‘Political Mad Men’ coming to LSU

LSU will welcome four prominent political ad men of the last four decades to campus on Oct. 1 for a talk hosted by the Manship School’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs. Titled “Political Mad Men,” the event is designed to give both students and the community at large information on the current state of political advertising, as well as a look at the evolving nature of campaign ads throughout history, according to Reilly Center Director Bob Mann. The speakers include: Mark McKinnon, who worked for former Gov. Buddy Roemer and the Louisiana Democratic Party before joining the George W. Bush campaign in 2000; Gerald Rafshoon, who worked on Jimmy Carter’s two presidential campaigns; Doug Bailey, who worked opposite Rafshoon on the 1976 Ford campaign; and Frank Greer, who worked on both of Bill Clinton’s presidential campaigns. The event moderator is Raymond Strother, a longtime political consultant on the state and national level, and winner of the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Political Consultants. “We want to let them spend a few hours talking about their craft and the history of their profession,” Mann says. He also notes the Reilly Center wants to provide as much programming as possible for students and community members as this fall’s campaigning gets into full gear. Get the full details on “Political Mad Men” here. —Frederick Holl