Tucker Eskew
Encyclopedia
Tucker Eskew is a Republican
political consultant in the United States
who served as "chief of staff and permanent companion on the campaign trail" to Sarah Palin
. He is the founding partner of the Eskew Strategy Group, an Alexandria based Republican communications firm. In 2005, he merged the Eskew Group into a new communications firm called ViaNovo. Other notable partners in ViaNovo include Matthew Dowd
, chief strategist for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign.
. In the film, Tucker says “Can you understand American politics if you don’t understand Lee Atwater? I believe not.” In the mid-90s, he co-founded an electronic commerce business and later started a South Carolina-based public relations and business-consulting firm.
communications for George W. Bush
in his hard-fought campaign against John McCain
. A New York Times report on the South Carolina Republican primary described him as "Mr. Bush's spokesman here and a longtime political operative," quoting his pushback against crossover voters: "I think this alliance between the limousine-liberal Democrats and the McCain campaign is distorting the intent of real Republican voters."
According to ABC News
, "When the media first reported push-poll phone calls from Voter/Consumer Research, a company hired by the Bush campaign, asking South Carolinians if they knew about McCain
’s role in the S&L crisis and his scandal as a member of the Keating Five
, it was Eskew -- Bush’s South Carolina spokesman – who acknowledged, and defended, the calls."
After the Bush upset victory over McCain in South Carolina, Eskew became a top advisor to the Bush national campaign. He also served as spokesman for the Bush/Cheney recount committee in Florida.
position under chief media chief Karen Hughes
. But in November 2001, Eskew was moved to the Foreign Office in London to help plan media strategy in opposition to Osama bin Laden
, " for the Coalition Information Centre, a three-pronged rebuttal and publicity operation based in Washington, London and Islamabad ... mainly driven by the US and UK."
does not necessarily prepare one for."
The Chicago Tribune
(September 11, 2008) described Eskew as "a constant by Palin's side this week, as she has hopped between SUVs and campaign planes, all the while reading briefing materials or receiving quick tutorials from policy advisers who have dipped on and off the campaign trail to visit with her."
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 consultant in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who served as "chief of staff and permanent companion on the campaign trail" to Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
. He is the founding partner of the Eskew Strategy Group, an Alexandria based Republican communications firm. In 2005, he merged the Eskew Group into a new communications firm called ViaNovo. Other notable partners in ViaNovo include Matthew Dowd
Matthew Dowd
Matthew John Dowd is an American political consultant who was the chief strategist for the Bush-Cheney '04 presidential campaign. In December 2007, he was introduced on ABC's Good Morning America as its new political contributor...
, chief strategist for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign.
Background
After graduating with a Political Science degree from the University of the South, Eskew began his career on President Ronald Reagan's 1984 re-election campaign. Tucker became a press secretary to South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell at age 25. He served Campbell for eight years as Press Secretary and Communications Director. He worked closely with legendary GOP operative Lee Atwater, as seen in the political documentary Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater StoryBoogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story is a 2008 U.S. documentary on the campaign tactics used by Lee Atwater while working on the George H.W. Bush 1988 presidential campaign, and how those tactics have transformed presidential campaigns in the United States....
. In the film, Tucker says “Can you understand American politics if you don’t understand Lee Atwater? I believe not.” In the mid-90s, he co-founded an electronic commerce business and later started a South Carolina-based public relations and business-consulting firm.
2000 George W. Bush campaign
During the presidential primary campaign in 2000, Tucker directed South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
communications for 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....
in his hard-fought campaign against 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....
. A New York Times report on the South Carolina Republican primary described him as "Mr. Bush's spokesman here and a longtime political operative," quoting his pushback against crossover voters: "I think this alliance between the limousine-liberal Democrats and the McCain campaign is distorting the intent of real Republican voters."
According to ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, "When the media first reported push-poll phone calls from Voter/Consumer Research, a company hired by the Bush campaign, asking South Carolinians if they knew about 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 role in the S&L crisis and his scandal as a member of the Keating Five
Keating Five
The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The five senators – Alan Cranston , Dennis DeConcini, John Glenn , John McCain , and Donald W. Riegle,...
, it was Eskew -- Bush’s South Carolina spokesman – who acknowledged, and defended, the calls."
After the Bush upset victory over McCain in South Carolina, Eskew became a top advisor to the Bush national campaign. He also served as spokesman for the Bush/Cheney recount committee in Florida.
George W. Bush administration
After Bush took office in January, 2001, Eskew became the director of Bush's Office of Media Affairs at the White House, the number two public relationsPublic relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
position under chief media chief Karen Hughes
Karen Hughes
Karen Parfitt Hughes is the Global Vice Chair of Burson-Marsteller. She served as the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in the U.S. Department of State with the rank of ambassador. She resides in Austin, Texas.-Early life:Born in Paris, France, she is the daughter...
. But in November 2001, Eskew was moved to the Foreign Office in London to help plan media strategy in opposition to Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, " for the Coalition Information Centre, a three-pronged rebuttal and publicity operation based in Washington, London and Islamabad ... mainly driven by the US and UK."
2008 John McCain presidential campaign
According to ABC News, Eskew was brought on board the McCain campaign to "help Palin prepare for her Wednesday night acceptance speech at the GOP convention and for her stump speech as she hits the road, brief her on policy matters, and help her handle the media scrutiny a lifetime in AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
does not necessarily prepare one for."
The Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
(September 11, 2008) described Eskew as "a constant by Palin's side this week, as she has hopped between SUVs and campaign planes, all the while reading briefing materials or receiving quick tutorials from policy advisers who have dipped on and off the campaign trail to visit with her."
External links
- Press release, 2005 "Tucker Eskew joins US Newswire advisory board."
- Official White House biography
- New York Times (September 1, 2008) "In Political Realm, ‘Family Problem’ Emerges as Test" NYT article describes Eskew as "senior advisor" to Governor Palin.
- "Palin team stocked with Bush veterans" Yahoo News, Sep 10, 2008]
- http://www.boogiemanfilm.comTucker Eskew discussing his mentor Lee Atwater in the film Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater StoryBoogie Man: The Lee Atwater StoryBoogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story is a 2008 U.S. documentary on the campaign tactics used by Lee Atwater while working on the George H.W. Bush 1988 presidential campaign, and how those tactics have transformed presidential campaigns in the United States....
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