I know that line has been appropriated for the Enron book and now has something of a sarcastic undertone. But I'm convinced that when Dr. Steven Chu walks in the room, he instantly holds the title of Smartest Guy In the Room.
In the room. In the Building. Heck, maybe even the entire city of Washington. The Secretary of Energy really is that bright. And his 1997 Nobel Prize is a pretty strong case in point.
This is a snapshot I took during the Secretary's recent appearance before the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. I thought it was interesting that, from this angle, Dr. Chu doesn't really stand out.
Yeah, everyone at the hearing either wanted to listen to every word he said (journalists) or have him listen to every word they said (senators). But here? Looks like just another guy in a suit and tie.
I did ask the Secretary a few questions following his testimony. One of them was about the extent of federal regulation he foresees as necessary to change US behavior (both commercial and consumer) and move us further toward a clean energy economy. But what I really took note of was his approach to answering my question. He became something of a professor, using analogies to help me/The Media understand his point.
And maybe that's why Steven Chu is such a strong candidate for Smartest Guy In the Room (or any room for that matter). He doesn't necessarily want you to understand how smart he is. Rather, he merely wants you to understand. Period.
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