Tucker Eskew

Last updated
Tucker Eskew
Tucker Eskew.jpg
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipAmerican
EducationBachelors, Political Science
Alma mater The University of the South
Occupation(s)Business and communications consultant
Years active1984-present
OrganizationVianovo
Political party Republican
SpouseLisa Lackovic Eskew

Tucker Eskew is a political and communications strategist in the United States who served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Media Affairs and Global Communications under President George W. Bush. He joined Senator John McCain's presidential campaign in August 2008 as senior advisor and counselor to Sarah Palin. [1] He was the founder of Eskew Strategy Group, an Alexandria-based communications firm. [2] In 2005, he merged the Eskew Group into a new bipartisan communications firm called Vianovo.

Contents

Early life and career

Eskew is a native of South Carolina. [3] He graduated with a degree in Political Science from The University of the South in 1983. [4] He began his political career in 1984 analyzing campaign press coverage for the Reagan-Bush committee. [5] In 1987, Eskew became a press secretary to South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell at age 25. He served Campbell as press secretary and communications director until 1995. [6] [7]

In the mid-1990s, he co-founded an electronic commerce business and later started a South Carolina-based public relations and business-consulting firm. [8]

2000 George W. Bush Presidential campaign

Eskew served as communications director to George W. Bush during the 2000 Presidential primaries. [9] Eskew worked as Bush's spokesman and political operative [10] in South Carolina. [11] [12]

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." [10]

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." [12]

After the Bush upset victory over McCain in South Carolina, Eskew became a top advisor to the Bush national campaign. [13] In Austin, Texas at the national campaign headquarters, Eskew was part of the team that overhauled Bush's campaign website, adding new features and altering the overall layout. [14] He served as spokesman for the Bush campaign during the 2000 Palm Beach popular vote recount. [15]

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, reporting to media chief Karen Hughes. [16] In this position, Eskew directed the administration's strategy for regional American news and specialty media, including talk radio. He also oversaw Bush's website. [7] In November 2001, Eskew was moved to 10 Downing Street and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London to help plan media strategy in opposition to Osama bin Laden. He co-directed the Coalition Information Centre, a publicity operation based in Washington, London and Islamabad. [17] While in London, Eskew acted as Bush's communications liaison to the Prime Minister's office. He worked with the Blair ministry on the American and British joint media response to the September 11 attacks. [18] Eskew met daily with Blair's Director of Communications and Strategy Alastair Campbell to discuss media strategy in the war on terrorism and the UK government's Islamic Media Unit. [16] He participated in daily calls with global communications offices in Qatar and London [9] and issued the White House's "Global Messenger," a daily email to US embassies. [9] He later worked as Deputy Assistant to the president and Director of the White House Office of Global Communications where he managed American press internationally and oversaw US wartime messaging. [7]

2004 George W. Bush presidential campaign

Eskew continued to support President Bush as a supersurrogate, or advisor, planning media strategy during the 2004 election. [19] He oversaw campaign communications efforts in battleground states and contributed to the Republican Party platform. [20]

Vianovo

In 2003, Eskew resigned from his position in the Bush administration [3] to launch Eskew Strategy Group [21] alongside his wife, Lisa Lackovic Eskew. [21]

In 2005, Eskew merged Eskew Strategy Group into political consultancy Vianovo, which he co-founded alongside Matthew Dowd, Blaine Bull and James S. Taylor. [22]

2008 John McCain presidential campaign

In 2008, Eskew was brought on board the McCain campaign to aid vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in the preparation of speeches and press appearance management. [12] He served as counselor to Palin on the campaign trail. [23] Eskew's work with Palin was portrayed by actor Colby French in the 2012 HBO original film Game Change. [24]

Other roles

Eskew was featured as a political commentator in the documentary Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story . In the film, Eskew says "Can you understand American politics if you don't understand Lee Atwater? I believe not." [25]

He serves on the board of directors for the Melanoma Research Foundation, where he is chairman of the Governance Committee. [18] He also serves on the ONE Campaign's National Advisory Committee. [26] Eskew traveled to Ghana in 2011 on a bipartisan "listening and learning" trip led by the ONE Campaign. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McCain</span> American politician and military officer (1936–2018)

John Sidney McCain III was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms in the United States House of Representatives and was the Republican nominee for president of the United States in the 2008 election.

