Appearance: Earnest, grizzled New York pollster and political strategist.  And what is he? An earnest, grizzled New York pollster and political strategist.  Claim to fame: Getting President Obama elected.  What's he up to now? He is about to take on his toughest challenge.  Preparing Sarah Palin for her presidential bid in 2012? Harder.  Making Nick Clegg interesting? That would be a killer, but this is worse.  You'd better break it to me . . . Coaching Gordon Brown for the televised ­election debates.  Jeeeeeeez! Nightmare. The jowls, that halibut-like movement with the jaw, the bizarre pronunciation, where do you start? Happily, that is Mr Benenson's problem, not ours.  Does he have the skills to do it? I quote from the website of the Benenson Strategy Group, the company he co-founded in 2000: "He has helped guide corporate clients through some of the most notable communication challenges in the past decade . . . He was the lead strategic researcher for Procter & Gamble's launch of Olestra, the fat substitute."  Sounds perfect preparation for steering us to our political future: Don't get heavy on me. This is Pass notes, not the Political Quarterly.  What else do we know about him? Used to work as a political journalist for the New York Daily News; was communications director for New York governor Mario Cuomo's 1994 campaign (don't tell Gordon, in case he throws something, but Cuomo lost in a landslide); was a vice-president at the New York ad agency FCB.  Key objectives: Making sure Brown does not cry, grin or mention boom and bust.  Not to be confused with: The other 486 political strategists who claim to have been instrumental in getting Obama elected.  Do say: "Great news that the Labour party is gearing up to fight this election with proper metrics and a slick communications team."  Don't say: "Remind me. Who was Clement Attlee's spin doctor?"
The tough political strategist is taking on his biggest challenge yet: coaching Gordon Brown for TV election debates