Political consultant to speak Jan. 21 for lecture series

Paul Begala

Presidential adviser, political strategist, CNN commentator and professor — all are titles that describe Paul Begala, the next speaker in the University of Toledo’s Jesup Scott Honors College Distinguished Lecture Series.

Begala, a renowned political consultant, will lecture in Doermann Theater at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

Assistant professor of political science Jeff Broxmeyer feels that students who want to learn more about how campaigns work will be interested in hearing Begala speak and share his insights.

“Paul Begala was a central figure in Bill Clinton’s upset victory during the 1992 presidential race,” Broxmeyer said. “Elections today are multibillion dollar, blockbuster affairs. Students curious about the nuts and bolts of how campaigns work from the inside will be fascinated to hear what he has to say.”

Begala, along with former UT speaker and business partner James Carville, helped Bill Clinton win the 1992 presidential election, serving as a chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton–Gore campaign. He also served as a White House counselor to Clinton, where he coordinated policy and communications.

While Begala was a commentator and member of the CNN political team, it won an Emmy for its coverage of the 2006 U.S. elections and a Peabody Award for its coverage of the 2008 presidential election. Begala was a co-host of CNN’s political debate program, Crossfire, until 2005 and also co-hosted the show Equal Time on MSNBC.

Serving as a senior adviser for the pro-Obama Super Political Action Committee during the 2012 presidential campaign, Begala has also advised politicians worldwide, including in Europe, the Caribbean and Africa.

Currently an affiliated research professor of public policy at Georgetown University, Begala also teaches at the University of Georgia School of Law.

As an author and co-author, Begala has written five political books, including, “Buck Up, Suck Up and Come Back When You Foul Up: 12 Winning Secrets from the War Room” in 2002.

Along with Carville and strategist Karl Rove, who was also a part of the lecture series, Begala was a 2012 inductee into the American Association of Political Consultants’ Hall of Fame.

Begala is married with four sons and lives in Virginia.

Tickets for the event are free, but seating is limited. To reserve tickets, visit utole.do/begala.