Bruce Herschensohn
Encyclopedia
Stanley Bruce Herschensohn (born September 10, 1932) is an American political commentator and senior fellow at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy
in Malibu, California
.
Herschensohn quickly rose to prominence in the Republican party, becoming a consultant to the Republican National Convention in 1972 and joined the Nixon administration
on September 11, 1972. He served primarily as a speech writer. He left following Nixon's resignation, but served on the Ronald Reagan
Presidential Transition Team
and as an official in the Reagan administration.
Previously, Herschensohn has been a Distinguished Fellow at the Claremont Institute and a fellow at the Institute of Politics
at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. He has taught politics at the University of Maryland
, Whittier College
and at Pepperdine University's
School of Public Policy.
nomination
for the United States Senate
held by Democrat
Alan Cranston
. He did well in the Central Valley and Orange County, but finished second to U.S. Representative Ed Zschau
of the Silicon Valley
, who won the nomination by plurality.
In the general election
, Cranston barely defeated the moderate Zschau to secure his fourth and final Senate term in what was by far Cranston's closest Senate election. Zschau, considered a moderate to liberal Republican later left the party and became an independent
.
. Herschensohn received 956,136 votes (38.2 percent) to Campbell's 895,970 (35.8 percent). The remaining 417,848 ballots (16.7 percent) went to Mayor Sonny Bono
of Palm Springs
. During the primary
campaign and afterwards, Herschensohn became a close friend of Bono and encouraged his former rival to seek election to the United States House of Representatives
in 1994.
to the Democratic Party nominee Barbara Boxer
, following a bruising campaign that included an eleventh hour revelation that Herschensohn had attended a strip club, which some Republican operatives later blamed for Herschensohn's loss.
Four days before Election Day
polls showed Herschensohn had narrowed a double digit deficit, trailing by 3 points. Political operative Bob Mulholland
disrupted a campaign appearance with a large poster advertising a strip club
shouting "Should the voters of California elect someone who frequently travels the strip joints of Hollywood?" Herschensohn admitted he had visited a strip club once, with his girlfriend and another couple. With press coverage
of the story, Herschensohn spent the waning days of the campaign denying related allegations. When the votes were cast and counted, Barbara Boxer won the election by five points. Although Republicans have blamed the defeat on the underhanded tactics of the Boxer campaign, evidence of the connection between Mulholland's outburst and the campaign never surfaced.
Amid the controversy, Herschensohn lost the Senate race to Democrat Barbara Boxer, and the GOP was outraged at what it called a “smear campaign.” Kennedy suspended Mulholland, but he soon returned to the party.}}
, his most recent being Taiwan: The Threatened Democracy.
Claremont, California.
Pepperdine School of Public Policy
The Pepperdine University School of Public Policy is a Master of Public Policy degree program, located in Malibu, California. It is one of five graduate schools at Pepperdine University with specializations in American politics, economics, international relations, and state and local policy.The...
in Malibu, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Herschensohn quickly rose to prominence in the Republican party, becoming a consultant to the Republican National Convention in 1972 and joined the Nixon administration
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
on September 11, 1972. He served primarily as a speech writer. He left following Nixon's resignation, but served on the Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Presidential Transition Team
United States presidential transition
A presidential transition or presidential interregnum refers to the period of time between the end of a presidential election and the inauguration of a new President of a country...
and as an official in the Reagan administration.
Previously, Herschensohn has been a Distinguished Fellow at the Claremont Institute and a fellow at the Institute of Politics
Harvard Institute of Politics
Harvard Institute of Politics was created to serve as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and inspire Harvard students into careers in politics and public service, much as President Kennedy was inspired during his days as a student at Harvard. The IOP also brings together the academic...
at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. He has taught politics at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
, Whittier College
Whittier College
Whittier College is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. As of January 2009, the college has approximately 1540 enrolled students.-Overview:...
and at Pepperdine University's
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
School of Public Policy.
1986 U.S. Senate primary election
In 1986, Herschensohn unsuccessfully sought the RepublicanRepublican 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...
nomination
Nomination
Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
held by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Alan Cranston
Alan Cranston
Alan MacGregor Cranston was an American journalist and Democratic Senator from California.-Education:Cranston earned his high school diploma from the old Mountain View High School, where among other things, he was a track star...