Randall James "Randy" Scheunemann is an American neoconservative lobbyist. He is the President of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, which was created by the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), of which he is a board member. He was Trent Lott's National Security Aide and was an advisor to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Iraq. He is a paid lobbyist for the country of Georgia and was 2008 presidential candidate John McCain's foreign policy aide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Atwater</span> American political consultant and strategist

Harvey LeRoy "Lee" Atwater was an American political consultant and strategist for the Republican Party. He was an adviser to Republican U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and chairman of the Republican National Committee. Atwater aroused controversy through his aggressive campaign tactics, especially the Southern strategy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George W. Bush 2000 presidential campaign</span> American political campaign

The 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush, then governor of Texas, was formally launched on June 14, 1999 as Governor Bush, the eldest son of former President George H. W. Bush, announced his intention to seek the Republican Party nomination for the presidency of the United States in the 2000 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States presidential election</span> 56th quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 2008 United States presidential election was the 56th quadrennial presidential election, held on November 4, 2008. The Democratic ticket of Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, and Joe Biden, the senior senator from Delaware, defeated the Republican ticket of John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, and Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska. Obama became the first African American to be elected to the presidency, as well as being only the third sitting United States senator elected president, joining Warren G. Harding and John F. Kennedy. Meanwhile, this was only the second successful all-senator ticket since the 1960 election and is the only election where both major party nominees were sitting senators. This was the first election since 1952 in which neither the incumbent president nor vice president was on the ballot, as well as the first election since 1928 in which neither ran for the nomination.

In politics, opposition research is the practice of collecting information on a political opponent or other adversary that can be used to discredit or otherwise weaken them. The information can include biographical, legal, criminal, medical, educational, or financial history or activities, as well as prior media coverage, or the voting record of a politician. Opposition research can also entail using "trackers" to follow an individual and record their activities or political speeches.

Matthew Scully is an American author, journalist, and political writer who has also written on animal welfare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Palin</span> American politician (born 1964)

Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee alongside U.S. Senator John McCain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolle Wallace</span> American TV political commentator and novelist

Nicolle Wallace is an American television political commentator and author. She is the anchor of the MSNBC news and politics program Deadline: White House and a former co-host of the ABC daytime talk show The View. As a political analyst for MSNBC and NBC News, she is a frequent on-air contributor to the programs Today, The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle and Morning Joe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Stanzel</span>

Scott Michael Stanzel is an American political advisor who served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy press secretary in the George W. Bush administration from September 2006 to January 2009. After leaving government service, Stanzel has been employed by Microsoft and Amazon. He now works for Capital One as managing vice president of corporate communications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McCain 2008 presidential campaign</span>

The 2008 presidential campaign of John McCain, the longtime senior U.S. Senator from Arizona, was launched with an informal announcement on February 28, 2007, during a live taping of the Late Show with David Letterman, and formally launched at an event on April 25, 2007. His second candidacy for the Presidency of the United States, he had previously run for his party's nomination in the 2000 primaries and was considered as a potential running mate for his party's nominee, then-Governor George W. Bush of Texas. After winning a majority of delegates in the Republican primaries of 2008, on August 29, leading up to the convention, McCain selected Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate for Vice President. Five days later, at the 2008 Republican National Convention, McCain was formally selected as the Republican Party presidential nominee in the 2008 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Republican Party vice presidential candidate selection</span>

This article lists potential candidates for the Republican nomination for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election. On March 4, 2008, Senator John McCain of Arizona won the 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States, and became the presumptive nominee.

The 2000 presidential campaign of John McCain, the United States Senator from Arizona, began in September 1999. He announced his run for the Republican Party nomination for the presidency of the United States in the 2000 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark McKinnon</span> American political consultant

Mark David McKinnon is an American political advisor, reform advocate, media columnist, and television producer. He was the chief media advisor to five successful presidential primary and general election campaigns, and is a co-founder of No Labels, an organization dedicated to bipartisanship and political problem solving. He served as vice chairman of Public Strategies, Inc., which was acquired by the international communications consultancy Hill & Knowlton Strategies, and was president of Maverick Media. McKinnon is the co-creator, co-executive producer, and co-host of Showtime's The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth and consulted on the HBO series The Newsroom and Netflix's House of Cards. He was a regular columnist for The Daily Beast and The Daily Telegraph (London).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Republican Party presidential primaries</span>

From January 24 to June 6, 2000, voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for president in the 2000 United States presidential election. Texas Governor George W. Bush was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 2000 Republican National Convention held from July 31 to August 3, 2000, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Schmidt</span> American political strategist (born 1970)

Stephen Edward Schmidt is an American political and corporate strategist. He is best known for working on Republican political campaigns, including those of President George W. Bush, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Arizona Senator John McCain during his 2008 presidential campaign

Tucker Bounds is a public relations professional, who has been active in Republican politics. He served as a spokesperson for the McCain 2008 presidential campaign. Bounds also served as the Deputy Campaign Manager, Communications, for former eBay CEO Meg Whitman's 2010 gubernatorial campaign in California. He is currently a Vice President of Communications at Facebook, in Menlo Park, California. He is also the co-founder of Sidewire, a political news analysis platform.

<i>Game Change</i> (film) 2012 television film directed by Jay Roach

Game Change is a 2012 American political drama television film based on events of the 2008 United States presidential election campaign of John McCain, directed by Jay Roach and written by Danny Strong, based on the 2010 book of the same title documenting the campaign by political journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. The film stars Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, and Ed Harris, and focuses on the chapters about the selection and performance of Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin (Moore) as running mate to Senator John McCain (Harris) in the presidential campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vice presidential candidacy of Sarah Palin</span>

Sarah Palin's candidacy for Vice President of the United States was publicly announced by then-presumptive Republican Party presidential candidate John McCain on August 29, 2008. As part of the McCain presidential campaign, Palin, then the incumbent Governor of Alaska, was officially nominated by acclamation at the 2008 Republican National Convention on September 3. The McCain–Palin ticket lost the 2008 presidential election on November 4 to the Barack Obama–Joe Biden ticket.

Vianovo is a United States and Mexico-based management and communication consultancy. The firm serves as a strategic advisor to corporations, startups and non-profit organizations on brand, policy and crisis issues. The bipartisan firm was founded in 2005 by political strategists Blaine Bull, Matthew Dowd, Tucker Eskew and James Taylor. Many of the firm's partners were previously senior staff members on presidential campaigns, at the White House, and on Capitol Hill.

References

  1. ↑ Sunday Telegraph (September 27, 2008) "Vice-presidential debate: Sarah Palin relies on Bush veterans for her big day"
  2. ↑ Eskew Group Website
  3. 1 2 "Ex Global Comms Director for White House Opens Firm" (Press release). PRWeek. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 18 Sep 2014.
  4. ↑ "Alumni: Tucker Eskew". Sewanee: The College of the South. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  5. ↑ Howell Raines (5 Sep 1984). "A Contrast on TV". The New York Times . Retrieved 18 Sep 2014.
  6. ↑ Camilla Pitman (26 Jan 2007). "Greater Greer Teen meets with Tucker Eskew". GoUpState.com. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 "Eskew to Present Retrospective on Bush Presidency and Palin Campaign" (PDF). The Sewanee Mountain Messenger. 29 Jan 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  8. ↑ Eskew Bio on ViaNovo Website
  9. 1 2 3 Bob Kemper (7 Apr 2003). "Agency wages media battle". The Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  10. 1 2 NYT (February 10, 2000) "Democrats Drawn to McCain Are Unsettling Republicans"
  11. ↑ David Firestone (10 Feb 2000). "The 2000 Campaign: Crossover Voters; Democrats drawn to McCain are Unsettling Republicans". The New York Times . Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 ABC News Jake Tapper (September 1, 2006) "McCain Hires GOP Operative Who Helped Smear Him in South Carolina in 2000"
  13. ↑ NYT (December 13, 2000)"With a Victory Apparently His, Bush Plays the Strong, Silent Role"
  14. ↑ Robert Bryce (9 Sep 2000). "Managing the Media". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved 18 Sep 2014.
  15. ↑ "Contesting the Vote: Court Says No to a New Palm Beach Vote". The New York Times . 2 Dec 2000. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Tucker Eskew: American Spin Doctor in London". The Independent . 19 Mar 2002. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  17. ↑ (March 19, 2002) "Tucker Eskew: American spin doctor in London"
  18. 1 2 "MRF Board of Directors Profile: Tucker Eskew" (PDF). MRF Matters: A Melanoma Research Foundation Publication. 13 (4). Melanoma Research Foundation: 2. Nov 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  19. ↑ Wendy Melillo (8 December 2003). "Media Team Gears Up For Bush Campaign". AdWeek . Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  20. ↑ Elections Guide 2004. DIANE publishing. 1 October 2004. p. 23. ISBN   9781428966673 . Retrieved 1 Oct 2014.
  21. 1 2 Judy Sarasohn (12 Feb 2004). "GOP Activists Chafe at H&R Block Hire". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  22. ↑ Judy Sarasohn (25 May 2005). "Aid in Shiavo Case Lands a Lobbying Gig". The Washington Post . Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  23. ↑ Chicago Tribune (September 11, 2008) "Veterans of Bush team prep Sarah Palin for TV interview"
  24. ↑ Roger Ebert (2013). Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2013: 25th Anniversary Edition . Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC. pp.  192–193. ISBN   978-1-4494-2344-5 . Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  25. ↑ "Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story". Frontline. 2008. PBS.
  26. ↑ "ONE Announces ONE Vote 2012 Republican Advisory Committee and Campaign Manager" (Press release). 1 Nov 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  27. ↑ Sheila Nix (12 Jan 2012). "ONE takes bipartisan group of US politicos to Ghana". The ONE Campaign . Retrieved 18 September 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.