Bob Shrum

Few campaign consultants have had the kind of impact on American politics as Bob Shrum. Now retired from political campaigns, Mr. Shrum was for decades the most sought-after strategist in the Democratic Party, serving, among others, John Kerry, Al Gore, Joe Biden, and most notably, the late Ted Kennedy. Overseas his clients included Ehud Barak in his campaign for Prime Minister of Israel, and Gordon Brown for Prime Minister of the UK. Mr. Shrum is currently serving as Director of the Center for the Political Future and Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics at USC Dornsife.As the next presidential campaign takes shape, we’ll discuss how Trump got here and what it will take from the Democratic field to defeat him in 2020, and whether the Kennedyesque call-to-service can be rekindled in modern democracy.