Cliff Schecter
Encyclopedia
Clifford D. "Cliff" Schecter (born 1971) is an American political writer
, commentator, and operative
. Schecter is considered to be a political progressive
and wrote a book highly critical of 2008 Republican
Presidential nominee John S. McCain
; he has a reputation as a pugnacious proponent of progressive politics and policies
. Schecter is married and lives with his wife and family in Columbus, Ohio
.
, where he became politically active as a progressive and worked on his first political campaigns. He graduated in 1994 with distinction with a Bachelor of Arts
in American History.
firm Penn, Schoen & Berland
. He spent the 1996 campaign cycle
assigned to their biggest client, Democratic
President Bill Clinton
.
Schecter left Penn & Schoen
after Clinton's re-election, obtaining a master's degree in 1999 from Columbia University
's School of International Affairs with a concentration in international journalism and public relations. In 2004, Schecter was admitted as a Graduate Fellow to the Ph.D. program
in American History at American University
.
and joined the Global Strategy Group
(GSG), a polling and communications firm, where he worked for two years as a strategic counselor to several of the firm's clients, including then New York State Attorney General
Eliot Spitzer
, before departing to consult on his own. Schecter has consulted for the Democratic National Committee
, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
, and Working America
. He also worked for various campaigns
across the upper South, including those of Mark Warner
, elected governor of Virginia
in 2001, and Lois Combs Weinberg and Bruce Lunsford
, who failed in their bids to become Kentucky's Senator
and Governor
, respectively.
, FOX News
, CNBC
, CNN
, Air America Radio and National Public Radio
.
Schecter quickly gained a reputation for being a fierce defender of progressive ideology and candidates in print as well, appearing in Salon.com
, The Washington Monthly
, The American Prospect
,; his pieces were syndicated by Knight Ridder
and United Press International
, among other outlets. He also became a regular on The Young Turks
radio program with a weekly segment called "Republican Sexcapades".
Schecter served as a paid political analyst for the Sinclair Broadcast Group
during the 2004 election campaign
, and reprised the role in 2008
for Al-Jazeera.
. The book controverted the image of Republican
Presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain
, as a maverick politician who worked assiduously in the public's interest. The book asserted instead that McCain was really animated by a desire to wreak vengeance upon his political foes, a desperate need to be liked by others, an all-consuming love affair with the spotlight, and a willingness to do whatever was necessary to get ahead politically.
The book claimed to break a number of highly controversial stories, all of which McCain's campaign stoutly denied. The most controversial story featured McCain calling his wife Cindy a "cunt" in front of reporters and aides at the end of a long day campaigning for re-election in 1992. The McCain campaign responded by calling Schecter a "trash journalist" and "unstable". Another story, which had McCain assaulting fellow Congressman Rick Renzi
, was subsequently backed up by other parties in major media.
take the majority in the Ohio House of Representatives
for the first time in 14 years. Schecter then worked as communications director for appointed Ohio State Treasurer
Kevin Boyce
. The Democratic Party lost its majority in the Ohio house and Boyce lost the State Treasurer's office in the 2010 elections.
Schecter started a public relations firm, Libertas, in July 2009. Among his clients are New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg
's coalition Mayors Against Illegal Guns, former Vice-President
Al Gore
's Alliance for Climate Protection
, and the American Association for Justice (formerly the American Trial Lawyers Association). In addition, Schecter writes a weekly column on politics for al-Jazeera English, contributes regularly to both the Huffington Post and the British newspaper The Guardian
, and serves as a regular panelist for Your Voice, a Sunday morning television show dedicated to discussing political issues which is broadcast across central Ohio by ABC
and Fox
.
Political journalism
Political journalism is a broad branch of journalism that includes coverage of all aspects of politics and political science, although the term usually refers specifically to coverage of civil governments and political power....
, commentator, and operative
Political campaign staff
Political campaign staff are the people who formulate and implement the strategy needed to win an election. Many people have made careers out of working full-time for campaigns and groups that support them, but in other campaigns much of the staff might be unpaid volunteers...
