Steve Schmidt, top McCain advisor in 2008 presidential campaign, to appear at Rider

The Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University will present “An Evening with Steve Schmidt,” senior advisor to the 2008 McCain for President campaign, on Tuesday, Nov. 12.  A light reception begins at 6 p.m. Remarks begin at 7 p.m., followed by an interview between Schmidt and Professor Ben Dworkin, director of the Rebovich Institute.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the Mercer Room in Daly Dining Hall on Rider’s Lawrenceville campus.

Schmidt, a top political and campaign strategist for the Republican Party and political analyst for MSNBC, will speak on marriage equality, the Republican Party and the future of America.

“There are only a handful of people who have run a campaign for president, and Steve Schmidt is one of them,” Dworkin says.  “This program will be another unique experience for our students and the public.  And the topic of the Republican Party and same-sex marriage is extremely relevant to the current national discussion.”

Schmidt, a native of North Plainfield, N.J., has held roles as communications director of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce as well as the National Republican Congressional Committee.  He joined the Bush administration as a deputy assistant to the President and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney. He was a member of the senior strategic planning group that ran President George W. Bush’s re-election campaign and was the White House strategist responsible for the successful U.S. Supreme Court nominations of Associate Justice Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts.  

Schmidt left the White House in 2006 to manage California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s re-election campaign. In 2008, Schmidt was appointed to head day-to-day operations of the McCain campaign.  

Woody Harrelson portrayed Schmidt in the HBO film Game Change, a look at the choice of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate.