Bob Shrum

Robert M. "Bob" Shrum, (born 1943) is an American political consultant. Shrum was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania and raised in Los Angeles, and he is a graduate of Loyola High School of Los Angeles, Georgetown University (where he was a top debater) and Harvard Law School.

He began his political career as a speechwriter, first for John Lindsay and Edmund Muskie and later for George McGovern. Shrum worked for Jimmy Carter for nine days in his 1976 campaign. Shrum later worked for Ted Kennedy and wrote his famous speech[1] at the 1980 Democratic National Convention. Shrum worked for the Dick Gephardt campaign during the 1988 Democratic primaries but eventually came to work for Michael Dukakis when Dukakis won the Democratic nomination; Dukakis lost the election. In 1992, he worked for Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey, who was defeated for the nomination by Bill Clinton.

In 2000 and 2004, Shrum was behind Democratic presidential nominees Al Gore and John Kerry, both of whom were defeated in the general election by George W. Bush. During his career as a political consultant, he has helped many members of Congress, such as Alan Cranston in 1986 and John Edwards in 1998; Shrum has also worked for Ehud Barak of Israel and the British Labour Party.

Commentators often point out a "curse" associated with the presidential campaigns that he runs since he has yet to claim victory for any of his candidates in over eight presidential elections.[2] Other insiders point to Shrum's involvement in the Kerry campaign as detrimental, citing that Shrum (and his firm's partners) will be getting a $5 million cut for Kerry's media buys (another $3 million will go to other media firms used by the campaign) which likely tainted his advice [3]. Interestingly, during Kerry's improbable comeback during the Iowa caucuses 2004, Shrum was on a 10-day vacation in France. [4]

As a journalist, Mr. Shrum’s work appeared in New York Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The New Republic, among other publications. He was a columnist for the Microsoft on-line magazine Slate. Since 1985, Mr. Shrum has conceived and produced advertising (TV, radio, print) for twenty-six winning U.S. Senate campaigns; eight winning campaigns for Governor; the Mayors of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, Dade County and San Francisco, and the Democratic Leader of the United States House of Representatives.

Shrum is currently a Senior Fellow at New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where he teaches a class on domestic policy formation and analysis. He also teaches an undergraduate seminar to freshmen on Presidential debates and speeches since the 1960's.

Shrum has written a memoir entitled No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner, scheduled for publication in June 2007. It has received attention in the media for its less than flattering portrayal of Shrum's former client, John Edwards. [5]

Death

Robert Shrum was found dead in his Washington, D.C. July 5, 2007. Cause of death is currently unknown, but believed to be related to Auto-Erotic asphyxiation. Police refused to comment.

External links

• Loss Leader
• "Shrum and Dumber: Memoirs of the man who thrice saved us from a Democratic presidency", Matthew Yglesias, Washington Monthly, June 2007