. He did well in the Central Valley and Orange County, but finished second to U.S. Representative Ed Zschau
Ed Zschau
Edwin Van Wyck Zschau represented California's 12th District in the United States House of Representatives from 1983-1987. In 1986 he ran as the Republican candidate for a seat in the United States Senate...
of the Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
, who won the nomination by plurality.
In the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, Cranston barely defeated the moderate Zschau to secure his fourth and final Senate term in what was by far Cranston's closest Senate election. Zschau, considered a moderate to liberal Republican later left the party and became an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
.
1992 U.S. Senate primary election
In 1992, when Cranston retired, Herschensohn won the Republican nomination narrowly defeating U.S. Representative Tom Campbell, a libertarian Republican who had been on the faculty of Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. Herschensohn received 956,136 votes (38.2 percent) to Campbell's 895,970 (35.8 percent). The remaining 417,848 ballots (16.7 percent) went to Mayor Sonny Bono
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
of Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
. During the primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
campaign and afterwards, Herschensohn became a close friend of Bono and encouraged his former rival to seek election to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1994.
1992 U.S. Senate general election
Herschensohn, the Republican nominee and a Los Angeles area conservative radio and TV personality, lost the 1992 general electionUnited States Senate election in California, 1992
The 1992 United States Senate election in California took place on November 3, 1992, at the same time as the special election to the United States Senate in California. Incumbent Democrat Alan Cranston decided to retire. Democrat Barbara Boxer won the open seat. Both of California's present...
to the Democratic Party nominee Barbara Boxer
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
, following a bruising campaign that included an eleventh hour revelation that Herschensohn had attended a strip club, which some Republican operatives later blamed for Herschensohn's loss.
Four days before Election Day
Election Day (politics)
Election Day refers to the day when general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate, while in other countries elections are always held on a weekday...
polls showed Herschensohn had narrowed a double digit deficit, trailing by 3 points. Political operative Bob Mulholland
Bob Mulholland
Bob Mulholland is a California based political activist. He was a senior advisor to the California Democratic Party from 1991 to 2010.He is married to Jane Dolan, who served from 1979 to 2011 as Butte County Supervisor of the second district in California....
disrupted a campaign appearance with a large poster advertising a strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....
shouting "Should the voters of California elect someone who frequently travels the strip joints of Hollywood?" Herschensohn admitted he had visited a strip club once, with his girlfriend and another couple. With press coverage
News media (United States)
Mass media are the means through which information is transmitted to a large audience. This includes newspapers, television, radio, and more recently the Internet. Those who provide news and information, and the outlets for which they work, are known as the news media.Some high-quality news media...
of the story, Herschensohn spent the waning days of the campaign denying related allegations. When the votes were cast and counted, Barbara Boxer won the election by five points. Although Republicans have blamed the defeat on the underhanded tactics of the Boxer campaign, evidence of the connection between Mulholland's outburst and the campaign never surfaced.
Amid the controversy, Herschensohn lost the Senate race to Democrat Barbara Boxer, and the GOP was outraged at what it called a “smear campaign.” Kennedy suspended Mulholland, but he soon returned to the party.}}
Career
- RKO PicturesRKO PicturesRKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
, Los Angeles, CA- Studio messenger, 1950–51
- In art department, 1953–55
- General Dynamics Corp., ConvairConvairConvair was an American aircraft manufacturing company which later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Vultee Aircraft and Consolidated Aircraft, and went on to produce a number of pioneering aircraft, such as the Convair B-36 bomber, and the F-102...
Division, San Diego, CA, film maker and director, 1955–56 - Self-employed film director, producer, and writer in Los Angeles, CA, 1956–68
- Director, John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of DrumsJohn F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of DrumsJohn F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums is a ninety-minute filmed memorial tribute to President John F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated on November 22, 1963. It was completed in 1964, and released to theatres by Embassy Pictures in 1966...
