About the Author
Chris Shugart has been an advertising and marketing consultant for 20 years. He first took an interest in politics in 1996 when his father Al Shugart, founder and CEO of Seagate Technology ran his dog Ernest as a write-in candidate for U.S. Congress in the California 17th District. Chris created all of the campaign material and would later design, edit and produce Al Shugart’s book Ernest Goes To Washington which chronicled the entire campaign. Shortly after that, Chris helped Al establish the Friends of Ernest Political Action Committee.
In the summer of 1998, while promoting the new book, Chris met with best selling author and conservative commentator David Horowitz. Horowitz, was looking for writers who could contribute articles for his new website, Front Page Magazine. Although a professional relationship never materialized, Chris was inspired to begin publishing the Ernest Voice, which became the official newsletter for the Friends of Ernest Political Action Committee.
In 1998 FOEPAC sponsored and promoted California Proposition 23, the None of the Above Election Reform Act that eventually appeared on the ballot in March 2000. Although the initiative was voted down, Chris had become an ardent observer of the American political scene.
In February 2001, Chris started his own weekly radio show called Uncommon Sense. Originally broadcast from Santa Cruz, and later Salinas, the call-in talk show was heard throughout the Central Coast. In 2003, realizing that the emergence of the New Media was flourishing and gaining ground, Chris started the American Association of Independent Voters to reflect the rapid changes taking place on the political landscape.
Since then, Chris has expanded his advertising activities to include audio visual production and he’s also become a freelance political writer, consultant, and blogger.
Chris Shugart’s political website