Bio
Political strategist and conservative analyst Martin Eisenstadt is a senior fellow at the The Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy and Founder and President of the influential Eisenstadt Group. An expert on Near Eastern military and political affairs, Mr. Eisenstadt worked alongside Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign, offering advice and liaising with the Jewish community in particular. Eisenstadt generated headlines around the world as the self-admitted leak that Sarah Palin did not know that Africa was a continent. Prior to the 2008 general election, Eisenstadt consulted on the Rudolph Giuliani primary campaign, as well as numerous corporate and multinational organizations on issues of security and policy development.
Eisenstadt is the critically-acclaimed author of the book, “I Am Martin Eisenstadt: One Man’s (Wildly Inappropriate) Adventures with the Last Republicans,” from Faber & Faber (a division of Farrar, Straus, Giroux, which itself is a division of Macmillan). The book was named one of the Top 8 Books of the Year by The Washington Monthly magazine.
The Wall Street Journal has said of Mr. Eisenstadt that he is “one of the foremost commentators on issues of U.S. policy towards the Middle East and is one of the bright lights of the neoconservative movement.” National Journal’s The Hotline referred to Mr. Eisenstadt as “a pundit’s pundit” and “a clear-spoken advocate for John McCain.” Most recently, he has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, The New Republic, The Times of India and Wonkette. Time Magazine has called him one of America’s “elite Twitterati.”
An award-winning analyst, Mr. Eisenstadt frequently discusses current affairs on television and radio, appearing on such U.S. programs as CNN’s Reliable Sources, MSNBC with David Shuster, Fox News, ABC’s World News, Crossfire, CBS Reports, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Nightline, The Today Show and the XM POTUS ‘08 radio show. He has appeared on leading television networks around the globe, including the BBC, Al-Jazeera, and the Israeli Broadcasting Authority and has lectured in twenty countries.
Mr. Eisenstadt has been an influential voice in public policy debate for over a decade. He has consulted on topics of trade, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and the entertainment industry for prominent financial, manufacturing, and service companies; law firms, bar associations, trade groups; agencies of the U.S. government; and law courts in the United States and Canada. His writings have been translated into seventeen languages and have appeared in such newspapers as Corriere della Sera, The Daily Telegraph, Le Figaro, De Gentenaar, Al Shabiba, Morgunbladid, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Berliner Morgenpost.
An expert in the emerging field of “contrition management,” Mr. Eisenstadt was the host of the First Annual Harding Prize for Best Crafted Apologies, held at American University.
Mr. Eisenstadt has testified before many congressional committees, and worked on seven presidential campaigns. Universities in the United States and Belgium have conferred honorary degrees on him.
The author of five books, Mr. Eisenstadt lives in the Washington, D.C., area.
Professional Experience
- Senior Fellow at the Harding Institute for Freedom & Democracy 2005-present
- President, Eisenstadt Group 2005-present
- Contributing Editor, Harding Institute Press 2005-present
- consultant, John McCain general election campaign 2008
- consultant, Rudolph Giuliani primary campaign 2007-08
- unpaid consultant, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth 2004
- consultant, Provisional Authority, Iraq 2003-04
- paid pundit, Department of Defense 2002-04
- member, Committee for the Liberation of Iraq 2002-03
- unpaid consultant, George W. Bush primary campaign 2000
- manager, Tektronik TeleKommunications call center, Falls Church, VA 1996
- pollster, Boris Yeltsin presidential campaign 1996
- associate campaign manager, Alan Keyes presidential campaign 1996
- associate fellow, Heritage Foundation 1993-4
- variety of positions in Defense Department 1990s
- apprentice for Lee Atwater/Roger Ailes, George H.W. Bush Campaign ’88 (worked on Willie Horton ads)
- intern for Elliott Abrams, State Department. Liaison with National Security Council staff 1986
- Congressional page, particularly under Rep. Jack Kemp 1981
Education: BA, American University (including year abroad in Cairo)
Languages: English, Hebrew, Pashtu
(photo credit: Karine Simon)
