The Republican governor's understated style is a 180-degree departure from his Democratic predecessor, a natural extrovert who never passed up an opportunity to air his ideas and opinions. Those who know Corbett say that's simply not his way: The former state attorney general is not a retail politician but a law-and-order guy who will speak on an as-needed basis.
"One thing that Tom Corbett has proven through the years, as the attorney general and on his campaigns, is that he's not a publicity hound," said Brian Nutt, who managed Corbett's gubernatorial campaign and is now an outside political adviser.
"He's going to make announcements when he thinks something is important and when he thinks he has something to say," Nutt added. "It's substance over show."
Yet with his silence, Corbett may run the risk of being perceived as distant or cold at a time when the state is facing enormous fiscal problems that will require painful spending decisions affecting many Pennsylvanians' lives.
And, willingly or not, he could end up ceding the spotlight to the legislature on those and other issues. That can be good if you need to pass off blame - not so much if you want to claim credit.
"Conspicuous in his inconspicuousness" is how Eric Epstein, founder of the Harrisburg activist group RockTheCapital.com, describes Corbett in the early going.
"In my mind, access and transparency are interchangeable - you can't expect the public to read your mind," Epstein said. "In today's political climate, given the extraordinary fiscal strain the state is experiencing, we can't afford a governor who is M.I.A."
By way of comparison, Rendell in his first few weeks in office in 2003 kept a frenetic public schedule.
