wˈʌn baɪˈɑːɡɹəfɚ dᵻskɹˈaɪbz hˌɪm æz hˈævɪŋ æn "ɐbˈɪləɾi tə meɪntˈeɪn fɹˈɛndli kˈɑːntækt wɪð fˈɪɡjɚz əkɹˌɑːs ɐ wˈaɪd ɹˈeɪndʒ ʌv ɐfˌɪlɪˈeɪʃənz, wˌɪtʃ hˈɛlpt tə mˌeɪk hˌɪm ɐ səksˈɛsfəl pəlˈɪɾɪkəl fˈɪksɚ".
One biographer describes him as having an "ability to maintain friendly contact with figures across a wide range of affiliations, which helped to make him a successful political fixer".