. Schecter is considered to be a political progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
and wrote a book highly critical of 2008 Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Presidential nominee John S. McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
; he has a reputation as a pugnacious proponent of progressive politics and policies
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
. Schecter is married and lives with his wife and family in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
Early life & education
Schecter was born and raised in New York City. He attended the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, where he became politically active as a progressive and worked on his first political campaigns. He graduated in 1994 with distinction with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in American History.
Early political experience & academic study
Schecter then worked in the financial industry before returning to the political world as a polling analyst at the political consultingPolitical consulting
Political consulting, beyond the self-evident definition of consulting in political matters, refers to a specific management consulting industry which has grown up around advising and assisting political campaigns. This article deals primarily with the development and nature of political consulting...
firm Penn, Schoen & Berland
Penn, Schoen & Berland
Penn, Schoen Berland is a market research, political polling and strategic consulting firm with American offices in New York, Washington, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Austin, and San Francisco, and international offices in London, Hong Kong, Beijing, Dubai, and Delhi. The firm was founded in 1975...
. He spent the 1996 campaign cycle
Elections in the United States
The United States has a federal government, with elected officials at the federal , state and local levels. On a national level, the head of state, the President, is elected indirectly by the people, through an Electoral College. In modern times, the electors virtually always vote with the popular...
assigned to their biggest client, Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Schecter left Penn & Schoen
Penn, Schoen & Berland
Penn, Schoen Berland is a market research, political polling and strategic consulting firm with American offices in New York, Washington, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Austin, and San Francisco, and international offices in London, Hong Kong, Beijing, Dubai, and Delhi. The firm was founded in 1975...
after Clinton's re-election, obtaining a master's degree in 1999 from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's School of International Affairs with a concentration in international journalism and public relations. In 2004, Schecter was admitted as a Graduate Fellow to the Ph.D. program
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in American History at American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
.
Re-entering politics
After obtaining his master's degree, Schecter interned at the political magazine The Washington MonthlyThe Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly is a bimonthly nonprofit magazine of United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C.The magazine's founder is Charles Peters, who started the magazine in 1969 and continues to write the "Tilting at Windmills" column in each issue. Paul Glastris, former...
and joined the Global Strategy Group
Global Strategy Group
Global Strategy Group is a public affairs and research firm specializing in research, strategic communications, digital strategy, grassroots and grasstops organizing, marketing and branding. GSG clients include political candidates, corporations and advocacy organizations worldwide...
(GSG), a polling and communications firm, where he worked for two years as a strategic counselor to several of the firm's clients, including then New York State Attorney General
New York State Attorney General
The New York State Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of New York. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of New York.The current Attorney General is Eric Schneiderman...
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
, before departing to consult on his own. Schecter has consulted for the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
, and Working America
Working America
Working America is an allied organization of the AFL-CIO which works to build alliances among non-union working people. Working America is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization which provides workers who are not union members input into the policies, goals, and legislative efforts of the AFL-CIO...
. He also worked for various campaigns
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
across the upper South, including those of Mark Warner
Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
, elected governor of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
in 2001, and Lois Combs Weinberg and Bruce Lunsford
Bruce Lunsford
William Bruce Lunsford is an American Democratic politician from Kentucky. He has served various roles in the Kentucky Democratic Party including, Party treasurer, Deputy Development Secretary, and Head of Commerce...
, who failed in their bids to become Kentucky's Senator
United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2002
The 2002 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell won re-election to a fourth term.-Candidates:...
and Governor
Kentucky gubernatorial election, 2007
The Kentucky gubernatorial election, 2007 was held on November 6, 2007. In this election, incumbent Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher lost to Democratic challenger Steve Beshear, who therefore began serving as Governor of Kentucky in December 2007 for a term through December 2011...
, respectively.
Media work
Becoming a commentator and political analyst, Schecter made hundreds of appearances on MSNBCMSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, FOX News
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Air America Radio and National Public Radio
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
.
