Robert Traynham

Robert Traynham is the Washington D.C. bureau chief for CN8, The Comcast Network, supporting CN8’s original programming and Campaign ’08 coverage from the network’s studio on Capitol Hill. Robert Traynham reports on breaking news and events and conducts interviews for CN8’s morning and issues-oriented programming.

Traynham is a regular contributor to CN8’s Emmy Award-winning programs, including “Your Morning,” “It’s Your call with Lynn Doyle,” “Art Fennell Reports” and “Larry Kane: Voice of Reason.” Traynham also works in the planning, production and reporting of “America’s Next President,” which tracks major events and news leading up to and surrounding the 2008 presidential election. Traynham hosts D.C.-based “Comcast Newsmakers,” five-minute interview segments with local officials and community leaders.

Robert Traynham began his career in Washington D.C. as a White House intern ("the youngest staff member ever to work full-time at the White House" [http://www.cheyney.edu/pages/?p=213 Cheyney University of Pennsylvania website retrieved October 7 2007] ] ), followed by an appointment to work for a U.S. Representative in Congress. Traynham’s career includes more than 10 years of experience working for the United States Senate, serving as president of the United States Senate Press Secretaries Association, a bipartisan group of Senate Communicators, and most recently serving in senior communications positions for presidential and senatorial campaigns. During this time Robert appeared as a guest and political expert on various CN8 original programming.

Traynham achieved U.S. headlines in 2005 when it was revealed that he was gay; the headlines were because he was employed as chief spokesperson to Rick Santorum, "considered one of the strongest opponents of gay civil rights in Congress." [ [http://www.washblade.com/2005/7-22/news/national/outed.cfm Washington Blade, retrieved October 7 2007] ] [http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/07/071505santorum.htm 365gay.com, retrieved October 7 2007] ] Mr. Traynham, an African-American, is "a founding member of the Congressional Black Republican Association" and in 2005 was "the highest-ranking black Republican staffer on Capitol Hill." "For the past five years, Roll Call Newspaper has named Mr. Traynham as one of the “50 Most Powerful Staffers on Capitol Hill."

Robert Lee Traynham II (born August 9, 1974) is an American broadcaster and former political adviser. He is the first son of Robert and Debra Traynham. He is currently CN8, the Comcast Network's Washington Bureau Chief, and Washington Correspondent. Prior to joining CN8, he was a senior political adviser to the 2004 U.S. presidential campaign of George W. Bush and longtime Communications Director to U.S. Senator Rick Santorum. He was also a Deputy Chief of Staff in the United States Senate Leadership

Early life

Robert Traynham was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in suburban Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. He initially wanted to become an orthopedic surgeon, influenced largely on the many orthopedic doctor visit he had to undertake while in junior and senior high school due to achilles tendonitis. The painful ailment left him double casts and in a wheelchair unable to walk without suffering pain for months at a time.

However, when he was a freshman at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, he decided that he would rather pursue a different profession. Traynham often attributes his experience as the only child in a family of elders, (he was the only child until 1982 when his brother Torrence was born followed by Ashlee in 1984) where he listened to his grandparents, parents, and great grandparents talk about current affairs, as the formative experience that made him well-suited to political spinning. [citation needed]

Education

Traynham graduated from Penn Wood High School, played no sports, due to his illness, but excelled at debating his peers and his teachers on current political events. Traynham has often said that this is when he gained his inner voice and confidence to discuss almost every topic with little ease. Traynham briefly went to College in Sumter,South Carolina, but found the surroundings boring and not very stimulating. It was there in 1993 he transferred to Cheyney University of Pennsylvania to be closer to his orthopedic surgeon to have surgery and to be closer to his family.

While attending Cheyney University, he says he "came into his own and found my sea legs." While attending college full time, Traynham managed to complete 7 internships in Washington, D.C. (he often would take classes on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays and would commute to Washington on Tuesday, Thursdays and on the weekends). It was also during this time that Traynham impressed his professors with his near encyclopedia knowledge of presidential history and campaigns. On a dare he once stood up in front of the class and recited from memory Ronald Reagan's Farewell address to the nation. Traynham received his bachelor's degree in political science from Cheyney in 1996.