(1964)
- Director, John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums
- Member of board of trustees of American Film InstituteAmerican Film InstituteThe American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
, 1967– - U.S. delegation to International Film Festival
- Chairman of delegation, CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, 1968 - Member of delegation in U.S.S.R., 1969
- Chairman of delegation, Czechoslovakia
- U.S. Information Agency, Washington, DC, director of Motion Picture and Television Service, 1968–72
- Instructor for "U.S. Image Abroad" at the University of MarylandUniversity of MarylandWhen the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
, 1972 - Member of board of governors of Charles EdisonCharles EdisonCharles Edison was son of Thomas Edison to Mina, businessman, Assistant and then United States Secretary of the Navy, and served as the 42nd Governor of New Jersey.-Biography:...
Memorial Youth Foundation - Consultant to 1972 Republican National Convention1972 Republican National ConventionThe 1972 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held from August 21 to August 23, 1972 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida. It nominated the incumbents Richard M. Nixon of California for President and Spiro T. Agnew of Maryland for Vice...
- White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(Richard NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
administration)- Staff assistant to president, 1972–73
- Deputy special assistant, 1973–74
- Self-employed film directorFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producerFilm producerA film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, and writer, 1975–76 - Freelance writer, 1976–
- Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Presidential Transition TeamUnited States presidential transitionA presidential transition or presidential interregnum refers to the period of time between the end of a presidential election and the inauguration of a new President of a country...
, 1980 - Political commentator for Los Angeles KABC-TVKABC-TVKABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
radio and TV stations, 1978–1991 - Senior Fellow, School of Public Policy at Pepperdine UniversityPepperdine UniversityPepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
, 2006- - Chairman of the Board, Pepperdine UniversityPepperdine UniversityPepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
- Nonresident Associate Fellow, Nixon CenterNixon CenterThe Nixon Center was a Washington, D.C.-based public policy think tank. On March 9, 2011 it was renamed The Center for the National Interest....
- Board of Directors, Center for Individual FreedomCenter for Individual FreedomThe Center for Individual Freedom is an Alexandria, Virginia based U.S. lobbyist and policy advocacy organization founded on the principle of securing individual freedoms as embodied in the United States Constitution and state constitutions. It was founded in 1998 and tends to focus on...
Authorship
Herschensohn has written a number of books on foreign policyForeign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
, his most recent being Taiwan: The Threatened Democracy.
- Herschensohn, Bruce. (1976). The Gods of Antenna, Arlington House.
- Herschensohn, Bruce. (1994). Lost Trumpets: A Conservative's Map to America's Destiny, The Claremont Institute Press,
Claremont, California.
- Herschensohn, Bruce. (1999). Hong Kong at the Handover (Editor), Lexington Books, Lanham, Maryland.
- Herschensohn, Bruce. (2002). Across the Taiwan Strait: Democracy: The Bridge Between Mainland China and Taiwan (Editor), Lexington Books.
- Author of films:
- "Tall Man Five-Five", (Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
) - "Karma", International Communications Foundation
- "The President", U.S. Information Agency
- "Bridges of the Barrios", U.S. Information Agency
- "The Five Cities of June", U.S. Information Agency
- "John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of DrumsJohn F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of DrumsJohn F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums is a ninety-minute filmed memorial tribute to President John F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated on November 22, 1963. It was completed in 1964, and released to theatres by Embassy Pictures in 1966...
", U.S. Information Agency - "Eulogy to 5:02", U.S. Information Agency
- "Tall Man Five-Five", (Strategic Air Command
- Contributor of stories to, among others:
- Conservative Digest
- NewsdayNewsdayNewsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
- NewsweekNewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
- Human EventsHuman EventsHuman Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
- Saturday Evening Post
- newspapers
Awards
- Arthur S. Flemming AwardArthur S. Flemming AwardThe Arthur S. Flemming Award was established in 1948 to honor outstanding federal employees. Recognized by the President of the United States, agency heads, and the private sector, the winners are selected from all areas of the federal service. More than 500 individuals have received the award to...
, 1969 - Academy Award from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
, 1970, for short documentary film "Czechoslovakia: 1968" - Academy Award nominationNominationNomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
s, 1969 and 1972 - distinguished service award from U.S. Information Agency, 1972
- award from Council Against CommunistAnti-communismAnti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
Aggression, 1972
External links
- Brief Bio on Pepperdine UniversityPepperdine UniversityPepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
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