Pro Politics with Zac McCrary: Recent Episodes
Zac McCrary
Political pollster Zac McCrary interviews interesting people who work in and around the political industry. Guests come from a multitude of backgrounds and specialties within the political industry, and span the partisan spectrum. This is not a podcast for partisan squabbling or punditry about the latest issue in DC - it is hearing directly from successful people in the industry...their stories, experiences, and advice. This is a podcast for anyone who works in politics, hopes to work in politics, or wants to get up close to see how things really work in the world of professional politics.
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The Pro Politics Podcast is taking an indefinite pause, though feel free to reach out to me directly for any reason at my personal email: mccrary.zachary(at)gmail.com. Thanks for listening.
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Two media firms, Katz Media & National Media, recently partnered to conduct an in-depth media consumption study in the aftermath of the 2024 elections. For the first time publicly, Mitch Kline / Patrick McGee (Katz) & Adam Wise (National) talk in-depth about this study, what motivated it, and 10 core findings from their data.
IN THIS EPISODE
The cliff notes version of how Mitch, Pat, and Adam got into politics...
The origin story of the new post 2024 election media consumption survey...
The 6 distinct voter media consumption profiles identified in this new data...
When voters decided who to vote for in 2024 and media implications moving forward...
The interconnection among the decline of ticket-splitting, ballot drop-off, and media fragmentation...
The relative import of economic vs. social concerns in driving voter decisions...
Texting as the "turnout workhorse" of the 2024 election & why it can't be replicated in 2026...
Who voters want to hear from in campaigns?
How the rise of second-screen experiences should change media strategies...
Dirty little secrets about media ratings...
What trends indicate about the future of media consumption in the coming years...
The role of direct mail in the 2024 elections
Final takeaways from this data from Mitch, Pat, & Adam...
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David Bergstein, Communications Director for Senator Cory Booker, is one of the most accomplished communications professionals working in Democratic politics - working tough campaigns across the country and stints at the DNC, DCCC, and DSCC. In this conversation, we talk his path to politics out of a political family in Portland, OR, why he gravitated to comms, lessons learned on early races, some of his favorite press gimmicks, the difference in working campaigns vs. committees, some of the saviest pols he's worked with, the changing face of political communications & much more.
IN THIS EPISODE
David grows up in a political household in Portland, OR...
Oregon's history as a competitive two-party state throughout the 90s and 00s...
The Iraq War and a couple of DC internships pull David into the political profession...
Why David was a good fit for political comms work...
Lessons from David's early campaign work from California US House races to Midwest mayorals...
David's 2 rules on what makes for a good political comms staffer...
How comms has changed over the 15+ years David has been in the field...
Two of David's favorite costume-related comms gimmicks...
Is the media run by liberals?
The differences in working for a political campaign committee vs. a campaign...
Some of the most politically savvy elected officials David has worked around...
Inside the DNC comms operation heading into the 2020 presidential election...
How David thinks about candidates balancing preparation vs. authenticity...
Lessons David learned from multiple bouts of brain cancer and brain surgery...
AND aviator sunglasses, Mark Barabak, Ami Bera, big mouths, Marc Caputo, Jimmy Carter, Edward Chapman, Dick Cheney, consumate liars, Jack Conway, Jim Crounse, dancing Bevin-ochios, Fancy Farm, Neil Goldschmidt, Gwen Graham, The Green Frog, Lucinda Guinn, Haliburton, happy warriors, Tom Henry, Xochitl Hinojosa, Paula Hughes, Doug Jones, Vera Katz, Ted Kulongoski, Dawn Laguens, Alex Leary, Little Beirut, Maryland Matt, Patty Mazzei, Mitch McConnell, Jeff Merkley, methane gas, Roy Moore, Mindy Myers, nesting rats, Tom Perez, Rabinowitz/Dorf, Chuck Schumer, Justin Shaw, Gordon Smith, Steve Southerland, Andy Stone, Pat Stranix, Ron Wyden, Fred Yang...& more!
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Yasmin Radjy is the Executive Director of Swing Left and Vote Forward, and was featured recently in The Atlantic after her organization released data showing some of ther field and canvassing tactics in the 2024 election did not work. In this conversation, Yasmin talks her family's path as Iranian refugees to the US, how the '08 Obama campaign shifted her perspective on practical politics, founding Resistance School in the aftermath of the 2016 election, her stints as National Political Director at Planned Parenthood and in the Biden Administration, the importance of measuring and disclosing what tactics do and do not work, and the new ideas and projects on which she's focused during an incredibly turbulent time in American politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
Yasmin talks her family's journey as immigrants fleeing the Iranian Revolution of the late 1970s...
The inherent politicization of being an Iranian-American...
Yasmin becomes active in partisan politics while in college...
Yasmin's world is turned upside down knocking doors as a Northern California liberal in small town Ohio in 2008...
Yasmin's take on what makes an effective political organizer...
Yasmin forms "Resistance School" in the aftermath of the 2016 elections - a program utilized by hundreds of thousands of activists...
Yasmin's time as Organizing Director & National Political Director at Planned Parenthood...
How Yasmin took the reins at Swing Left and the role it plays in the progressive infrastructure...
Findings highlighted in a recent Atlantic article of what Swing Left did in 2024 and what worked and didn't work...
Why Yasmin believes it's critical for organizations to publicize findings about its work, especially when programs don't move the needle as planned...
The difference in the aftermath of Trump's 2016 win versus Trump's 2024 win...
Questions Yasmin wants future research to answer to sharpen grassroots activism...
The one trait Yasmin looks for in hiring staff at Swing Left...
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Morris Katz, ad-maker at the Fight media firm, is the lead media strategist for Zohran Mamdani's insurgent campaign that secured the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City in a decisive upset over the long-favored Andrew Cuomo. In this conversation, Morris talks his NYC roots, coming from an artistic family, his accidental path into politics, and a deep dive into the Mamdani campaign's monumental win. We discuss the candidates, the overarching strategy, important tactical decisions, inside the memorable viral and paid media content, the role of outside groups, what is misunderstood about the race, what is replicable for others and much more with a lead operative on one of the most impressive and innovative campaigns in recent memory.
IN THIS EPISODE
Morris grows up in downtown Manhattan in an artistic household...
What diverted Morris from focusing on screenwriting to a career in politics...
How a stint in North Carolina politics shaped Morris' trajectory...
What is unique about Morris' firm, Fight...
How Morris entered the world of Zohran Mamdani & his first impressions of the candidate...
Morris breaks down the 3-phase strategy of the Mamdani mayoral campaign...
The role the DSA-NY and Working Families Party played in the rise of Zohran Mamdani...
How the Mamdani field operation fundamentally changed the race...
Was the Free Palestine movement integral to the Mamdani ascent...
Inside the Mamdani digital program and why it caught fire...
A communication strategy the Mamdani campaign "unlocked"...
Technical aspects that made Mamdani video and ad content stand out...
What makes Zohran Mamdani an effective political communicator?
The paid-media strategy undergirding the campaign's rise...
How the Knicks playoff run impacted Mamdani media decisions...
Why the campaign invested in :15 second ads...
Parallels between Zohran Mamdani and Barack Obama...
How Morris views the attacks on Mamdani of anti-semitism and defunding the police...
The influential role played by mayoral candidate Brad Lander...
Unpacking the winning Mamdani coalition...
Morris' most surreal post-election moment...
What is most replicable for other campaigns from the Mamdani success?
AND AOC, Elle Bisgaard-Church, Eric Bogosian, Jamaal Bowman, Adam Carlson, Josh Charles, Andrew Cuomo, Bill de Blasio, Bob Dylan, Andrew Epstein, eyebrows, halal-flation, Hiroshima Mon Amour, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Rebecca Katz, Brett Leonard, Willy Loman, manic energy, Tommy McDonald, Matt McLaughlin, Melted Solids, Arthur Miller, Julian Mulvey, the new brunch, Trey Nix, the politics of sighs, Antonio Reynoso, Katie Riley, Sam Rockwell, John Shanley, Erica Smith, Nydia Velazquez, Yul Vasquez, villains...& more!
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Mike Nellis is the founder of Authentic, a digital fundraising firm that's raised over $1 billion for it's clients including Kamala Harris, Adam Schiff and numerous Governors, Senators, and high profile organizations. He was also a Senior Advisor to Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, the co-founder of White Dudes for Harris in the 2024 presidential campaign, and an active thinker and leader on how progressive politics has to evolve in a changing world.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up in a conservative, middle class home in Omaha...
Anti-Iraq War protests draw Mike into political activism...
Mike's time as an Obama volunteer and fellow in the '07-'08 Iowa Caucus...
On the campaign trail from Nebraska to North Carolina to Connecticut and more...
Mike's connection to the 2016 Bernie Sanders' campaign...
Mike's take on why a full primary would've helped the Kamala Harris' 24 presidential effort...
Mike founds Authentic, a firm focused on online fundraising...
Mike's time as a Senior Advisor to Kamala Harris 2020 presidential bid...
Behind the scenes of designing the Harris' 2020 logo...
Mike's recent focus as a General Consultant for campaigns...
Why Democrats have become so risk-averse?
Mike co-founds the White Dudes for Harris 2024 group...
What Democrats must do to better appeal to younger men...
The right balance of economics vs culture in Democratic campaigns...
Should messaging and governance go big or go small?
Where do Democrats need to move to the center?
Mike's encouragement for those working in politics to stay healthy...
AND...90s pro wrestling, AKAs, Avon, Brene Brown, George W. Bush, Pete Buttigieg, Carter Lake, James Carville, Bob Casey, Shirley Chisolm, Bill Clinton, John Fetterman, Flagrant, Scott Galloway, Jared Golden, Al Gore, Nikki Haley, hollowed-out banks, John Kerry, Larry King, Jane Kleeb, Scott Kleeb, Dan Malloy, Joe Manchin, Elaine Marshall, Ross Morales Rocketto, Morningside University, Elon Musk, music appreciation class, Trevor Noah, Martin O'Malley, Orange Theory, Ben Ostrower, Jordan Peterson, Ro Khanna, Chris Rock, Joe Rogan, Pat Ryan, Adam Schiff, Lis Smith, Tim Tagaris, Andrew Tate, Vampire Weekend, Theo Von, Tim Walz, Paul Wellstone, Wide Eye Creative & more!
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Congressman Mike Quigley is in his 9th term representing Chicago's North Side and Lakefront as a Democrat in the House. He made waves last year after the first presidential debate as one of the first elected Democrats to publicly urge President Biden to step aside as the party's nominee. In this conversation, we talk through what led him to speak out, the reaction from the White House and his colleagues, and why he believes it's an important conversation for the party to have now. We also discuss his path in politics as a staffer, as a reformer on the Cook County Board, winning a 20+ candidate '09 special election to replace Rahm Emanuel in the House, favorite moments during his tenure, what he's learned visiting Ukraine, and what Democrats need to do to better connect with voters.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up in a conservative, blue-collar household in in the Midwest...
The teacher who made an impression on his politics and the advice he continues to quote today...
Learning both theory at the University of Chicago and practical politics while cutting his teeth in Cook County politics...
Why he lost his first race for office and how he turned a loss into a win a few years later...
A decade on the Cook County Board as a reformer taking on the Chicago machine...
How he won a 20+ person special election in 2009 to replace Rep. Rahm Emanuel in the House...
Initial impressions and surprises in his early days in Congress...
Two members who served as his mentors...
Some of the work he's done in the House he's most proud of...
Why Ukraine matters and what he's learned by traveling to the country several times...
Why he was one of the first Democratic elected officials to call on President Biden to step aside as the '24 Democratic nominee in the aftermath of the debate...
Reactions from colleagues and constituents after going public with his concerns about President Biden...
Do Democrats have a larger problem of too many older Democrats refusing to retire and make way for younger leaders?
Thoughts on how Democrats can better connect with voters...
His favorite Chicago Blackhawks' memory and excitement for the new Chicago Pope...
AND John Anzalone, big cats, Rod Blagojevich, burning your mortgage, cannon fodder, Frank Capra, Carol Stream, Forrest Claypool, Walter Cronkite, Paul Ehrlich, Sara Feigenholtz, John Fritchey, William Fulbright, Mary Gatey, Gabby Giffords, Newt Gingrich, Bernie Hansen, Kasie Hunt, Mark Kirk, John Lewis, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Vladimir Putin, Robert Redford, Branch Rickey, FDR, Paul Ryan, Helen Schiller, Glenn Schneider, Michael Sheahan, Adam Smith, spring chickens, John Stroger, Larry Suffredin, Studs Terkel, Harry Truman, The Weiner Circle, Gary Williams, working for the pension...& more!
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Frank Lavin served under Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush in positions as varied as personnel, national security, international trade negotiations, Ambassador to Singapore, among others. In this conversation, we discuss his 8+ years in the Reagan White House from 1981-1989 - which is chronicled in his recent book Inside the Reagan White House. In the Reagan White House, he wore several different hats, was in hundreds of meetings with President Reagan, worked alongside some of the most influential administration officials - culminating in his stint as White House Political Director during the 1988 elections.
IN THIS EPISODE
Frank grows up in small-town Ohio in a tensely political time...
Frank talks the establishment vs. conservative sparring in the GOP of the 1970s...
Frank's early campaign activities in the late 70s and working for an IE backing Reagan as a college student in 1980...
An important political lesson Frank learned from James Baker in Baker's 1978 race for Texas Attorney General...
Memories of how Jim Baker ran the Reagan White House as Chief of Staff...
How Reagan borrowed from FDR to become a powerful political communicator...
How Reagan led the White House in meetings behind closer doors...
Frank's first White House job of letting unsuccessful job applicants down easy...
How the White House was a tug-of-war between "true believers" and "pragmatists"...
Memories of his time at the Office of Public Liasion and how the President would "freeze" the first 10 minutes of a meeting...
The 1984 Democratic challenger the White House was most worried about and how Reagan bounced back from a bad '82 midterm to win an '84 landslide...
The difference in "desk truth" and "street truth"...
How Reagan staffer Mike Deaver fundamentally changed the way a White House handles presidential travel...
Frank's time as a White House national security staffer negotiating with the Soviets and spending time with President Reagan and Margaret Thatcher at Camp David...
Frank demystifies his role as White House Political Director during the 1988 elections...
The origin of the famous Reagan "11th Commandment" maxim...
How Reagan initially won - and successfully held - the voters who came to be known as "Reagan Democrats"...
Frank's memories of being around President George H.W. Bush...
The low point of Frank's time in the Reagan White House...
Quick memories from Frank of prominent figures including Karl Rove, Colin Powell, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Roger Stone, and Pat Buchanan...
AND Al Haig Disease, Lee Atwater, Jimmy Carter, George Christopher, Bill Clinton, creative tension, Peter DelGiorno, Terry Dolan, Tony Dolan, Frank Donatelli, Mike Dukakis, exotic tendencies, the FEC, fireside chats, forced marriages, force multipliers, Gerald Ford, John Glenn, Barry Goldwater, Mikhail Gorbachev, Bob Haldeman, Warren Harding, Kamala Harris, Gary Hart, hatchet men, horizontal management, LBJ, jelly beans, Dick Lyng, Paul Manafort, Eugene McCarthy, George McGovern, Ed Meese, Walter Mondale, Brian Mulroney, Daniel Murphy, Ed Muskie, NCPAC, neutral recapitulations, the New Left, non sequiturs, Oliver North, John Poindexter, the Reykjavik Summit, Stu Spencer, Robert Taft, Donald Trump, Bob Weed, George Wortley...& more!
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Patrick McHugh, co-founder of Gambit Strategies, was the Executive Director of Priorities USA in 2020 as the main super PAC allied with the Biden Presidential campaign. Prior to that, he had stints at the DSCC and working in the opp research department on major Democratic campaigns. In this conversation, we explore Patrick's roots in opposition research, his experiences running big organizations and on the campaign trail, and mine his deep expertise on emerging trends and best practices in digital persuasion advertising.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up in suburban Maryland, near DC but not of DC...
The family tragedy that demonstrated how precarious the middle class can be...
What set Patrick on a course toward working in politics...
Lessons learned working for John Edwards for President in 2007 and Kay Hagan for Senate in 2008...
The new opposition research tactic Patrick helped spearhead in 2008...
Why Patrick gravitated to opp research in his first few campaign jobs...
Some of Patrick's favorite opp research findings and stories...
Patrick's memorable opp research trip to Hawaii...
Patrick's stints during both good and bad cycles at the DSCC...
Patrick moves into senior leadership as Executive Director of the Priorities USA Super PAC...
Patrick on one tactical approach that helped Biden in 2020 that was disregarded by Democrats in 2024...
How Patrick handled asking for big checks as ED of Priorities...
Patrick develops an expertise in digital persuasion and starts Gambit Strategies...
Patrick's insights on how voters watch TV and what it means for campaigns...
Will streaming options become even more fractured or more consolidated...
How digital content should differ than traditional linear TV content...
The kind of junior digital staffers Patrick looks for to join Gambit Strategies...
Patrick recommends some of his favorite sources of digital trends and data...
AND George W. Bush, Ana Caprara, Guy Cecil, Hillary Clinton, DSCC, Elizabeth Dole, frozen records, Amy Gooden, Heidi Heitkamp, Martha McKenna, Linda McMahon, Chris Murphy, press vortexes, JB Pritzker, rocking chairs, Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority PAC, tier 5 races, Donald Trump, Two Americas, John Walsh, Elizabeth Warren...& more!
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Catching up this week with return guest Dr. Michael Cohen, who just released a new edition of his book Modern Political Campaigns this month. He studied under iconic pollster Bill Hamilton as a student, worked in the trenches in Republican campaigns, spent time at Gallup, apprenticed under renowned GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio and worked with famed Dem strategist Mark Penn when Michael was an in-house pollster at Microsoft. Along the way, Michael started his own firm (Cohen Research Group), built the successful Congress in Your Pocket tech app, and wrote Modern Political Campaigns to bring the campaign literature up to speed with the ever-evolving political industry - including a new edition that includes a focus on the role AI is playing in political campaigns. This is a great nuts-and-bolts conversation on the political industry with a smart pollster, tech entrepreneur, and author.
IN THIS EPISODE…
The new edition of Modern Political Campaigns, including a focus on AI in campaigns...
How political campaigns are (and are not) using AI at this point...
What Michael knows about Gen Z from teaching courses at NYU and Johns Hopkins...
Lessons he learned from a recent heart attack and recovery...
Michael’s formative years growing up on Long Island…
The political switch flips for Michael in college…
Michael crosses paths with famed Democratic pollster Bill Hamilton…
Michael makes the jump to political polling under Tony Fabrizio…
The bizarre story of how one of Michael’s candidates was pilloried on the Colbert Report…
Michael starts his own polling firm to move beyond partisan politics…
Michael’s stint as an in-house pollster at Microsoft with Mark Penn…
Michael’s compares working with legendary Dem pollster Mark Penn and iconic GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio…
Michael creates the wildly successful Congress in Your Pocket app…
Michael’s 101 on how to create an app…
The long journey behind Michael’s new book Modern Political Campaigns…
Michael’s advice to those who want to write a book and get it published…
Michael’s take on what makes a good pollster…
Michael weighs in on the question of a “polling crisis”…
Michael’s advice on the best books to understand how politics works…
AND AAPOR, Michael Bender, Sidney Blumenthal, Stephen Colbert, Sean Cook, Bob Dole, enlargement ads, Ezra Cohen Corporation, Arthur Finkelstein, the Gallup Poll, Josh Gottheimer, Sasha Issenberg, Peter Jennings, Steve Jobs, Ed Koch, Celinda Lake, Massapequa mannerisms, mobilization vs. persuasion, Never Trump Republicans, Ronald Reagan, Rowman & Littlefield, Jake Rush, Karen Thurman, Chris Tompkins, Tevi Troy, vampire roleplaying, Ted Yoho, & more!
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Pat Leahy is a giant of the US Senate...the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Vermont...the third longest serving Senator in US history...the Senate President Pro Tem...Chair of Appropriations, Agriculture, and Judiciary...and 8 terms in the US Senate. In this conversation, we talk his roots in small town Vermont, overcoming the state's deep Republican roots in a 1974 upset, entering the Senate in his mid 30s, and his favorite stories, lessons, and proudest moments from nearly 50 years in the US Senate.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up in small-town Montpelier with a love of reading...
How his service as District Attorney propelled his successful run for Senate in 1974 as the first Democrat to win a Vermont Senate seat...
Early days in the US Senate in his mid 30s...
How he won 8 terms in what was initially a very Republican state...
The interesting story behind his 1998 re-election, his first true landslide...
The most tense and high-stakes moments during his career in the Senate...
Passing anti-land mine legislation...
A day in the life of the Senate President Pro Tem...
How trust among Senators one late night saved lives during a mid 80s Capitol bombing...
Senator Leahy receives a tip he received from an "anonymous jogger" during the Iraq War debate...
When Vice President Dick Cheney swore at Senator Leahy on the Senate floor...
The Senator who gave the best Senate floor speeches...
The most effective Majority Leader he saw...
When his colleague Jim Jeffords switched parties and changed control of the Senate...
His views on the rise of Bernie Sanders as a national figure...
Why he didn't run for re-election in 2022...
How he received the Order of the British Empire designation...
His connection to the Batman character and appearing in several Batman films...
His status as the Senate's leading Grateful Dead Head...
The status of his wife Marcelle as his political secret weapon...
AND anatomical impossibilities, Howard Baker, James Baker, Leonid Brezhnev, Dale Bumpers, George H.W. Bush, Robert Byrd, George Clooney, DC Comics, designated survivors, Charles Dickens, John Durkin, Jim Eastland, Jerry Ford, Jerry Garcia, John Glenn, holy water, Hubert Humphrey, John F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Heath Ledger, Mike Mansfield, Miranda Rights, Mitch McConnell, Bobby Muller, Christopher Nolan, Sam Nunn, Barack Obama, organic farming, Colin Powell, Quebec City, Hugh Scott, secret weapons, Alan Simpson, Bob Stafford, Ted Stevens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Fred Tuttle, Mark Twain, Vincent Van Gogh, Wayne Industries...& more!
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Yoav Attias is a documentary filmmaker whose projects include Brick City chronicling the inner-workings of Newark, NJ under then-Mayor Cory Booker and CNN's Chicagoland featuring then-mayor Rahm Emanuel. His most recent role is as Director on the new documentary film Fault Lines - which examines the issue of affordable housing in American cities through the prism of several storylines in San Francisco where the housing crisis is especially acute. In this conversation, Yoav talks starting a legal career in South Florida before following his passion to become a documentary filmmaker...what he learned about the politics and challenges facing major American cities working closely around Mayors Cory Booker and Rahm Emanuel...the origin of the Fault Lines film project set in the Bay Area...and a deep dive on the challenges and complexities surrounding the American housing crisis.
IN THIS EPISODE
Yoav's roots in South Florida and why he left a legal career for documentary film-making...
Yoav's involvement in the Brick City project that follows Newark politics, including then-Mayor Cory Booker...
The documentary that deeply inspired Yoav to enter the field...
Yoav's time as showrunner on CNN's Chicagoland project that featured Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel...
Yoav's pitch to pols like Rahm Emanuel and Cory Booker to agree to be filmed for hundreds of hours for a documentary project...
Yoav's relative optimism versus pessimism regarding the trajectory of the modern major American city...
The origin story of his latest project, Fault Lines - a documentary about the housing affordability crisis facing American cities...
How the housing process became so broken in cities like San Francisco in the first place...
The controversy over 100 proposed affordable housing units in San Francisco's Sunset Neighborhood...
How Yoav found housing advocates and a homeless family to participate in Fault Lines...
How one local Bay Area elected official found himself caught in a political vice on the issue of affordable housing...
Is the housing problem better or worse than Yoav initially thought?
The Grateful Dead song that appears toward the end of Fault Lines...
Yoav's take on political ad-making from outside of the political industry...
The recent political documentary Yoav strongly recommends...
AND Mark Benjamin, Anthony Bourdain, Bill Clinton, Todd Davis, Liz Dozier, Fenger High School, field producers, Jerry Garcia, HUD, hippie utopias, Hoop Dreams, hornets' nests, Nate Houghteling, Robert Hunter, Steve James, Flo Kimmerling, Ezra Klein, Marc Levin, Gordon Mar, the Mission, PCE, Section 8 vouchers, Sarah Sherman, toxicology reports, trust-building, undesirables, University of Florida, verité documentaries, Scott Weiner, zoning laws..& more!
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Karen Deflippi is launching Versus Media Group, after nearly 20 years in politics - including running campaigns, being a House Chief of Staff on the Hill, senior positions at Emilys List and the DCCC, and her current role as a media consultant for Democratic candidates and progressives causes. In this conversation she talks her path in politics from a Catholic family in swing Western PA to helping run some of the most impactful political organizations in the country and now putting a stamp on campaigns as a media consultant.
IN THIS EPISODE
Karen grows up in a "social justice" Catholic family in Western PA...
Why Karen's initial goal of being a Naval fighter pilot wasn't in the cards...
The moment Karen realized she wanted to work full-time in political campaigns...
Memories of Hillary Clinton 2007-2008 primary campaign...
