May 4, 2021: General Meeting and Zoom Speaker Series

Robert “Bob” Shrum
Director, USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future
Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics

A legendary political strategist and consultant, he has a storied career as an author, campaign adviser, and speech writer to Democratic candidates including Edward Kennedy, Joe Biden, John Glenn and Barbara Mikulski in their Senate campaigns, and John Kerry and Al Gore in their presidential races. Overseas, his clients have included Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, The British Labour Party, the Prime Minister of Ireland, and the Presidents of Columbia and Bolivia. Today, Professor Shrum also teaches several classes at USC on domestic policy, applied politics, and elections.

Michael Murphy
Co-Director, USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future

One of the Republican Party’s most successful political consultants, he has led more than 20 statewide campaigns to victory, including gubernatorial races for Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Christine Todd Whitman, John Engler, and Tommy Thompson. He’s worked on six Republican presidential campaigns and is widely known for his work in the 2000 GOP primaries as a senior strategist for Senator John McCain. He has advised leaders in Canada, Panama, El Salvador, Europe and in the former Soviet Union. He is a widely known political pundit, appearing frequently on NBC, CNN, and NPR.