No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner

by Robert Shrum

A Democratic strategist offers a behind-the-scenes portrait of presidential campaigns from the past thirty years, discussing the political runs of such figures as George McGovern and John Kerry while offering insight into the personal experience of running for national office. 100,000 first printing.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Biography, History, American History, Memoir

544 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Tyler Vondriska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had the honor of taking two classes with Bob Shrum before his retirement at USC. By far the best professor I have ever had. His book recounts a lifelong effort to make this country a better place. If only Gore had won in 2000…

[Corey Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

when this book was released, the "controversy" was that Shrum was calling John Edwards a creep--fancy that! a truly great insiders' book, and a quick read to boot...

[J Robb]

p. 63 - cynical strategies in politics - the newspaper trick. Carter Committee to _titional healthcare.
p. 75 - Kennedy and Richard Russell - secretary
p. 77 - ____ crisis of confidence in leadership.
p. 80 - top aids on Kennedy '80 shared rooms
p. 82 - Kennedy booming voice - neutral message.
p. 82 - Kennedy did not want "yes" men around.
P. 92-92 - Grail rhetoric
p. 100 - the Kennedy men with a peashooter than Carter with an nuclear missile.
p. 122 - using Reagan's words against him - great speech
p. 141 - Hart speech about "new leadership" - taking on ___ party status - teacher unions
p. 145 - Hart's joke against H.J. before primary
p. 146 - Summary of Hart's bumbles
p. 156. Casey - 4th try to become governor
p. 157 - Cranston had to not be humble
p. 163 - 1986 PA governor race. Dem Casey was pro-life and Rep/Scanton was pro-choice - a reversal
p. 167 - "Flip-Flop Update"
p. 169 - TV spot about flip-flopping
p. 174 - why press pretend to not like negative ads. Take ___ from them and give it to political class
p. 175 - govern from 1st principle
p. 186 - Need for TV air time Hyndai commercial
p. 188 - Belgium endive act - S. Dakota (for Gephardt and against Dukakis
p. 195 - Populist rhetoric
p. 240 - Sarbanes - pulling car into house more than once
p. 243 - Kennedy's confession
p. 244 - Romney - pro-choice in 1994
p. 248 - JFK told Teddy to have 2 or 3 "sons of bitches" around who weren't afraid to disagree
p. 249 - Swapping out podiums to conceal Teddy's weight.
p. 250 - Idea that all government has to do is get out of the way and private interests and power will see to it that prosperity trickles down to ordinary people - a nice mischaracterization of Republicans.
p. 254 - Nixon was first to triangulate - co-opted a lot of democratic principals - EPA; affirmative action in Fed contracts
p. 256 - Clinton used polls to decide not how to sell but what to sell. His program selection was completely based on purchased polls not personal conviction.
p. 263 - Jon Kerry rollerblading in spandex
p. 265 - crime, welfare, taxes - republican issues; environment, education, social security - dem issues
p. 273 - Clinton demands balanced budget in state of union speech 1996
p. 274 - Grand vision for thinking smaller
p. 284 - Clinton lies about Lewinsky
p. 288 - Edwards telling Shrum he'd never get involved in a sex scandal
p. 298 - Clinton legacy
p. 304 - "kissed ass up and kicked ass down"
p. 308 - Bill Bradley - healthcare / Gore healthcare plan
p. 313-314 - Cost of Bradley's healthcare was so much it would "shred the social safety net"
p. 314 - "voucher" for healthcare a toxic term for dems. Medicaid and seniors scared of universal healthcare
p. 315 - Gore talking about "wiping out" Medicare in debate with Bradley talking about Bradley's universal healthcare
p. 324 - Gore's traffic jam to stop Bradley voters
p. 327 - prosperity created by American people not government
p. 332 - make healthcare accessible, but not covering for it
The Busch Campaign Rhetoric
p. 337 - Gore's "targeted tax cuts"
p. 338 - Gore ticking off all the necessary constituencies
p. 340 - Gore's line "The people not the powerful..."
p. 370 - Great Gatsby - "careless people" quote
p. 385 - The near-missed of presidential politics.
p. 388 - Kerry and Edwards both against Iraq war but voted to let Bush start it
p. 391 - Edwards' anger
p. 413- "Bring him on" as a mott.
p. 425 - Kerry and healthcare
p. 432 - How quickly things can change. Kerry in NH.
p. 445 - gay marriage on the way, ushered in by the culture
p. 446 - Kerry the Catholic, lost the Catholic vote because he didn't obey a basic ____
p. 447 - stronger at home, respected in the world theme
p. 448 - 1 theme: stronger at home, respected in the world and 4 issues Jobs, healthcare, oil, security
p. 449 - testing different slogans
p. 451 - voted for it before voted against it.
p. 454 - Edwards hugging dead soon and saying it was first time he told anyone

[Kamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shrum takes us deep into the presidential campaigns with such a gift for writing. The political characters we see on TV take on human dimension and we feel the weight of each decision and interaction. He's the poet of American politics, as John Sexton once said. The details can be rather dense so prepare for a long read. Political science students, campaigners, people thinking about running for office, people who love US history - this book is for you.

[Cole Washburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a beautiful curtain pull into the inner chaos of the campaign world. Not only does Shrum not excuse his mistakes, but continually points them out and thoroughly explains them. His voice is incredibly compelling, his control of the book’s temporality is masterful, and he shows just how human politicians are.

[Andrew Figueiredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a political nerd like me, this is a real treasure trove of anecdotes and information. It wasn't always the most exciting (a little too detailed on random things), but Shrum has a ton of stories to tell. And he does so with humor and grace.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read a book like this one, with a behind the scenes look at political campaigning, with famous politicians at the forefront. It seemed particularly appropriate to read as this is campaigning season. It was interesting to note just how many numerous people can be working on a campaign, writing speeches, running polls, conducting focus groups to get just the right slogan or image across. As Shrum notes, people within campaigns are quick to take credit for victories, quick to flee in losses. As one might imagine, the internal conflict campaign workers can have with each other and with the candidate they work for can run high, as people are apt to think their ideas are best, or the campaign must go in a certain direction that may prove to be a downer in the polls. For "serial campaigners", the unscripted is generally frowned upon (i.e. may lead to Howard Dean's "scream").

Generally speaking, the book was too long, for what it gives the reader. Or at least, maybe I just found myself not being particularly interested in, say, the Gore/Bradley dem primaries of 2000. Some of Shrum's most damning commentary of strategies/personalities is often direct quotes from others. All in all, not a stupendous book, but I appreciated his unique insight and perspective.

[Kristal Stidham]

Whatever you do, DON'T listen to the unabridged audio version of this book! Michael Pritchard is supposedly one of the best narrators around, but I found his delivery to be deadpan and dreadfully slow -- making this audiobook last a completely un-called-for 22.5 hours!



Another drawback to audio is that you can't skim for relevant content. People who are deeply into political history will probably appreciate this book. Unfortunately, I have only a passing interest in the campaign process, so I wished many times I could skip ahead to something more engaging.



I enjoyed the few times he dished on famous Demos, telling anecdotes that are often un-flattering. It was also interesting to see which issues remain and which have changed in the last 40 years or so. Mostly I'll take away the knowledge that politicians must be taken with not just a grain, but a barrel of salt, because every word they utter is carefully calculated, well-rehearsed, and rarely their own.

[Howard Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an outstanding political memoir. Shrum had a lot of bad luck in his political choices, but he was (and is) a fascinating person and he tells a great story. Well worth the effort.

[Scott Mcclurg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a Bob Shrum fan, in large part because I think that his interpretations of the 2000 and 2004 elections are a bit self-serving. Still, this is a pretty interesting book that gives you some insight into how the world of political consulting works. It feels like he is pretty frank about the politicians, if not necessarily about his advice (advice that was followed worked, advice that wasn't followed didn't...go figure). The stories are interesting too. Its not as gossipy as it is memoir, but it also doesn't really have much in the way of a theme. If you like politics and elections, you'll probably like this book.

[Stuart Nachbar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an amazingly bad recount of numerous campaigns. I got the impression that Shrum could not work and play with others well enough to improve on his won-lost record, especially in presidential races. Behind the scenes accounts of campaigns are best left to candidates and journalists. With a candidate you get to know what makes them tick. With a journalist you get a more onjective account about why a campaign succeeded or failed. With a consultant on the losing side, like Shrum, you get too many would-haves, could haves, should haves.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I saw it for $1 at the Strand and Bob Shrum teaches at Wagner so I could take a class with him if I wanted. It was a fairly interesting collection of behind the scenes gossip about Democrats and a discussion of campaign strategy. My main takeaway was that I am really glad I'm not a political consultant. I'd be interesting to read someone else's version of these campaigns though because I have a feeling that these stories are very different depending on who does the telling.

