1. Nancy Grace: The host of “Nancy Grace” is the worst communicator across a wide spectrum of public figures. I don’t understand why and how she is on the air, much less on a respected cable channel. Prediction: Nancy Grace won’t be there through the year, unless people continue to want to watch train wrecks. Even “Saturday Night Live” could not parody her very well, as they allowed the barest smile through the sneers. Mean and vicious in face and tone, she is on the attack, and that’s how she has made her name as a commentator. Maybe she is tolerable in a sound bite, but after a half-hour one just feels dirty after watching her. Whether she caused the suicide of one of her interviewees is debatable, but whether she does well as a communicator is not. She doesn’t.

2. Barry Bonds: I want to like Barry Bonds. I’m from San Francisco, and I’d also like to see him break a record. That’s exciting and fun. But this feeling is now tarnished, breeding mixed feelings. Communicating is a contact sport. People have to connect with people to make contact, and Barry has the perfect smile and face to do just that. And he used to at some point, I guess. But now it is just disrespect. Distance. Dissing the reporters. And they give it right back. Aloof and arrogant. It’s hard to find humble and happy in today’s experience of Barry Bonds. All the negativity would not disappear with great communications, but he could reduce it by more than half if he would just talk to his public in an authentic way.

3. Mel Gibson: It’s not just the driving under the influence arrest and subsequent racial rant that puts Mel Gibson on the Worst List. (On that account, he probably ties with Michael Richards.) With Gibson it’s his personal communications. He is jumpy and nervous, and that seems to be his basic problem. At heart he does not appear to be confident in himself or what he is saying, and that’s what comes across when he plays himself. I love his films, and like and respect his ability, but every time I see him in a personal appearance, not playing a role, he is just not believable. Eyes darting all over, hyper and tight in gesture. You just don’t know where he is coming from. And that bodes ill for any communication experience.

4. Ray Tillerson: When Big Oil could really use a great communicator, giant Exxon replaces CEO Lee Raymond (one of last year’s worst) with another noncommunicator. Low energy and monotone. Tillerson needs to take the offensive to have any chance to turn the image of this company around. On track to surpass last year’s $36 billion profit while the public still pays high prices at the pump, Tillerson, and any other oil company executives, should be making the case for themselves rather than lamely mumbling, hiding or downright obfuscating. Eighty-two percent of the American people (USA Today) say oil profits should be regulated. There’s an essential need for great communicators if they want to counter this image.

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5. Lindsey, Paris, Brittany and Nicole:

The age of “real men” had the Rat Pack. Now we have sunk to the girls of the Mice Pack. Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Nicole Richie are beautiful young women who don’t have a voice, even though some of them can sing. And when they speak, only the paparazzi listen. Of course, when they behave, it’s girls behaving badly, and it’s what they are now known for. Unfortunately, only the media pick them up, for they have nothing to say except to shield themselves from the cameras.

6. Sen. George Allen: Virginia Sen. George Allen was a front-runner not only for reelection this year, but a potential presidential candidate — until he said “macaca,” using the word for monkey in referring to a minority member in public and in anger. One word totally reversed what was an expected landslide election into the slim loss that gave the Democrats the Senate majority. Of course, it was more than the one word — that was the tip of the iceberg that caused people to look beyond the surface. Another example perhaps of the unconscious breaking-through in communicating what is really there, and shouldn’t be. It’s also another reason that you can’t hide behind surface communications for long.

7. O.J. Simpson: The tragedy that is that the sad saga of O.J. Simpson just continues as he makes statements that turn out untrue. This time it was about “The Book” and how he wasn’t going to make any money from it. Not believable in content, not believable in behavior, and not believable in past experience. The once famous smile that we did once believe is now a hollow echo that we no longer trust.

8. Shaquille O’Neal: One of the greatest big men on the basketball court, Shaq is tiny off it. This year he won the NBA title for the Miami Heat, and he should have been rolling in endorsements and public appearances. Instead, he is parodied on “Saturday Night Live” and even worse on “MAD TV.” There is no excuse for those at the top of their game not to become top communicators. It’s a learned skill. And it looks like Shaq works at communicating about as much as he works on his free throws.

9. Rosie, Kate, Meredith: Rosie O’Donnell on “The View,” Katie Couric on CBS News and Meredith Vieira on “The Today Show.” Oh, that each had stayed where they were. Rosie was funny as a comedienne, now is strident and pushy as the co-host. I loved Katie on “The Today Show.” She even interviewed me and is as nice as she appears. But she is not cut out for the hard news night in and night out. When we want news, we want trust and authenticity. She is not a Walter Cronkite. So she is mired in third place after all the hype. Cute and connecting will not save her. And Meredith is not a Katie. She should have stayed in view. A reminder here: Know and use our strengths as communicators, and avoid those situations where we’re not strong.

10. George W. Bush: The president unfortunately returns as the only repeat on the Worst List — because of his influence, or lack thereof. Mired in the problems of Iraq, soundly defeated in the midterm elections, President Bush more and more sounds like a voice crying in the wilderness of unpopularity, and not doing it effectively at that. He continues to appear too much as a petulant child, pleading for his case with a high voice, and a look that continues to be the most parodied on television. And TV is the mass medium that a president must use as a bully pulpit if he is to be effective. Bush just is not. Last year I said he could cut his problems in half if he was effective when he spoke. He hasn’t changed. As a communicator, he’s no John Kennedy, and the numbers reflect it.

Bert Decker is CEO of Decker Communications, Inc. (deckercommunications.com), based in San Francisco, and blogs at deckerblog.com.