Punching Through the News Cycle

National Journal Magazine Profile 

By Greg Sangillo, January 19, 2008

Ron Bonjean is set to leave Capitol Hill...

The Politico Newspaper

Shenanigans 

by Anne Schroeder, March 27, 2008

Not your average "spokesmodel..."

House adopts rule freezing Colombia trade deal

by Alex Bolton, Hill Newspaper April 11, 2008

One GOP strategist warned that Thursday’s vote could imperil future trade agreements.

“The Colombia vote is like a bomb blast that may send shockwaves seriously affecting Korea Free Trade Agreement,” said Ron Bonjean, who served as an aide to former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and former Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans. “We lose our leverage over the Korean beef issue because we can’t back up our agreements in Congress."

GOP Spokesman with Deep Hill, Administration Roots Goes Private

White House Bulletin, May 12, 2008

Long-time GOP spokesman Ron Bonjean has left his post of chief of staff to the Senate Republican Conference to start a public affairs firm.

His first customers are Republican Senators who want media coaching and major energy and financial services firms who are seeking public relations counsel. “After having a seat at the leadership table,” Bonjean told the Bulletin,

“I thought I would offer my talents to the private sector who may be dealing with significant challenges and require strategic advice and assistance.”

Bonjean’s name is well known to Washington insiders, reporters and staff. Among his former bosses are former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and former Commerce Secretary Don Evans. Several of his friends and protégées are installed in several top GOP communications posts around Washington.

Despite the Democratic take-over of Capitol Hill and better than even odds to take the White House, several top GOP communicators recently have gone private and succeeded, but few have signed up major clients as fast as The Bonjean Company.

Key among them is the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Bonjean said that he will provide media training for GOP Senate leadership officials as the Republicans bid to take back the chamber with an aggressive new agenda. Bonjean, who this summer is getting married to a Republican National Committee staffer, also plans to expand into lobbying. -- Bulletin exclusive from U.S. News

Hill Newspaper Op-ed Authored by Ron Bonjean,        May 14, 2008

Sitting in meetings in the Capitol with representatives of industry, I can’t tell you how often I have heard this phrase: “Congress would never pass that bill. That’s absolutely insane. Don’t they know what this legislation would do to our industry and the jobs we create?

The Content of Their Characters

by Dan Balz, The Washington Post  June 9, 2008

"Senator McCain's number one quality during the primaries was his unique ability to manage the high profile crisis his campaign experienced when it imploded around him and still effectively communicated his core themes to Republican voters," wrote Republican strategist Ron Bonjean.

Parties Bringing Big Guns to Foe’s Convention

by John McArdle and Erin Billings, Roll Call

August 25, 2008

Questions about the Convention

by Dan Balz, The Washington Post, August 25, 2008

Will Obama's Invesco Field acceptance speech reinforce the GOP's "celebrity" message or transcend the attacks?

Obama's team sees opening up the acceptance speech to tens of thousands of ordinary people as a symbol of the grass-roots energy and volunteer spirit that helped power Obama to the nomination. But some Republicans say he risks sending the wrong message. "Americans around the country might be turned off if it looks too much like a self-proclaimed movement," GOP strategist Ron Bonjean said.

Politico Arena — Palin edition

The Politico, August 31, 2008

Ron Bonjean, a top strategist for Senate and House Republicans

"The brilliant choice of Gov. Palin is that is has energized the conservative base while appealing to independents, working moms, disaffected Hillary voters and those who want change brought to Washington. It was smart, outside-the-box thinking to shake up the Obama momentum and has turned the media upside down on news coverage.

Sen. Obama's inexperience is actually being amplified through McCain's choice. The more Obama's campaign and its surrogates attack Gov. Palin on her positive track record, the more damage they do to Obama's brand. Their attacks have a boomerang effect because it allows McCain's team to remind voters that Obama doesn't have strong leadership credentials.

Gov. Palin's challenge will be to perform flawlessly over the next 60 days, because any mistake or misfire can quickly shape her image among voters who are still absorbing this choice."

Conservatives rally around enemy-turned-ally McCain

by Manu Raju, Hill Newspaper, September 2, 2008

Ron Bonjean, a GOP consultant and former aide to Hastert, said the senator and former Speaker have had “a couple of disagreements, but everyone knows Denny always does what’s best for the team and will do everything he can for Sen. McCain.”

Politico Arena Question - Wall Street Crisis

The Politico Newspaper, September 17, 2008 

Billions to bail out Freddie and Fannie. Last night's takeover rescue of AIG, one of the world's largest insurers. Automakers lining up for Washington's help. All under a conservative free-market administration. Is the American model of free-market capitalism on the ropes and what are the implications for government and the nation?

Ron Bonjean, "...Normal campaign politics doesn’t necessarily work in a time of a real crisis...."

Eat My Gold Michael Phelps, Says Swimming Gold Medalist Lochte

U.S. News and World Report, September 17th, 2008

The straight talk on McCain: Despite falsehoods, he appears unscathed

By Wes Allison, St. Petersburg Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, September 19, 2008

Ron Bonjean, a veteran Republican consultant in Washington, said that one reason McCain appears undamaged is that he's not stopping to engage Obama on every disputed attack. Instead, he and other analysts said, the Republicans are trying to quickly exploit what they see as vulnerabilities in Obama's message and image.

"There will be questions on his statements from time to time, but instead of allowing the media to bog down the McCain campaign with a parsing of the statements, they just move forward," Bonjean said. "And it's smart for them to do, because the velocity of the campaign is too strong to stop and try to make course corrections. You just have to keep moving on to the next media cycle."

Obama's tightrope walk
by Ryan Grim and Carrie Budoff Brown, The Politico 
October 2, 2008

As Obama moves through the wreckage, he’s confronted with a paradox: He wants to move on to more certain political terrain but is also tempted by the enticing political spoils of a campaign focused on the ailing economy. The Illinois senator also faces a more pressing concern as the House prepares for a pivotal vote later in the week: how to lead the bill to final passage while also staying far enough away from it to avoid being singed if it goes down.

“It was very Clintonian, from a conservative point of view. He was trying to walk a tightrope — trying to help out with the bailout as best he could without having it stick to him,” said Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist.

Candidates hit back hard, fast against online attacks

by Richard Allen Greene, CNN

October 15, 2008 

Palin's Next Move

by Ron Bonjean, New York Post Sunday Op-ed

October 26, 2008 

Fox News  

November 7, 2008 

Fox News Interview on What's Next For Getting the GOP Back on Track?