[Arthur Kyriazis · Rating 5 out of 5]

bob shrums memoir details how he was a debater in NDT then a debate coach & close friend of Laurence Tribe, wrote George McGoverns acceptance speech in 1972, coached debate at Georgetown with johhny sexton, then how he slowly made it back as a consultant by running Ted Kennedy's campaign.

some might argue this destroyed the Democratic Party for years & created the modern rightwing Reagan Reoublican Party.

Others think Shrum is a true believer & brilliant. This is certainly an open & forthright memoir.

[Nancy Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh.

Gossipy, lots of name-dropping.

To hear him tell it, he's a genius and almost all of his ideas are gold. He takes small amounts of responsibility for things that went bad, but......

Why then, is he 0 for 7 in the presidential elections he helped run? Okay, I'll be kind and spot him McGovern.

I'll even spot Gore, since Gore really won.

But really. There's GOTTA be a reason his national track record blows.

[Ron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do you believe anything a political consultant says? Does the maxim, Once a Political Consultant always a Political Consultant, apply to this book? I did feel that this book was an honest look at the last 40 years of Democratic Presidential Politics, but there will always be a modicum of doubt. At least when it came to Republican candidates, he didn't try to hide his feelings towards them, especially towards George Bush.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. He tells stories about every presidential campaign since McGovern, and was involved to varying degrees in most of them. He's pretty candid, or seems pretty candid, about everyone, and doesn't seem to be settling scores. Though the book is a tad on the long side, it moves pretty quickly; I did pretty much skim the last two sections, about the Gore and Kerry campaigns, because they're too depressing.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shrum has been involved in almost every major Presidential race for the last 30 years - always on the Democratic side. The book provides an insiders take on how consultants and campaigns do what they do. Although the title of the book is "No Excuses", the book is filled with caveats that many would interpret as excuses.

[Jays · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bob Shrum has been at the forefront of American politics for the past thirty years. He can legitimately point to authentic and sincere relationships with any number of political luminaries. So why he spends so much time in this book name-dropping is completely beyond me.

We get it, Shrum. You're cool. Howzabout a little more show-y and a little less talk-y, eh?

[Janet W. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get past the first 100 pages. It's well written but entirely tooo detailed. I want to try and finish the book but I don't have the time. It took me one week to read 71 pages.....something I can read during the span of my metro ride home. You must be hard-core politiki to read this book.

[Monte Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a great deal of insight on many democratic campaigns during the last 40 years. Bob Schrum did a very good job letting us know how a political consultant lives and dies with his candidates. I was most impressed with some of the frankness about politicians and as well as other consultants. If you enjoy politics and how it works, this is a terrific book.

[Emiliano Orencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shrummy really gives you a behind the scenes look at some intriguing political races of the last 40 years. He always seems to be pretty objective on the talk shows and the book reflects that as well. Very quick and flowing read.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are into Democratic politics and learning about what goes on behind closed doors in campaigns, this is a very interesting read. I like him on Meet the Press so got the book. I emailed him at NYU just for kicks to tell him I liked the book and he wrote me back a nice thank you.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a dense read, especially if you're not a political junkie, but I really enjoyed reading about the campaigns of the past thirty or so years, of which Scrum was a huge part. Also gave my my first exposure to Ted Kennedy's 1980 DNC speech, which if you've never read is a must-read.

[Ellie Revert · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book broke my heart. It clearly shows how important it is in politics to be clever, to be tricky..... When I see Bob Shrum on TV, i like him, but learning about his "job" was so depressing. Gave up 2 days of my life for this--good grief!

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

For political junkies only. Shrum was a fixture in Democratic politics since the early 70s and the stories are interesting, amongst all the name dropping. His favorite client was obviously Ted Kennedy and his thesis is that the Democrats would win more if they were more like Kennedy.

[marcali · Rating 2 out of 5]

strain your credulity at how pathetic politicians can be

[JRB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shrum lies: he starts making excuses only a few pages in. But the subject matter is so enjoyable it does not matter. What a career.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not perfect, and there are plenty of excuses, but I wish all political memoirs could be this useful. Great read.

[James O'donoghue · Rating 1 out of 5]

You bore me Shrummy. Maybe that's why you lost all those elections.

[Jerry Bullard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great behind the scenes book by Democratic political consultant Robert Shrum. Mr. Shrum was nice enough to respond to an email I sent him telling him how much I enjoyed the book.