomayor/index.html |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=www.cnn.com}}
- Tom Korologos for Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, Chief Justice William Rehnquist, and Justice Antonin Scalia{{Cite news |last=Greenhouse |first=Linda |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1986-08-18 |title=WASHINGTON TALK: WORKING PROFILE; STEERING NOMINEES OVER CAPITOL HILL: TOM C. KOROLOGOS |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/18/us/washington-talk-working-profile-steering-nominees-over-capitol-hill-tom-c.html |access-date=2022-05-25 |issn=0362-4331}}