1. David Axelrod speaks to Bush School on politics, his White House
experience
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On Tuesday, October 15, David Axelrod gave a lecture entitled “Witness to History: Leadership
Lessons from a Presidential Advisor” as part of the Bush School Distinguished Lecture Series
held at the Presidential Conference Center complex at Texas A&M University. His presentation
was followed by a discussion with former Bush School Interim Dean Andy Card, whose Washington experience
includes serving as secretary of transportation for President George H.W. Bush and chief of staff for President
George W. Bush. Dean of the Bush School, Ryan Crocker, introduced Axelrod as a man who is not only a
witness to history, but a man who made history.
Axelrod began his presentation with comments on presidential leadership. “The most important thing about
George H.W. Bush is the leadership he showed as president, especially in the Gulf War, when he pushed back
Saddam Hussein’s aggression. Another example of leadership was his decision in 1990 to sign a budget that
called for a raise in taxes. While that was good for the country, it broke his campaign promise, imperiling his
own political career,” Axelrod said. “But he thought it was the right thing for the country, and he went ahead and
did it. His decision had no small impact on the recovery and strength of the economy in the 1990s, and yet he
lost his bid for re-election. To me, that’s how you define leadership.”
In speaking about his own time in Washington, Axelrod pointed out that when you work in the White House,
you gain a much deeper respect for those who have served in the Oval Office because the presidency is a
crushing and challenging job.
During the conversation that followed Axelrod’s remarks, Card discussed Texas A&M’s emphasis on selfless
service, which he said described many of the people sitting in the auditorium. He also noted that volunteers
are essential to success in politics.
As for working in politics, Axelrod offered the following advice: “Find someone you believe in, who inspires you,
and who shares your beliefs. Volunteer to work for that person, but follow your passion first. I encourage those
who want to get into politics to start that way,” he added.
Axelrod also offered insights on challenges in the current political system.
“We have a problem in our political system, and it is being reflected now in a way that is very menacing to the
well-being of our economy, the global economy, and the finances of individual Americans,” Axelrod said.
“Somewhere along the line, the notion of ‘compromise’ became compromised itself and became a dirty word –
at least among some extremes. This does not reflect who we are as a country. We have problems that are now
being exacerbated by the media. People tend to listen to media outlets that only reflect their point of view,” he
added.
When asked about his own career, Axelrod said that he always felt that it was a great thing—a noble calling—
to be involved in politics. Prior to his political career, Axelrod spent eight years as a reporter for the Chicago
Tribune, where he covered national, state, and local politics. Having earned a reputation as an experienced
political and media consultant, Axelrod served as senior strategist to Barack Obama’s historic campaign for the
Mr. David Axelrod

2. presidency in 2008 and his 2012 re-election campaign. He also was a senior advisor to the Obama-Biden
presidential transition team in 2008, and later a senior advisor to President Obama. Axelrod is currently the
director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago and a political analyst for NBC News and
MSNBC. He was recently inducted into the American Association of Political Consultants’ Hall of Fame.
To view Mr. Axelrod’s talk, please visit http://bush.tamu.edu/bushschooltalks/.