Gerald Rafshoon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| White House Communications Director | |
| In office July 1, 1978 – August 14, 1979 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | David Gergen (1977) |
| Succeeded by | Frank Ursomarso (1981) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gerald Monroe Rafshoon January 11, 1934 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Texas at Austin (BA) |
Gerald Monroe Rafshoon (born January 11, 1934) is an American television producer and political operative. He is one of the four founding members of Unity08, and was the White House Communications Director under the presidency of Jimmy Carter. In doing so, Rafshoon became the first professional advertising executive to join the White House staff.
In January 2008, Rafshoon and fellow Unity08 co-founder Doug Bailey left that organization to launch a national effort to draft New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run for President of the United States as an independent candidate.
In 1976, Rafshoon was the architect of the advertising and public relations campaign that helped Carter, then a mostly unknown Southern governor and peanut farmer, become President of the United States.
Following his White House years, Rafshoon began producing motion pictures and television programs. He is a specialist in international co-productions working closely with the leading television networks and production companies in Europe and filming in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.