Traynham's family thought that he would become a teacher, or a chef (he was always known to be the cook in the family).

Initially he took a job with a political action committee and then took an entry level job working in the mail room of Senator Rick Santorum who he initially met a reception in Washington, D.C.

During his early tenure with the Senator, Traynham was accepted into the Master's Program at George Mason University. Initially, Traynham thought that he would stay with the Senator only until he completed his master's degree. He stayed for 10 years ultimately being promoted to, Deputy Press Secretary, Press Secretary, Deputy Communications Director, Communications Director and Deputy Chief of Staff.

Traynham received his master's degree in Political Communication where he focused on the anyltical reasons as to why candidates communicate the way they do and how voters perceive those messages. It was during this time that one of Traynham's professors at George Mason suggested that he teach a class on political communication. This was suggested to Traynham because of the professor's perception of Traynham's ability to dissect complex information and explain in laymen's term.

Political experience

Traynham has worked on numerous political campaigns, including on the two reelection campaigns of Senator Santorum. He was also often asked to serve as de facto communications advisor to dozens of campaigns across the country, and during this time he was a sought after speaker on television and on radio. In the Winter of 2007 every republican presidential candidate called Traynham in for a chat to get his thoughts on the current field and to gauge his interest in working on their campaign.

Known for his smoothness and ability to talk through any crisis, Traynham was named one of Roll Call's Fabulous 50 (the top staffers on Capitol Hill) for 5 straight years. The newspaper gave him high marks for his ability to spin the press and for his easy access to reporters. Staff and reporters alike generally praised Traynham's communication abilities, although he has been known to berate reporters when he feels that a story is not accurate. The same reporter he would berate on one day, would be the same reporter he would charm with a drink after work or at his house near Washington's Logan Circle.

During his tenure in the United States Senate, Traynham was known to beat everyone else into the office to get a summary of the political news and to call reporters to see what they where working on. After leaving the Senate, he became a political analyst for NPR, and worked briefly for former Senator Fred Thompson as a communications advisor. He joined CN8 in the Fall of 2007.

Pundit

Traynham is currently the political analyst for CN8, where he contributes news and anecdotes on the campaign trail of all of the candidates running for President. To date, he has interviewed Lynn Cheney, Donald Powell, Dennis Kucinich, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, and Duncan Hunter. He also appears on NPR's News and Notes and All Things Considered.

Pop icon

Former General Hospital Star Joseph C. Phillips played Traynham in a pilot show that aired once on Fox.

Personal life

Traynham is very private about his personal life. He has described himself as an out gay man, but rarely does he talk about his love life. He is believed to be partnered to Brent Smith a high ranking official at Citigroup. He has also been rumored to have dated a very well-known news official in New York.

Controversy/Criticism

When Traynham was "outed", his sexual preference almost overshadowed any political accomplishments he made on Capitol Hill. While many on the Right may have looked upon him as a poster boy for diversity, fellow homosexuals criticised him endlessly.

Traynham is frequently lambasted in forums, perhaps best summed up by one of his detractors at forums.thestranger.com, labeling him the Patron Saint of Self-Loathing.

Traynham also uttered controversial comments at a 2003 Harvard Symposium, such as:

“The only time I think about being an African-American is when I get up in the morning to shave, when I look in the mirror,” said Robert Traynham, deputy staff director for the Senate Republican Conference. “Being black has nothing to do with my job—zero.”

“Those who are romantic about the Confederate flag, that’s our base. We need their support; this upcoming election is going to be close,” Traynham said.

As for gays in the Republican party, Traynham said, “I have a lot of friends who happen to be gay.”

Trayhnham was also listed as a reason for Senator Rick Santorum being named #7 on a list of Top Ten Conservative Idiots by democraticunderground.com.

References