Schecter quickly gained a reputation for being a fierce defender of progressive ideology and candidates in print as well, appearing in Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly is a bimonthly nonprofit magazine of United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C.The magazine's founder is Charles Peters, who started the magazine in 1969 and continues to write the "Tilting at Windmills" column in each issue. Paul Glastris, former...
, The American Prospect
The American Prospect
The American Prospect is a monthly American political magazine dedicated to American liberalism. Based in Washington, DC, The American Prospect is a journal "of liberal ideas, committed to a just society, an enriched democracy, and effective liberal politics" which focuses on United States politics...
,; his pieces were syndicated by Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. Until it was bought by The McClatchy Company on June 27, 2006, it was the second-largest newspaper publisher in the United States, with 32 daily newspapers sold.- History :The corporate ancestors of...
and United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
, among other outlets. He also became a regular on The Young Turks
The Young Turks (talk show)
The Young Turks is a progressive Internet talk show via live web stream and YouTube, and starting in late 2011, a weeknight news and political commentary program airing on Current TV. It was Sirius Satellite Radio's first original talk programming. The Young Turks claims to be the first Internet...
radio program with a weekly segment called "Republican Sexcapades".
Schecter served as a paid political analyst for the Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
during the 2004 election campaign
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, and reprised the role in 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
for Al-Jazeera.
The Real McCain
In April 2008, Schecter published his first book, The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him And Independents Shouldn'tThe Real McCain
The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn't by Cliff Schecter is a 2008 book that analyzes the political transformation of Senator John McCain...
. The book controverted the image of Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, as a maverick politician who worked assiduously in the public's interest. The book asserted instead that McCain was really animated by a desire to wreak vengeance upon his political foes, a desperate need to be liked by others, an all-consuming love affair with the spotlight, and a willingness to do whatever was necessary to get ahead politically.
The book claimed to break a number of highly controversial stories, all of which McCain's campaign stoutly denied. The most controversial story featured McCain calling his wife Cindy a "cunt" in front of reporters and aides at the end of a long day campaigning for re-election in 1992. The McCain campaign responded by calling Schecter a "trash journalist" and "unstable". Another story, which had McCain assaulting fellow Congressman Rick Renzi
Rick Renzi
Richard George "Rick" Renzi is a former American politician and was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives representing . Renzi has pending Federal criminal charges against him for his involvement in a land-swap deal. On April 19, 2007, the FBI raided his family...
, was subsequently backed up by other parties in major media.
In Ohio
Schecter moved to Columbus, Ohio in 2007, serving as a communications strategist for the Ohio House Democratic Caucus, amidst the 2008 Democratic landslide helping the Democratic PartyOhio Democratic Party
The Ohio Democratic Party is the Ohio affiliate to the United States Democratic Party. Former Ohio House Minority Leader Chris Redfern is the Ohio Democratic Party chairman. Redfern was elected to office in December 2005...
take the majority in the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
for the first time in 14 years. Schecter then worked as communications director for appointed Ohio State Treasurer
Ohio State Treasurer
-List of Ohio State Treasurers:...
Kevin Boyce
Kevin Boyce
Kevin L. Boyce is an American politician of the Democratic Party, from 2009-2010 the 47th Ohio State Treasurer.-Career:Prior to holding political office, Boyce was the executive director of the KnowledgeWorks Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes college access for high school students...
. The Democratic Party lost its majority in the Ohio house and Boyce lost the State Treasurer's office in the 2010 elections.
Schecter started a public relations firm, Libertas, in July 2009. Among his clients are New York City Mayor
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
's coalition Mayors Against Illegal Guns, former Vice-President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
's Alliance for Climate Protection
Alliance for Climate Protection
The Alliance for Climate Protection was founded in 2006 by Nobel laureate and former United States Vice President Al Gore. The Alliance is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to educating the global community about the urgency of implementing comprehensive solutions to the climate crisis...
, and the American Association for Justice (formerly the American Trial Lawyers Association). In addition, Schecter writes a weekly column on politics for al-Jazeera English, contributes regularly to both the Huffington Post and the British newspaper The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, and serves as a regular panelist for Your Voice, a Sunday morning television show dedicated to discussing political issues which is broadcast across central Ohio by ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
.