Bob Shrum

Robert "Bob" M. Shrum, (born 1943) is a Democratic political consultant. He has not been successful in helping to elect a presidential candidate, including the campaigns of George McGovern in 1972, Ted Kennedy in 1980, Alan Cranston in 1984, Dick Gephardt and Michael Dukakis in 1988, Bob Kerrey in 1992, Al Gore in 2000, and John Kerry in 2004. This string of embarrassing disgraces has led some to speak of the "Shrum curse"http://www.counterpunch.org/strickler09202004.html, or the "Curse of the Shrummy." He is frequently called "Shrummy" by those closest to him.

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Not content with having helped the Democratic Party lose 7 presidential campaigns, Shrum currently fills his time as a senior fellow at New York University, and as a pundit on the Hardball television show.

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Born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, and raised in Los Angeles, Shrum is a graduate of Georgetown University (where he was a champion debater) and Harvard Law School. He began his political career as speechwriter, first for George McGovern in 1972 and then for Ted Kennedy, for whom he wrote Kennedy's famous speech at the 1980 Democratic National Convention, which closed with the rousing lines: "For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."

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Shrum champions populist, liberal causes such as tariffs to protect American textile and auto workers. The dichotomy between the lifestyle he maintains, and the average people for whom he purports to speak, is striking: he sold his Beltway home for millionshttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/02/01/AR2005040314833.html; he cannot drive a car, instead relying on an aide to chauffeur himhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9895-2004Sep9.html; he wears high-priced, specially tailored suits and eats gourmet food and wineshttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9895-2004Sep9.html.

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Despite his long string of failures at the presidential level, Shrum remains one of the most highly sought-after and highly paid political consultants in the United States and internationally, having worked on the campaigns of hundreds of Democratic candidates for Congress, governor, and other offices (where he has enjoyed far more success). Shrum excels at "slash and burn", negative campaignshttp://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200405/lizza.

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Shrum famously wrote to Jimmy Carter after only campaigning for 9 days, "Governor Carter, I have decided that in light of my own convictions and in fairness to you, I should leave the campaign without delay. I don't believe you stand for anything other than yourself."http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9895-2004Sep9_3.html.

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1943: :This is an article about the year 1943. For the arcade and video game, see 1943....

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