What Would You Like Me To Ask Political Consultant Robert Shrum For A Newsvine Interview?

News Type: Other — Tue Jul 1, 2008 10:27 AM EDT

politics

Scott (Scoop) Butki

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This is the book I’m interviewing him about.

I've managed to arrange a two-part interview with political consultant Robert Shrum. As I've done with David Maraniss, Matt Taaibi and Roger Ebert I'm inviting others to join me in asking him questions. If you provide a good question I'll give you credit.

Here is his bio from Wikipedia and an offical one from the book publisher

Here is a review of the book from the New York Observer and one from the New York Times. Here is a column he wrote in April about Hillary

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3.4

{"commentId":2093465,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

It'll be my usual two-parter (I do this because a) it doubles the book exposure, something publicists like b) it gives me a chance to ask both general questions about the author (first part) then gives me a week or two to read the book so I can focus on that for part 2 and c) I get to ask double the questions if I'd just had one interview

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#1 - Tue Jul 1, 2008 10:25 AM EDT

{"commentId":2093492,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Possible questions:
What have been the high points and low points in your political consulting career?

Do you agree with the author of the Confessions of the Political Hitman that negative ads are a necessary evil in our American political process?

What do you make of Scott McCellans' book and the reaction it received?

What was the worst mistake a candidate you worked for made and how did you help spin it? Or is spin the wrong word for what you do?

What's the biggest wrong stereotype about you?

What question are you most tired of being asked?

{"commentId":2093492,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#2 - Tue Jul 1, 2008 10:28 AM EDT

{"commentId":2093586,"authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

AdipicAcid

Given your track record, how is it that you keep your job? (Shrum has never won at the national level. Never)

{"commentId":2093586,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

3 votes

#3 - Tue Jul 1, 2008 10:40 AM EDT

{"commentId":2093704,"authorDomain":"mightyblogger"}

Pacific Northwest Blogger

Hey Scott, I have seen him and his animated discussions on Meet the Press and on some cable news shows. I hate to be so lame, maybe it's a lack of decaff or too early in the day, but in this case I have to go with lame.

The only questions I can think of are: "Mr. Shrum, why am I interviewing you?" (open ended question, might have interesting results) "Mr. Shrum what relevance do you place on Cable News programs if any?"

P.S. Good luck with your interview

{"commentId":2093704,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"mightyblogger"}

1 vote

#4 - Tue Jul 1, 2008 10:55 AM EDT

{"commentId":2093924,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Hmm, maybe I should not have just emailed this link to Shrum's publicist.
Doh!
I'll ask Acid's question- heck I called the Politicial Hit man author a hypocrite, a liar and other things and then a woman claiming to be an ex gf showed up in the comments section here to further insult him- so asking about Shrum's bad "luck" or history is fair ground as far as I'm concerned.
Plus one reason I wanted to do that interview is I thought the two would sort of balance each other out - consultant for one party, hit man for another.

My guess he'll address that question (why do you keep losting?) in the book too.

{"commentId":2093924,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#4.1 - Tue Jul 1, 2008 11:23 AM EDT

{"commentId":2094930,"authorDomain":"mightyblogger"}

Pacific Northwest Blogger

Ahh had enough decaff to almost make a half cup of caffeinated now.

Background - We watched history happen when the DNC rules and bylaws committee were publicly broadcast.

- Mr. Shrum, from your perspective and understanding of the DNC, what effects and changes do you see for the DNC should Senator Obama become president?
- Moving forward, do you think the DNC will focus less on big doaners and focus more on the individual doaners?
- What changes do you foresee in the 50 state strategy moving forward?
- Any predictions on who will leave the DNC leadership?

- Do you think we'll ever see the RNC open up to the public as the DNC did?

{"commentId":2094930,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"mightyblogger"}

2 votes

#4.2 - Tue Jul 1, 2008 1:12 PM EDT

{"commentId":2095539,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Good questions, PCB. Thanks.

{"commentId":2095539,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#4.3 - Tue Jul 1, 2008 2:17 PM EDT

{"commentId":2094070,"authorDomain":"ecstaticexorcist"}

Gabe-232474Deleted

{"commentId":2095075,"authorDomain":"kclyn2004"}

Lyn, KCMO

Mr. Schrum,

John McCain keeps heralding the safety of nuclear submarines, having traveled the seas for 50 years without incident.

How do they dispose of the spent nuclear rods from the submarines? I've tried researching this through the web and can't find a solid answer.

Thanks!

