POLITICS: The biblical counsel of Mike
Paul, a.k.a. “The Reputation Doctor,” could help embattled
politicians like Tim Mahoney save their careers
By Emily Belz
October 21, 2008
When
congressional sex scandals start plastering the headlines, one
New York public relations expert has a secret that can save the
careers of embattled politicians like Rep. Tim Mahoney.
His advice? Own up—to everything, even scandals reporters
haven't uncovered. Radical, sincere repentance is the only answer
to scandal, said Mike "The Reputation Doctor" Paul,
not just for Mahoney, D-Fla., to win reelection, but to be right
with God.
Paul, who works for the public relations firm MGP & Associates
and for a time was involved in politics in Washington, often finds
himself on the front lines of salvaging the public images of celebrities
and public figures. As a Christian, he and his firm are transparent
about their philosophy, which is based in "business and biblical
principles."
"There's no line of wishy-washiness as to what the Bible says
[Mahoney is] supposed to do," Paul told WORLD. "He's supposed
to come 110 percent clean. The fear that we have drives us. When
you come clean 110 percent that fear is then gone."
Mahoney, as a self-proclaimed Christian, needs to make a public
confession, Paul said, and understand that God gave him the opportunity
to be a public official. He needs to confess, Paul added, even
if it goes against the advice of his political consultants.
"You have to say it fully, quickly, and often,” Paul
continued. “You have to be prepared for the next years for
that to be one of your talking points, that 'I made a big error;
here it is.'
"That's the best you can do. Everything else is trying to
control it, trying to spin it. Those things will all come back
to bite you."
Mahoney, who is married, admitted Saturday to having at least
two affairs, but insists he broke no laws and said he will not
resign. The two admitted affairs, with a former staffer and a
high ranking official in Florida, were first reported on by ABC
News and were based on sources in Mahoney's own offices.
Monday Mahoney’s wife, Terry, filed for divorce.
Earlier, he publicly apologized to his wife, his daughters, and
his constituents.
"All I can say is, I'm sorry I let you down," Mahoney
said.
Mahoney confessed to "multiple" other affairs, though
he would not say how many.
"You're asking me over a lifetime? I'm just saying I've
been unfaithful and I'm sorry for that," he said.
Mahoney added that he told his wife about the affairs "months
ago," and hoped voters would forgive him and judge him on
his work in office rather than his personal failings.
"I do feel like I let them down," he said. "I
just hope that they can understand I'm a human being. I never
presented myself as being perfect."
Paul said that's not enough.
"Congressman Mahoney has now created pressure for the press
to try to find out who the other past affairs occurred with and
exactly when," he said. "I predict other women will
come out of the woodwork soon to speak the truth about their past
affairs with Congressman Mahoney.
"He is still under the giant microscope of the court of
public opinion, which supersedes the court of law in situations
like this.”
Mahoney, who campaigned to bring morals back to Washington, is
being accused of hypocrisy. He will continue his bid for Congress,
but some speculate that his congressional career is over.
A reputation is easily smeared and difficult to wash clean.
"That's the tough part," Paul said. "That's where
you not only have the opportunity to live your faith, but have
the opportunity to be a vessel for Christ. You say no to your
attorney, political consultant, or scared wife who says you don't
need to talk about all that. You might even have a pastor who
tells you that."
Mahoney's unfaithfulness, Paul reminded, isn't so foreign to
every believer's struggles.
"Being a Christian is really hard," he said. "That
sounds so blunt and obvious.
"The bottom line is, politics is a very dirty business,
and it needs Christ now more than ever. There will be more sex
scandals in Washington, because Washington is a part of our society
and sex scandals are a part of our society."
The Reputation Doctor threw down a challenge to Christians to
be more involved in the political process, arguing that following
God in the Bible meant going to "places where evil lies."
"We have to have our shield and our armor ready," Paul
said. "We get that shield and armor by being read up in the
Bible and being prayed up.
"It's going to be extremely attractive to sin. You have
to pull yourself back on a daily basis. Obviously Tim Mahoney
wasn't surrounded by an accountability partner who was on his
staff."
Repentance is the strongest public relations message, Paul said.
"Christianity becomes a magnet for pulling people in, not
by hubris, but by humility, by standing on truth even when you're
shivering."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