Karen's stints working on Capitol Hill, including as Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Debbie Dingell...
Karen spends 3 memorable cycles at Emilys List, from 2016-2020...
What structural barriers do women candidates still face running for office?
Inside how Karen has tackled candidate recruitment at both Emilys List and the DCCC...
Karen takes on the challenge as Deputy ED at the DCCC ahead of the difficult 2022 midterm...
Karen on tell-tale signs that a campaign may be in need of intervention...
How Democrats exceeded expectations in the '22 midterms...
Why Karen took on the role of media consultant as her next challenge & her favorite race she worked in 2024...
The Launch of Versus Media Group...
The evergreen advice Karen gives to anyone interested in working in politics...
Karen's strangest work habit...
AND Kelly Ayotte, basic sponges, Berlin Rosen, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Bill Clinton, Angie Craig, Sharice Davids, Deaniacs, John Dingell, framed post-it notes, giat Trump signs, Jared Golden, Maggie Hassan, Chrissy Houlahan, the Iowa State Fair, John Kerry, Ellen Malcolm, Nancy Pelosi, Project 314, Stephanie Schriock, Mikie Sherrill, sleep hygiene, Abigail Spanberger, Sunday staff meetings, Susan Wild...& more!
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Taegan Goddard is the founder and editor of Political Wire, one of the most widely-read political news sites over the last 25+ years. He created Political Wire in the late 1990s after stints as a Senate staffer on Capitol Hill and several years in state government in his home state of Connecticut. In this conversation, he talks his own development as a rabid political junkie, setting out early goals in the public and private sector, both encouraging and disheartening stints in government, why he decided against running for office, and starting Political Wire initially as a hobby - which has now grown into a site that is a regular stop for 10+ million readers a month. To become a paid subscriber to Political Wire to see additional content and no ads, click here.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up as a young political junkie in Hartford, CT...
Taegan runs across an early version of the internet in the 1980s...
The British politician who had an important important on the structure of Taegan's life...
Important lessons working for the Senate Banking Chair, Michigan Democrat Don Riegle, on Capitol Hill...
Highs and lows of working for Governor Lowell Weicker and others in CT state government...
Why time working in state government made Taegan forgo an early desire to run for office himself...
The core lesson of his book for elected officials, You Won, Now What?, that stands the test of time...
The origin story of the Political Wire news website, which goes back 3+ decades...
When Taegan realized Political Wire had found an audience and developed staying power...
How Taegan has maintained and grown his audience in the tumultuous space of internet political sites...
Taegan's sense of how important and history-making our current era of politics is...
Taegan's most effective work tool & favorite non-political website...
AND Spiro Agnew, David Bradley, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton's best friend, Congressional Quarterly, Charlie Cook, Al D'Amato, dark horse campaigns, the Federal Reserve Board, Joe Ganim, Newt Gingrich, Michael Heseltine, the Keating 5, John Kerry, Merck, nattering nabobs, The New Republic, Ross Perot, reader freakouts, Robert Redford, Chris Riback, Joe Rogan, Stu Rothenberg, John Rowland, William Safire, Ben Thompson, Chuck Todd, Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal, yellow legal pads...& more!
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Dr. Larry Spinelli has worn numerous hats in and around politics...Hill staffer, senior positions in the federal bureaucracy, political science professor, historian and author. His new book is Watergate's Unexpected Hero, about the life of the incredibly impactful New Jersey Democratic Congressman Peter Rodino - to whom Spinelli was a staffer and friend for 30+ years. Rodino's 40-year career in the House spanned from Truman to Reagan as he played important roles on labor policy, landmark civil rights legislation, attempting to hold back the tide of 80s conservatism...but most notably, as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate crisis and Nixon impeachment hearings. In this role, the previously low-profile Rodino led the hearings watched daily by 80 million Americans amidst the greatest constitutional turning point since the Civil War. In this conversation, Dr. Spinelli talks his own connection to Rep. Rodino - and the 50+ year career of the legendary congressman who found himself at the center of a national crisis and ultimately became one of the most prominent and respected members of Congress of the past century.
IN THIS EPISODE
How Larry's use of Machivellian high-school politics led him to first meet Peter Rodino in the late 1960s..
How the Rodino family first came to the U.S. from Italy and located in Newark NJ...
The anti-Italian discrimination the Rodinos faced and how a young Peter Rodino fought back...
How Peter Rodino first gets his foot in the door in local politics in the 1930s...
How his WWII service and a controversial anti-labor bill set the stage for him to come to Congress in 1948...
Just weeks into his first term, Rodino bucks the seniority system and takes on a racist, autocratic committee chair...
Peter Rodino's often under-realized impact on the landmark civil rights legislation of the mid 1960s...
The two unexpected elections that made Peter Rodino Chair of the House Judiciary Committee in 1973 and thrust him into the spotlight as the Watergate scandal grew...
The steps Rodino took to ensure bipartisan cooperation and effectiveness out of the House Impeachment Committee...
The liberal member of the Committee who worked against Rodino behind the scenes...
What Rodino believed was on the infamous, missing "18 minute gap" in the Nixon White House tapes...
Rodino's view Gerald Ford's controversial pardon of Richard Nixon...
Rodino's stature as a popular, national-figure after the Watergate hearings...
How close did Rodino come to being Jimmy Carter's VP nominee in 1976...
How Rodino held on to a changing Newark, NJ district as it moved from majority Italian-American to majority Black...
Peter Rodino's final 15+ years after leaving the House in early 1989...
Is Peter Rodino the most influential Italian-American political figure in American history...
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Mary Bono served 15 years in the House, representing a Palms Springs-based seat in Riverside County, CA. She initially entered politics and the House after the tragic passing of her late husband Sonny Bono - the world-famous singer / TV star turned mayor and ultimately congressman. In this conversation, she talks the political rise of Sonny Bono, running for and winning a seat in the House amidst tragedy, getting her bearings as a member herself, putting her own stamp on her service, taking tough votes as a moderate, championing the cause of prescription drug abuse prevention, and much more in an illuminating conversation with someone who's had one of the most unique and fascinating careers in congressional politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up in the LA area as a daughter of a doctor and scientist and early, formative experiences as a competitive gymnast...
The story of when then-Mary Whitaker met Sonny Bono the day after graduating from USC...
The challenges of being the spouse of a celebrity and politician...
How red-tape run-ins with Palm Springs city government led to Sonny Bono's entry into politics...
Sonny Bono's forays into national politics in the mid 90s...
What Sonny Bono would've thought of President Trump...
The passion projects she believe Sonny Bono would've left politics to pursue...
How she made the decision to run for his House seat after Sonny Bono's tragic passing in early 1998...
Memories from a whirlwind first few weeks and months of a new member thrown into office in a special election...
How she built her own legacy over time in the House...
Some of the most intense moments on the House floor in her tenure...
The vote against GOP leadership that "got her in the most trouble"...
What led to her passion in tackling Rx drug abuse and her experiences of being one of only members who initially took this issue seriously...
Memories from her presence as the lone GOP woman on the House Judiciary Committee during the Clinton Impeachment saga...
The decision made by Tom Delay that "incensed" Rep. Bono...
The bizarre story of a forged love letter from Rep. Bono to another member of the House...
The experience of dating and marrying a fellow member of the House...
Representing a district that shifted from safe(ish) Republican to a swing seat...
Her current projects and passions, including the great podcast Sagely Speaking with Mary Bono...
AND 2-tops, Bruce Babbitt, bison farms, Chaz Bono, G.K. Butterfield, Ken Calvert, Lois Capps, Cher, Kellyanne Conway, The Desert Sun, David Dreier, Jo Ann Emerson, Dianne Feinstein, Gerald Ford, King Gillette, Lindsay Graham, Fred Grandy, height jokes, hysterical mothers, the Inland Empire, Angelina Jolie, Gil Kerlikowske, Olga Korbut, Steve Largent, Jerry Lewis, Love Boat, Abbe Lowell, John McCain, The National Enquirer, Anne Northup, Tom Osborn, Nancy Pelosi, Ronald Reagan, Hal Rogers, Karl Rove, SNL, Salton Sea, Tea Party onslaughts, Terry Schiavo, The Waltons...& more!
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Ryan Davis, co-founder of the digital political firm People First, has long been at the cutting edge of digital politics and the rise of digital influencers and has dubbed 2024 as "The Influencer Election". In this conversation, Ryan talks his roots in politics, a detour through the NYC theater community, being part of the influential 2004 Howard Dean campaign, and eventually starting the first firm focused on digital political influencers. And Ryan goes deep on the 2024 race...how the campaigns' strategies differed, the role of influencers and podcasts, which platforms are on the ascent versus descent, how he is thinking about the 2026 and 2028, and much more covering one of the most important and quickly evolving facets of modern political campaigns.
IN THIS EPISODE
Ryan's path from early work in Libertarian-minded GOP politics to migrating to the Democratic side of the fence...
Ryan is inspired to work in politics by the anti-war sentiment of Howard Dean's 04 campaign...
Ryan talks his time working in the NYC theatre and his views of "theatre kids" in politics...
Ryan on how the '04 Dean digital operation changed the way campaigns are run...
Ryan's path from working in campaigns to starting People First - the first political firm focused on digital influencers...
Ryan's favorite case studies of how to smartly utilize digital influencers in politics...
Ryan on why he dubs 2024 as "The Influencer Election"...
The role of podcasts in the '24 presidential election...
Why Democrats can't and shouldn't try to create their own Joe Rogan...
The symbiotic nature of influencer content bridging into paid media content...
"White Guys for Kamala" and other affinity groups...
The relative value of political vs non-political influencers...
How GenZ digests information differently than those who came before...
How some big influencer accounts "rip off" clients...
Ryan on the political utility of various platforms like TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, NextDoor, and more...
How Ryan would tackle digital organizing ahead of the 2026 and 2028 elections...
Ryan on the right skill set to work with digital influencers...
Ryan's life as an itinerant "digital nomad" and tips from extensive world travels...
AND The Analyst Institute, Andy Beshear, Simón Bolívar, ChatGPT, conservative e-zines, dog influencers, Al Gore, Mark Green, Kamala Harris, Curtis Hougland, John McCain, Barack Obama, parasocial relationships, Ronald Reagan, RealPlayer, Joe Rospars, Sesame Street, Norman Siegel, Snoopy, Zephyr Teachout, Joe Trippi, Barron Trump, Tim Walz...& more!
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Mark Harris, co-founder of ColdSpark strategies, was the General Consultant for the successful Dave McCormick 2024 Pennsylvania Senate race - arguably the lone true upset of the '24 Senate cycle. In this conversation, Mark talks his roots in PA politics - including running for office himself, ousting a sitting legislator in a GOP primary, and multiple stints helping elect and re-elect GOP Senator Pat Toomey. Then Mark goes deep on his role helping elect Dave McCormick to the US Senate - starting with McCormick's ill-fated '22 race...getting back on the horse in '24...clearing the GOP field...challenging a proven Pennsylvania political institution...and ultimately winning a close race many pundits expected to break toward the Democratic incumbent.
IN THIS EPISODE
Mark's roots in Pittsburgh & why he ran for office when he was 22...
Why running Pat Toomey's 2010 Senate race was Mark's "dream job"...
Mark's front row seat to the tumultuous period of PA politics around veteran Senator Arlen Specter's 2009 switch from Republican to Democrat...
Mark weighs in on how PA politics has transformed over the past 20 years...
Mark's insight on how Pat Toomey won two tough Senate races, despite a non-traditional background for PA politics...
How Mark and his firm initially connected with Dave McCormick in his first Senate race in 2022...
How Mark was viewing the '24 race against Bob Casey over a year out...
How the McCormick campaign navigated a Trump endorsement and cleared the GOP primary field...
Mark's best practices on how GOP candidates should pursue a Trump endorsement...
The headwinds of running against Senator Bob Casey...
The appealing personal bio that McCormick brought to the race....
How late focus groups changed the McCormick closing message...
How the McCormick ad campaign departed from the traditional GOP playbook...
The voter subgroups the McCormick campaign identified as the most important...
How the McCormick campaign appealed to "soft pro choice voters" and Black and Latino men...
Why the McCormick team was one of the only GOP campaigns that preferred Dems nominate Harris instead of Biden...
Why the abortion issue didn't sink McCormick in a 60% pro-choice state...
How Mark was interpreting results coming in on Election Night...
Mark's thoughts on Democratic erosion in the Dem base in Philadelphia...
The approach Mark brings to races as a General Consultant...
Mark's views of the potential of PA Dems Josh Shapiro and John Fetterman as national candidates...
Mark's travel tips for spending a couple of days in and around Pittsburgh...
AND Lou Barletta, James Blair, Bob Brady, Bridgewater Associates, George W. Bush, Herman Cain, Susan Collins, Mike Devanney, flippant poll questions, gold watches, Orrin Hatch, Chris LaCivita, Rush Limbaugh, Katie McGinty, Zell Miller, midnight pay raises, Tim Murphy, muscle atrophy, Dr. Oz, Nancy Pelosi, Primanti Brothers, Andy Reilly, Ed Rendell, Tom Ridge, Rick Santorum, Joe Sestak, shadow primaries, Matt Smith, Tom Smith, Arlen Specter, Brad Todd, West Point, Susie Wiles...& more!
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Senior Strategist Morgan Jackson & Campaign Manager Jeff Allen helped guide Democrat Josh Stein to a historic win in the 2024 open-seat North Carolina Governor's Race over GOP lighting rod Mark Robinson. In this conversation, they both discuss how Stein went from trailing in many of the early polls to winning on Election Day by a historic 15-point margin. They talk the initial phase of the race with Robinson leading the polls, the Stein strategy to define Robinson early, the power of using Robinson's own words against him, the infamous "Nude Africa" scandal, the impact of storms and massive damage in Western NC, what is replicable for other campaigns from Josh Stein's victory, & much more digging into the signature gubernatorial race of the 2024 election.
IN THIS EPISODE
The political origin stories of both Morgan and Jeff...
How NC politics has completely transformed over the past 20 years...
The early machinations that led to a Josh Stein vs. Mark Robinson '24 campaign...
What led to Jeff managing the '24 Stein campaign...
The potential political strengths of Mark Robinson...
The initial core strategy and approach of the Stein campaign...
The story behind the impactful first TV ad showing voters Mark Robinson in his own words... (link to ad)The Stein strategy to prioritize communications to Black voters...
The story & fallout of the "Nude Africa" disclosures that forced national GOP donors to cut Robinson loose...
The impact of the Hurricane Helene storms that hit Western NC...
How the big Stein margin helped NC Dems win other races downballot...
Their expectations heading into Election Day and reactions from the 15-point Stein victory...
Both Jeff and Morgan share some of their favorite spots around The Tarheel State...
AND...Roy Cooper, crazy uncles, the DCCC, Scott Falmlen, Pete Giangreco, Bill Graham, Bill Hefner, Jesse Helms, Jim Hunt, I-95, Jesse-crats, Mt. Rushmore, Pat McCrory, Myspace, Trey Nix, Barack Obama, Stephanie Pigues, RLG Media, shithouse rats, storm machines, Thom Tillis, Trump-proofing, visceral reactions, Mark Warner, water jets, Kathleen Williams & more!
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Rebecca Katz, founder of New Deal Strategies, is coming off her second consecutive cycle as General Consultant on signature Democratic Senate wins - including Ruben Gallego in Arizona and John Fetterman in Pennsylvania. In this episode, Rebecca talks in depth about both of those races and the lessons to be mined for Democrats in the future. And she also discusses her early days on Capitol Hill, important lessons learned working for high profile figures like John Edwards and Harry Reid, and much more with one of the most successful operatives working in Democratic politics.
IN THIS EPISODERebecca's roots in a politically-engaged family in Philadelphia, PA...
Interning on the Hill for her hometown member, Congressman Chakah Fattah...
How Rebecca gravitated toward the communications department on campaigns...
How she's a different political operative coming out of Philadelphia...
How Rebecca knew she didn't want to stay in Washington...
Rebecca's front row seat to the chaotic 2004 Iowa Democratic caucus as part of John Edwards' 2004 Presidential campaign...
Rebecca's take on John Edwards' raw political talent...
Rebecca recalls an incredibly awkward job interview with Senator Harry Reid and how she ultimately ran the Reid War Room to oppose the Bush Administration...
Rebecca's first intersection with John Fetterman in 2015 and how his underdog 2016 Senate loss set him up to subsequently win two statewide races...
Inside Fetterman's 2022 Senate race over Dr. Oz despite the candidate dealing with serious health complications...
Rebecca helps launch Ruben Gallego's 2024 AZ Senate race...
How Gallego overperformed the presidential race by 8 points en route to an important win...
What other campaigns can learn from Gallego's success among Latino voters...
What led Rebecca to start her firm, New Deal Strategies...
Rebecca on the role that a General Consultant plays on campaigns...
What Rebecca looks for when hiring new staff...
Rebecca's most unusual work habit...
AND Americans Coming Together, Max Baucus, Central High School, Clark University, Andrew Cuomo, Dean kids, The Fels Institute, JFK Jr., Ted Kennedy, Kari Lake, David McCormick, Jim Messina, Middle Seat, New Jersey Summers, Cynthia Nixon, John Roberts, Bernie Sanders, Allyson Schwartz, Kyrsten Sinema, Snookie, Students for Choice, Harris Wofford...& more!
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Nathan Gonzales is the Editor and Publisher of Inside Elections, one of the foundations of American political analysis, and a frequent presence talking and writing about politics on TV and in print. In this conversation, recorded two weeks after Election Day 2024, Nathan weighs in on the headlines from the '24 campaign, surprises and lessons learned, goes deep on the Presidential, Senate, and House races, looks ahead to the 2026 midterms, & much more.
IN THIS EPISODE
Nathan's big picture headlines coming out of Election 2024...
Was 2024 simply an anti-inflation, anti-status quo election?
The role of "collective amnesia" in the 2024 elections...
Do Democrats have a "woke" problem?
Why cultural attacks on Democrats packed more punch in 2024 than in other recent elections?
Why the "fascism" critique of Trump may have fallen flat?
A savvy tactic from the Trump campaign that surprised Nathan...
Surprises in the exit polls...
Nathan's initial read on the likelihood of a whole-scale partisan "realignment"...
The story of the 2024 Senate races...
Nathan's take on the split Senate verdicts in AZ, MI, NV, and WI...
The one Senate race that was the most frustrating for Republicans...
Was the AZ Senate race a missed opportunity for Republicans?
Why PA was the one swing state Senate race that flipped from Blue to Red...
The two Senate races the party senate committees viewed dramatically differently...
Nathan's initial early analysis on the 2026 Senate map, including thoughts on the Senate retirement watch...
Headlines from the 2024 House elections...
Early handicapping the 2026 House races...
Will court cases or redistricting impact the 2026 House playing field?
The one House race Nathan was most interested in following...
Stories about Tucker Carlson, Robert Novak, the Capital Gang and more from Nathan's first job in politics as a CNN assistant producer in the early 2000s...
& more!
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[Originally released 11/22]
Maggie Haberman is, of course, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who's covered the political rise of Donald Trump for the New York Times...and her book, CONFIDENCE MAN: The Making of Donald Trump & The Breaking of America became an immediate best seller. In this conversation, Maggie dives into all things Trump...from his formative influences in the New York City of the 70s and 80s, to his political ascent, time in the White House, her take on the likelihood of another Trump run, what a Trump White House restoration would look like...and much more from perhaps the most authoritative voice on the Trump political phenomenon.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Maggie breaks down the influences that explain Trump’s political persona…
The member of Congress with whom has had a decades-long feud…
Maggie talks Trump’s ethos of “hate as a civic good”…
Why Trump never wanted to be Mayor of New York City…
Maggie talks the rise of Trump as a credible candidate in 2015…
How Trump leveraged Twitter so successfully…
Maggie on the connection between Trump and the National Enquirer…
How Trump has recently lost allies among the conservative media…
Why Trump as the “deal maker” fell flat in the White House…
Maggie’s thoughts on Trump’s various legal entanglements, old and new…
How Maggie thinks about the challenge of covering candidates who lie…
Maggie’s instincts on a Trump 2024 campaign…
The faces Maggie would expect to see around Trump in a second term…
What it’s like to have 1-on-1 conversations with Trump…
What’s surprised Maggie most about Trump’s behavior over the past year…
The status of Trump relationships with names like Giuliani, McConnell, Bannon, Roger Stone...
Some of Maggies favorite books and authors covering NYC politics...
AND avenging angels, Bill Barr, Wayne Barrett, birtherism, Mike Bloomberg, E. Jean Carroll, catch-and-kill, the Central Park Jogger, Hillary Clinton, Michael Cohen, Roy Cohn, James Comey, conspiracy theories, convention speeches, covfefe, Andrew Cuomo, Mario Cuomo, Ron DeSantis, the Dobbs decisions, Meade Esposito, the favor economy, Fox News, Stanley Friedman, Ric Grenell, Sean Hannity, instinctive racial paranoia, Andrew Kirtzman, Ed Koch, Jared Kushner, the Lavender Scare, Rush Limbaugh, low-interest federal loans, Donald Manes, John McCain, McCarthy acolytes, Mark Meadows, Andrew Meier, Robert Morgenthau, Rupert Murdoch, Muslim bans, Jack Newfield, NewsMax, Richard Nixon, OAN, George Pataki, Kash Patel, David Pecker, permanent enemies, Jeanine Pirro, Vladimir Putin, John Ratcliffe, rejecting objective reality, Seth Rich, rubber chicken dinners, Eric Schneiderman, Doug Schoen, Time Magazine, transactional media, Allen Weisselberg, white noise…. & more!
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[Initially Released 11/07/23]
Patrick Ruffini, pollster at Echelon Strategies, returns to talk about his new book PARTY OF THE PEOPLE - on the transition of the Republican Party from being dominated by wealthy, suburban white voters to a more blue-collar and increasingly-multi-racial coalition. In this conversation, Patrick lays out the data behind these shifts, what is driving the GOP's new-found success with blue-collar voters, why this movement came as a surprise to many, the balance of economic vs. cultural priorities, how Latino/AAPI/Black voters are increasingly persuadable audiences in elections, and expectations as to how these shifts will continue to define American politics for the foreseeable future.
IN THIS EPISODE
Patrick lays out the core thesis of Party of the People...
Patrick's favorite data points that illustrate the changing face of the GOP...
Patrick's take on the role of "educational attainment" in changing voting patterns...
Patrick gives a quick tutorial on when and how Democrats have historically been the party of working-class Americans...
How flawed 2012 exit polls have contributed to shifting party coalitions more than a decade later...
Patrick's take on how the "In This House..." yard signs unwittingly speak to tensions within the Democratic coalition...
Economic vs cultural drivers of voter behavior...
Missteps and missed GOP opportunities from the trifecta control of government in 2017 and 2018...
Mining recent data among Hispanic voters...
What Patrick learned about border communities on a trip to the Rio Grande Valley...
Why Lester Chang is important...
Why Black voter behavior has been more stable than Latino and Asian voters...
Patrick's take on the growing segment of biracial and multi-racial Americans...
The impact of free trade and foreign policy on changing partisan coalitions...
What Patrick learned in the process of writing his first book...
AND 7:3 coalitional splits, anti-globalization sentiments, Joe Biden, blurbs, Brexit, George W. Bush, census buckets, charts and data, Hillary Clinton, Nate Cohn, Thomas Dewey, Tom Edsall, Ryan Enos, existential demographic crisis, fading historical patterns, faint echoes, frontier mentalities, the Great Recession, the green transition, Hamiltonian tendencies, illiberal populism, instinctive hawks, Andrew Jackson, jettisoning first principles, Chryl Laird, majority popular tendencies, mercantile progress, the New Deal, Barack Obama, Mike Podhorzer, Ronald Reagan, the Republican autopsy, rivalrous groups, Mitt Romney, sheepskin effects, David Shor, social taboos, Starr County, Steadfast Democrats, Harry Truman, Donald Trump, the UAW, Ismail White, white phenomenons....& more!
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With just hours until polling places open for the November 5th presidential election, this week's guest is analyst Amy Walter to provide her insights and instincts heading into Election Day. The editor and publisher of The Cook Report with Amy Walter, Amy has been a constant presence writing and thinking about US elections for nearly three decades. In this conversation, she goes deep on her thoughts on the presidential race, her take on both the Senate and House, and narratives she expects to emerge post-election. This is a smart and expansive preview from a top analyst on the eve of an incredibly competitive and consequential election.
IN THIS EPISODE
Amy starts with her initial table-setter on expectations in the presidential race...
What is Donald Trump's ceiling of support?
Rationales for both a Harris win and a Trump win...
Is this the closest presidential race 3-4 days out that Amy has covered?
Amy's theory that, for many voters, the presidential election boils down to "controlling risk"...
Why are we in an era of consistently 50-50 races?
Which candidate is more likely to over-perform the polls?
The one Rust Belt and one Sun Belt state Amy feels will be the most predictive of the overall result?
Why early vote analysis is like shaking gift boxes before Christmas?
What is different in Trump's 2024 campaign compared to '16 and '20?
Amy's take on the truncated Harris campaign and its closing message?
How both Democrats and Republicans would respond to a presidential loss?
Amy's range of expectations for the Senate and the race that would be most predictive of which side is having a good night...
How the NRSC has tried to avoid mistakes from the '22 cycle...
How the issue of abortion could be a stumbling block for a good Republican night in the Senate?
Amy's take on late-breaking Senate races in Texas and Nebraska...
Amy returns to her roots as a "House homer" to gauge the state of play in the House...
Amy's prediction of when the news desks will call the race and declare a President-Election...
& more!
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This is a different type of episode this week as I have borrowed the audio from a panel I was part of last Thursday (10/24/24) to discuss the upcoming 2024 elections. This panel is hosted by the government affairs firm Husch Blackwell Strategies, and the video link can be accessed here. Moderating the discussion is Husch Blackwell CEO Andy Blunt and I'm also joined by election analyst Jim Ellis - whose background includes working for the GOP House leadership and, for decades, has been an analyst and advisor to corporations and trade associations.
The discussion was recorded last Thursday and covers a lot of ground...the current state of the presidential race, the different electoral college paths available to both candidates, what can be gleaned from the early vote, what to expect in the House and Senate races, recent polling trends, late-breaking surprise races, the prediction markets, and much more.
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Forrest Claypool has one of the most impressive and varied resumes in politics...early campaign and operative work with David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel, two-time Chief of Staff to the mayor of Chicago, opposing Barack Obama in mock debates in his 2004 Senate race, running the Chicago Park District, Chicago Transit Authority, and Chicago Board of Education, elected to the Cook County Board, intense races against the Chicago machine, and now author of the new book - The Daley Show - about the 20+ year tenure of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. In this conversation, Forrest talks his path from small town Southern, IL to breaking into politics to his time running major city departments to being an integral part of the Chicago machine before running against the machine a few years later and deep into the last 40+ years of Chicago politics through the impact of the mayoralty of Richard M. Daley.
IN THIS EPISODE...
Forrest's roots in Southern Illinois and the state politics of his youth in the 60s and 70s...
Forrest connects with David Axelrod at the start of the Axelrod rise as a national media consultant...
The x-factor that made Axelrod such an effective political consultant...
One of Forrest's favorite races he worked on as a political consultant...
Forrest plays the role of Alan Keyes in Barack Obama's 2004 debate prep...
Forrest's initial impressions of the 1990s Barack Obama who started making the rounds in Chicago politics...
Forrest remembers the Rahm Emanuel he first worked with in the mid-1980s...
Of the numerous positions he held around Chicago and Cook County politics, which did Forrest find most exciting...
Why Forrest turned down an almost sure-thing, safe seat in Congress...
What he learned when he ran for Cook County office himself...
The Forrest Claypool 101 on effectively running organizations...
His evolution as a foot soldier of the Daley machine to a prominent machine critic and opponent...
What made Forrest write his new book, The Daley Show, about the 20+ year mayoralty of Richard M. Daley...
How the original Mayor Daley, Richard J. Daley, dominated Chicago politics for decades...
The story of Richard M. Daley in the political wilderness after the death of his father, and how he rose to the mayor's office via an "outside game"...
Details on how the Chicago mob controlled an entire city ward into the 1980s and 90s...
The importance of "abandoned cars" in running a city...
The most important accomplishment of the Mayor Richard M. Daley era...
The biggest "missed opportunity" from Daley's time as Mayor...
The "most brilliant ploy" Forrest saw from Mayor Daley during the 1990s wars over Chicago-area airports...
The story from Forrest's first race in Cook County, with his opponent trying to convince voters that Forrest (who is white) was a Black candidate...
How far one has to go back in Chicago politics to find election-counting interference...
Forrest's take on why Chicago is no longer "a city that works"...
Forrest's favorite story of the influential Chicago columnist, Mike Royko...
Forrest's must-see recommendations around Chicago for political junkies...
AND AKPD, Yasser Arafat, Thomas Barnes, Evan Bayh, Michael Bilandic, Rod Blagojevich, Jane Byrne, Jimmy Carter, council wars, Fred Cowan, Andrew Cuomo, John D'Arco, Richard Dennis, economic invalids, eye-glazing agencies, Paul Findley, Newt Gingrich, The Grateful Dead, iron-handed bravado, Brandon Johnson, Martin Kennelly, Martin Luther King, Lori Lightfo
Mark Udall, former Democratic US Senator and House member from Colorado, comes from the famed Udall family of the Mountain West - including his father, Congressman Mo Udall, and uncle, former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall under both JFK & LBJ. But Mark Udall largely stayed away from politics until his mid 40s - having an entire career within the outdoor leadership organization Outward Bound. However, once he flipped the switch to politics, his ascent was rapid: elected to the Colorado State House in 1996, the US House in 1998, and the US Senate in 2008. In this conversation, Senator Udall talks his famous political family, his own early relationship to politics, and memories of 20+ years in elected office that span both highs and lows - with great stories and insights from someone with one of the most unique arcs in American politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up between Tucson, AZ and Washington DC...
Lessons about public service learned from his mother...
Growing up in a political family of with a Congressman for a father and Cabinet Secretary for an uncle...
The political legacy of his father, Mo Udall....
The famous friendship between John McCain and Mo Udall...
Old Mountain West connections among the Udalls, Goldwaters, and Romneys...
The Udall brothers' opinions of both Presidents Johnson and Kennedy...
Mark works New Hampshire for his father's 1976 presidential campaign...
The 20-year career he had before entering politics...
Running for office for the first time in his late 40s...
Mark rolls out his Bill Clinton impression...
What surprised him most - both positives and negatives - about serving in Congress...
The behind-the-scenes machinations of why he didn't run for Senate in 2004 and did run in 2008...
Why he was caught flatfooted in his 2014 Senate re-election...
Memories of some of the most intense moments on the floor of the House and Senate...
The now-infamous role the issue of abortion played in his 2014 race against Cory Gardner...
Why he was one of the few members of Congress to list "no religious affiliation" in his bio...
The current projects he's most interested in...
The Mark Udall recommendations for traveling through Colorado...
AND 50 mile hikes, Michael Bennet, Sherry Boehlert, Hale Boggs, Jimmy Carter, Grover Cleveland, Rocky Colavito, Democratic bankers, Denver Nuggets, Don't Ask Don't Tell, William O. Douglas, Fort Wayne Pistons, James Garfield, Gabrielle Giffords, Gary Hart, Jay Inslee, Bobby Kennedy, David King, Lady Bird Johnson, Dick Lamm, John Larson, Monica Lewinsky, Bob McNamara, John McCormack, mercurial marriages, George Miller, Minneapolis Lakers, Minnie Minoso, the NBL, the NRA, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Barack Obama, Tom Osborne, Outward Bound, Bill Owens, Nancy Pelosi, plural marriage, Harry Reid, Ranger Rogers, Roy Romer, George Romney, John Salazar, Ken Salazar, Pat Schroeder, Herb Score, Sonia Sotomayor, tough cookies, Mark Uterus, Tim Wirth, Willard Wirtz & more!
Caleb Smith may be the only political operative who's worked for three consecutive US House Speakers. During over a decade on Capitol Hill, he worked with Speakers Boehner, Ryan, and McCarthy. In this conversation, Caleb talks his path to politics from managing a legislative race in small-town Kentucky to working in some of the most prime real estate at the US Capitol building. He goes in-depth on his time on the Hill - being in the early wave of digital political staffers, joining Speaker Boehner's staff, strengths and weaknesses of the last 3 GOP Speakers, witnessing the rise of Trump from within the walls of the GOP establishment, starting Drive Public Affairs, and much more from a participant in some of the most important political moments of the 21st Century.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up in Paducah, KY at an important crossroads of American politics...
Why a young Caleb trekked to DC to attend the memorial for Ronald Reagan...
The skill set Caleb picked up managing a motorcycle shop between campaign gigs...
Caleb spends a year working for prominent pollster & focus group maven Frank Luntz...
Caleb manages a winning hometown Kentucky legislative race, the lone D to R legislative flip of the cycle...
Caleb comes to the Hill as a "new media director" among the digital political revolution...
Caleb's first impressions of working for Speaker John Boehner...
Caleb's "GOP House Conference 101" of how House Republicans operate...
The GOP member Caleb describes as a "snake in the grass" (it's not Matt Gaetz)...
What sold John Boehner on embracing digital politics..
John Boehner meets the pope...
Caleb's memories of the chaos during the Boehner to Ryan Speaker transition and why Caleb stuck it out with Ryan...
The "really unpleasant" first interaction Caleb had with Paul Ryan...
Caleb on the unique skill-set that made Paul Ryan an effective House leader...
Being a fly on the wall of the House GOP leadership during the 2015-2016 rise of Donald Trump...
Paul Ryan's immediate Election Night reaction upon Trump's surprise victory...
Inside the development of the 2017 "Trump Tax Cut" bill...
Paul Ryan's reaction when John McCain scuttled Obamacare Repeal...
Caleb's insights into the Donald Trump and Paul Ryan working relationship...
Why Ryan steps down as Speaker and why Caleb stayed with new House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy...
Caleb on McCarthy's habit of being a "risk taker"...
Inside the toppling of Speaker McCarthy...
Could Patrick McHenry have won the Speaker's Gavel...
Caleb on one of Speaker Pelosi's strongest qualities...
The controversial high-profile House member Caleb believes will be a future GOP Leader...
Junior members Caleb finds especially impressive...
Caleb on the fundamental difference between House Republicans and House Democrats...
Why Caleb started Drive Public Affairs a few months ago...
AND the American Conservative Union, American University, antiquated radio addresses, Sharron Angle, The Better Way Agenda, Stephanie Bice, Kevin Brady, Tim Burchett, George HW Bush, George W. Bush, CPAC, Dave Camp, Joe Cannon, Eric Cantor, The Capitol Rotunda, Centre College, Jason Chaffetz, Michael Cloud, country clubs vs. truck stops, cults of personality, Howard Dean, debating at Oxford, dial tests, Domino's Pizza, fall guys, famous smokers, fiscal cliffs, The Freedom Caucus, Matt Gaetz, Barry Goldwater, Jeb Hensarling, French Hill, Erin Houchin, Jack Kemp, Sue Lowden, Nancy Mace, John McCain, Mark Meadows, Steve Mnuchin, mopeds, Jack Nicklaus, normalizing ideas, Ralph Norman, Rand Paul, Harry Reid, Marco Rubio, the SALT deduction, Tim Scott, sloven appearances, The Tonight Show.. & more!
Bryan Bennett is the Senior Director for Polling & Analytics at The Hub Project and a pollster for Navigator Research who recently spearheaded a 4,000 sample survey among voters 18-34. In this conversation, Bryan talks his path to politics and polling and goes deep on this new massive project among younger Americans. This data unearths new findings on how and where younger voters get their news, views toward both parties and policy priorities, gauging the presidential race both before and after the Biden transition to Harris, comparing 5 different polling methodologies to reach voters, and much more from this massive new trove of polling data among younger Americans.
IN THIS EPISODE
Bryan's roots outside of Austin, TX and how the 2000 election and Iraq War drew him to politics...
Why Bryan gravitated toward polling and his insight as to what makes for an effective political pollster...
How Bryan came to Navigator Research, and its mission in the public opinion sphere...
Some of the influential work Navigator Research has done over the past few years...
The origin of Navigator's project of a 4,000 sample poll of voters under age 35...
The seeming disconnect among younger voters between partisanship and policy preferences...
What Bryan learned by testing 5 different polling methodologies among younger voters...
What is unique about economic sentiments among younger voters...
Some of the most surprising findings in this trove of data...
What this data reveals about how and where younger voters get their news...
What the data showed about a Biden vs. Trump re-match and how it's different with Kamala Harris atop the Democratic ticket...
The set of issues younger voters most prioritize...
The potential for 2024 polling error among younger voters that Bryan is monitoring...
What recent Battleground polling reveals about the 2024 presidential race...
Upcoming Navigator Research projects Bryan is most excited about...
Bryan details the best way to enjoy a few days in Austin, TX...& much more!
Catching up this week with return guest David Nir, who for over a decade has been an influential election analyst and the creator of Daily Kos Elections. Within the past week, David has moved his analysis to an independent site - now called The Downballot. In this conversation, David provides an update on his transition: what is happening, why now, and David's long-term goals for The Downballot. Then, stay for my original conversation with David - originally released over three years ago in early 2021. David has a fascinating career arc that charts the rise of the online grassroots from a ramshackle group of political junkies in the early 00s to now being one of the pillars of the political universe.
IN THIS EPISODE…Why David is launching The Downballot as a new independent, site?
Living through the downturn of the online ad economy...
Long-term goals David has the for The Downballot...
Elected officials who rabid political junkies...
What was David’s first introduction to feminism?
How being the child of a Holocaust survivor has informed who David is…
Why David seeing a Geraldine Ferraro rally in 1984 was an ill omen for the ticket’s chances…
David’s early memories of Rudy Giuliani in NYC politics…
The candidate who taught David to avoid getting too attached to any individual politician…
How David fell in love with down-ballot races…
How David made the decision to forego a legal career to plunge full-time into politics…
How unlikely candidates in Kentucky and South Dakota kicked off the rise of the Democratic netroots…
How an "extra penny" let campaigns know the arrival of the progressive netroots…
Lavishing praise upon the DKE Daily News Digest and Elections Data…
David’s tips for candidates and campaigns who want to connect with the Daily Kos community…
The story of Daily Kos and the rise of Jon Ossoff…
David helps topple the “turncoat” IDC legislative coalition in New York…
What one requirement would have to be part of David’s online dating profile…
AND….
Brendan Boyle, Ben Chandler, Wes Clark, Howard Dean, David Dinkins, John Edwards, Marc Elias, Geraldine Ferraro, Rudy Giuliani, Kaili Joy Gray, Paul Hackett, Karen Handel, Stephanie Herseth, John Kerry, Jeff Klein, John Lewis, Rachel Maddow, Walter Mondale, Markos Moulitsas, Wiley Nickel, Jean Schmidt, Jeff Singer, Elliot Spitzer, Tim Tagaris, Trent Thompson, Elizabeth Warren, Stephen Wolf, AND MORE!
Communications expert Tucker Eskew has been a participant in some of the most seminal moments in American political history over the course of the past 30+ years...a protege of the famed Republican strategist Lee Atwater, senior aide to the Bush 2000 win over John McCain in the fractious South Carolina primary, working in the White House the morning of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a stint representing the Bush Administration at 10 Downing Street in London, one of Sarah Palin's lead handlers during her whirlwhind 2008 VP experience...among many other momentous experiences during his decades in and around politics. In this conversation, Tucker talks his path to politics and his time as both observer and player in some of the most important moments in recent American history.
IN THIS EPISODETucker's roots as the son of a journalist growing up in the Southeast...
The DC internship that set him on a path toward working in politics...
A couple of his favorite Strom Thurmond stories...
Tucker, in his mid 20s, becomes Press Secretary for South Carolina Governor Caroll Campbell...Tucker remembers lessons learned from his mentor - the famed GOP operative, Lee Atwater...
Tucker's role on the ground during the bruising, fractious 2000 South Carolina primary between Bush and McCain...
Tucker talks the strategic acumen of Karl Rove...
Tucker's role as a Bush spokesman in West Palm Beach during the 2000 post-election chaos...
Tucker recounts his amazing story of working in the White House on the morning of the 9/11 terrorist attacks...
Tucker works out of 10 Downing Street for months, partnering with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in the aftermath of 9/11...
Tucker's stint as one of the senior handlers for Sarah Palin during her tumultuous 2008 VP experience...
Why John McCain had a sense of relief after losing the 2008 presidential race...
Lessons learned from 19 years as a partner at the corporate comms firm Vianovo...
AND Whit Ayres, the BBC, Doug Bailey, James Baker, Dan Bartlett, John Buckley, Blaine Bull, Alistair Campbell, Chad Man, Lon Chaney, Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, the Coalition Information Center, Candy Crowley, Matthew Dowd, emergency bunkers, Ray Eskew, flashbulb moments, fog of war, Gerald Ford, Michael Gerson, the Greenville News-Piedmont, Albert Hawkins, Karen Hughes, Jesse Jackson, Greg Jenkins, Lafayette Square, Jim Lake, Joe Lieberman, Larry Lindsey, low bono, Mary Matalin, Bob McAllister, Anita McBride, Tim McBride, mimeographs, next man up, the News Literacy Project, Richard Nixon, Bob Novak, pocket doors, the Presidential Campaign Hotline, the Reagan/Bush 1984 war room, red light moments, Condaleeza Rice, the Roosevelt Room, Mark Sanford, South Lawn moments, sucker optimists, James Taylor, UPI, The University of the South, ugly babies, George Wallace, Jim Wilkinson & more!
David Callahan is a prolific creator and thinker within Democratic politics. He helped start the progressive think tank Demos in the late 90s, founded the media outlet Inside Philanthropy as a Consumer Reports of sorts into the world of charitable giving, and more recently created Blue Tent - an advisory group to help progressive donors get the most bang for their buck. In this conversation, David talks his early days in politics focused on foreign policy, his next stint as a think-tanker trying to pull the Democratic Party left, and why he's more recently been focused on the world of political giving. David is one of the most informed people on the planet on all facets of the political donor world and provides a tour de force on both the current state of play and future trends to better understand how our politics are funded.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up in New York as the child of academics...
An early experience that showed David he was not cut out to be an activist...
A formative year spent at the liberal magazine, The American Prospect...
David talks getting his PhD and his recommendations for those considering academia...
David helps found the progressive think tank Demos and talks the role of think tanks in American politics...
What led David to start Inside Philanthropy, a media outlet dedicated to understanding political fundraising...
The disturbing trend in political giving that led David to start Blue Tent, a resource for progressive donors...
How David and Blue Tent determine where donors will get the most bang for their buck...
Why David is an advocate of giving to organizations instead of candidates...
David on the phenomenon of "rage giving"...
Are donors pulling Democratic candidates to the left?
Has Democratic giving fallen off this cycle?
David's concern about too many advocacy groups and donor fragmentation on the left compared to more unanimity on the right...
David de-mystifies the world of big "donor advisors"...
David on the Soros factor on the left...
The rough balance of spending from the right vs. spending from the left...
The types of operatives who succeed in the donor advising space...
The political novel David wrote in the late 90s that eerily predicted elements of both the 9/11 attacks and the rise of a Donald Trump-like politician...
AND AOC, Stacey Abrams, Miriam Adelson, The American Enterprise Institute, The American Liberties Project, The American Prospect Magazine, Arabella Advisors, Joe Biden, bioethics, Michael Bloomberg, bureaucratic machinations, the Cato Institute, the Center for Voter Information, Bill Clinton, The Committee on States, credential firepower, the DLC, The Democracy Alliance, Michael Dukakis, The Economic Policy Institute, effective altruism, Federalist Society, Marcus Flowers, Focus for Democracy, Fredrick Forsyth, Forward Montana, Give Well, giving circles, Al Gore, Lindsey Graham, Stanley Greenberg, Jamie Harrison, Hastings-on-Hudson, the Heritage Foundation, Hezbollah, Indian Point Power Plant, Indivisible, the Koch Brothers, LUCHA, Mitch McConnell, Amy McGrath, Michigan United, Mind the Gap, Dustin Moskovitz, Movement Voter Project, neoliberal mindsets, The New America Foundation, Paul Nitze, NYPIRG, Beto O'Rourke, Open Markets, RCTs, Ronald Reagan, The Roosevelt Institute, Run for Something, saber-rattling, Sandinistas, Adam Schiff, Star Wars, the States Project, Swing Left, Marjorie Taylor Greene, transactional donors, Way to Win, Working America & more!
Lisa MacLean, founder of Moxie Media - the first female-founded political direct mail firm in the U.S - talks her path to politics...starting in St Louis and then Vassar, to impactful DC internships, managing campaigns in California and eventually starting her own mail firm in the late 1990s that recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary. In this conversation, Lisa talks overcoming adversity as a young woman in politics, the nuts and bolts of how she started her own firm, some of her big races and wins, direct mail best practices and trends, and much more from her 30+ years as a top political operative.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up middle-class in the St. Louis suburbs...
The searing experience in 9th grade that drove home the importance of politics...
How the Senate vote to confirm Clarence Thomas changed the course of Lisa's career...
Lisa talks what it was like to go to college at Vassar in the late 80s...
Lessons learned during and after the 1992 "Year of the Woman"...
A personal story Lisa tells about a very difficult experience as a young woman in a media firm...
How Lisa decided to start her own direct mail firm and how she got it off the ground...
The biggests changes in direct mail over Lisa's 25 years in the business...
Some of the memorable races where Lisa feels smart direct mail made a difference...
The direct mail trends Lisa is monitoring...
Lessons Lisa learned in running and growing a successful mail firm over 25 years...
The story behind the name "Moxie Media"...
A glimpse into living in rural, coastal Washington (state)...
AND Jill Alper, Sasha Bruce, Andrea Campbell, Yadira Caraveo, Amy Chapman, Tony Coehlo, Michael Dukakis, free shrimp cocktail, Patty Garamendi, The Good Neighbor News, Lisa Grove, Anita Hill, Trish Hoppey, Mary Hughes, Tishaura Jones, Celinda Lake, Kevin Mack, Hal Malchow, Laurie Moskowitz, Pat Moynihan, Adnaan Muslin, Amy Pritchard, Rich Schlackman, Amy Simon, Heather Stone, Clarence Thomas, tomboys, Henry Underhill, Karen White, the Womens Information Network, Harriett Woods...& more!
Kinky Friedman passed away yesterday, June 27 2024. This is a re-release of a Pro Politics Podcast episode with Kinky originally released June 4, 2021.
Kinky Friedman wore many hats in his 79 years - country music artist, bestselling novelist, political candidate, animal welfare activist, friend of multiple US Presidents, and a Texas and American icon. In this conversation from roughly three years ago, Kinky talks his connections to figures as varied as Nelson Mandela, Adlai Stevenson, John F Kennedy, Barbara Jordan, Bob Dylan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush among others - and insight into the life of a truly American original.
Debbie Cox Bultan has been working in Democratic politics for more than 30 years, including more than a decade at the Democratic Leadership Council and then helping start NewDEAL where she is now the CEO. At NewDEAL, she works to connect pro-growth progressive leaders and help raise their profiles and amplify their ideas. In this conversation, she talks about the Hill internship that drew her to a career in politics, lessons learned managing campaigns, her long tenure at the influential DLC think tank, what has gone in to starting and growing New Deal over the last several years, and some of her top priorities heading into the 2024 elections.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up in an apolitical, middle-class family in Sacramento...
A formative DC internship for her local Congressman, Vic Fazio...
Debbie's early experiences working in CA campaign fundraising and managing...
Debbie's 15 years working at the DLC, the Democratic Leadership Council & the impact the DLC had on American politics...
Starting the center-left NewDEAL non-profit to engage and promote young Democratic leaders...
Using Pete Buttigieg as an example to talk through the role NewDEAL can play in the rise of a public figure...
How Debbie has worked to develop to a well-rounded skillset to lead a national organization...
The "Freedom Agenda" NewDEAL has helped develop...
The role Debbie sees the issue of abortion rights playing in the '24 election cycle...
Advice for the next generation of political operatives...
Debbie's most unusual, successful work habit...
Mickey Edwards served 16 years in Congress, as the first Republican to represent his Oklahoma City-based district in almost 50 years. Prior to his time in the House, he'd already made a mark as a leader in early days of "New Right" conservative organizations like the Young Republicans and Heritage Foundation. In this conversation, he talks his early days as a conservative political outsider in a Democratic state, the upset victory that propelled him to 8 terms in the House, his ascent within the GOP House Leadership, and how conservatism and Congress have changed since he left elected office.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up blue-collar in the Rust Belt, before his family moves to Oklahoma City...
The incredible story of surviving three gunshot wounds while being robbed....
What led him to gravitate to conservative politics in a one-party Democratic state...
His roots as part of the "New Right" in the 1960s and 1970s...
His early days as a newspaperman before entering politics exclusively...
How he beat established Republicans and Democrats in route to becoming the first GOP House member to represent OK City in nearly 50 years...
How he caused a furor from both parties in his first floor speech in the House...
Why Tip O'Neil is one of his political heroes...
Why he views GOP Speaker Newt Gingrich and Democrat Jim Wright as harmful to the institution of the House...
His occasional role in the 70s and 80s as a conduit between the establishment and activist wings of the GOP...
Memories of working with Presidents Carter, Reagan, and Bush...
The entreaties he made to organized labor to try to forge common ground with the GOP...
Why he considers himself a "Jack Kemp Republican"...
How he became the GOP Policy Chair, the 4th highest leadership position in the House GOP...
Why advocating for the Osage Tribe was his proudest moment as a House member...
His analysis of how the conservative movement and Republican Party have gotten off track...
His level of his pessimism that our political system will become increasingly dysfunctional...
His thoughts on a career as a prominent Jewish Republican...
The current projects he's most passionate about...
