Sherpa (political consultant) explained

A sherpa is an experienced Washington D.C. political consultant brought on to guide an administration's nominee to Senate approval.^[1]

History of the usage

Sherpa is a word taken from the language of the Sherpa, a nomadic people of the Himalayas. It literally means .^[2] 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".^[3]

Role

Supreme Court and top Cabinet post nominations have become increasingly partisan and contentious. Nominees for these positions now have designated sherpas with extensive political experience and are reliable. Sub-cabinet nominees are generally handled by department level political staff.^[4] 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 messengershaping the candidate's image, devising strategies to deal with reporters and coordinating calls with key senators
• Traffic copeverybody 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^[5]
• Coachwhat to say and when to say it and how to have proper demeanor:^[4] low profile, suitably humble, deferential, polite and persuasive in answering questions
• Confidant and sounding board
• Counselor^[6] and hand holder

Notable examples

• Kelly Ayotte for Justice Neil Gorsuch^[2]
• Jon Kyl for Justice Brett Kavanaugh^[2]
• Ken Duberstein for Justices David Souter and Clarence Thomas^[6]
• Fred D. Thompson and Ed Gillespie for Chief Justice John Roberts^[6]
• Michael S. Berman for Justices Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg^[6]
• Doug Jones for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson^[5]
• Cynthia Hogan for Justice Sonia Sotomayor^[7]
• Tom Korologos for Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, Chief Justice William Rehnquist, and Justice Antonin Scalia^[8]

See also

• Sherpa (emissary)

Notes and References

1. Book: McCutcheon . Chuck . Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Political Speech . Mark . David . 2014-09-02 . ForeEdge from University Press of New England . 978-1-61168-657-9 . en. p.25
2. Web site: Zimmer . Ben . 2018-07-31 . Why Do Supreme Court Nominees Have 'Sherpas'? . 2022-05-24 . The Atlantic . en.
3. Web site: Nerozzi . Timothy . 2022-02-18 . What is a Supreme Court 'Sherpa?' . 2022-05-22 . Fox News . en-US.
4. Book: Hagedorn . Sara L. . The American Congress: A Reference Handbook . LeMay . Michael C. . 2019-06-24 . ABC-CLIO . 978-1-4408-6581-7 . en. p. 131
5. Web site: Biden taps former Senator Doug Jones as "sherpa" to guide Supreme Court pick . 2022-05-24 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
6. News: Lee . Christopher . 2005-09-09 . Hill Veterans Light the Way for Nominee . en-US . Washington Post . 2022-05-22 . 0190-8286.
7. Web site: Prepping Sotomayor for hearings: Get your game face on - CNN.com . 2022-05-24 . www.cnn.com.
8. News: Greenhouse . Linda . Times . Special To the New York . 1986-08-18 . WASHINGTON TALK: WORKING PROFILE; STEERING NOMINEES OVER CAPITOL HILL: TOM C. KOROLOGOS . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-05-25 . 0362-4331.