Unforced Errors: 15 Bad Decisions That Changed American History

Americans often use terms such as “To err is human,” or “nobody’s perfect,” or “we all make mistakes.” Of course, this is true, as it is for all of America’s leaders through the years.

This book is about decisions made in politics or public policy that may be considered unwise; bad decisions that had unintended negative consequences for the decision-maker. This will not include personal decisions like deciding who to marry or whether to get divorced but rather to look at those political and policy decisions that can be considered, at the very least, unwise. Similarly, Kennedy’s decision to visit Dallas in November 1963 led to his death but doesn’t really qualify as a decision of real political or policy calculation. Lincoln going to Ford’s theatre would be in that same category.

Instead, Unforced Errors lists 15 political calculations made by political figures, often at the pinnacle of their own success, which changed American history.

Robert Blaemire has been a participant in politics all of his adult life. Born and raised in Indiana, his career began at the age of 18 upon entering George Washington University. His employment with Senator Birch Bayh (D-IN) began in 1967 and concluded with Bayh’s election defeat in 1980. Those 13 years saw Bob rise in the Senate Office with campaign experience that began by traveling with the candidate throughout the 1974 re-election campaign and ended as Political Director of the 1980 campaign.

Bob completed his B.A. in Political Science and his M.A. in Legislative Affairs at George Washington University.

After the 1980 defeat, he founded The Committee for American Principles, seeking to combat the growing role and influence of the New Right in political campaigns.

He began providing political computer services in 1982 before it was a business in politics as it is now. He owned his own firm for 17 years and left the business only to write a biography of Senator Bayh, which was published in 2019.

Bob lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland and has two sons, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren.