Daniel Schnur
Encyclopedia
Daniel Schnur is the Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California
. He has served as Chairman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission
, and is a visiting instructor at the University of California, Berkeley
. He has also been a Republican
political strategist best known for his work as Senator John McCain
's Communications Director in his 2000 presidential primary campaign against George W. Bush
.
Born in Shorewood, Wisconsin
, Dan Schnur was raised in a proudly Democratic
household. After attending local schools, Schnur left Shorewood for Carleton College
in Northfield
, Minnesota
, where he was a pupil of the late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone
.
Schnur started work in politics as a media assistant for the Ronald Reagan
/ George H. W. Bush
campaign for the election of 1984. Bush campaign strategist Lee Atwater
encouraged Schnur to finish college after the campaign had ended. He did so, at American University
in Washington, D.C.
He later was the spokesman for the George H. W. Bush
/ Dan Quayle
campaign of 1988, before he moved to California
to work as the Communications Director of the California Republican Party
. He joined Governor Pete Wilson
's staff in 1990 as Press Secretary
and Communications Director.
After Wilson's successful 1994 re-election campaign, Schnur moved into education, teaching campaign politics at University of California, Berkeley
's Institute of Governmental Studies
. He then went to work for McCain's campaign, where he worked as the campaign's chief media spokesperson and oversaw the communications operation.
Following McCain's withdrawal from the 2000 race, Schnur returned to UC Berkeley and also began teaching political communication at the University of Southern California
.
Dan Schnur currently teaches the undergraduate course "Campaign Strategy: Media and Message" at the University of California, Berkeley
. In addition to teaching courses on campaign communication and strategy at both USC and UC Berkeley, Schnur is a founder and principal at Command-Focus, a Sacramento-based political strategy and communications firm with offices both in Sacramento and Los Angeles. Schnur joined Edelman public relations in December 2007 as executive vice president and director to lead its California Public Affairs practice. He can also be found as a regular political commentator on Fleischman's "FlashReport" Blog--a staple in the daily news diet of conservatives and moderates in the California political scene. Schnur also writes for the New York Times blog "Campaign Stops" and is currently the Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California.
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He has served as Chairman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission
California Fair Political Practices Commission
SUMMARYThe California Fair Political Practices Commission is the government body that enforces political campaign, lobbying, and conflict of interest laws in the state of California, similar to what the Federal Elections Commission does at the federal level...
, and is a visiting instructor at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He has also been a 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...
political strategist best known for his work as Senator 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....
's Communications Director in his 2000 presidential primary campaign against George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
Born in Shorewood, Wisconsin
Shorewood, Wisconsin
Shorewood is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 13,763 at the 2000 census. Howell Raines of The New York Times said in 1979 that "[t]his maplestudded town on Lake Michigan dotes on its reputation as Milwaukee's most liberal suburb."-Geography:Shorewood is...
, Dan Schnur was raised in a proudly 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...
household. After attending local schools, Schnur left Shorewood for Carleton College
Carleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
in Northfield
Northfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, where he was a pupil of the late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone
Paul Wellstone
Paul David Wellstone was a two-term U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. Before being elected to the Senate in 1990, he was a professor of political science at Carleton College...
.
Schnur started work in politics as a media assistant for the Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
/ George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
campaign for the election of 1984. Bush campaign strategist Lee Atwater
Lee Atwater
Harvey LeRoy "Lee" Atwater was an American political consultant and strategist to the Republican Party. He was an advisor of U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and Chairman of the Republican National Committee.-Childhood and early life:...
encouraged Schnur to finish college after the campaign had ended. He did so, 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...
in Washington, D.C.
He later was the spokesman for the George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
/ Dan Quayle
Dan Quayle
James Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana....
campaign of 1988, before he moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to work as the Communications Director of the California Republican Party
California Republican Party
The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party chairman is Tom Del Beccaro and is based in Burbank, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. The RPC also has a headquarters in Sacramento....
. He joined Governor Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton "Pete" Wilson is an American politician from California. Wilson, a Republican, served as the 36th Governor of California , the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that included eight years as a United States Senator , eleven years as Mayor of San Diego and...
's staff in 1990 as Press Secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
and Communications Director.
After Wilson's successful 1994 re-election campaign, Schnur moved into education, teaching campaign politics at University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
's Institute of Governmental Studies
Institute of Governmental Studies
The Institute of Governmental Studies is an interdisciplinary organized research unit at UC Berkeley, located in Moses Hall. Founded in 1919, IGS and its affiliated centers spearhead and promote research, programs, seminars and colloquia, training, educational activities and public service in the...
. He then went to work for McCain's campaign, where he worked as the campaign's chief media spokesperson and oversaw the communications operation.
Following McCain's withdrawal from the 2000 race, Schnur returned to UC Berkeley and also began teaching political communication at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
Dan Schnur currently teaches the undergraduate course "Campaign Strategy: Media and Message" at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. In addition to teaching courses on campaign communication and strategy at both USC and UC Berkeley, Schnur is a founder and principal at Command-Focus, a Sacramento-based political strategy and communications firm with offices both in Sacramento and Los Angeles. Schnur joined Edelman public relations in December 2007 as executive vice president and director to lead its California Public Affairs practice. He can also be found as a regular political commentator on Fleischman's "FlashReport" Blog--a staple in the daily news diet of conservatives and moderates in the California political scene. Schnur also writes for the New York Times blog "Campaign Stops" and is currently the Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California.