Robert M. Shrum (born July 21, 1943) is the director of the Center for the Political Future and the Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics at the University of Southern California, where he is a professor of political science in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. He is a former American political consultant, who has worked on numerous Democratic campaigns, including as senior advisor to the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004 and to the Gore-Lieberman campaign in 2000. Shrum wrote the famous speech Ted Kennedy gave at the 1980 Democratic National Convention conceding to and supporting President Jimmy Carter. He has been described as "the most sought-after consultant in the Democratic Party." Shrum served as speechwriter to New York Mayor John V. Lindsay from 1970 to 1971, speechwriter to Senator George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign and speechwriter and press secretary to Senator Edward M. Kennedy from 1980 to 1984 and political consultant until 2009.
Shrum's book, No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner, was published in June 2007 by Simon and Schuster.
Shrum was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania on July 21, 1943, the son of Cecilia (Welsh) and Clarence Shrum. His father was a tool-and-die maker and his maternal grandfather was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. His mother was from an Irish immigrant family. Shrum was raised in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Loyola High School of Los Angeles and Georgetown University (where he was named the outstanding debater at the 1965 national policy debate championship, the National Debate Tournament). On December 21, 1965, he made his first television appearance as a law student, debating Henry Kissinger on a broadcast of the CBS program Town Meeting of the World. He later received a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.
Shrum began his political career as a speechwriter in 1970, first for Republican New York City Mayor John Lindsay, and then for United States Senators Edmund Muskie and Ted Kennedy. Shrum was also a speechwriter for 1972 Democratic Party presidential nominee George McGovern as well as for 1976 Democratic Party presidential nominee Jimmy Carter. Shrum worked for Governor Carter for a total of ten days, and quit the night Carter won the Pennsylvania Primary. In his resignation letter to Carter, Shrum wrote "I am not sure what you believe in, other than yourself."
Shrum later worked for Ted Kennedy and wrote the famous speech Kennedy gave at the 1980 Democratic National Convention. After Kennedy's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 1980, Shrum returned to work in his Senate office as his press secretary until 1984, after which he became director of Kennedy's Fund for a Democratic Majority Political Action Committee until 1985.
In 1976, Shrum began work as a political consultant, designing campaign advertising and message strategy for Democratic candidates at the presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial levels, partnering with Pat Caddell and David Doak. Their first client was Jerry Baliles, who was running to succeed Chuck Robb as governor of Virginia.
The partnership with Pat Caddell dissolved in 1986, and Doak and Shrum continued to work together through a new firm for nine years. During their partnership, they served as strategic consultants and ad-makers for the successful campaigns of Bob Casey for Governor of Pennsylvania, Alan Cranston for reelection to the Senate in California, and Barbara Mikulski for Senate in Maryland. Mikulski would go on to become the first woman who was elected to the Senate who did not have a husband or father who served in high political office.
The firm continued to grow, acquiring new partners such as Peter Harris, Michelle Carrier, and Mike Donilon, while political consultants Joe Trippi and Steve McMahon began their media consulting careers at the firm.
Doak, Shrum, and Associates worked on the following campaigns, among others:
The reelection of United States Senator Alan Cranston in 1986
Ted Kennedy's United States Senate campaign in 1988
David Dinkins for mayor of New York in 1989
The reelection of United States Senator Paul Simon
David Walters for Governor of Oklahoma
Zell Miller for Governor of Georgia
Richard Gephardt for election to Congress and Presidential bid
The reelection of Denver mayor Federico Peña
Art Agnos for mayor of San Francisco