{{Short description|American political commentator}} {{for|the Australian politician|Craig Crawford (politician)}} {{Infobox person | name = Craig Crawford | image = Craig Crawford.jpg | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1956}} | birth_place = Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S. | occupation = Lawyer, Writer | spouse = | education = Stetson University (BA, JD) | political_party = Democratic }} '''Craig Crawford''' (born 1956)<ref>{{cite book |last=Crawford |first=Craig |date=September 2007 |title=Attack the Messenger: How Politicians Turn You Against the Media (American Political Challenges) |location=Lanham, Maryland |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9780742538160}}</ref> is an American writer and television political commentator based in Washington, D.C. Publisher of the news commenting forum, Trail Mix, Crawford was a columnist for ''Congressional Quarterly'', Editor-in-Chief of National Journal's ''The Hotline'', and Washington Bureau Chief for ''The Orlando Sentinel'', and the author of ''Listen Up Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do'', ''The Politics of Life: 25 Rules for Survival in a Brutal and Manipulative World'', and ''Attack the Messenger: How Politicians Turn You Against the Media''.
==Early years== Craig Crawford was born in Owensboro, Kentucky.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goodmanspeakersbureau.com/biographies/crawford_craig.htm |title=Craig Crawford goodmanspeakersbureau.com<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814034119/http://www.goodmanspeakersbureau.com/biographies/crawford_craig.htm |archive-date=2007-08-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During his childhood, Crawford moved with his family to Orlando, Florida, where he attended Pineloch Elementary School and Oak Ridge High School.<ref name="os21410">{{cite news|author=Dickinson, Joy Wallace| publisher=Orlando Sentinel|date=February 14, 2010|title=Meet Washington correspondents Helen Thomas and Craig Crawford|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2010/02/14/meet-washington-correspondents-helen-thomas-and-craig-crawford/|access-date=2010-02-14}}</ref> His parents, Tabitha and Bill Crawford, encouraged his interest in public affairs.<ref name="profile">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/Crawford_OrlandoMagazine.pdf|title=Progressive Redneck|publisher=Orlando Magazine}}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> When he was nine years old, Crawford had the opportunity to meet President Lyndon B. Johnson.<ref name="os21410"/> While still in high school, Crawford served as a page to Republican Senator Ed Gurney.<ref name="profile"/> In 1976, while attending Stetson University, he worked on Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign.<ref name="profile"/> After the 1976 election, Crawford transferred to American University in Washington to intern in the Carter White House press office. Crawford graduated from Stetson University (1978) and Stetson University College of Law (1981). He has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1982.<ref name="about">[http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/about.html About Craig Crawford (CQ Politics)<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221003958/http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/about.html |date=2009-02-21 }}</ref>
==Career== While beginning his law practice, Crawford worked for Democratic candidates John Glenn and Walter Mondale. In 1982, he was an unsuccessful candidate for Florida's state legislature as a Democrat. Crawford joined the staff of the ''Orlando Sentinel'' in 1985 as a legal affairs and politics reporter.<ref name="profile"/> In 1989, he moved to the paper's Washington bureau. In 1997, Crawford left the Sentinel to run The Hotline until 2003, when he joined ''Congressional Quarterly'' leading to his work for NBC, CNBC and MSNBC.<ref name="cbsnews"/>
Crawford publicly resigned from MSNBC on March 5, 2010. In the comments section of his ''Congressional Quarterly'' blog, he wrote, "i [sic] simply could not any longer endure being a cartoon player for lefty games."<ref name="cq3510">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2010/03/a-point-of-personal-privilege.html|title=A Point of Personal Privilege|author=Crawford, Craig|date=March 5, 2010|publisher=CQ Politics|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308050049/http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2010/03/a-point-of-personal-privilege.html|archive-date=March 8, 2010}}</ref>
Crawford was a regular contributor to the John Batchelor and Paul Alexander radio show, broadcast from WABC - AM, New York.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} He also appeared on the CBS Early Show as a political contributor. Crawford was also a frequent guest on the Imus in the Morning radio/TV simulcast.
In 2005, Crawford released the book "Attack The Messenger: How Politicians Turn You Against The Media" which talks about "the role of politicians in taking advantage of that public distrust of the media."<ref name="cbsnews">{{cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/attack-the-messenger/ | work=CBS News | title=Attack The Messenger | date=October 18, 2005}}</ref>
In the 2008 Presidential campaign, Crawford defended Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton following President Clinton's response to a press question about why it "takes two of you" to beat Barack Obama.<ref>President Bill Clinton's press remarks, as broadcast on MSNBC on January 26, 2008.</ref> On January 26, 2008 Crawford appeared on the MSNBC program ''Morning Joe'' defending his position toward the Clintons.<ref>''Morning Joe'', MSNBC. January 26, 2008.</ref> and Crawford appeared again on ''Morning Joe'' on January 29, 2008 to further defend his statements.<ref>''Morning Joe'', MSNBC. January 29, 2008.</ref>
In 2015 Crawford was hired to serve as Communications Director for the presidential campaign of former Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA).<ref>{{cite web|title=Webb Hires Crawford|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/jim-webb-craig-crawford-communication-director-113943|website=Politico|access-date=2 January 2015}}</ref> Following the campaign, Crawford resumed his work as publisher of the political commentary site TrailMix.cc, which he has operated since 2005.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Mission |url=https://trailmix.cc/home/ |website=TrailMix.cc |access-date=11 May 2026}}</ref>
==Personal life== Crawford is openly gay.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/23/Worldandnation/Roles_of_gay_staffers.shtml |title=Worldandnation: Roles of gay staffers raise suspicions in Foley scandal |access-date=2010-03-06 |archive-date=2011-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604151141/http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/23/Worldandnation/Roles_of_gay_staffers.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> He married David Blank in the District of Columbia in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mortman |first=Howard |date=8 April 2013 |title=Oh, The Crawford-Blank Wedding Food Review; Oh, the Late '90s Hotline Style |url=https://www.famousdc.com/2013/04/08/oh-the-crawford-blank-wedding-food-review-oh-the-late-90s-hotline-style/ |work=Famous DC |access-date=11 May 2026}}</ref>
==Works== *''Listen Up Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do.'' (with co-author Helen Thomas) (Charles Scribner's Sons, 2009) {{ISBN|1-4391-4815-5}} *''The Politics of Life: 25 Rules for Survival in a Brutal and Manipulative World'' (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007) {{ISBN|0-7425-5250-0}} - a kind of updated Machiavelli.<ref name="profile"/> *''Attack the Messenger: How Politicians Turn You Against the Media''.(Rowman & Littlefield, 2005) {{ISBN|0-7425-3816-8}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://trailmix.cc/ Craig Crawford, Publisher, Trail Mix] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070814034119/http://www.goodmanspeakersbureau.com/biographies/crawford_craig.htm Goodman Speakers Bureau Biography] * {{C-SPAN|15898}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Crawford, Craig}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:People from Owensboro, Kentucky Category:People from Orlando, Florida Category:American University alumni Category:Stetson University alumni Category:American political commentators Category:Stetson University College of Law alumni Category:American LGBTQ journalists Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people