Political strategist Steve Schmidt to speak at Bridgewater College

Steve Schmidt, one of the nation’s most respected political strategists and perceptive voices in U.S. politics today, will speak Jan. 15 at Bridgewater College.

Schmidt will speak on “The Political Outlook in America,” at 7:30 p.m. in Cole Hall at Bridgewater College.

Schmidt comments on American politics, as well as global issues and trends. He regularly appears on national news programs, including those on MSNBC.

Over the past two decades, Schmidt has counseled world leaders, U.S. presidents and presidential candidates, including taking over as campaign manager for presidential candidate Sen. John McCain in 2008.

Later, actor Woody Harrelson portrayed Schmidt in the award-winning movie Game Change, which chronicled the 2008 campaign.

Schmidt served as deputy assistant to the president in the administration of President George W. Bush, and was a top strategist in the 2004 campaign to re-elect Bush.

Together with President Obama’s campaign manager David Plouffe, Schmidt is a founding fellow of the Center for Political Communication at the University of Delaware, which he attended.

Sponsored by the Anna B. Mow Symposium on Comparative Religious Ethics, this program is free and open to the public.

Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to nearly 1,900 undergraduate students.