Bob Smith holds a bachelor's degree from Lafayette College and pursued graduate studies at California State University, Long Beach. He has a background in teaching history and English, and has been involved in real estate as an owner and operator of a brokerage firm. Smith has also demonstrated leadership in the community by serving on a local school board. He founded the American Patriot Foundation, which has had periods of dormancy and reactivation.

Bob Smith's political identity is marked by a staunchly conservative stance on social issues, particularly his unyielding opposition to abortion, which he equates to slavery, and his vigorous defense of gun rights. His legislative efforts, such as sponsoring the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and the S.A.F.E. Act, reflect a highly principled approach. However, his political maneuvers, including his involvement with the American Patriot Foundation and his critique of Republican phone jamming, reveal a willingness to challenge his own party, suggesting a complex interplay between ideological rigidity and political pragmatism.