{"commentId":2095075,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"kclyn2004"}

1 vote

#6 - Tue Jul 1, 2008 1:27 PM EDT

{"commentId":2109862,"authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

AdipicAcid

A lot of it is reprocessed, which is one reason the shore bound military reactors have slowly been decommissioned: they aren't needed anymore. Carter killed our civilian reprocessing program over proliferation fears.

{"commentId":2109862,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

#6.1 - Thu Jul 3, 2008 9:03 AM EDT

{"commentId":2109809,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Thanks. I'll take suggested questions for one more day and then on Sunday I'll email
my first set of questions to him.

{"commentId":2109809,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#7 - Thu Jul 3, 2008 8:53 AM EDT

{"commentId":2116161,"authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

MinnieApolis

To what does he attribute his perfect record (0-for-8) in the national presidential elections? (This might be a variation on an above question, but I think it is important for the reader to know that he has run losing champaigns not just once or twice or three times, but EIGHT times, d@mm!7).

Is he the Bob Uecker of politics?

{"commentId":2116161,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

#8 - Fri Jul 4, 2008 2:14 AM EDT

{"commentId":2122273,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I read the first 10 pages and he addresses on the same page in the forward (and I presume later in the book) that while there have been stories about the so-called Shrum Curse (all his presidential election losses)

there is also the "shrum primary" when candidates court him for his help. As he points out it doesn't seem to make sense that both can occur and it seems contradictory "but it's true. I read in the papers and heard it on tv - again and again, sometimes from the same observer."

So I'll ask him about both (and find a nice way to ask the other questions above)

I also am going to bounce off him ideas expressed from the Political Hit man author (particularly his belief that negative political ads and hit jobs are a neccesary evil - i want to know if he agrees and if he thinks we'll ever have positive campaigns again (or if we ever really did).

I also want to know if, like the political hit man author, he has written a book suggesting he's through with politics but has since changed his mind, as the other author has done.

re: the curse, he is quick to note that while he has a terrible record with presidential runs he's help win many other campaigns - just not presidential. and if he's so bad why do some want him?

{"commentId":2122273,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#8.1 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 10:17 AM EDT

{"commentId":2146729,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Ok, here's what I just sent him:

Here are my questions for the first half of the interview. Questions for the second half (which will focus more on the book itself) will follow in a few weeks.
FWIW I asked others at Newsvine to suggest questions and some of these are less vitriolic versions of some of those:

http://sbutki.newsvine.com/_news/2008/07/01/1628653-what-would-you-like-me-to-ask-political-consultant-robert-shrum-for-a-newsvine-interview

What sparked you to write this book?

To what do you ascribe the "Shrum curse?" Do you fear that one day your obituary will allude to said curse?

Which of the presidential candidates you worked with was the most frustrating? Given the chance to do it over again would you have refused to be hired by any candidates? Which ones?

Under Wikipedia it says of this book, "It has received attention in the media for its less than flattering portrayal of Shrum's former client, John Edwards.[3]" Would you say that as a fair summary? Has Edwards contacted you since then and what did he say about the book?

What have been the high points and low points in your political consulting career?

Do you agree with the author of the Confessions of the Political Hitman book - interview here that negative ads are a necessary evil in our American political process?

What do you make of Scott McCellans' book and the reaction it received?

What was the worst mistake a candidate you worked for made and how did you help spin it? Or is spin the wrong word for what you do?

What's the biggest wrong stereotype about you?

What question are you most tired of being asked? Besides the "curse"?

From your perspective and understanding of the DNC, what effects and changes do you see for the DNC should Senator Obama become president?
- Moving forward, do you think the DNC will focus less on big doaners and focus more on the individual doaners?

How has the Internet changed the political process? Can you example of a way it has changed for the better and an example of how it has changed for the worse?

{"commentId":2146729,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#9 - Tue Jul 8, 2008 10:44 PM EDT

{"commentId":2216427,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) ButkiDeleted

{"commentId":2258730,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

The interview with Shrum is now up.

Meanwhile I'm taking questions for a book about Bruce Springsteen and faith

{"commentId":2258730,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#11 - Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:24 AM EDT

{"commentId":3342400,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Last chance to ask current events questions of Mr. Shrum: I'm going to email the last few questions in the morning.
Meanwhile I just published an interview with Sandra Brown

{"commentId":3342400,"threadId":"303404","contentId":"1628653","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#12 - Mon Oct 6, 2008 4:33 PM EDT

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SCOTT (SCOOP) BUTKI

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What Would You Like Me To Ask Political Consultant Robert Shrum For A Newsvine Interview?

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