Steve Schmidt

Stephen Edward Schmidt (born September 28) is an American communications and public affairs strategist who worked on Republican political campaigns, including those of President George W. Bush, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Arizona Senator John McCain.

Schmidt was the senior campaign strategist and advisor to McCain's 2008 presidential campaign. He pushed McCain to select Sarah Palin as his running mate, a choice which both Schmidt and McCain came to regret. He was a vice chair at the public relations firm Edelman until he stepped down in July 2018, and a political analyst for MSNBC.