Gerson, Shields explore Romney campaign’s weaknesses, polarization

July 6, 2012·Comments closed

Though the recent unemployment numbers are harmful to President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, Mitt Romney has his own weaknesses to overcome.

Michael Gerson, columnist for The Washington Post, and Mark Shields, columnist for Creators Syndicate, were the last guests to participate in a conversation with retired “PBS NewsHour” anchor Jim Lehrer during Week Two, themed “The Lehrer Report: What Informed Voters Need to Know.”

Gerson and Shields discussed Romney’s presidential campaign and polarization among the American public at Friday’s morning lecture.

The unemployment rate in June remained at 8.2 percent after 80,000 jobs were added during the month. Shields said the numbers are damaging and harmful to Obama’s campaign and to the Democrats.

Morning Lecture Previews

Gerson, Shields join Lehrer for political wrap, ‘NewsHour’ style

July 5, 2012·Comments closed

Jim Lehrer will moderate a conversation between nationally syndicated columnists Michael Gerson and Mark Shields at 10:45 a.m. today in the Amphitheater, closing Week Two’s morning lecture series, “The Lehrer Report: What Informed Voters Need to Know.”

Gerson, whose columns appear twice weekly in The Washington Post, writes a right-leaning column on issues that include politics, global health, development, religion and foreign policy.He was a top aide to President George W. Bush, a senior editor at U.S. News and World Report and a speechwriter for Bob Dole during the 1996 presidential campaign.

Shields, who has worked in Washington during the administrations of nine U.S. presidents, started writing his left-leaning column, now distributed nationally by Creators Syndicate, in 1979. In 1968, he worked for Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. He also held leadership positions in three other presidential campaigns and wrote a book about the 1984 presidential campaign, On the Campaign Trail.