Michele Bachmann appears destined for a single-digit portion of the votes in today's Iowa caucus, but low Presidential poll numbers are not stopping her from comparing herself to Margaret Thatcher. In a final plea to Iowa voters, she said, "We need to have someone who's going to campaign and govern in the image of a Ronald Reagan and a Margaret Thatcher."
Bachmann is no Ronald Reagan. But after Mary Civiello wrote a Guest Post assessing how Thatcher--as played by Meryl Streep in Iron Lady--lowered her voice tone to win audiences, I asked Civiello, a media and presentation coach, if Bachmann sounds anything like the former British leader she aspires to emulate. Referring to Bachmann as MB and Thatcher as MT, Civiello replies:
Michele would benefit from a little voice work, especially when she raises her volume.
Her voice doesn't hang in the screechy octaves that Thatcher's did in her earlier years, but she really has to watch it!
Visually, MB and MT are remarkably similar in style, gestures and eye contact, now that MB has figured out where the camera is.
Verbally, MB is very similar to MT in her staccato--the way she punches out a point and pauses.
See for yourself--Bachmann in Des Moines, explaining that she wants to be "America's Iron Lady":
Last we heard from media and presentation coach Mary Civiello, she weighed in on lessons from the Oscar-winning The King's Speech. She's back in the movie theater studying another icon of British history: Margaret Thatcher, portrayed by Meryl Streep in Iron Lady. Civiello knows of what she speaks: She works with executives at such companies as Morgan Stanley (MS), American Express (AXP), DreamWorks Animation (DWA), Merck (MRK) and Fortune's parent, MORE
Patricia Sellers - Dec 29, 2011 9:36 AM ET
by Patricia Sellers
Of three movies that I saw this weekend (a record cine-immersion for me), True Grit was disappointing, The Fighter was thrilling, and The King's Speech was inspiring -- my favorite of the bunch.
The King's Speech is about King George VI, Queen Elizabeth's father, and his determination to cure his paralyzing stammer at a moment when England is at the brink of war and in desperate need of inspiration. MORE
Patricia Sellers - Jan 10, 2011 1:13 PM ET
Mary Civiello
I've been in Washington, D.C., welcoming Fortune-U.S. State Department mentees from around the world -- rising-star women leaders who will shadow U.S. participants of the Fortune MPWomen Summit from companies such as General Electric (GE), Wal-Mart (WMT), American Express (AXP), Google (GOOG), JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Exxon-Mobil (XOM).
Tonight, they and more than 100 women leaders will be with us for a MPWomen dinner that will also include U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and MORE
Patricia Sellers - Apr 28, 2010 9:59 AM ET
Guest Post by Mary Civiello
Most of the executives I work with--at companies such as Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (MS), American Express (AXP), DreamWorks Animation (DWA), and Siemens AG (SI)---are experienced presenters. But even pros who just want to put some polish on the silver may underestimate the opportunity--and the risk--in any given presentation. If you want to shine and avoid the tarnish, consider these four tips to help you be MORE
Patricia Sellers - Mar 2, 2010 12:12 PM ET
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Pattie Sellers has written some of Fortune's most talked-about cover stories, including "Oprah's Next Act," "Can Meg Whitman Save California?" "The $100 Billion Woman" (Melinda Gates), "MySpace Cowboys," Martha Stewart ("I cannot be destroyed"), Ted Turner ("Gone with the Wind") and Oprah Winfrey ("Oprah Inc."). Since its launch in 1998, Pattie has helped oversee Fortune's "Most Powerful Women" cover package.
A specialist at dissecting larger-than-life personalities, she has also profiled former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, Morgan Stanley chairman John Mack, and countless CEOs.
Pattie co-chairs the annual Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, the preeminent gathering of women leaders in business, philanthropy, government, academia, and the arts. She started at Fortune in 1984, covering the big brand companies.
In Pattie's blog, Postcards, she provides insight into the lives of super-achievers through commentary, career advice, and Guest Posts by CEOs and other leaders.
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