No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner

When I first saw Bob Schrum's book on the shelves at my local book store, I pulled it out, cracked the cover, and sat cross-legged right there on the floor, inhaling about 100 pages before my wife Holly caught my attention, and said we should be on our way. I bought the book that I'd already marked with my notes, and tabbed. I read it that evening, all the way through, couldn't put it down. If you like great writing, are somewhat of a political obsessive, and are dying to know what goes on in political campaigns, you should read this book. You won't be disappointed - except you'll find it went by too fast and want more. I did. To appreciate my point of view, you have to understand that I have always thought that Schrum could turn a phrase or see an argument in a way few could, and I've always thought that he did this with high-minded compassion for the underdog that has survived numerous campaigns and, even more challenging to his integrity, that has endured his own commercial success. I know there are folk out there who pulled out their long swords to cut at Schrum's revelations and the story he had to tell and that wish him ill. The most prominent of these you can find in Schrum's table of contents so you can see for yourself, if so inclined, precisely how Schrum dispatches the unworthy. Sour grape critics aside, if you want to get a sense of present politics and past history, this is a book that you must read. It tells you how Schrum realized his own appetite and skill for the political adventure that became his life story, whether it was his gift to merge the right word with the moment, or to turn the precisely correct argument into a rhetorical pirouhette. At his best, he takes you inside the back rooms when chaos and indecision must be ordered to figure out what to do next. He gives you a glimpse into Ted Kennedy, his first and longest lasting loyal devotion, and other presidential runs for the White House. If you want to know about the high strategy and drive-by slanders and back-biting king-of-the-hill wars on the campaign bus endemic to political campaigns since Brutus drove his blade into Caesar, you'll find a few recent chapters in that history right here. Schrum writes this as if it's his last memoir, and he's fading from the active political scene. It is interesting to observe, however, that, in his book, he favors only one candidate running for President on the Democratic side, Barack Obama. Schrum's direct praise of Obama's qualities, written when the field of candidates was crowded, shows his reading to be somewhat prescient of Obama's success. It also makes you wonder whether, if Obama gets the democratic nomination in Denver, whether Schrum will be on the talking head shows as an Obama spokesperson, rather than as a disinterested observer and old hand. Get this book. But don't clutter the aisles reading it on the floor - as I did.

Shrum's book is insightful and an easy read. It is a truly candid look at politics from the inside. Shrum has no problems naming names when necessary to tell the story. The most interesting thing about this book is that the reader can see how politics has increasingly become more deceitful over the last 30 years (though insiders would probably prefer to say that there is more "spin" today than there used to be). Shrum candidly discusses how the records of candidates (both those he represented and his client's opponents) are now routinely distorted to create sound bytes that will confuse or manipulate the electorate. The book also gives great insight into the personalities of Shrum's clients. It is an entertaining and easy read.

Whether or not you agree politically with Robert Shrum, "No Excuses" is a no holds barred look at his career as a speechwriter and as a consultant. From McGovern to Kerry, Shrum has been at the right hand of those running for office and those serving...it's been quite a ride and he captures it with style and panache. Most of us who are aware of the author know two things about him.....he's been on tv a lot over the past years... (his countenance is one not easily forgotten) and his track record for lending a hand in unsuccessful presidential races has been, well, astoundingly bad. Shrum acknowledges this but he has a great amount of self-deprecation in these losses and shares some of the blame when things haven't gone well. But he reminds readers that he has been very good at getting senators and governors elected. This might seem to be a covering explanation for the presidential level, but the political process is filled with those who need to be elected if they want to further their aspirations. The "not so surprising" aspect of "No Excuses" is that Shrum can write well! (he can't drive or type, he tells us) The book never lets down and keeps forging ahead from one campaign to the next with the author contributing his take on the candidates and others around him. He minces no words about those he likes and dislikes. Certainly Ted Kennedy and Shrum's own astute wife, Marylouise, are the political and personal heroes of his life. The backroom decision-making processes are what makes his experience so intriguing. Especially of concern was his listening to and advising both John Kerry and John Edwards about their 2002 vote authorizing Bush to use force in Iraq. No clear-cut ideologies here. The book crackles with drama as election nights 2000 and 2004 are recounted (and also "re-counted"!) as they shift back between victory and defeat. Shrum is in such a unique position of being a speechwriter and a consultant that it is sometimes hard to know where he draws the line. Apparently, it was hard for him, too, to know exactly how he fit into the picture, on occasion. As I read "No Excuses" I felt in many ways like it was a walk down "memory lane" as I cut my teeth in politics around the same time Shrum did. He did give me a better perspective on those candidates for whom I had voted...the ones I felt passionate about and the ones for whom it was just a pull of the lever. McGovern and Clinton I'd go for again, but Carter and Kerry, no. I'm sure many readers will identify with those men and it's just as well we didn't know how the campaigns were "made". On a more current note, I was surprised to read about the antipathy between Kerry and Edwards. After the election, Kerry told Shrum he wished he had never picked Edwards. With Kerry now out of the presidential picture, Edwards will come under more scrutiny for those who read about him from Shrum. Bob Shrum has given us what I would consider a nicely balanced look at his life in politics, taking the hi

Shrum is first and foremost, a wordsmith, a speechwriter, which led to political consulting. From the start of the book where he describes meeting JFK as a teenager---to the conclusion, in which Sen. Edward Kennedy throws Shrum a retirement party, the book is filled with interesting stuff about politics. A true "inside-baseball" account of the presidential races in recent decades. Shrum seems even-handed in his assessment of people in politics, and the times he reveals unflattering information about people doesn't come across as score-settling, but simply telling it like it is. All good political books have to have some new information---some zingers about political stars, but Shrum's assessment of people is balanced by both positive and negative information. The one guy who seems to get no criticism in the book is Ted Kennedy, and it is clear that Ted and Shrum are close friends and that Shrum has too much respect for the Kennedys to throw in any zingers about him or his clan. A great read by a great writer.

If you enjoy reading an insider's account of a presidential campaign, then this book is difficult to pass up. Shrum is as candid as ever, and has produced a powerfully well-written and passionate memoir. He presents an inside look into several presidential campaigns from his vantage point, and pulls no punches. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Shrum's analysis, kudos to him for his honesty.