“A breath of fresh air” is how viewers describe author and political analyst Keli Goff. As an expert on youth and minority voters, she has emerged as one of the most in demand pundits of the 2008 presidential election cycle. A popular blogger and commentator she is recognized for her ability to effortlessly traverse the worlds of politics and pop culture, covering subjects as diverse as the latest O.J. Simpson trial, to the presidential debates. She has appeared on numerous national programs including: “The CBS Early Show,” CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” and “Reliable Sources,” FOX News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor” and “Hannity & Colmes,” MSNBC’s “Verdict with Dan Abrams” and NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” among others. She has also served as a source for news outlets ranging from the Wall Street Journal to USA Today.

She is a featured essayist in the forthcoming collection, The Speech: Race and Barack Obama’s a more Perfect Union (Bloomsbury, August 2009).

During the 2008 election Keli served as a regular contributor for BET’s public affairs program “The Truth with Jeff Johnson,” and as an editorial contributor for RushmoreDrive.com, and was also the resident election expert for Seventeen Magazine’s Electionista blog. She is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post and the author of the critically acclaimed book Party Crashing: How the Hip-Hop Generation Declared Political Independence (Basic Books, March 2008). Through interviews with voters and high profile leaders, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, Party Crashing explores the cultural and political divide between black Americans of the civil rights generation and their children and grandchildren, known collectively as the hip-hop generation—as well as what Goff calls “Generation Obama.” Prof. Henry Louis Gates of Harvard said of Party Crashing, “Keli Goff gets it right in this incisive and entertaining book,” while The Washington Post called it “engaging” and Arianna Huffington declared that it “Should be on the nightstand of candidates on either side of the political aisle.”

Keli’s career in politics and media includes a number of high profile political and public relations campaigns. She served as Campaign Manager for Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s successful re-election in 2002 and was Deputy Campaign Manager for “Vote No On 3,” a groundbreaking citywide campaign the New York Times labeled “hugely successful.” At Fenton Communications Keli served as the lead publicist on the launch of SheSource.org, an online media resource created to increase the presence of women experts on major networks. Since its inception, SheSource.org experts have appeared on numerous networks, including: ABC, BBC, CNN, FOX News Channel and many others.

She holds a B.A. from New York University and a Master’s degree in Strategic Communications from Columbia University. A native of Texas, Keli’s foray into politics began with an internship on Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign.

Keli’s areas of expertise include: Political Strategy; Youth and Minority Voters; Media coverage of campaigns and elections; Communications and Media Strategy; Representations of women and minorities in the media; African-American socio-economic and political issues; the Hip-Hop Generation and Celebrity Culture.