AND Ethan Allen, the American Conservative Union, James Baker, Blair House, Lauren Boebert, cinder blocks, the Cleveland Guardians, Hillary Clinton, closed rules, Tom Delay, JR Ewing, Matt Gaetz, Barry Goldwater, Nathan Hale, Denny Hastert, Chic Hecht, Patrick Henry, The Heritage Foundation, Jewish Workmens' Circle, John Kennedy, Killers of the Flower Moon, Paul Laxalt, Look Magazine, Ed Madigan, Bob Michel, Richard Nixon, Oklahoma Sooners, night depositories, Ronald Reagan, Sandinistas, Chris Shays, shoe stores, the Sierra Club, John Sununu, tall grass praries, Marjorie Taylor Green, the Tea Party, Tinker Air Force base, Donald Trump, JC Watts, Paul Weyrich, Jim Wright, Lee Zeldin...& more!
Heather Williams is the President of the DLCC, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee - the party committee focused on state legislative races and chambers. In this conversation, Heather talks her initial path to politics, working in state legislative races in Iowa, early days working in finance, the many hats she's worn at the DLCC, and now her current role as the organization's President. We also go in depth on why state legislative races are so critical, the current battleground map heading into the 2024 elections, the importance of the issue of abortion, and much more with a leading thinker on all things state legislative politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
How Heather became interested in politics growing up in Minnesota...
Heather's early political roots working in Iowa...
What Heather learned from well-respected, Iowa Senate Leader Mike Gronstal...
What made Heather gravitate to working in the finance role in campaigns...
How Heather was drawn to the DLCC initially, almost 20 years ago...
Heather's take on what makes for a successful state legislative caucus operation...
The many hats Heather wears as President of the DLCC, and how she's tackled some that didn't come as naturally to her...
Legislative lessons learned after big Democratic losses in the 2010 election cycle...
Heather's favorite case studies for legislative wins coming out of the 2022 midterms...
Heather on her approach to leading a big political organization, despite not being a natural extrovert...
What Heather learned from her long-term predecessor at DLCC, Jessica Post...
Why it's important to "get comfortable with risk"...
How Heather thinks about the current partisan balance at the state legislative level and her priorities for the 2024 cycle...
The role that the abortion issue is currently playing in state legislative politics...
How the DLCC has to always have future redistricting in mind as a strategic priority...
Some of the most dynamic state legislative leaders currently on the scene...
Heather's advice to those just starting a career in politics...
Heather's most unusual, successful work habit...
Hal Malchow was the incredibly innovative Democratic direct mail and fundraising consultant, who passed away several weeks ago. His final chapter was chronicled by Sasha Issenberg in Politico recently. Hal's was truly a creative mind, including breaking new ground on sophisticated political microtargeting and "social pressure" tactics to generate increased voter turnout. Joining this conversation are two of Hal's longtime business partners and friends - fellow direct mail consultants, Trish Hoppey and Rich Schlackman. We discuss Hal's political roots in progressive politics out of the Deep South, his innovative and curious political mind, the new approaches he developed, and the legacy he leaves behind after decades in the trenches of political targeting and communications.
IN THIS EPISODE
Memories of meeting Hal for the first time...
Hal's path to DC from the Deep South...
The GOP luminary who was one of Hal's most trusted friends...
The innovations in political targeting and messaging spearheaded by Hal...
A few of the races and campaigns most impacted by Hal's creativity...
The origin of Hal's groundbreaking work on "social pressure" with two Ivy League academics...
Why Hal left day-to-day consulting after the 2010 cycle and how he stayed involved over the past decade...
Hal's most recent advice to Democratic campaigns...
Hal's motivations during the final chapter of his life...
Final thoughts on Hal's legacy in politics...
AND The Analyst Institute, bananas ideas, Evan Bayh, better mousetraps, Andrew Bleeker, CHAID analysis, Campaign Performance Group, Christina Coloroso, couch surfing, Mario Cuomo, Morris Dees, failed attorneys, fake-out mail, Vic Fazio, feedback loops, funny accents, Page Gardner, Alan Gerber, Al Gore, Christine Hopkinson, Herb Kelleher, Harry Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Dean Levitan, Alex Malchow, microtargeting, Janet Napolitano, Gavin Newsom, paella, personalized yard signs, Mike Podhorzer, rat infestations, Rick Ridder, Mitt Romney, Ron Rosenblith, Santa Fe, Tom Sugar, Richard Viguerie, Voter Contact Services, Mark Warner, Michael Woolridge & more!
Matt Robison has worn many political hats, among them working in numerous positions across Capitol Hill - including serving as Chief of Staff for three members. He also managed the successful 2012 upset re-election of Rep. John Tierney, after Tierney was named the GOP's top takeover opportunity that cycle. With roots in Manhattan, Matt had formative experiences in NYC public schools before a chance meeting with then Governor Bill Clinton in 1992 and an unlikey mentor at Harvard, nudged him to a career working in government. In this conversation, Matt talks his path to working in politics, goes deep on the best practices and unwritten rules of working on the Hill, and updates on his post-Hill life as a writer, radio host, and podcaster.
IN THIS EPISODE
How Matt's brief time in the NYC public school system informed his future outlook as a political operative...
Matt's memorable experience meeting Bill Clinton during the 1992 presidential campaign...
An unexpected political mentor and how Matt got his foot into the political door...
Matt successfully manages a Democratic House incumbent in 2012 who was the GOP's #1 target...
Matt's initial impressions of working on the Hill as a junior staffer...
Matt's best practices for running a Hill office...
The mistake Matt made as a Hill Chief that led to an attack ad against his member...
Why scheduling is the worst part of the job as a Hill Chief of Staff...
The one type of person Matt recommends never hiring as a Hill Chief...
Matt's advice for new Hill staffers...
Matt's take on the rise of unionized Hill offices...
Matt's estimate on the share of House members who are jerks...
Some of the most impressive members (both Dem & GOP) Matt saw during his time on the Hill...
Why Matt left the Hill after running three House offices...
Matt's "most interesting number in politics"...
Matt's current podcast, releasing three episodes a week...
Matt's strangest work habits...
AND Charlie Bass, Biafra, Lauren Boebert, Jeb Bradley, George HW Bush, Robert Caro, James Carville, General Comfort, Crash Davis, Mickey Edwards, David Gergen, Newt Gingrich, gross metaphors, half hugs, Paul Hodes, Rush Holt, Steny Hoyer, hybrid ads, illegal offshore gambling rings, Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs, Gerry Kavanaugh, logistical nightmares, Nancy Mace, massive scandals, Chris Matthews, Mike Michaud, Mr. Miyagi, Tip O'Neill, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, personal mishegas, philosophical questions, Reagan Democrats, Stu Rothenberg, South Park, the stupidest law in America, John Tierney, Donald Trump, unhinged maniacs, wicked sore throats...& more!
Carlos Lozada is currently an Opinion columnist at The New York Times, after spending nearly 20 years at The Washington Post - where he earned the Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for criticism as The Post's nonfiction book critic. He's also an author, with his second book - The Washington Book - recently published: a collection of essays exploring what books by and about D.C. power players reveal about the people and political conflicts that define Washington. In this conversation, Carlos talks his path from Peru to South Bend to D.C., his accidental route to working in the press, some of his favorite Washington books and stories, and deeply mining his own insights into our current political moment.
IN THIS EPISODE
Carlos' personal journey from Lima, Peru to Washington D.C...
Carlos "gateway drug" books into the genre of Washington books...
How Carlos defines what exactly is a "Washington Book"...
Carlos weighs in on what he considers some of the earliest Washington Books...
Carlos' rave review of the U.S. Grant memoir...
The place of All The President's Men in the pantheon of Washington Books...
Carlos' favorite cliches from presidential campaign memoirs...
The D.C. corridors of power that are undercovered in Washington Books...
The Washington Books that are purely exercises in settling scores...
Carlos compares the Donald Trump of 2016 to the Donald Trump of 2024...
The Washington Books that never were that Carlos would love to read...
What reading Vladimir Putin revealed to Carlos about the Russian leader...
Carlos' 101 on sharp essay-writing...
Carlos waxes nostalgic about the late Washinton Post Outlook Section...
AND The 1619 Project, Alexis de Tocqueville, all sorts of minutia, Jody Allen, the American Enterprise Institute, Carol Anderson, animating impulses, The Appalachian Trail, Appomattox, asymmetric polarization, Peter Baker, Steve Bannon, Bob Barnett, beleaguered officials, Joe Biden, Joan Biskupic, Kate Boo, George H.W. Bush, Robert Caro, Jimmy Carter, Jesus Christ, Julie Davis, drop-down menus, enabling environments, farm foremen, The Federal Reserve, Craig Fehrman, Foreign Policy magazine, full absorption, Susan Glasser, Garret Graff, Lindsay Graham, Alan Greenspan, Stephanie Grisham, Maggie Haberman, Susan Hennessey, Fiona Hill, Dustin Hoffman, holy crap anecdotes, David Ignatius, joining-ness, Jurassic Park, Bob Kaiser, Ibram X. Kendi, the Kerner Commission, Adam Kushner, Robert E. Lee, Joe Lieberman, Steve Luxenberg, Thomas Mann, David Maraniss, Mark Meadows, mid-level authoritarian regimes, military duds, Mark Milley, Robert Moses, Robert Mueller, murdered darlings, murky institutions, The New York Review of Books, Kirstjen Nielsen, Notre Dame, Barack Obama, obligatory campaign memoirs, obscene crescendos, Norm Ornstein, parallel histories, the paralysis of power, George Pataki, Tim Pawlenty, policy wonks, John Pomfret, Robert Redford, Marco Rubio, Mark Sanford, Michael Schaffer, Brent Scowcroft, Michael Shear, silent Moscow, John Sununu, Barton Swaim, targeted excerpts, Mark Twain, Mario Vargas Llosa, velociraptors, Scott Walker, Ben Wittes, Michael Wolff, Bob Woodward...& more!
Whit Ayres, founder and president of North Star Opinion Research, has been a leading GOP pollster for more than 30 years. First a high school teacher then an academic, he cut his political teeth as state Budget Director for South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell. As a pollster, upset Senate victories for Georgia Senator Paul Coverdell in 1992 and Tennessee Senator Bill Frist in 1994 put Whit and his firm on the map. And since then he's worked for some of the biggest names in GOP politics: Strom Thurmond, Lamar Alexander, Marco Rubio, Bob Corker, Lindsey Graham, Ron DeSantis, among others. In this conversation, Whit talks his path to politics, favorite campaign stories, most famous clients, best polling practices, thoughts on the trajectory of the GOP and much more.
IN THIS EPISODE
Whit's interest in politics sparks in an Ames, Iowa high school classroom...
The "searing experience" that influenced him in 1970s Berlin...
What Whit learned teaching 8th grade public school for three years...
Whit's gets his start in politics working for future South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell...
How a vetoed pay raise encouraged Whit to take up political polling...
Whit's first big client, Paul Coverdell, wins an upset Georgia Senate race in 1992...
Whit's role in Lamar Alexander's insurgent 1996 GOP Presidential Primary campaign...
Whit helps re-elect South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond at age 94 to his last term in the Senate...
Whit polls for Marco Rubio's underdog first US Senate race in 2010 over Florida Governor Charlie Crist...
Whit talks his role working for Ron DeSantis in 2018...and his take on the DeSantis 2024 presidential...
Whit remembers the 1994 Bill Frist upset Senate win in Tennessee...
Whit's take on the evolution of the GOP over the last decade...
Whit on what makes for an effective pollster...
Whit talks his time as active airplane pilot...
AND academic towns, ballistic donors, Bob Barr, the Bernoulli Principle, bionic men, Brexit, Pat Buchanan, William Jennings Bryan, Checkpoint Charlie, Chris Christie, Bill Clinton, commuting marriages, Bob Corker, Steph Curry, Davidson College, Bob Dole, Mr. Enquist, flaming underdogs, Wyche Fowler, Cheryl Glenn, hail fellow well mets, Alex Haley, Nikki Haley, Tom Ingram, Dan Judy, Ted Kennedy, Rush Limbaugh, Huey Long, Dick Lugar, mainframe computers, Jon McHenry, Mike Murphy, Barack Obama, plaid work shirts, Adam Putnam, Dick Riley, Ronald Reagan, Jim Sasser, Floyd Spence, the Tea Party, totalitarian regimes, Donald Trump, two scrubs, Vanderbilt Hospital, George Wallace, Susie Wiles, Joe Wilson, & more!
Larry Huynh is a Partner and founder of Trilogy Interactive, a trailblazing digital political firm. His path to politics is anything but typical...his family coming to the U.S. as refugees after the Vietnam War, his academic background in biochemistry, and early career in the finance sector. In this conversation, Larry talks his unconventional route to working in politics, the 2004 campaign that changed his trajectory, early days of the political internet, plus some of his favorite case studies, best practices, and thoughts on digital trends that have the potential to change politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
How Larry's family had to flee Vietnam after the fall of Saigon...
Growing up a Texan in a low-income family in Houston...
Larry talks his pre-political interest in biochemistry and work in the financial sector...
The 2004 movement to Draft General Wes Clark into the presidential race pulls Larry into politics...
Memories of meeting General Clark the first time and the 2004 Clark campaign...
What contributed to the massive spike of online fundraising in the 2004 presidential campaign...
Larry starts one of the first digital political firms after the 2004 elections...
How Barbara Boxer's approach to Senate hearings blazed a path for effective use of digital political tools...
Larry on current trends in digital politics...
Larry talks studies his firm has done to better utilize AI...
Larry's perspective on the right type of people who should pursue a career in digital politics...
Larry talks his role as President of the AAPC and smart ways to utilize the organization...
AND alchemy, Bank of America, Stacey Bashara, best laid plans, Brent Blackaby, Blackrock, Doug Boxer, Howard Dean, Fort Chaffee, genetically-modified seeds, hard science, Jeff Hauser, jacked-up arms, Paul Johnson, Rose Kapolczynski, John Kerry, kill lists, Blanche Lincoln, Terry McAuliffe, John McCain, Jason McIntosh, Katie Merrill, Monsanto, MoveOn, Eli Pariser, Condaleeza Rice, Diana Rogal, Josh Ross, Randy Stearns, vice principals, windowless rooms....& more!
Kent Hance served 6 years in the House from West Texas, was Chair of the Texas Railroad Commission, and had an 8-year tenure as Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System - but his most famous political accomplishment is as the only person to ever defeat George W. Bush in a political campaign. He also hosts his own podcast, The Best Storyteller in Texas, where he mines his favorite political stories and weighs in on the news of the day. In this conversation, Chancellor Kent Hance talks about his famous 1978 win over George W. Bush in an open-seat congressional...his preceding time in the Texas State Senate, his time in the House carrying landmark legislation for President Reagan, running statewide, helming a major public university system, memories of iconic political figures, and some of his best stories from 6+ decades in politics.
IN THIS EPISODE...
Growing up in rural West Texas...
How the books his mother chose to read to him as a child led to a lifelong interest politics...
A Kent Hance best-practice for avoiding troublemakers at town hall meetings...
How he took on a West Texas political machine to beat a sitting State Senator in 1974...
Chancellor Hance shares his memories of iconic Texas political figures John Connally, Lloyd Bentsen, and Ann Richards...
Going in-depth about his good friend and former colleague, Congresswoman Charlie Wilson...
How Kent Hance beat George W. Bush for Congress in an open seat race in 1978...
The 1978 Hance campaign tactic that stuck with George W. Bush for 30+ years...
Memories of sponsoring President Reagan's historic, controversial tax cut in the early 1980s.
Highlighting a major difference in the leadership style of Presidents Reagan and Trump...
Coming up short running for Senate in 1984...
Demystifying what it's like serving on the Texas Railroad Commission...
What led to becoming Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System...
The curveball of the Texas Tech football coach he helped hire becoming now-US Senator Tommy Tuberville...
AND $1.2 Billion, AT&T, Jodey Arrington, Coalter Baker, Jim Baker, bank charters, Choc Blanchard, Doc Blanchard, Laura Bush, The Committee for the Survival of a Free Congress, Barber Conable, dealmakers, Bob Dole, Ken Duberstein, Phil Gramm, hardcore Navy guys, Tommy Joe Harrison, hating Communists, Chic Hecht, Vic Henry, Bill Hobby, Lee Iacocca, Jack Kemp, LBJ, Little Britches, George Mahon, mail carriers, Wilbur Mills, Walter Mondale, the New England Journal of Medicine, Don Pease, Sam Rayburn, Walter Rogers, Dan Rostenkowski, Preston Smith, talking heads, trial lawyers, Donald Trump, Paul Weyrich, whipping the Russians, Clayton Williams, windfall profits tax...& more!
Morgan Searcy is a graphic designer whose work has supported some of the top brands in corporate America (Nike, MTV to name a few) and has also worked in campaigns for names like Warren and Ossoff. After the 2020 cycle, she embarked on a new project to capture and record experiences of first-time political staffers - a project that turned into the book One Year in Politics. In this work, she chronicles interviews with more than 220 first-time political staffers...with in-depth information about their motivations, challenges, concerns, aspirations, and more.
IN THIS EPISODE
Morgan's roots growing up as an Asian American in Huntsville, AL...
What drew Morgan to politics from a largely non-political family...
Morgan talks her background in graphic design and best practices for effective visuals...
How Morgan transitioned from corporate design work to working in politics in the 2020 cycle...
What led Morgan to tackle the project that turned into her book, "One Year in Politics"...
Morgan's takeaways from 220+ interviews with first-time political staffers...
Hurdles identified by first-time BIPOC staffers...
What interviews from 2020 revealed about staffer experiences during the pandemic...
The types of "burnout" first-time staffers report feeling...
How first-time staffers' ideology compared to the candidate or cause for whom they worked...
Morgan's advice to staffers early in the career...
AND 5-Star hotels, all-hands meetings, art kids, bigger logos, Boeing, brand recognition, Emerge, EMILYs List, Google Forms, hierarchies of information, Jason Kander, NASA, Jon Ossoff, traditional job boards, video game designers, Werner Von Braun & more!
Jim Margolis, partner at GMMB media, is a pioneering Democratic media consultant who is featured in the new documentary, The Bigger Hammer, by filmmaker Keith Gaby that focuses on the message war behind the Obama vs. McCain 2008 race (now available on Amazon). In this conversation, Jim talks his path to politics through student activism in Kalamazoo, managing House campaigns, and working on the Hill before partnering with Frank Greer to start GMMB. He also goes in depth on his work for the Obama Presidential campaigns and shares some of his favorite stories and spots from a career atop the world of political media.
IN THIS EPISODE
Jim's early entry into politics as a high schooler in Kalamazoo, MI...
Why a narrow loss in one of the first races he worked was "the best thing that ever happened" to him...
Jim talks the important role Congressman Howard Wolpe played in his development...
Lessons learned from his early days as a campaign manager and Hill Chief...
A one-of-a-kind story from Kent Conrad's upset 1986 Senate win in North Dakota...
How his partnership with Frank Greer started and Jim's early days as an ad-maker...
A deep dive into Jim's role spearheading media on the Obama '08 presidential campaign...
Why Jim had the '08 Democratic Convention stage dramatically changed at the last minute...
Jim's 101 on producing political conventions...
Jim on working for two of his most prominent Senate clients, Barbara Boxer and Harry Reid...
What got Jim in Harry Reid's doghouse for a couple of weeks...
Jim talks the evolution of his firm GMMB over the years...
Jim breaks down the art of political ad-buying...
Jim's advice to the next generation of political media consultants...
AND 3/10/83, Brock Adams, Africanists, Mark Andrews, David Axelrod, blue suits, Quentin Burdick, the Chicago Tribune, Cinderella years, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, crazy hats, Fred Davis, disease implications, Byron Dorgan, ending apartheid, extra chips, fancy Florida hotels, Dianne Feinstein, Fort Defiance, Wyche Fowler, game show sets, good ears, Larry Grisolano, herculean tasks, Anita Hill, Paris Hilton, Invesco Stadium, John Kerry, Jim Messina, Michigan State University, Walter Mondale, Robby Mook, mosquito nets, Navajo reservations, David Plouffe, punch cards, Bernie Sanders, tax commissioners, Western Michigan University...& more!
Listen to a brief update about the Pro Politics Podcast, with the upshot that you should stay tuned for new episodes coming soon. For any feedback, feel free to drop me a line at mccrary.zachary(at)gmail.com. Thanks for listening.
Mark Barabak, the veteran political reporter and columnist for the L.A. Times, has just helmed a six-part series analyzing the political evolutions across the New West - Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon. In this conversation, Mark talks his recent series, touches on the politics in all six of these states, and breaks down what it says about the trajectory of the region and the impact on the national landscape. He also mines his reporter's notebook to talk some of his favorite stories and personalities from 35+ years covering politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
Mark talks how he was drawn to working in political journalism...
The one state Mark hasn't covered yet...
What led Mark to helm his recent series on the New West...
The biggest surprise in the recent political evolution of the West...
How much remains of the historical, libertarian political character of the West...
How Cindy McCain has recently played an important symbolic role in Arizona politics...
Mark on Governor Jared Polis and political trajectory of Colorado...
Why emigration from California is not helping Republicans in the rest of the region...
Mark talks the importance of Latino voters in the West...
Mark's take on what it would take for Republicans to finally break through in Oregon...
What Bend, OR reveals about politics in the state...
How resilient is Democratic strength in the West if the party moves more to the left...
How Bill Clinton muscled California into becoming a safe Democratic state...
The anecdote Mark has waited 30 years to use...
Mark recalls the importance of the Berman/Waxman So Cal "machine" and Northern CA's Burton "machine"...
Mark's memories covering Nancy Pelosi's political career from her very first race in the 80s...
Mark weighs in on the '24 California open Senate seat...
The most charismatic politicians Mark has seen over the years...
AND 801 Chophouse, accelerants, Joe Biden, Barbara Boxer, Harry Britt, broad libertarian streaks, Pat Brown, Ron Brown, Willie Brown, bundling, Sala Burton, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, California tattoos, criminal malpractice, Gray Davis, Michael Dukakis, election deniers, John Emerson, extractive industries, fingertip sensitivity, Diane Feinstein, Greek Lit, Kamala Harris, Peter Hart, John Hickenlooper, the hoi polloi, Mark Kelly, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Kari Lake, Adam Laxalt, Barbara Lee, Mel Levine, Bill Lunch, Maricopa County, Blake Masters, Leo McCarthy, Narragansett, Grover Norquist, Tip O'Neill, Mike Ovitz, Leon Panetta, Pablo Picasso, Katie Porter, RINOs, Ronald Reagan, Dick Riordan, Brian Sanderoff, Adam Schiff, John Seymour, Derek Shearer, Bob Shrum, sourdough bread, unhelpful quotes, Pete Wilson...& more!
Eric Hyers, manager of both Andy Beshear's '19 and '23 gubernatorial races, goes deep on last week's election of Governor Beshear in Kentucky. Eric talks his initial theory of the race, key strategic decisions from both campaigns, how the Beshear campaign fought back against transgender attacks and leveraged the issue of abortion against GOP nominee Daniel Cameron. In addition to getting under the hood of the 2023 race, Eric outlines his path to politics, experiences helping Democrats win in red states, theories on effective campaign management and much more.
IN THIS EPISODE
Eric's early days in political organizing and how that prepped him to run campaigns...
Eric weighs in on the three traits of effective campaign managers...
What Eric has learned about fostering the right relationship between a candidate and campaign manager...
Eric's memories of helping elect Governors Gina Raimondo and Steve Bullock...
Why the office of Attorney General makes a good launching pad for Democrats running for higher office...
The Eric Hyers' 101 of Kentucky politics...
How Eric entered the political world of Andy Beshear...
How Andy Beshear ousted GOP incumbent Matt Bevin in 2019...
How Governor Beshear talked Eric into managing the 2023 re-elect as well...
Eric's theory of the race when it kicked off in early 2023...
Eric breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of GOP nominee Daniel Cameron...
How the Beshear campaign responded to attacks on transgender issues...
How the Beshear campaign went about targeting securing Trump / Beshear voters...
The strategic decision to communicate on the issue of abortion exceptions...
The messaging importance of Governor Beshear always "showing up" for Kentucky...
What Eric can report about the turnout dynamics of the 2023 race...
Eric's most unusual work habit...
AND 17% approval ratings, 20,000 yard signs, Rocky Adkins, Steve Beshear, the Brent Spence Bridge, bus tours, David Cicilline, Cincinnati suburbs, complete jerks, crisis governors, DraftKings, John Edwards, GPS Impact, getting to yes, Greg Gianforte, Kirsten Gillibrand, good luck gourds, Mandy Grunwald, Jack Harlow, Bill Hyers, Nicole Kayner, Patrick Kennedy, Colin Lauderdale, managing multiple humans, Mitch McConnell, The Mountain Parkway, playoff beards, primetime players, Pulaski VA, red to pink, Saratoga Springs, setting a tone at the top, Josh Shapiro, Skidmore College, spreadsheet guys, TV Andy, Erin White, Williams College, Fred Yang....& more!
Patrick Ruffini, pollster at Echelon Strategies, returns to talk about his new book (released today, 11/7/23) PARTY OF THE PEOPLE - on the transition of the Republican Party from being dominated by wealthy, suburban white voters to a more blue-collar and increasingly-multi-racial coalition. In this conversation, Patrick lays out the data behind these shifts, what is driving the GOP's new-found success with blue-collar voters, why this movement came as a surprise to many, the balance of economic vs. cultural priorities, how Latino/AAPI/Black voters are increasingly persuadable audiences in elections, and expecations as to how these shifts will continue to define American politics for the forseeable future.
IN THIS EPISODE
Patrick lays out the core thesis of Party of the People...
Patrick's favorite data points that illustrate the changing face of the GOP...
Patrick's take on the role of "educational attainment" in changing voting patterns...
Patrick gives a quick tutorial on when and how Democrats have historically been the party of working-class Americans...
How flawed 2012 exit polls have contributed to shifting party coalitions more than a decade later...
Patrick's take on how the "In This House..." yard signs unwittingly speak to tensions within the Democratic coalition...
Economic vs cultural drivers of voter behavior...
Missteps and missed GOP opportunities from the trifecta control of government in 2017 and 2018...
Mining recent data among Hispanic voters...
What Patrick learned about border communities on a trip to the Rio Grande Valley...
Why Lester Chang is important...
Why Black voter behavior has been more stable than Latino and Asian voters...
Patrick's take on the growing segment of biracial and multi-racial Americans...
The impact of free trade and foreign policy on changing partisan coalitions...
What Patrick learned in the process of writing his first book...
AND 7:3 coalitional splits, anti-globalization sentiments, Joe Biden, blurbs, Brexit, George W. Bush, census buckets, charts and data, Hillary Clinton, Nate Cohn, Thomas Dewey, Tom Edsall, Ryan Enos, existential demographic crisis, fading historical patterns, faint echoes, frontier mentalities, the Great Recession, the green transition, Hamiltonian tendencies, illiberal populism, instinctive hawks, Andrew Jackson, jettisoning first principles, Chryl Laird, majority popular tendencies, mercantile progress, the New Deal, Barack Obama, Mike Podhorzer, Ronald Reagan, the Republican autopsy, rivalrous groups, Mitt Romney, sheepskin effects, David Shor, social taboos, Starr County, Steadfast Democrats, Harry Truman, Donald Trump, the UAW, Ismail White, white phenomenons....& more!
Fred Grandy spent 8 years in the US House as a Republican from Northwest Iowa, but remains best known for the decade he spent playing the character Gopher on the iconic 70s/80s hit television show "The Love Boat". In this conversation, he talks how his small-town Iowa roots mixed with matriculating at tony Eastern boarding schools, how he came to spend time around both President Eisenhower and President Nixon, why an initial flirtation with politics instead pushed him to Hollywood, what drew him back to politics after an incredibly successful run in show business, memories of his 8 years in the House, challenging an incumbent in a 1994 gubernatorial primary, what he's done since leaving office, and one of his current projects portraying Harry Truman on stage in "Give 'Em Hell, Harry". Fred Grandy is a natural storyteller and no one in politics has a story like him.
IN THIS EPISODE
His unusual roots in both Sioux City Iowa and Eastern prep schools...
An early lesson in congressional politics before going into show business...
Stories of spending time around both President Eisenhower and President Nixon...
The accidental conversation that drew him to politics from Hollywood in the mid 80s...
Memories of being an international celebrity at the height of The Love Boat's run...
The role the "Gopher Gap" and Johnny Carson played in his first race for Congress...
Important lessons learned when seeking committee positions in his first term...
Why he left the House to mount an underdog primary against IA Governor Terry Branstad...
Why politics can be a narcotic...
His post-congressional career as an Executive at Goodwill Industries...
Talking through his current stage play inhabiting Harry Truman in "Give 'Em Hell, Harry!"
AND...the Americans with Disabilities Act, Bret Baier, Steve Bartlett, Berkley Bedell, Sonny Bono, the Bourbons, Bill Broomfield, Bill Clinton, Tom Dewey, fishing tackle, Bill Ford, The Freedom Support Act, funny hats, Newt Gingrich, Goodwill Industries, Clayton Hogdson, Henry Hyde, Steve King, Bob Livingston, lugubrious hearings, Nancy Mace, Gavin MacLeod, Edward Madigan, Marblehead, Wiley Mayne, David McCullough, Bob Michel, Alyssa Milano, moneyed patricians, nativist foundations, Leon Panetta, the patois of the district, the Pendergast Organization, Phillips Exter, Ronald Reagan, the Republican bosom, ringworm, ritual slaughter, Rivercade, Pat Roberts, Dan Rostenkowski, screwing the sugar industry, seed caps, Sherman Oaks, shoving words around a room, Sturm und Drang, summer stock, Robert Taft, Fred Thompson, Craig Tufty, Mary Tydings, Mo Udall, the underbelly of Congress, Watergate & more!
Bill Carrick was the longtime chief media strategist for Senator Dianne Feinstein, as well as helping elect President Bill Clinton, multiple LA mayors, Congressman Jim Clyburn, and many more. In this conversation, Bill discusses his early political roots in South Carolina, his time working for Senator Ted Kennedy, his pivot to political media, and a deep dive on his time as chief strategist for Dianne Feinstein. We talk her early activist days in the 60s, the assassination that led to her becoming mayor of San Francisco, their first lunch meeting in 1989, how she leveraged a loss in the '90 Governor's race into 6 terms in the Senate, and her impact and legacy on priorities as varied as water policy, gun safety, choice, anti-torture policies, and more.
IN THIS EPISODE
Bill's roots in South Carolina Democratic politics...
One of Bill's favorite Fritz Hollings story...
Bill's time working for Senator Ted Kennedy...
The 1974 race that convinced Bill he should become a media consultant...
Bill talks the early career of Dianne Feinstein on the San Francisco Board...
Bill relates the story Dianne Feinstein would tell about the tragic assassination that propelled her to the Mayor's office...
The first meeting of Bill with then-Mayor Feinstein before her 1990 Governor's race against Pete Wilson...
The focus groups that helped ignite her statewide political career...
Her '94 re-election amidst the GOP wave and against one of the first deep-pocketed self-funders...
Bill relates Feinstein's views toward being on the short list of the '84 Vice Presidential process...
Bill on Senator Feinstein's top passions and priorities...
Feinstein's evolving views of the death penalty...
Memories of her final re-election in 2018...
Bill weighs in on the political legacy of Diane Feinstein...
AND Aiken, the assault weapons ban, Tony Bennett, Annette Bening, The Boston Herald, Barbara Boxer, Willie Brown, George H.W. Bush, cable cars, Bill Clinton, the Commerce Committee, DACA, Gray Davis, Kevin de León, The Desert Protection Act, George Deukmejian, Jim Eastland, Dwight Eisenhower, Geraldine Ferraro, Don Fowler, Dick Gephardt, Barry Goldwater, Aaron Henry, Michael Huffington, the Inland Empire, Olin Johnston, Joshua Tree, JFK, Bob Lagomarsino, lovefests, John McCain, Leo McCarthy, Harvey Milk, Walter Mondale, George Moscone, Earl Morris, Rupert Murdoch, the NRA, Richard Nixon, Ole Miss, Prop 187, Pug Ravenel, Ronald Reagan, Dick Riley, Ed Riley, Donald Russell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Seymour, Strom Thurmond, Mark Twain, VAWA, John Van de Kamp, Dan White, Curtis Wilkie...& more!
Jenifer Fernandez Ancona is a co-founder of Way to Win, a progressive donor hub that has helped direct nearly $300M since 2018. Jenifer talks her early experiences in journalism, what pulled her into political activism in the early 2000s, why Way to Win was needed, and the work and research and guidance Way to Win is providing to help Democrats message, organize, and advocate more effectively.
IN THIS EPISODE
Jenifer's path from journalism to political advocacy after 9/11...
Both the national and local political figures who inspired her activism...
Jenifer talks her work on major donor fundraising...
Why Jenifer co-founded Way to Win after the 2016 elections...
Jenifer's take on Democrats' historic "message problem"...
What Jenifer has learned from Way to Win's research ad-testing 50+ spots...
Jenifer on the power of qualitative, focus group research...
Jenifer offers guidance on how Democrats should talk about economic progress when many voters are feeling pessimistic...
Why Jenifer thinks messages promoting bipartisanship are counter-productive...
The balance in communicating to a multi-racial coalition...
Jenifer's thoughts on a potential "zoomed out" macro message for progressives...
Recent research and guidance Way to Win has rolled out among Latino voters...
AND Mandela Barnes, Cheri Beasley, George W Bush, Hillary Clinton, corporate media, crazy babykillers, Howard Dean, deep canvassing, El Salvador, Tory Gavito, Leah Hunt-Hendrix, the LA Times, Daraka Larimore-Hall, movement spaces, Richard Nixon, peace protests, Nancy Pelosi, pregnancy crisis centers, status threats, Swayable, the Tribune Company, Donald Trump, victory laps, Das Williams...& more!
Liam Donovan, a principal at Bracewell and longtime insider and observer of the Hill GOP, returns to weigh in on a chaotic couple of weeks in the House - including the surprise sidestepping of a government shutdown, the toppling of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and the budding race to fill his shoes. In this conversation, Liam talks the factors that led to McCarthy's ouster, how House Democrats could've "saved" him (and why they didn't), how he's thinking about the nascent race to be the next Speaker, a check-in on the '24 GOP presidential primary & more.
IN THIS EPISODE
Liam’s take on the 9-month tenure of Speaker McCarthy…
Liam’s biggest surprises in the saga of the toppling of Kevin McCarthy…
Why the CR to keep the government open both antagonized GOP rebels while alienating House Democrats…
Why Democrats might have chosen to “save" McCarthy…and why they didn’t…
How Liam is looking at the Jordan vs. Scalise battle for Speaker…
Liam on the possibility of a McCarthy Restoration…
Why acting-Speaker Patrick McHenry could be a default longer-term option…
A couple members of the GOP conference who Liam thinks will be predictive of who emerges from the fight for Speaker…
Liam on a possible shutdown after the 45-day CR elapses…
The path forward for additional funding of Ukraine…
Liam’s latest take on Trump’s strength in the GOP presidential primary and the campaigns of Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley…
AND big bargaining chips, catching the fly, Wile E. Coyote, the debt limit crisis, Diet Trump, discharge petitions, evil-genius super villains, Brian Fitzpatrick, the Freedom Caucus, the Gaetz 8, the Full Ginsberg, Lindsay Graham, gratuitous shutdowns, Garret Graves, Ben Jacobs, Hakeem Jeffries, jousting with totems, Mitch McConnell, nihilism, AOC, Nancy Pelosi, Politico, procedural blockades, Punchbowl, The Republican Study Committee, revocable non-support, tipping points, Glenn Youngkin…& more!
Over the course of a career focused on political media, Ed Blakely helped innovate within Republican politics that led to the modernization of the media arms of campaign committees of both parties. After a stint in US Amry intelligence, Ed spent nearly 20 years at the NRCC before joining the GOP media firm of Smith & Harroff. In this conversation, Ed talks his efforts to modernize political media at the NRCC, his favorite story of filming President Reagan in the Oval Office, memories from John McCain’s first US Senate race in 1986, and much more across an incredibly interesting and influential career in politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
Ed grows up in Hawaii after his father dies in WWII…
The somewhat famous (if confidential) film that Ed produced after being drafted into the US Army…
Ed’s brush with fame as the youngest disc jockey in Hawaii…
How Ed’s path led to political media at the NRCC…
Some of Ed’s favorite stories of filming ads with President Reagan in the Oval Office…
Ed talks the media innovations he brought to the NRCC that ultimately helped modernize the operations of both parties…
Why Ed came back to the NRCC after being at a private agency for over a decade…
Ed’s memories of Newt Gingrich’s ascent in the House GOP…
Why Ed left the NRCC after more than a decade in the mid 80s & where he landed…
Ed helps elect John McCain in 1986 in his first race for US Senate…
Ed gives an impromptu history lesson of jingles in political TV ads…
Ed talks his approach to fostering new Republican media talent that paid dividends…
Ed’s stints in the public sector…
AND Creighton Abrams, Roger Ailes, Army Intelligence, Bailey-Deardorff, Baltimore, Katja Bullock, Jay Bryant, Edward Butler, Tom Delay, Bob Ehrlich, the fickle finger of fate, Gerald Ford, Barry Goldwater, Bobby Goodman, Peter Hannaford, Denny Hastert, Humphrey Browning MacDougall, Jim Innocenzi, LBJ, JFK, kinescope, The Lincoln Memorial, Bob Livingston, Robin Luke, Robert McNamara, Morning in America, Chris Mottola, Oahu, the Pentagon, Chip Pickering, radio actualities, Hal Riney, Santa Monica, slow boats, Smith & Harroff, Olympia Snowe, The Sound of Music, speech modules, Steven Spielberg, John Sununu, The Tuesday Team, USC, Guy Vander Jagt, The Washington Post, Watergate, Henry Waxman, whistlestops, Don Young … & more!
Dave Contarino was Bill Richardson's 2002 gubernatorial campaign manager, his first term Chief of Staff, and manager of his 2008 presidential campaign. Very few are better equipped to remember the life and legacy of Governor Richardson than Dave. In this conversation we talk Dave's own path to politics and mine his expertise specifically about New Mexico, then go in depth about the inspiration, impact, and influence of Bill Richardson...from his unconventional lifestory, to his time as a rising star in the House, stint in the Clinton cabinet, two terms as Governor, groundbreaking presidential campaign, and his focus over the past decade helping to free Americans held hostage in foreign countries (including the recent release of Britt ney Griner). This is a wide-ranging conversation about a truly original and transformational figure, the late Governor Bill Richardson.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Dave’s roots near Boston and path to politics via a couple of interesting internships…
One of Dave’s early jobs as a DCCC staffer under then-operative Rahm Emanuel…
How Dave’s career took him to New Mexico and his 101 for understanding New Mexico Politics…
Dave talks the early life and political origin story of Bill Richardson…
The role Richardson’s Hispanic heritage played in his political career…
Congressman Richardson’s ascent in the House and how he started to become known as an international hostage negotiator in the 1990s…
Why the ambitious Richardson waited 20 years after he was first elected before he ran statewide…
Dave remembers some of the high points of Bill Richardson’s tenure as Governor…
Dave talks Richardson’s decision to run for President in 2008 and memories of what went right & what went wrong…
Some of the story behind Richardson’s surprise decision to endorse Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in 2008…
Dave goes in depth on the work Governor Richardson has done over the past 30 years to help free American hostages from foreign countries…
Dave closes by speaking to Governor Richardson’s political legacy…
AND ANWR, Madeline Albright, Andover, Bruce Babbitt, the big seat, Jeff Bingaman, The Boston Globe, Richard Branson, George Brown, the Cape Cod League, Bob Carr, James Carville, the Catholic Church, Henry Cisneros, Cornell University, Warren Christopher, Pete Domenici, Friends of Bill, Geronimo’s attorney, grazing fees, Brittney Griner, the Harriman Center, the head of Denver Transit, Saddam Hussein, James Inhofe, Lyndon Johnson, Judas, Sergey Lavrov, David Letterman, Manuel Lujan, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Susanna Martinez, Paul Maslin, Terry McAuliffe, Roberto Mondragon, Steve Murphy, NAFTA, Ollie North, Pasadena, Federico Pena, Mark Penn, Mark Putnam, radio actualities, the Rio Grande Corridor, Ed Romero, Pat Schroeder, the Science and Technology Committee, Hillary Tompkins, Tufts, Tom Udall, The War on the West & more!
[Originally released October 2021]
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has a truly American story: born in Cuba, emigrates to Miami with her family at age 8, works as a teacher before being elected to the Florida legislature - and then makes history as the first Hispanic woman in American history to be elected to Congress. This is a great conversation about her one-of-a-kind life, history-making career, great political stories, and advice & insight to candidates, elected officials, lobbyists, and staffers after serving nearly 30 years in the U.S. House.
IN THIS EPISODE
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s early memories growing up in Cuba and her sudden emigration to Miami…
She breaks down why Cuban Americans started to align with the Republican Party…
The conversation that got her involved in politics for the first time…
She talks about her House predecessor, the legendary Congressman Claude Pepper…
How she overcame racist tactics to become the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress…
The surprising way she learned she made history on Election Night…
What surprised her as she got her feet wet in Congress…
She remembers how Newt Gingrich changed the Republican Party and transformed Congress…
Why she didn’t sign the 1994 Republican “Contract with America”…
The House Democrat she remembers for brass-knuckle tactics…
She remembers times she was “in the dog house” for breaking with GOP party leadership…
Her signature accomplishments after 30 years in the house…
She remembers the intensity around the Elian Gonzalez custody case, occurring right in her district…
She weighs in on if the Elian Gonzalez case cost Al Gore Florida in 2000 and ultimately the presidency…
Her memories of the impeachment of Bill Clinton…
Why she never ran statewide and didn’t run for re-election in 2018…
Her take on what makes a good lobbyist…
Her tips on running on a congressional office…
She remembers Marco Rubio as a young intern in her office…
What does she miss about being in Congress…
Her take on why there are so many Florida politicians on the national scene…
She weighs in on whether Florida remains a “swing state”…
Her advice on what people should do when visiting Miami…
AND…537 Votes, The Bay of Pigs, Beltway Fever, Brigade 2506, Jeb Bush, Kathy Castor, Fidel Castro, Liz Cheney, Shirley Chisholm, Bill Clinton, Billy Corben, Katie Couric, Cuba Libres, the Defense of Marriage Act, Tom DeLay, Val Demings, Ron DeSantis, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Bob Dole, Dante Fascell, first airplane rides, Tom Foley, get-along and go-along Republicans, Newt Gingrich, Elian Gonzalez, Homestead Air Force Base, Steny Hoyer, Sam Johnson, JFK, Bill Lehman, David Leahy, Dexter Lehtinen, John Lewis, La Loba Feroz, John McCain, Bob Michel, a minority mentality, Stephanie Murphy, Obamacare, olive-green military attire, Red Pepper, Robert Redford, Janet Reno, Steve Schale, snowbirds, South Beach, SWAT teams, the University of Havana, Versailles, Don Young, & more!
Rich Schlackman is best known as a pioneer of all things direct mail - and he continues to hit the mail box and also spearheads important efforts as a GC and has expanded his reach to digital messaging. In this conversation, Rich talks his early activist roots at the '68 Democratic Convention and with names like Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden...why he gravitated to political direct mail in the mid 70s...how he took the "California Style" of mail national in the 80s and 90s...diving deep into his best practices and favorite races...plus some of the efforts for which he's been a General Consultant, like ousting Chesa Boudin as San Francisco DA last year. And of course a conversation with Rich is not complete without hearing how he became the leading wine expert among political consultants and getting his tips to make anyone a little smarter on the topic. This is a fun conversation with one of the most colorful and ground-breaking consultants in the industry.
IN THIS EPISODE
Rich grows up in a heavily union neighborhood in NYC and becomes active in the anti-Vietnam War movement...
Rich's experiences as a protestor at the '68 Democratic Convention...
Rich talks his time around activists Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden...
How Rich pivots to direct mail in the 1970s...
Rich innovates the "California style" of direct mail in the 70s and 80s...
Rich talks the rise of the national direct mail firms in the 80s and 90s...
Rich on a few of his favorite clients, including Congressman Vic Fazio, Governor Janet Napolitano, and nearly beating Newt Gingrich in 1990...
Rich talks his time working for Senator Joe Lieberman...
Rich's favorite Bay Area races, including figuring out how to handle ranked-choice voting...
Rich recounts GCing the recent successful effort to recall San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin...
Rich's insights from working with Gavin Newsom on the now-Governor's very first local race in San Francisco...
Rich talks some of the most frustrating "input" received from others on his mail...
Rich on the evolution of mail and targeting over the course of his career...
Ten minutes picking Rich's brain on his famed expertise on wine...
AND Saul Alinsky, Bill Andresen, Applecart, Ross Bates, Evan Bayh, the Berman Machine, Ruth Bernstein, billy clubs, Willie Brown, CHAID analysis, the Campaign for Economic Democracy, Fidel Castro, Jim Chapman, Chris Cooper, Barry Dill, Bob Dole, drop letters, Bob Edgar, Rahm Emanuel, Carter Eskew, gloss paper, Ruth Yannatta Goldway, Matt Gonzalez, Lisa Grove, Mandy Grunwalkd, Edd Hargett, Dan Hazelwood, Abie Hoffman, Wayne Johnson, Kansas politics, Celinda Lake, Ned Lamont, Mel Levine, Hal Malchow, Milton Marks, John McCain, David Metts, Bob Mulholland, Jerry Nadler, Joe Napolitan, No Labels, Mark Penn, phony tabloids, the Port Huron Statement, The Rare Wine Company, Norm Rice, H.L. Richardson, Ben Rosenthal, Michael Rowan, Dr. Bill Roy, Jerry Rubin, Tony Schwartz, Saul Shorr, George Soros, Andy Spahn, Bob Squier, Marty Stone, The Valley Messenger, Pete Visclosky, Voter Contact Services, Lowell Weicker, Scott Weiner, David Worley, the Yippie Revolution....& more!
Barry Goldwater Jr. grew up in politics as the son of the influential Senator and '64 GOP Presidential Nominee. He has a one-of-a-kind story of witnessing his father's political rise and then his own political career with his House tenure spanning parts of 3 decades. In this conversation, he talks his early memories in a political household, key moments in his father's career, his own political trajectory in Southern California, and the difficulties and opportunities he's found in life after leaving office.
IN THIS EPISODE
Born into a political family in Phoenix, AZ…
The story of Goldwater’s Department Store and the rise of his father’s political career…
The surprise that took him to a different state and different profession than expected…
The coin flip that set Barry Goldwater Sr. on a path in Republican politics…
Memories of the ’64 Goldwater presidential campaign…
The Goldwater / JFK relationship and what a JFK vs Goldwater ’64 campaign might have looked like…
The story behind Senator Goldwater urging Nixon to resign at the height of Watergate…
His read on Senator Goldwater’s late-in-life pro-choice and pro-LGBT sentiments…
Barry Goldwater Jr’s first race for office in a 1969 House special election…
Memories of the House of the 70s and 80s…
The leadership skill he witnessed of Speaker Tip O’Neill….
Barry Goldwater Jr and Ed Koch team up to pass a bipartisan Privacy Act…
An important lesson learned from his mother…
The story behind his race for US Senate in California in 1982…
His read on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger….
How he approached being out of office for the first time in 14 years in his mid 40s…
The story of being on the ballot in Louisiana as Ron Paul’s VP candidate in 2008…
His early thoughts on the 2024 GOP primary field…
The story of Senator Goldwater’s surprisingly close connection to President Clinton…
Time spent around both President Reagan and Nancy Reagan…
The guerilla tactic that helped Barry Goldwater Jr win his first election…
The importance of a Higher Power in his life…
AND apron pockets, Arizona State University, Best Always, brickbats, William F. Buckley, Burbank, John Burton, Phil Burton, cold calls, The Conscience of a Conservative, John Dean, Dwight Eisenhower, Newt Gingrich, S.I. Hayakawa, Carl Hayden, hiding in the bushes, Jewish peddlers, Lyndon Johnson, Chiang Kai-Shek, Jack Kemp, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Lockheed-Martin, the Mayflower, Mitch McConnell, Mike McCormack, the NAACP, Northrup-Grunman, nylon, the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange, Nancy Pelosi, raylon, John Rhodes, Hugh Scott, shenanigans, Janet Travell, Donald Trump, the Urban League, John Van De Kamp, the wild west, Mao Zedong…. & more!
Bill Knapp is in his fifth decade as a top Democratic media consultant and is the first K in the mega-media firm SKDK. In this conversation, Bill talks his NYC roots, the 1980 Senate campaign that launched his professional career, lessons from his mentor & eventual partner Bob Squier, key races in his development as a strategist, the '96 Clinton re-elect, 20 years as part of Mike Bloomberg's political orbit, advice for budding media consultants, and much more.
IN THIS EPISODE
Bill’s roots on the Upper West Side of Manhattan…
The three prominent figures Bill met as a child in his apartment building…
Bill dips his toe into politics at Franklin & Marshall College in rural PA…
The 1980 Liz Holtzman Senate campaign changes Bill’s professional direction…
Bill’s intersection with mentor and future business partner, the legendary Bob Squier…
Bill talks the legacy of Bob Squier…
The US Senate race where Bill established himself as a media strategist in his own right…
Bill goes deep inside the 1996 Clinton Presidential Re-election…
Bill helps elect Mike Bloomberg Mayor of NYC in 2001…
Bill’s perspective on the Bloomberg 2020 presidential with a few years’ hindsight…
How Bill’s firm, SKDK, grew to the size of 100+ employees…
Bill talks the skillset of his prominent business partner Anita Dunn…
Bill’s advice to the next generation of political media consultants…
AND $15 CPP, Adas, Avenue J, Daniel Barash, Bob Bauer, Belmont Stakes, Joe Biden, Rod Blagojevich, Jim Blanchard, Bill Bradley, Jim Brady, broad shoulders, Quentin Burdick, Jimmy Carter, Pia Carusone, Central Park, Chat GPT, cinema verité, Tony Coehlo, The Communications Company, the crack epidemic, crusty editors, Jennifer Cunningham, the DSCC, Rich Davis, Joe DiMaggio, David Dinkins, David Doak, Bob Dole, Byron Dorgan, Rahm Emanuel, Carter Eskew, F stops, FIFA, Friday Shabbat, David Garth, Newt Gingrich, Al Gore, Bob Graham, Frank Greer, Hal the Doorman, David Halberstam, Patti Harris, the Hinckley Hilton, Harold Ickes, Independent Network News, Josh Isay, Elena Kagan, Keith Kincaid, Samantha Knapp, Stanley Kubrick, JFK, lashon hara, Joe Lieberman, Horace Mann, Minnesota boys, Damon Miranda, Rick Miranda, Mike Moore, Mike Morey, Dick Morris, Jim Mulhall, New Jersey droughts, Jackie Onassis, Mark Penn, Earl Pomeroy, Mark Putnam, Riverdale, Bob Roe, Hillary Rosen, David Sawyer, Doug Schoen, Kevin Sheekey, Oren Shur, Doug Sosnik, Mark Squier, George Stephanopoulos, David Strauss, Earl Strinden, Ray Strother, technocrats, torturing gaffers, Donald Trump, Bradley Tusk, Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, VW Karmann Ghia, Otto von Bismarck, War and Peace, Lowell Weicker, Elie Wiesel & more!
Diana Hwang is the Founder and Executive Director of the Asian American Women's Political Initiative. In this episode, Diana talks growing up in Houston in a Taiwanese-immigrant family, her political awakening after college in Boston, what led her to start the AAWPI, how the organization has grown over the past 10+ years, her analysis of partisan trends within the AAPI community...plus her own experience running for State Senate in 2016. This is a great conversation with an innovative political thinker on the frontlines of expanding political opportunity.
IN THIS EPISODE
Diana's roots growing up in Houston in a Taiwanese immigrant family...
How Diana became interested and involved in politics in Massachusetts...
How the process around mental health legislation revealed a shortcoming in state politics...
The "life changing" experience when Diana ran for a State Senate special election in 2016...
How and why Diana start the Asian American Women's Political Initiative in 2009...
The hurdles in getting traction for Asian American political advocacy...
The impact of the 2021 Georgia mass shooting of Asian American women on Diana's work...
Diana talks the mission and tools of the AAWPI...
Diana on the importance of the election of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu...
Diana's 101 on some of the partisan differences within the AAPI community...
Diana's analysis of why Republicans ran more competitively in some places with AAPI voters in the last election...
The significance of the WeChat app in organizing the AAPI community...
Diana speaks to both short-term and long-term goals of AAWPI...
Kelly Gibson is the founding partner of Stronger Than Communications, where she works to elect Democratic candidates and advance progressive causes - and is a board member of the American Association of Political Consultants and faculty member of the Campaign School at Yale. Through the AAPC, she has helped lead conversations and spearhead recommendations on the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and political campaigns. In this conversation, we talk what Kelly's learned on this subject, both the opportunities and threats A.I. poses for those working in politics, and some nuts-and-bolts insight and advice on how to become a little smarter on a very complicated and evolving topic.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Kelly’s early roots in Buffalo and route to working in politics…
The story behind Kelly starting her firm, Stronger Than Communications and some of her signature wins and races…
How Kelly got interested in the topic of A.I….
What makes A.I. a revolutionary technical tool…
Why you should treat A.I. like a toddler…
Outside of politics, how you’re interacting with A.I. whether you know it or not…
Kelly outlines the A.I. recommendations she helped spearhead through the AAPC political consulting trade industry…
Kelly’s take on the controversy of the DeSantis' campaign's usage of A.I. to attack Donald Trump…
How A.I. can change approaches to advertising production…
Smart uses of A.I. for campaigns beyond content creation…
The political jobs most likely to be disrupted by A.I…
The status of legal regulation of A.I. in politics…
Kelly’s best practices to start using A.I….
AND Barbie, Bard, Yates Baroody, Joe Biden, Bing, Ben Cardin, DLCC, deep fakes, HMP, Martin Hamburger, Kendra Horn, Dawn Laguens, machine learning, Meta, Microsoft, Open AI, Planned Parenthood, silver bullets, solo-preneurs, stainless steel, Marty Stone, takeout taxi, true collectives, Donald Trump, Vogue, Lee Zeldin & more!
[EPISODE ORIGINALLY RECORDED FEBRUARY 2021]
Lisa Grove has been a leading Democratic strategist and pollster for 25+ years, helping elect a President, Senators, Governors, and more. She also developed a reputation for winning tough ballot measures and helped refine messaging to advance the cause of marriage equality. In this conversation (recorded February '21), she talks her roots in Oregon politics and activism, being drawn to polling, her early days in the business, starting her own firm in the mid 90s, and stories & insight from a successful career that has spanned several decades.
IN THIS EPISODE
Lisa grows up in Portland, OR inspired by the activism around her...
Lisa's early jobs in politics in route to becoming a pollster...
Lisa talks learning from famed pollster Nancy Belden...
Lisa on her approach to focus groups and her favorite focus group stories...
How and why Lisa started her own polling firm in the mid 90s...
How Lisa made it work as a pollster living in Hawaii...
How Lisa's chalked up a successful record on ballot measures...
Lisa's work helping advance the cause of marriage equality...
Some of the celebrities Lisa has worked with over the years and her current work with Billie Eilish...
AND John Anderson, John Anzalone, Brian Baird, Maggie Baird, Warren Beatty, Nancy Belden, Sergio Bendixen, Anna Bennett, Ami Bera, Brian Bilbray, Graeme Blair, Shirley Chisolm, Tom Daschle, Susan Davis, Peter DeFazio, Barry Diller, Tom Donilon, Mike Dukakis, Matt Erickson, Pablo Escobar, Lily Eskelsen, feather boas, Diane Feldman, Sarah Flowers, Cesar Gaviria, Dick Gephardt, the Golden Rule, Martin Hamburger, Hanford Nuclear Site, Darlene Hooley, Jack Mormons, Ron Kind, Celinda Lake, Ed Lazarus, Norman Lear, Carl Levin, Sandy Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Jeff Liszt, Jon Macks, mai tais, Tom McCall, Mark Mellman, Howard Metzenbaum, Mr. Steak, Ralph Nader, Narcos, Finneas O'Connell, Bob Packwood, Jessica Paulson, paradise guilt, the princess ad, Christy Quirk, Rob Reiner, Barbara Roberts, Michael Robinson, Will Robinson, Rich Schlackman, Barbra Streisand, sustainable furniture, swagger, tattoos, Third Way, tissue paper flowers, Joe Trippi, Univision, Melissa Williams, Ron Wyden, Yucca Mountain & more!
Paul Johnson's resume reads like it should cover three careers...managing multiple presidentials, manager/general consultant on twelve Senate races, DSCC Executive Director over two cycles, and several years on Capitol Hill as a Senate Chief of Staff. In this conversation, we talk his roots in Minnesota politics, rising up the ranks through Mondale '84 to manage Tom Daschle's first Senate race in 1986 and then Bob Kerrey's first Senate race in 1988...then staying part of the Kerrey world for the next 20+ years. And eventually managing presidential campaigns for both Senator Bob Graham and General Wes Clark - plus why Paul has been based out of Shreveport, LA for the past 20 years. This is a great discussion through a fascinating career with one of the most accomplished operatives in Democratic politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
Paul grows up in the Twin Cities, inspired by the political tradition of Minnesota Democrats...
The one time Paul ran for office in his own right...
Paul leads a Minnesota brigade to help Walter Mondale in the '84 Iowa Caucus...
Paul manages Tom Daschle's first US Senate race in 1986...
Paul talks the political impact of the "farm crisis" of the 1980s...
Paul connects with Bob Kerrey in the 1988 cycle and stays part of his political world for 20+ years...
Paul breaks down the missteps and missed opportunities from the Bob Kerry '92 presidential...
Paul speaks to the legacy of political courage shown by Bob Kerrey...
Paul's approach as a Senate Chief of Staff on the Hill...
A little color on some of the famed friction between President Clinton and Senator Kerrey...
Paul's memories of running the DSCCC during the 96 and 98 cycles...
Paul goes deep on the boom and bust of the Wes Clark '04 Presidential campaign...
An important lesson learned from his time managing Senator Bob Graham's '04 presidential...
The Paul Johnson "3 Ms" of what makes an effective campaign manager...
Why Paul has been based out of Shreveport, LA for 20+ years...
AND...318 area codes, 441 AD, Jim Abdnor, agrarian movements, B+ trip notes, background noise, Scotty Baesler, Brent Blackaby, Jerry Brown, Jim Bunning, Larry Cohen, Susan Collins, Jim Crounse, Jim Crow, Howard Dean, Ron DeSantis, John Edwards, Russ Feingold, Don Foley, Jane Fonda, the Fritz Blitz, going batshit, Grandmother's Restaurant, Gary Hart, Hubert Humphrey, Larry Huynh, Dave Karnes, John Kerry, Carl Levin, Gene McCarthy, meat slicers, Carol Moseley Braun, Sheila Murphy, Ben Nelson, Parade magazine, party mergers, Rudy Perpich, press release routes, Ronald Reagan, Jody Severson, Bob Smith, soft money, Harold Stassen, Pete Stavrianos, Dick Swett, Bob Torricelli, Paul Tsongas, WCCO, Winnebagos, Debra Winger & more!
Chris Mottola is in his fifth decade as a Republican media consultant, with nearly 400 campaigns under his belt - including seven presidential campaigns and working with eleven US Seantors and six governors. His client list includes the highest echelons of GOP names like Bush, Dole, McCain, Giuliani, Specter, Rubio, Pataki, Sununu, Frist & many more. In this conversation, we talk his nearly lifelong passion for film, the non-political techniques he's brought to his political work, what drew him into campaigns, lessons learned from some of the smartest operatives who preceded him, and the stories behind some of his most memorable campaigns and effective TV ads.
IN THIS EPISODE
Chris’s roots as a Philly kid…
The movie that ignited Chris’s passion for film at age 7…
Chris breaks down his embrace of “formalism” in filmmaking…
A memorable first press conference in his first real political job…
Handling over 50 spots in one cycle as a young NRCC production staffer…
Chris tells lessons learned from legendary admakers Bob Goodman and Charles Guggenheim…
Chris on the influence of “his favorite person on campaigns" , pollster Arthur Finkelstein…
Chris talks some of his signature wins in Wisconsin and Florida as he establishes himself as a media consultant…
Chis explains how a narrow loss to Patty Murray in the 1992 Washington Senate race that spurred his growth as a consultant…
Chris’s work for longtime PA Senator Arlen Specter and the drama around his 2009 party switch…
Chris’s time riding the campaign bus with Bob Dole in 1996…
Chris on his work for colorful Montana Senator Conrad Burns…
The story behind Chris’s creation of the first gay rights spot for a Republican Senator…
Three techniques that make Chris’s spots a little different…
Chris’s 1970s moonlighting as an offensive football guru…
How Chris embraced women voiceover artists…
Why Philadelphia over-indexes on political media consultants and production talent…
AND 80/20 questions, Adagio for Strings, JJ Balaban, the barbers’ union, Brian Bellick, Ed Blakely, Don Bonker, Bertolt Brecht, Tom Brokaw, Buckely v. Valeo, the C&S Club, the Capitol Hill Club, Jimmy Carter, Alex Castellanos, Ronald Castille, Rod Chandler, commuter schools, Gary Cooper, Earl Cox, Mouse Davis, Dickens’ novels, Fund for a Conservative Majority, David Garth, Tony Earl, Wilson Goode, Rod Goodwin, Bill Green, Gary Hart, Jesse Helms, Bernard Herrman, Edward Hopper, the Houston Gamblers, Asa Hutchinson, Peter Jennings, Andi Johnson, Ted Kennedy, laundry lists of grievances, Connie Mack, Buddy MacKay, Joseph Mankiewicz, David Marsden, George McGovern, Sally Mercer, Michealangelo’s Pieta, Jack Mudd, Mike Murphy, Patty Murray, Neil Newhouse, old auctioneers, Neil Oxman, George Pataki, pearl clutching, potato peelers, Hester Prynne, Jerry Rafshoon, Dan Rather, Resonance Theory, the run-and-shoot, Tony Schwartz, Doc Schweitzer, seersucker suits, Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard, Saul Shorr, Don Sipple, Gordon Smith, Bob Squier, Greg Stevens, stick time, Temple University, Tommy Thompson, Pat Toomey, the Voight-Kampff test, Bill Walsh, the World Football League, you bet....& more!
Elizabeth Holtzman is best known for her legendary primary upset of the Dean of the House in 1972, making her the youngest woman elected to Congress and propelling her to national notice as part of the House Judiciary Committee Impeachment Hearings of Richard Nixon. Even beyond that specific era, the diversity and duration of her public service is nearly unrivaled...including working in 1960s Georgia to advance civil rights, her role bringing 100+ Nazi War Criminals closer to justice, becoming the first woman to be a District Attorney in New York City, the only woman to serve as NYC comptroller, and an impactful political legacy spanning several decades that continues to this day.
IN THIS EPISODE
Memories of growing up in an immigrant family in Brooklyn, NY...
An incredibly formative experience working on civil rights issues in Albany, GA...
Her instrumental role bringing 100+ Nazi war criminals to justice in the 1970s...
How she became the youngest woman elected to Congress by beating the Dean of the House in 1972...
Stories of taking on the Brooklyn political machine...
An unsettling comment from a veteran member after she's first elected to the House...
Memories of her service on the House Judiciary Committee during the Nixon Impeachment Hearings...
Her rejection of the revisionist view of Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon...
Analyzing her very narrow loss for US Senate in 1980...
Looking back on her stint as both Brooklyn District Attorney and NYC Comptroller...
Her view on the "finest mayor NYC has had"...
Comparing her 2022 House race to her first run in 1972...
Her view of the current Supreme Court as "illegitimate"...
The couple of times her path crossed with Donald Trump in NYC politics...
AND Abraham Lincoln High, Samuel Alito, Birch Bayh, Jimmy Breslin, bureaucratic gobbledygook, the CIA, CORE, Jimmy Carter, cattle prods, Manny Celler, Frank Church, Cracker Barrel, John Culver, Al D'Amato, Mike Dewine, William O. Douglas, Meade Esposito, the first piece of paper, Flatbush, Gimbles, The Godfather, Barry Goldwater, the instrumentality of the state, Jacob Javits, John Lindsay, Carolyn Maloney, James Meredith, Pat Moynihan, NAACP, Radcliffe, John Rhodes, Peter Rodino, Russian pogroms, SNCC, Bernie Sanders, Hugh Scott, shoe leather, smoking guns, John Paul Stevens, Adlai Stevenson, Tammany Hall, Clarence Thomas, Larry Tribe, whistleblowers, witch hunts & more!
Michael Rowan's political career started in a small Alaksan fishing village in the 1960s and has ascended to heights of helping elect Presidents, Senators, Governors, and working in 17 countries. Michael was a contemporary and colleague of some of the most influential political minds in the modern era - Larry O'Brien, Joe Napolitan, Tony Schwartz, Marshall McLuhan, among many others. And the campaigns he had an impact on includes names like Bill Clinton, Pat Moynihan, Andrew Young, Howard Metzenbaum, Mike Gravel, and more. And after working against Hugo Chavez in Venenzuela, Michael and his family had to flee after death threats from Chavez henchmen. Michael Rowan has a great political story and shares much of it in this conversation.
IN THIS EPISODE
Michael’s move from Long Island to rural Alaska sparks an interest in politics…
How organizing a political slate in a small fishing village leads to Michael’s career in campaigns…
Michael is the campaign manager for Mike Gravel’s successful upset of an incumbent Senator in 1968…
Michael’s take on the quixotic Gravel presidential campaign of 2008…
Michael’s early intersection with political consulting legend & future business partner Joe Napolitan…
Michael talks the influence of his colleagues Marshall McLuhan and Tony Schwartz…
How Michael helped Howard Metzenbaum beat American hero John Glenn in an Ohio Senate primary…
Michael goes in depth on the political skills of two of his iconic clients, Andrew Young and Pat Moynihan…
Michael’s connections to Bill Clinton’s core campaign message in 1992…
Michael talks his work against Hugo Chavez in Venezuela that led to death threats against him and his family…
Michael diagnoses the threats of polarization in American politics and a possible solution…
AND agoraphobia, the Alaska Model, anthropological dreamworlds, asymmetric media, Jeff Bezos, Tony Blair, Rafael Caldera, James Carville, coding nightmares, Jim Dunn, Claudio Fermin, Eskimos, Buckminster Fuller, David Garth, Ernest Gruening, Charles Guggenheim, Jay Hammond, Michael Harrington, Robert Kennedy, Kent State, Jiddu Krishnamurti, the Kuskokwim River, Maslow’s Hierarchy, Ed Mezvinsky, Elon Musk, Larry O’Brien, Sarah Palin, Carlos Andres Perez, Ronald Reagan, Ralph Rivers, Winthrop Rockefeller, Rorschachians, Manuel Rosales, St Johns University, Milton Shapp, Sargent Shriver, Shelby Storck, Margaret Thatcher, wave theory, weird containers, Dick Wirthlin, William Butler Yeats & more!
Andi Johnson, a partner at GPS Impact, is a veteran Democratic media strategist who has been a trailblazer as one of the first women in Democratic media. She's worked for leading Democratic political figures for over 30 years...names like Obama, Klobuchar, Leahy, Inslee, Bob Casey Jr, and many more. In this conversation, Andi talks growing up in a political family in Eugene, OR, how she somewhat accidentally found a path into political media, mentoring under the late Democratic admaker Joe Slade White, some of her favorite races she's worked on...from Ben Nighthorse Campbell (as a Democrat) in 1988 to helping elect Cherelle Parker Mayor of Philadelphia just a few weeks ago. This is a great talk through a fascinating career with a groundbreaking woman in media consulting and one of the most successful admakers in Democratic politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
Andi grows up in a politically-minded family in Eugene Oregon…
A teenage Andi rubs shoulders with Senator Ted Kennedy and his 1980 presidential campaign staff…
Andi remembers the politics of her native Oregon in her formative years…
Andi’s fortuitous intersection with two iconic media consultants, Roger Ailes and Joe Slade White…
Andi talks the "two revolutions" in production of political media…
Andi on what she learned from her early colleague Joe Slade White…
Andi talks an early key race for (then Democrat) Ben Nighthorse Campbell in Colorado…
Andi distills her approach to admaking…
Andi talks one of her favorite ads for VT Senator Pat Leahy…
Andi breaks down the appeal of two of the most memorable ads she produced for the Obama 2008 Presidential…Three Bedroom Ranch and Rearview Mirror…
Andi’s memories working for the Klobuchar 2020 presidential campaign…
Andi talks the recent success of her client Cherelle Parker, the next mayor of Philadelphia…
Andi recalls a groundbreaking ad she helped write in 1998 for then Congressman Jay Inslee…
Andi talks what she learned from longtime partner Saul Shorr…
Andi discloses her strangest work habit and her advice to budding media consultants…
Andi goes deep on her experiences as a traiblazing woman in political media & how the business has changed on that front over the past generation...
AND audible gasps, Michael Bennet, Kit Bond, bungalows, Ken Burns, George W Bush, The Cascades, clean young men, Bill Clinton, Christopher Close, Coro Fellows, Dr. Ruth, the Daisy Ad, John Danforth, Danish mothers, Darlingside, David Dixon, Anita Dunn, The Eugene Weekly, Sandra Feldman, Norma Ferrer, The Foreign Service, Booth Gardner, Neil Goldschmidt, Mandy Grunwald, Charles Guggenheim, The Harriman Center, Sincere Harris, Mark Hatfield, Hillman & Carr, Peter Hoagland, Jay Howser, Val Hoyle, Tom Jones, Bill Knapp, Monica Lewinsky, Loony Tunes, Al Lowenstein, Dottie Lynch, MTV, Tom McCall, John McCain, Gunn McKay, Barbara Mikulski, Wayne Morse, the naked word, Janet Napolitano, Bob Packwood, Aren Platt, Prince, Questlove, Ed Rendell, The Responsive Chord, Will Robinson, rum raisin ice cream, Bill Sarpalius, Sawyer Miller, Tony Schwartz, Bill Sheffield, Shep Sherbell, Soundhound, Bob Squier, Ken Swope, Roy Temple, Tom Udall, Greta Van Fleet, the voice of God, WHYY, wandering in the desert, Jim Weaver, Randi Weingarten, Rick White, Williams College, Harriet Woods & more!
Dick Gephardt served 30 years in the House, including 10 years as Democratic Leader - and ran for President in both 1988 and 2004, winning the '88 Iowa Caucus. In this conversation, he talks his working class roots in St. Louis, what drew him to public service, his early days in city government, coming to the House in his 30s, and how he quickly rose in the ranks of the Democratic leadership and was on the precipice of winning the Democratic nomination for President in 1988. This is a great conversation with one of the most important and impactful political figures of his generation.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up in blue-collar St. Louis as the child of a milkman and secretary…
The political inspiration provided by JFK…
A young Dick Gephardt’s first taste of precinct organizing…
His inclusion in the group of insurgent “Young Turks” in St. Louis politics…
Why he took the plunge to run an underdog race for Congress in 1976…
Memories of early days in the House and a great Tip O’Neill story…
How Congressman Gephardt advanced within the Democratic leadership…
What led him to run for President in 1988, how he won Iowa, and why the campaign ran out of gas on Super Tuesday…
Why he took a pass on running for president in 1992…
How he looks back on the 1994 GOP Revolution led by Newt Gingrich…
The reforms he put in place as House Democratic leader…
Memories of dramatic House floor votes…
The one-term member he describes as his “hero of democracy”…
Memories of being in the VP mix across a number of elections…
Congressman Gephardt talks the importance of longtime aide Joyce Aboussie within his political organization…
The Dick Gephardt 101 on how to get the most out of a trip to St. Louis…
AND Andrews Air Force Base, Joe Badaracco, big cigars, Dick Bolling, David Bonior, Bill Bradley, Lou Brock, bullshit excuses, George HW Bush, the Cannon Building, Jimmy Carter, Alfonso Cervantes, Bill Clinton, Tony Coehlo, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Jack Danforth, Dick Darman, Tom Daschle, Charlie Diggs, Tom Downey, Mike Dukakis, John Edwards, General Eisenhower, Stan Fike, Tom Foley, Bob Gibson, Dan Glickman, Al Gore, Don Gralike, Jesse Jackson, Ed Jenkins, Hamilton Jordan, John Kerry, Jim Leach, Joe Lieberman, Gillis Long, Douglas MacArthur, Manifest Destiny, Marjorie Mezvinsky, George Miller, Stan Musial, near violence, Richard Nixon, Phelim O’Toole, Bill Ramjue, the Reagan tax cuts, the Rio Grande Valley, rudimentary TV ads, Red Schoendienst, Dred Scott, Paul Simon, soft money, suffering fools, Leonor Sullivan, Stu Symington, Harry Truman, Tim Wirth, Jim Wright & more!
Analilia Mejia is currently the co-ED of The Center for Popular Democracy...and prior to that she was Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential Campaign Political Director with stints in the Biden Administration, with the Working Families Party, & deep roots in union organizing. In this conversation, she talks being raised in working class Elizabeth, NJ as a daughter of immigrants, the life-changing role that a union job meant for her family, and the through line of empowering people that has run through her entire career in and around politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
Analilia talks growing up in a working poor household in Elizabeth, NJ as the daughter of immigrants...
Analilia's "political awakening" in 1988...
Analilia cuts her teeth in politics as a union organizer in Chicago...
Analilia explains the role of the Working Families Party, whom she led in New Jersey...
Analilia on her path to becoming Bernie Sanders '20 Political Director & how she tackled the job...
Analilia on why she continues to identify as a "Bernie Bro"...
The role Analilia played in bringing Bernie voters into the Biden coalition...
How Analilia joined the Biden Administration and why she left it to work again on the outside...
Analilia on her role as Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy & the role CPD is playing...
Analilia weighs in on how progressive orgs should be cognizant of communicating smartly to voters...
Analilia's career advice to young operatives...
AND AOC, Saul Alinsky, analogies, Ana Maria Archila, Sarah Badawi, Ella Baker, Build Back Better, George HW Bush, Wendy Chun-Hoon, Detroit Action, Michael Dukakis, finding a full humanity, George Floyd, fireworks, food insecurity, Jeff Flake, the free clinic, gummy bears, Fannie Lou Hamer, The Highlander School, Pramila Jayapal, jiu-jitsu, Arianna Jones, John Kerry, LUCHA Arizona, The Montgomery Bus Boycotts, Vivek Murphy, the New Georgia Project, people chess, radical transparency, Chuck Rocha, Jane Sanders, Faiz Shakir, Singer sewing machines, strep throat, Donald Trump, Nina Turner, the US Constitution, Jeff Weaver...& more!
Bob Shrum is a platonic ideal of a guest for this podcast…someone who, as a teenager, met JFK at the 1960 Democratic Convention and decades later worked as a strategist for several presidential candidates, big city mayors, Governors, and Senators. In this conversation, we talk his early passion for politics, the fortuitous chance to get his foot in the door as a speechwriter for a NYC mayor, how he connected with Senator Ted Kennedy and helped write his famous ’80 Convention Speech, and Bob’s 3 decades as a leading Democratic admaker and strategist – plus his current role as Director of the USC Center for the Political Future.
IN THIS EPISODE
Bob’s early interest and passion for politics…
Memories of meeting JFK as a teenage volunteer at the 1960 Democratic Convention…
Bob gets a foot in the door as a speechwriter for NYC Mayor John Lindsay…
Bob’s take on what makes for a good speechwriter…
How taking the wrong job diverted Bob from politics from several years…
How Bob entered the political orbit of Senator Ted Kennedy…
Bob talks his role helping write Senator Kennedy’s most famous political speech from the 1980 Democratic convention…
Bob on what a Reagan vs Kennedy race might have looked like…
Bob talks some of his early consulting clients including Senators John Glenn and Barbara Mikulski…
Bob’s longtime relationship with British Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair…
Memories of presidential campaigns from Gephardt ’88 to Gore ’00 and Kerry ’04…
Bob talks hanging up his political spurs after the ’04 campaign and his current role at the Center for the Political Future at the University of Southern California…
Bob games out how he’d approach the 2024 election were he a Biden strategist…
AND Bertie Ahern, Dick Aurelio, banging pots and pans, Ehud Barak, Don Beyer, Barbara Boxer, Brandeis University, Pat Buchanan, George W. Bush, butterfly ballots, Pat Caddell, Camden Yards, carousing and hijinx, Jimmy Carter, Bob Casey Sr, Bill Clinton, Alan Cranston, Culver City, Ron DeSantis, Tad Devine, David Doak, Mike Donilon, East Los Angeles Junior College, Esquire Magazine, feedback loops, Diane Feinstein, Tom Foley, Orville Freeman, Jim Gilmore, giving up the ghost, Richard Goodwin, Jeff Greenfield, Averill Harriman, Kamala Harris, Hubert Humphrey, the Lexington Market, Joe Lieberman, Abraham Lincoln, John Lindsay, Douglas MacArthur, Mac Mathias, Kevin McCarthy, George McGovern, mind’s ear, Amber Miller, Walter Mondale, Tom Morgan, Adam Nagourney, New Times, Tip O’Neil, Carey Parker, Reince Priebus, robot rules, Chuck Robb, Pierre Salinger, John Sexton, Jeff Shesol, Sargent Shriver, Shrumalot, John Smith, Steve Smith, Adlai Stevenson, Bob Squier, Suite 9300, Laurence Tribe, Harry Truman, Tommy Tuberville, Mark Warner, Cornel West…& more!
You almost certainly know that, for decades, Stu Rothenberg and his Rothenberg Political Report (now Inside Elections) penned among the most influential political analysis in Washington. But you probably don't know the origin story...his initial academic career track, how he cut his political teeth at the conservative Heritage Foundation, and what led to launching his own newsletter. In this conversation, we talk through all of that plus his most memorable interactions with candidates, biggest surprises, savviest politicians, and when he knew it was time to pass the newsletter baton to his partner Nathan Gonzales.
IN THIS EPISODE
Stu grows up in a family of Rockefeller Republicans in Central Park West Manhattan…
Stu’s growing interest in politics and initial career trajectory to become an academic…
How Stu’s path diverted from the academic track to join the political operation of the conservative Heritage Foundation…
Stu’s tutelage under conservative political icon Paul Weyrich…
What led to launching the Rothenberg Report newsletter…
Stu’s early intersection with fellow newsletter groundbreaker Charlie Cook…
Stu's memories from “candidate interviews” with Ted Cruz, Nikki Haley, and Barack Obama…
Stu on the single biggest surprising result in his decades as a political observer…
Stu talks some of the smartest political minds in Congress & the one committee chair who was a “giant pain in the ass”…
The backstory behind a favorite Rothenberg column “For the Thousandth Time, Don’t Call It a Push Poll”…
Stu’s memorable 2006 meeting with then-Vice President Dick Cheney…
How Stu handled passing the torch of the Rothenberg Report to Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales…
AND The Almanac of American Politics, Morton Blackwell, Bill Bradley, Sherry Boehlert, Mary Bono, Sonny Bono, William Buckley, Bucknell University, CNN, CSX, Canadian-American regional integration, the Club for Growth, Colby College, complicated conservatives, Ted Cruz, Al D’Amato, Mitch Daniels, Tom Davis, David Dewhurst, egomaniacs, Rollie Fingers, Charles Franklin, the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation, Mark French, Milton Friedman, Martin Frost, The Greenbrier, Nikki Haley, Tom Harkin, Peter Hart, Friedrich Hayek, Blair Hull, “It’s Only Politics”, Jan Plans, Jacob Javits, Roger Jepsen, Tommy John, Ben Jones, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Kenneth Keating, Harmon Killebrew, Leading Authorities, Louis Lefkowitz, Jon Lerner, John Lindsay, Juan Marichal, Marxist feminists, John McCain, Joe McLean, Ed Muskie, NYU, Lindsey Nelson, Frank Newport, Richard Nixon, George Pataki, political goo, Walter Rich, Roll Call, Jack Ryan, Larry Sabato, sewage trolls, Casey Stengel, Inez Tenenbaum, total losers, Donald Trump, UCONN, Amy Walter…& more!
Fred Davis only ended up in politics due to a family tragedy and then a family connection, and yet has become one of the most creative and controversial ad makers in America. His clients include a who's who of Republican elected officials...from Bush to Dole to McCain to Schwarzenegger among dozens of others. And despite electing Presidents and numerous Republicans up and down the ballot, he's most famous for his unique perspective on advertising that has led to some of the most memorable and controversials spots of the last few decades...the McCain '08 ad comparing Senator Barack Obama to Paris Hilton, introducing soon-to-be Michigan Governor Rick Synder as "one tough nerd", "Demon Sheep" in California, and introducing the phrase "I'm Not a Witch" into popular culture. Fred is a natural story teller with a great story of an accidental path and unconventional approach to politics.
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)
IN THIS EPISODE
How family tragedy propels Fred into the PR at 19 years old & ultimately the ad business…
The Senate race that put Fred on the national political map…
Fred’s connection the rise of Napa Valley wines…
The stories behind some of Fred’s most famous ads…
-
The “celebrity” ad against Barack Obama in 2008…
-
A colorful device for Governor Schwarznegger’s 2006 re-election…
-
Branding Michigan Governor Rick Synder as “One Tough Nerd”…
-
The story behind the infamous Demon Sheep spot for Carly Fiorina’s 2010 Senate race…
-
Fred’s concept behind the Christine O’Donnell “I’m Not a Witch” ad from the 2010 Delaware Senate race…
-
The Jon Huntsman “motorcycle” announcement video…
-
Fred talks one of his favorite current clients, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy…
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The story behind Fred’s first viral video for Sonny Perdue against Georgia Governor Roy Barnes…
How a high-profile conservative ad-maker is received living in liberal Hollywood…
AND Jason Alexander, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, bell bottoms, the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bon Van Inc, David Boren, Bottle Rocket, Barbara Boxer, Tom Campbell, Chateau Montelena, cheese boards, Bill Clinton, Robert Davi, Gray Davis, Dan Duckhorn, family disagreements, the Freitas Brothers, Gateway computers, good luck charms, gotcha ads, Kelsey Grammer, half-way houses, Mark Halperin, Jim Inhofe, large-format cameras, Rush Limbaugh, Lippincott, Mitch McConnell, Dave McCurdy, Dan McLagan, mirrored pedestals, Robert Mondavi, Sam Nunn, the NRSC, Ogilvy & Mather, Sarah Palin, pink tutus, Steve Schmidt, selling fishing bait, K. Wortham Smith, Steven Spielberg, J. Walter Thompson, Chuck Todd, Trinity University, True Lies, weathermen, the West End Grill, Meg Whitman, Wine Spectator & more!
Links to ads cited in this episode:
Prison dancing (Inhofe '94)
Big Spender (Inhofe '94)
Bug Zapper (Inhofe '98)
Celebrity (McCain '08)
Schwarzenegger Re-election ('06)
One Tough Nerd (Rick Synder '10)
Demon Sheep (Fiorina '10)
I’m Not a Witch (Christine O'Donnell '10)
Huntsman Motorcycle Presidential Announcement ('12)
King Roy (Sonny Perdue '02)
Dr. Annie Andrews has an incredibly unqiue political story...a pediatrician turned House candidate turned founder of the new organization Their Future, Our Vote. In this conversation, she demystifies what it takes to become a practicing medical doctor, mines her background studying gun violence, talks her jump to become a candidate for Congress in 2022, what it's like to run for House as a first-time candidate, & the decision that led her to start a new advocacy group focusing on a "kids first agenda".
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)
IN THIS EPISODE
What drew Annie toward the field of medicine from an early age…
What goes into becoming a medical doctor…
The historic Republican inclinations of the medical community…
Why there is a temptation for doctors to be apolitical…
Two of the political figures she most identifies with…
Her background researching gun violence and what she knows on the topic that most might not…
Annie on the challenge of child hunger…
What led her to jump into the SC-01 congressional race in 2022…
What surprised her about running for Congress…
How she overcame her aversion to “small talk” as a candidate…
How her medical background made her a different type of political candidate…
Some of the “conventional wisdom” advice she ignored…
The groups that did the most to help her campaign…
The origin story of her new organization, Their Future Our Vote…
What is the day-to-day role as a founder of a new advocacy organization…
Annie’s most unconventional work habit…
AND 314 Action, Cory Booker, Joe Cunningham, daily trauma, Dollar General, doomscrolling, Everytown, food deserts, giant binders, Renee Harvey, Instacart, internet trolls, lovely notifications, the MCAT, Nancy Mace, moderate white suburban women, Moms Demand Action, Barack Obama, organic chemistry, Parkland, Tim Scott, Liuba Grechen Shirley, sticky notes, subtexts, sugared beverages, Vote Mama, Elizabeth Warren, weirdo rates, western Kentucky & more!
Richard Norton Smith is a renowned historian, a former director of five presidential libraries, & author whose latest work - Ordinary Man - chronicles the life and career of Gerald Ford. In this conversation, we talk the insurgent rise of Ford as he takes on the local GOP machine, his ascent through the House GOP of the 50s and 60s, the fortuitous events that led him to become Vice President and then President upon Nixon's resignation, his very narrow loss in 1976, & why the Ford Presidency and his enduring impact on America is much more consequential than often realized.
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)
IN THIS EPISODE
What made Ford the “first post-New Deal President”...
One of the rare times Ford lost his temper in politics...
Ford’s “political father figure”, Senator Arthur Vandenberg…
The story behind Ford’s first insurgent bid for Congress…
The secret society within the House that helped propel Ford’s career…
The story behind Ford’s attempt to become Richard Nixon’s running mate in 1960…
The never before disclosed “deal” that nearly gave House Republicans the majority in the early 1970s…
The one politician who could’ve disrupted Ford’s path to become Nixon’s VP in 1974…
The proposed “constitutional coup” that could have replaced Richard Nixon with a Democratic President…
Two meetings with the same influential senator only days apart demonstrate Ford’s quick growth in office…
The political damage done to Ford by his pardon of Richard Nixon…
Two late factors that might have cost Ford in his narrow loss to Jimmy Carter…
The political impact of First Lady Betty Ford in the 1976 campaign…
Ford’s leftward drift after he left the White House…
Richard reads a bit of what he feels is Ford’s best speech as President…
Two of Richard’s favorite recommendations for off-the-beaten-path historical sites around DC…
AND Bella Abzug, Sprio Agnew, Carl Albert, apartheid, asterisks, Doug Bailey, bar stools, the Bicentennial, Phil Buchen, butcher knives, the CIA, Chevy Chase, Dick Cheney, concealed resentments, John Connally, docile acceptance, Bob Dole, Tom Dewey, English muffins, Barry Goldwater, grizzly bears, Jesse Helms, the Helsinki Accords, Leon Jaworski, Billy Kidd, Leslie King, Henry Kissinger, Tom Korologos, Mel Laird, Henry Cabot Lodge, Russell Long, The Marshall Plan, Sara Jane Moore, non-descript committee rooms, OSHA, Old Bulls, John Rankin, Ronald Reagan, the road to Damascus, Nelson Rockefeller, John Rhodes, Rhodesia, the Rules Committee, Bob Schieffer, Phyllis Schlafly, Hugh Scott, scoundrels, George Shultz, ski chalets, Oliver Sipple, Ted Sorensen, Robert Taft, transitional figures, Harry Truman, the UAW, the Warren Commission & more!
Antjuan Seawright is a veteran political strategiest, founder of Blueprint Strategy, & political contributor to CBS News. In this conversation, he talks growing up with roots in rural South Carolina, early lessons from mentors Congressman Jim Clyburn and DNC Chair Jamie Harrison, the work he's done with the DNC, DSCC, & DCCC...and his best practices and insight on how candidates, campaigns, and organizations can most effectively communicate with Black voters.
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)
IN THIS EPISODE….
Antjuan’s roots as a son of the South, growing up in South Carolina…
The difference between change and progress…
Antjuan’s 5th grade introduction to politics…
The “transformational” experience in the Congressional Black Caucus political bootcamp…
Antjuan speaks to the role the CBC plays in our political system…
Antjuan’s insight as to how longtime South Carolina Fritz Hollings set the stage for Joe Biden’s success in the state in 2020…
Antjuan talks lessons learned from his mentor, Congressman Jim Clyburn…
The story behind the Clyburn 2020 Biden endorsement…
The direct correlation between yoga and Jim Clyburn…
Antjuan breaks down the strengths of DNC Chair Jamie Harrison…
How Antjuan started his firm, Blueprint Strategies…
The Antjuan Seawright 101 on how campaigns should engage with Black voters..
Antjuan on the GOP’s evolving tactics regarding Black voters…
Lessons he’s learned about being an effective communicator as a CBS Political Commentator…
Antjuan talks the impact of his weekly radio partner, Rev. Al Sharpton…
Antjuan remembers advice from the late Congressman John Lewis…
Antjuan’s early thoughts heading into the 2024 election cycle…
AND alley oops, Heyward Bannister, John Fetterman, Friday snacks, Kamala Harris, Jamie Harrison, high-touch campaigns, Darrell Jackson, Hakeem Jeffries, Doug Jones, Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles, John Lewis, Barack Obama, Omega men, political deployment papers, Cedric Richmond, the school of hard knocks, Josh Shapiro, South Carolina State University, Sunrise Communication, survival votes, TV lawyers, TWAs, tectonic plates, Bennie Thompson, Herschel Walker, Raphael Warnock & more!
Kati Card is coming off two stints as Chief Digital Officer for the DSCC and is now a Senior VP at the digital firm MissionWired. Kati talks her initial path to politics, a key internship with Senator Hillary Clinton, spending time around Senators Reid, Schumer, and Cortez Masto, working on big campaigns and in Senate offices, and spending two cycles as Chief Digital Officer at the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. In addition to talking through her own trajectory, Kati provides a smart tutorial on all things digital fundraising.
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)
IN THIS EPISODE
Kati’s roots in upstate New York and how an internship set her on a path to work in politics…
Kati’s memories as a 21-year old working with iconic US Senators…
How early work in research and press prepped Kati to work in digital politics…
How Kati pivoted to work in digital and what digital politics looked like in 2015…
How running a digital operation differs on a campaign versus as part of an official Senate office…
The most digital-savvy Senators Kati has been around…
Kati shares memories and stories of what makes Senators Reid, Cortez Masto, and Schumer unique…
The 90s jam band about whom Chuck Schumer is surprisingly conversant…
Kati speaks to the strength of leading Democratic operatives Scott Fairchild and Christie Roberts…
How Kati synced up with her current firm, MissionWired…
Kati breaks down who low-dollar Democratic donors are, what they look like, where they get their information, and how they like to give…
Why Twitter is indeed real life for digital fundraising staffers…
The best time of day and best day of the week to make digital fundraising appeals…
Kati’s best practices and myth-busting about digital fundraising…
Will digital fundraising continue to spike on campaigns?
The Trump factor among Democratic low-dollar donors…
The Dobbs impact on 2022 (and beyond) digital fundraising…
Kati’s “biggest takeaway” on GOP digital fundraising appeals…
Kati’s thoughts on the types of operatives who are best-suited for digital politics…
Kati’s crystal ball on trends in digital fundraising…
Kati’s strangest work habit…
AND Cory Booker, CNN, James Carville, cash crops, Hillary Clinton, dark money, the Dobbs’ Decision, Tammy Duckworth, faxing tweets, John Fetterman, the Finger Lakes, following the floor, Lindsay Graham, Jamie Harrison, Maggie Hassan, Ted Kennedy, Carl Levin, Ann Lewis, Anne Lewis, MSNBC, Dave Matthews, Mitch McConnell, Amy McGrath, Chris Murphy, the New York Times, Mehmet Oz, response rates, SMS, Bernie Sanders, the Senate Democratic Policy and Communication Center, silly TV, teams of one, technical complexities, total goofballs, turning 30, Raphael Warnock, Elizabeth Warren, the Washington Post…& more!
Antonio Villaraigosa is the 41st mayor of Los Angeles and arguably the most impactful Latino elected official in American history. In this conversation, he talks his roots as blue-collar kid in East LA, how public schools offered him a second chance after early struggles, cutting his teeth as a union organizer and in the civil rights and farm workers’ movements, his rapid ascent from freshman legislator to California Assembly Speaker over three years, how his 2001 mayoral loss set the stage for a 2005 win and two successful mayoral terms, the 2018 race for Governor, his current role as Infrastructure Advisor to the state and Governor Newsom, and much more from one of the most unique stories in American politics.
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)
IN THIS EPISODE…
Overcoming struggles growing up in East LA…
The issues and political struggles that first engaged him…
Cutting his teeth in union organizing and the civil rights, anti-war, and farm workers’ movements…
His path from activism to running for office himself in 1994…
His path from a freshman legislator to Assembly Speaker in 3 short years…
Lessons from his mentor, iconic CA Speaker Willie Brown…
Highlights of his time as Assembly Speaker…
The decision to run for mayor in 2001…
The difference in his 2001 mayoral loss and 2005 blowout win…
The 4 core areas of his focus as mayor…
His leadership style that led to not losing a single vote to the city council in 8 years…
On whether the job of mayor has become harder over the last few years…
Looking back of the 2018 Governors’ race and why Southern California Democrats have a hard time winning statewide…
Other positions and races he’s considered from US Senate to President Obama’s Transportation Secretary…
How mayors across the country network and share ideas…
His approach on tackling big issues facing American cities…
His current role as an Infrastructure Advisor to Governor Newsom…
AND 7th & Broadway, 224 languages, the ACLU, a million trees, Actum, affirmative action, America Fast Forward, Aztlan, Xavier Becerra, Tom Bradley, Boston Consulting, Cathedral High, Cesar Chavez, cheap red wine, Richard M. Daley, Manny Diaz, dog whistles, finding the bathroom, firebrands, freshman football, the Griffith Observatory, Jim Hahn, Kamala Harris, the Hollywood sign, Delores Huerta, Herman Katz, Martin Luther King Jr, the LA Times, the MEChA movement, Measure R, Mt. Baldy, Gavin Newsom, Rosa Parks, quixotic efforts, Simon Rodia, Roosevelt High, Edward Roybal, SEIU, the Santa Monica Freeway, streamlined permitting, United Teachers of LA, the US Conference of Mayors, the USEOC, the Watts Towers, Pete Wilson…& more!
Brandon Davis is a media consultant and partner at Technicolor Political – and the senior media strategist for the winning campaign of Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson. In this conversation, we go deep on the Chicago race – how Johnson emerged from a crowded field, the role of public safety & crime, the contrasts that defined the runoff, key strategic decisions made by both Johnson & Vallas, & political lessons that can apply to other races and places. Beyond Chicago, we also talk Brandon’s political roots in the Midwest and insights from a career as a campaign manager, SEIU political director, DNC Chief of Staff, & now a top Democratic media consultant.
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)
IN THIS EPISODE
Brandon’s early life growing up in East St. Louis, IL…
The two moments that motivated Brandon toward civic engagement…
Brandon’s time working for Senator Claire McCaskill…
Brandon de-mystifies what a campaign’s Political Director does…
Brandon’s experience running races and rules of thumb on effective campaign managing…
Lessons learned running $80M campaigns for SEIU…
Brandon’s role as DNC Chief of Staff during the tumultuous 2016 cycle…
What motivated Brandon to move into media consulting & start Technicolor Political…
Brandon talks the political strengths of Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson…
Why Mayor Lightfoot struggled…
Brandon on the role public safety and the "Defund the Police" narrative played in the race…
How Johnson broke from the pack after starting at 2% and then handled a sprint in the 5-week runoff…
Strategic decisions of the Paul Vallas campaigns that surprised Brandon…
Brandon’s breaks down the winning Johnson coalition…
Lessons from Chicago 2023 that can be applied more broadly in 2024…
Best practices on finding ways to communicate with hard-to-reach voters…
Brandon’s advice to budding political operatives…
AND the 5th floor, JJ Balaban, banks of TVs, big tents, Donna Brazile, George W. Bush, CTU, Cabrini-Green, captive audiences, Jean Carnahan, Mel Carnahan, George Washington Carver, Hillary Clinton, cudgels, WEB Du Bois, Fisk University, Chuy Garcia, Gen X lifestyles, Al Gore, gymnast techniques, Bob Holden, Hurricane Katrina, Jesse Jackson, John Kerry, Jim Kottmeyer, Rebecca Lambe, Mary Landrieu, Barack Obama, Greg Pratt, Ronald Reagan, sledgehammers, Snapchat, Jim Talent, Talladega College, Roy Temple, TikTtok, Donald Trump, Tuskegee University, the University of Missouri, vicissitudes, Wendi Wallace, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Youtube…& more!
Jono Kupferberg spent 10 years running his start-up, small business sneaker company before revisiting his early passion of politics to become CEO of Hubdialer - a predictive dialer tool that works with progressive candidates and organizations, including Bernie Sanders for President, Everytown for Gun Safety, the DCCC, major unions, and more. In this conversation, Jono demystifies what "predictive dialing" is, gives case studies of how it can work, and best practices on integrating it into a successful volunteer program.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Jono’s roots in Chicago politics…
The two experiences that crystallized Jono’s interest in working in politics…
Jono’s experience as a teenager as part of the lockdown in DC on September 11, 2001…
Before working in politics Jono starts a 10-year business selling athletic-team branded sneakers…
How Jono’s politics changed (and didn’t change) in 10 years running his own start-up small business…
How Jono becomes CEO of Hubdialer…
What is “predictive dialing” anyway?
Jono breaks down relevant FCC regulations that impact political phone programs…
The role that text messaging plays in an effective program…
Jono’s case study of how the Vermont Democratic Party and Everytown for Gun Safety use this tool to leverage their strength…
Best practices for high volunteer engagement over the phone…
Jono’s strangest work habit…
Gary Hart has perhaps the most unique political career of his generation...staffer for Robert Kennedy's Justice Department...manager of George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign...two-term US Senator...nearly becoming the Democratic nominee for President in 1984...starting 1988 as the Democratic frontrunner before leaving the race amid a media frenzy...and 5+ decades as a forward-looking thinker on the challenges facing the U.S. and the world.
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)
IN THIS EPISODE…Growing up in a farming town in Eastern Kansas and his roots in the Church of the Nazarene…
How a connection to Robert Kennedy leads to managing the McGovern campaign in 1972…
The Iowa strategy that helped McGovern win the ’72 Democratic nomination…
The one word that defined the success of the McGovern primary campaign…
Inside the chaotic Tom Eagleton / Sargent Shriver '72 VP process…
How he made the jump from campaign manager to a winning first-time US Senate candidate…
Senator Hart remembers his Colorado Democratic colleague, the late Congresswoman Pat Schroeder…
Early memories as a 36-year old U.S. Senator…
How he forged a path as a new breed of Democrat…
What led him to run for President in 1984 and how he nearly won the nomination….
Who might have been Gary Hart’s 1984 VP choice?
Why he didn’t run for re-election in 1986?
What he will and won’t say about the short-lived '88 campaign and why the “true story” may never come out…
How he tackled his career after leaving the national stage as a candidate…
The current issue Senator Hart believes is most under-discussed…
Reflecting on his 50+ year friendship with Joe Biden…
His confusion over the current state of US politics…
His lifelong affinity for used-book stores…
AND Atari Democrats, Matt Bai, Michael Bennet, Brumus, Carnegie libraries, clever journalistic shorthands, Bill Clinton, cool and aloof, Walter Cronkite, Detroit, Eisenhower Republicans, The Fairness Doctrine, Geraldine Ferraro, generational friction, Dick Gephardt, Newt Gingrich, John Glenn, Al Gore, Happy Days, hinges of history, Hubert Humphrey, Hugh Jackman, Jacob Javits, JFK, Pat Leahy, Mike Mansfield, Mac Mathias, the McGovern Army, Ed Muskie, the Military Reform Caucus, the National Security Division, The New York Times, Richard Nixon, peanut butter sandwiches, Warren Rudman, the Sermon on the Mount, Silicon Valley, super-delegates, Rick Stearns, Stu Symington, tremendous ferment, Stewart Udall, Watergate, Theodore White, Tim Wirth & more!
Holly Harris, founder & president of The Network, has one of the most unique careers in politics. Starting as a local TV news reporter in Lexington, KY…becoming a GOP political operative for names like Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, James Comer…then trading in her partisan spurs as part of the coalition to reform the U.S. criminal justice system - including helping pass the landmark First Step Act. In this conversation, Holly talks her one-of-a-kind path in politics, lessons learned from Mitch McConnell, what drew her to the criminal justice reform effort, how a bipartisan coalition formed to make big changes, and how she’s taking those same lessons to tackle other big problems facing America.
IN THIS EPISODE
Holly grows up in conservative, small town Kentucky…
The story of Holly as a “baby reporter” on local TV news in Lexington…
Holly’s tips on how campaigns can get their story on local news…
How Holly made the transition to working in politics…
What Holly learned working around Senator Mitch McConnell…
Holly on the two things you have to win to “win McConnell”…
Holly’s connections to the increasingly high-profile Kentucky Congressmen James Comer…
What led Holly to take a leadership role in the criminal justice reform movement…
What went into passing the landmark federal criminal justice reform First Step Act…
Holly weighs in on how criminal justice reform advocates should engage in times of rising crime…
The tools used to build a bipartisan coalition on a tough issue…
Holly on the importance of expecting and embracing failure…
How Holly juggles life in politics as a single parent…
AND…100:1 disparities, ACLU, Julie Raque Adams, Laura and John Arnold, beta tapes, Matt Bevin, Len Bias, Cory Booker, Boston Celtics, bucket lists, bypassing security, Center for American Progress, Matthew Charles, the Cincinnati Bengals, Jack Conway, Tom Cotton, Cut 50, Sheryl Delozier, Kirsten Dunst, Dick Durbin, E-Town, Easy Street, John Bel Edwards, Julie Emerson, The Equal Act, evidence-based policies, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, Charles Grassley, Trey Grayson, Jordan Harris, Whitney Hignite, industrial hemp, Jessica Jackson, Lebron James, the Justice Cabinet, Kim Kardashian, Lincoln Day Dinners, Paul Patton, the Human Popsicle, Rand Paul, prodigal daughters, RINOs, Ronald Reagan, the Reform Alliance, Steve Robertson, Rolling Stone, Diane Sawyer, Jeff Sessions, strategic political giving, system-impacted individuals, taking bullets, throwing spaghetti, Donald Trump, University of Kentucky, Harris VonLuehrte, WKYT & more!
Guy Cecilrecently announced his plans to step down as Chair of Priorities USA - the major Democratic super PAC - after being at the helm for 8 years. In this conversation, he talks his time in the ministry before moving to politics…learning important political lessons amid personal tumult and tragedy…working with big personalities like Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, and Fritz Hollings…running the DSCC…four cycles helping win elections and innovate campaign strategy at Priorities…plus ideas he’s kicking around in considering his next professional chapter.
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)IN THIS EPISODE
Guy grows up in a blue-collar family in South Florida…
Guy’s time as a Baptist minister before moving into politics…
The tumultuous personal time that led Guy to work in politics…
Guy talks the role of faith in his political career and how Democrats can better connect with people of faith…
Guy’s take on why working in political field is great preparation for a thriving career in politics…
Guy’s memories as a junior organizer working for South Carolina Senator Fritz Hollings…
Guy witnesses some of the positive side of campaign politics amid personal tragedy…
Guy remembers being the Field Director on Mel Carnahan’s tragic 2000 US Senate race…
Why running the DSCC was his favorite job in politics…
Guy tells some of his favorite Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer stories…
The underrated political acumen of Senator Michael Bennet…
Guy’s hindsight on the 2016 Clinton presidential campaign…
Guy talks his work at Priorities USA over 4 cycles + the two things he’s most proud of…
How Guy improved his skill set around raising money…
Guy’s passion for helping Democratic messaging move past caricaturizing the electorate…
How Guy is thinking about his next professional chapter…
Guy’s analysis on what makes an effective campaign manager…
The advice Guy gives those seeking to thrive in politics…
AND $5M asks, Joyce Aboussie, the Baptist Student Union, bedwetters, Joe Biden, book worms, Sherrod Brown, Danielle Butterfield, Anne Caprara, Jean Carnahan, Jimmy Carter, Lawton Chiles, Bill Clinton, Color of Change, complete enigmas, cultural Christians, Ron DeSantis, Joe Donnelly, Quentin Fulks, fully-formed human beings, G-D skunks, Geoff Garin, Gator football, Julie Gibson, Peter Gomes, Al Gore, Franklin Graham, Helly Hansen, Hialeah, Jim Hodges, Bob Inglis, Kim Kauffman, the Keane family, Martin Luther King, LCV, marine mechanics, Clair McCaskill, mindless television, Robby Mook, Patty Murray, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Barack Obama, the opposite of Miami, John Podesta, JB Pritzker, The Real Housewives, the Reitz Union, relentless human beings, Christie Roberts, Craig Schirmer, Josh Shapiro, Saul Shorr, Structure, terrible old flip phones, Jon Tester, Thursday afternoon movies, Donald Trump, the two most dreaded two words on campaigns, Type A people, walking around like Mother Theresa, white Catholic women in Wisconsin, Gretchen Whitmer, wiki-leaks…& more!
Greg Speed is President of America Votes, the infrastructure hub of the progressive community - which coordinates 400+ organizations nationally and in 20+ states. In this conversation, Greg talks how the anti-apartheid movement piqued his political interest, diving into campaigns at the University of Wisconsin, lessons learned on Capitol Hill, and 16+ years as, first-E.D. and now, President at America Votes. In addition to demystifying the origin and operation of AV, Greg gives his analysis on the '22 midterms and the dueling turnout vs. persuasion post-election narratives.
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)
IN THIS EPISODE
The issue that first engaged Greg’s interest in politics…
Greg sinks his teeth in the 1992 President election while at UW-Madison…
Why Greg gravitated to the communications role in politics…and then away from it…
Lessons learned from his Hill boss, Congressman Martin Frost…
Greg on the 2003-04 origin story of America Votes…
The concrete role America Votes plays in politics and campaigns…
Greg uses Minnesota as an example of how America Votes operates at the state level…
Greg talks both building consensus and avoiding groupthink…
Are there corollaries to America Votes on the right?
Greg gives his analysis on the 2022 elections…
Greg weighs in on the 2022 turnout vs. persuasion narratives…
Greg talks the latest research on effective messaging and tactics to turn out voters…
Greg talks how he’s become a more effective manager over the years at America Votes…
Greg’s professional tips to young people in politics…
AND the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, Americans Coming Together, Matt Angle, Apartheid, Les Aspin, Peter Barca, the Big Ten, Stephen Biko, The Blue Surge, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, James Carville, Catalist, Chicagoland, circus tents, Bill Clinton, Nate Cohn, the coin of the realm, Deerfield, Tom Delay, The Democracy Alliance, the Dobbs Decision, Rahm Emanuel, embarrassing wide shots, John Fetterman, the Finger Lakes, Joan Fitz-Gerald, hitching posts, hopium, intentional lists, Joan of Arc, the Koch Brothers, MAGA, Bob Matsui, McCain-Feingold, The Media Fund, mental erogenous zones, messaging oracles, Mother Theresa, nerve nets, neutral convening infrastructures, no brainers, Ronald Reagan, Nicole Roe, Steve Rosenthal, Sara Schreiber, social pressure, George Soros, Donald Trump, the University of Wisconsin, vote tripling, The War Room, Joe Wineke, Yankee Republicans & more!
The 2024 open-seat US Senate race in California is the most wide open Senate race in the state since 1992. To dive deep into next year's monumental race, I'm joined by veteran CA strategist Rose Kapolczynski - manager of the winning campaign from that very 1992 Senate race for Barbara Boxer. In a previous episode, Rose talked through her career managing all four successful Boxer Senate races...plus her time as a Hill staffer, working in presidential campaigns, and leading the effort on important statewide races (in California and beyond) over 3+ decades as an influential strategist. Now in her triumphant return, she's setting the table and breaking down the candidates, campaigns, and coalitions behind what promises to be the most interesting California Senate race in decades.
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)
IN THIS EPISODE
Rose talks the political & policy legacies of retiring Senator Diane Feinstein...
Rose weighs in on parallels between the 2024 race and the first winning Boxer race she managed in 1992...
Rose's take on at least a couple of the reasons why Northern California candidates are historically so dominant in statewide elections...
Rose sets the table on preliminary 2024 turnout projections and electoral math...
Rose diagnoses both strengths and weaknesses of leading Democratic candidates Barbara Lee, Katie Porter, & Adam Schiff...
Rose on the impact Republican voters could have in this race...
Rose's expectations on the entry of additional strong candidates...
Rose's expertise on the role of endorsements in CA politics...
Rose on the right mix of television vs. other media in a CA statewide campaign...
Will the Democratic candidates go negative?
Rose highlights the importance of both women and Latino voters...
... & much more!
You know David Axlerod...the chief strategist for President Obama, CNN commentator, and founder of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. The Obama years come up a bit in this conversation, but we focus mostly on his 20+ years as a working political media consultant before connecting professionally with then-State Senator Obama. We talk cutting his teeth in NYC, how the appeal of Chicago politics drew him to the Windy City, why he made the jump from political journalist to political operative, & stories, lessons, and insights from his 40+ years in and around politics.
(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)
IN THIS EPISODE….
David’s early political memories growing up in NYC…
The political appeal that drew David to Chicago for college…
David tells the story of Chicago machine politics through 3 influential figures…
What made David make the jump from journalism to become a political operative…
The story behind David’s first campaign working for Congressman Paul Simon…
The Axelrod approach to political ads…
David talks his time working for iconic Chicago Mayor Harold Washington…
The historic 1992 Illinois Senate race that might not have happened without Axelrod agitation…
How the 1992 Illinois Senate race foretold the 2004 rise of Senator Barack Obama…
David’s take on the “self doubt” present among many who work in politics…
AND Jill Abramson, Paul Begala, Jessie Berry, Madison Brown, bullshit meters, Jane Byrne, Mike Calabrese, James Carville, cashing in stamps, the Chicago Tribune, chiseling, civilian review panels, Forrest Claypool, Cardiss Collins, George Collins, colorful Chicago lore, the Commissioner of Rodent Control, Rich Daley, Richard J. Daley, Bill Dawson, Alan Dixon, David Doak, Lloyd Doggett, dopes, Stephen Douglas, Rahm Emanuel, Carter Eskew, Jerry Finkelstein, Erwin France, gambling syndicates, Newt Gingrich, golfing with Dan Quayle, hammer-and-tong battles, Fred Hampton, Henry Henderson, Anita Hill, Al Hofeld, homespun wisdom, Hyde Park, impostor syndrome, Ben Lewis, John Lindsay, luminescent figures, JFK, RFK, the Jewish Kennedys, Vince Larkin, Jerry Liebner, Jim Ross Lightfoot, Abraham Lincoln, Little Rock, machine cogs, Jane Mayer, Mark McKinnon, Ralph Metcalfe, Kiki Moore, Carol Moseley Braun, Mike Murphy, Dr. Odom, Jesse Owens, PS 40, Deval Patrick, pastry and cash, Charles Percy, quixotic races, the Reagan Revolution, realpolitik, Republican golden boys, Dan Rostenkowski, Joe Rostenkowski, Mrs. Roth, secret sauces, Bill Singer, slate-making, Bob Squier, Andrew Stein, Stuyvesant Town, Tammany Hall, Clarence Thomas, unerring noses, the University of Chicago, Tom Vilsack, ward bosses, the wheel of history, David Wilhelm, the Wigwam, the Wizard of Oz Syndrome & more!
Rebecca Lambeis often described as the architect of Nevada’s “Reid Machine” that has shaped politics in the state over the past 20 years. In this episode, she talks cutting her teeth in Missouri politics with both Governor Mel Carnahan and Senator Jean Carnahan and then moving west to Nevada to build the state Democratic political organization with Senator Harry Reid...plus co-founding Senate Majority PAC to build and protect a Democratic Senate Majority. This conversation contains both Rebecca's memorable campaign stories and case studies, as well as incredibly practical nuts-and-bolts insight into successful electoral politics.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Rebecca grows up in Alaska as the only girl in a large family…
The movie that inspired Rebecca’s career path toward journalism and ultimately politics…
Campus activism at the University of Missouri sparks Rebecca’s career toward politics…
Rebecca’s entry into the world of Mel and Jean Carnahan…
The future US Senator Rebecca knew at Mizzou…
Rebecca talks early political lessons learned from Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan…
Rebecca’s memories of the tragic Carnahan plane crash in October 2000…
What Rebecca learned from managing a very narrow loss for Senator Jean Carnahan in 2002…
The non-political reason why Rebecca moved west from Missouri after the 2002 race…
Rebecca’s intersection with Senator Harry Reid & early days growing the Reid Machine…
Rebecca demystifies what (and who) the Reid Machine is…
Rebecca’s thoughts on what made Harry Reid such an effective political operator…
The story behind Harry Reid winning a tough 2010 re-election…
Rebecca breaks down the 2022 re-election of Senator Catherine Cortez Masto…
A post-mortem on the much-discussed Nevada congressional redistricting…
Rebecca on the 2022 Governors race and legacy of Steve Sisolak…
How Rebecca approaches her role on IE races at Senate Majority PAC…
Some of the advice gives to younger operatives…
Two of Rebecca’s favorite spots to visit in Nevada…
AND 30% unemployment, 428 votes, Alaska drivers' licenses, Sharron Angle, John Ashcroft, Carl Bernstein, Joe Biden, Bob Bigelow, the Bootheel, James Browning, Randy Carnahan, Robin Carnahan, Citizens United, Club for Growth, computer programmers, constant deluges, controversial student curators, Culinary 226, Tom Daschle, deep-pocketed benefactors, Paul Dunn, durable boots on the ground, Marc Farinella, Scott Fairchild, fellow travelers, Julie Gibson, Al Gore, Martin Heinrich, John Kerry, Adam Laxalt, the Legion of Black Collegians, the long game, Sue Lowden, Ty Matsdorf, Mizzou, Mike Muir, Barack Obama, the PTA, Planned Parenthood, JB Poersch, precipitous drop-offs, Jon Ralston, Rolla, Karl Rove, Searchlight, Saul Shorr, Chris Sifford, spade work, straight arrows, Roy Temple, Dina Titus, Harry Truman, Mark Twain, whistlestop tours, Roger Wilson, Bob Woodard, Fred Yang…& more!
Josh Wolf managed his first race at age 19, spent 10 years on the road running top House, Governor, and Senate races before becoming a media consultant & partner at AL Media. He also is the founder of Warchest, the innovative campaign budgeting software that - in a few short years - has become omnipresent on Democratic campaigns. In this conversation, Josh talks managing races from Maryland to Massachussetts, Florida to California...as a media consultant, helping elect Governors Katie Hobbs and Dan McKee...plus his theories on effective campaign managers, impactful media, and smart campaign budgeting.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Josh’s path to politics at a very young age from Baltimore MD…
The story of Josh managing a competitive State Senate race at age 19…
How Josh become an itinerant campaign manager on the road for nearly a decade…
The 2012 Wisconsin Senate recalls become an inflection point for Josh…
Josh’s take on what makes an effective campaign manager…
The 3 types of errors on campaigns & 2 most important things for a manager…
Josh breaks down his work in campaigns in California, Massachusetts, and Florida…
Josh’s path into media consulting…
Josh goes deep on how his client Katie Hobbs beat Kari Lake to win the high-profile AZ Gov race in 2022…
Josh on the political trajectory of Arizona…
Josh tells the story of one of the more memorable, effective ads from the ’22 cycle in the Rhode Island Governor’s race…
Josh talks how and why he founded the innovative campaign budgeting software Warchest…
Josh’s best practices on how a campaign should decide to spend “early” or not…
Josh’s take on how traditional and digital media should integrate…
Josh explains one his most controversial, heterodox opinions…
Josh gives a travel hack and movie recommendation…
AND Eric Adelstein, Andover caucus meetings, Ami Bera, the best spreadsheet, Joe Biden, John Bivona, broken formulas, budget gaps, cable-news parents, the campaign’s fastest runner, James Carville, clusters of talent, Heather Colburn, comically early starts, Shelbi Dantic, Bob Dole, Dominican baseball prospects, Russ Feingold, friendly insiders, gas station TV ads, germaphobia, Steve Grossman, the Harvard Business Journal, high-leverage mistakes, important incubators, Conner Johnston, King Oscar, Kory Kozloski, Roger Lau, Kari Lake, Hannah Ledford, Ann Liston, living in the minutia, Dan Lungren, the MAGA brand, Dan McKee, Matt McKee, Andy Meyer, moments of self-reflection, Mike Muir, Patrick Murphy, the Newport Gulls, Trey Nix, Pikesville, Robert Redford, Harry Reid, roaming the halls in Annapolis, sardine-heads, Bill Scher, throwing shirts out the window, toxic work cultures, Bobby Zirkin & more!
Who's lived a more varied, interesting political life over the last 6 decades than Jeff Greenfield? Aide and speechwriter to Senator Robert Kennedy...staffer for NYC Mayor John Lindsay...successful political consultant with the famed David Garth...and then as an omnipresent political commentator at CBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN...5 time Emmy Award Winner...author of several books. This is a great, wide-ranging conversation with one of the most respected, enduring, and distinctive voices in American politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
How the New York Yankees are responsible for Jeff’s political obsession…
The serendipitous path that led Jeff to become an aide to Senator Robert Kennedy…
Jeff’s memories of the U.S. Senate of the 1960s…
Jeff on the political savvy of RFK…
The stories behind two of RFK’s most memorable speeches in the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr’s Assassination…
Jeff talks how the 1968 election might have played out had Senator Kennedy lived…
What it was like writing a speech for Robert Kennedy…
Jeff’s theory on the right match of speechwriter and speaker…
Jeff’s time working with famed political consultant David Garth…
The ad Jeff wrote as a media consultant of which he’s most proud…
Jeff talks his connection with longtime friend William F. Buckley…
The story of Margaret Thatcher insulting Jeff on national TV…
Jeff’s move from political consulting to working in television…
The media job Jeff held that was the most fun…
Jeff's approach to interesting television commentary…
Four of Jeff’s pet peeves about contemporary political punditry…
The “single most powerful event” Jeff ever attended…
Recommendations from one of Jeff’s favorite restaurants and favorite band…
AND Aeschylus, Muhammad Ali, Barney Greengrass, the Beatles, Tom Bettag, Beyonce, Big Pink, Tom Bradley, the Bronx High School of Science, Ron Brown, Buggs Bunny, bullshit measurements, Hugh Carey, William Sloane Coffin, communist cigars, computer manuals, Daffy Duck, Richard Daley, doo wop, Fred Dutton, Peter Edelman, Dwight Eisenhower, elephants, Firing Line, Joe Frazier, John Kenneth Galbraith, John Glenn, the Grateful Dead, Averell Harriman, Lester Holt, Hubert Humphrey, Inspector Javert, Irving Ives, Jacob Javits, journalistic utopias, jut jaws, Murray Kempton, Henry Kissinger, Ted Koppel, John Lindsay, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Lil Nas, losing altitude, Russell Long, the longest slogans in the world, Al Lowenstein, the Making of the President, Eugene McCarthy, Joe McCarthy, George McGovern, Stephen Miller, mock primaries, Bill Moyers, the National Review, The New York Times, Richard Nixon, Lee Harvey Oswald, particle physics, personal antipathy, Ronald Reagan, Robbie Robertson, Howard Samuels, Ted Sorensen, Aaron Sorkin, Adlai Stevenson, Norman Thomas, Donald Trump, two doses of herpes, Unconventional Wisdom, the unit rule, V-E Day, the violence of institutions, Adam Walinsky, wartime correspondents, Watergate, Billy Wilder, wretched ironies, Sam Yorty & more!
Ghida Dagher came to the U.S. at age 9 seeking asylum after she and her family fled their home in Sierra Leone amidst civil war. Soon after locating in Dearborn, MI the 9/11 attacks created more instability in her Arab-American and Muslim community and helped forge her own budding political conscioussness. Her focus on politics and public service led her to become Director of Appointments for Governor Gretchen Whitmer and, more recently, to take the helm as President & CEO of New American Leaders - an organization committed to preparing first and second generation Americans to run for political office. In this conversation, Ghida talks her amazing story as an immigrant and refugee and how it motivates her work with New American Leaders to change the face of US politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
Ghida’s roots as both 3rd generation Sierra Leonese AND 100% Lebanese…
The amazing story behind Ghida’s family held hostage in a burning hotel before escaping war-torn Sierra Leone…
Ghida’s early memories of the US as a 9 year-old…
Ghida talks about the impact of 9/11 on her community and political consciousness...
Ghida gives a flavor of Dearborn, MI – “the Arab American Capital of the US”…
Ghida’s 101 on the multi-faceted Arab American community…
Ghida’s path changes from focusing on the medical profession to working in politics…
Ghida’s entry in the political orbit of Gretchen Whitmer….
Ghida talks the nuts-and-bolts of being a senior aide and Director of Appointments for Governor Whitmer…
Ghida talks important advice she received from Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, and her influence as a trail-blazer…
The impact of the organization New American Leaders on Ghida & her path to eventually becoming its President / CEO…
Going deep on the work Ghida and New American Leaders are doing to elect more 1st and 2nd Generation Americans…
Ghida talks her leadership strategies and best practices in running a big political operation…
AND Munira Abdullahi, Alter Road, apple committees, Bill 1070, Blood Diamond, George W. Bush, Ron DeSantis, Ford Motor Company, Al Gore, green zones, Shahana Hanif, Orville Hubbard, John Kerry, Shekar Krishnan, magic sauce, Mammy Yoko, Maronites, Genevieve Mina, Steven Raga, the Red Cross, Suzanne Sareini, Nabeela Syed, taboos, Raquel Terán, third culture kids, unusual suspects, visitors’ visas & more!
Congressman David Price served 34 years representing North Carolina's Research Triangle, leaving the House just this January. Beyond his time as an institution in the House, he's lived a remarkable political life...present on the Washington Mall during the MLK "I Have A Dream" speech...a Senate staffer witnessing key civil rights votes in the mid 1960s...a leading political scientist at Duke University...a Democratic Party leader who helped devise the primary reforms now known as "super delegates"...and an influential House member who's served across parts of five decades in the House and been a witness to - and a part of - some of the most important political moments of the past half century.
IN THIS EPISODE...
Growing up in the unique political culture of small-town East Tennessee...
The Civil Rights Movement inspires an awakening for public service...
Memories of being on The Mall during the March on Washington and the MLK "I Have A Dream" Speech...
His time as a Senate staffer during the critical 1964 vote to break the filibuster on civil rights...
How he merged teaching Political Science at Duke with activity in real-world politics...
His time in state party leadership and as part of The Hunt Commission reforming the Democratic Presidential Primary process...
The political skill and legacy of North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt...
North Carolina's legacy as a progressive Southern state...
Remembering the 1984 Senate "race of the century" of Jesse Helms vs. Jim Hunt...
His path to running and winning his first race for Congress in 1986...
Memories of his first few terms in the House...
The story of his loss in the 1994 GOP wave and comeback win in 1996...
His thoughts on the legacy of the Newt Gingrich Revolution of the 1990s...
His proudest accomplishments from 30+ years in the House...
The toughest two votes he took...
His analysis on the leadership success of Speaker Nancy Pelosi...
The closest Congressman Price came to a statewide race...
The advice he gives to new House members...
His current work and focuses in his post-House career...
AND Lamar Alexander, Howard Baker, Bob Bartlett, Joe Biden, Jack Brooks, C-Span after hours, cabals, Tom Carper, Chapel Hill, church suppers, Joe Clark, Bill Clinton, Jim Clyburn, committee barons, the Confederate Cause, the Contract with America, Harold Cooley, Thomas Dewey, John Dingell, down-home types, Clair Engle, existential questions, Bill Ford, the Gang of Eight, Albert Gore Sr., Jerry Grinstein, Phil Hart, Helms' proteges, Hope VI, Steny Hoyer, inherited Republicanism, inner clubs, the Iran Nuclear Agreement, Jacob Javits, Warren Magnuson, Mars Hill, Kevin McCarthy, the McGovern Commission, metal aprons, Bob Michel, midterm effects, moral suasion, Morehead Scholarships, Mountain Republicans, Ed Muskie, Bill Nelson, Barack Obama, PLEOs, peer pressure, pep talks, Mike Pertschuk, the Political Science Caucus, Edward Pugh, Ronald Reagan, Dan Rostenkowski, rump conventions, Terry Sanford, the Sanford School of Public Policy, Saul Shorr, shouting matches on the House floor, sit-ins, Sputnik, Freddy St. Germain, super-delegates, talk radio, the Tea Party, Donald Trump, turbulent townhall meetings, turnaround artists, Jamie Whitten, Jim Wright, Yale Divinity School, yeoman farmers & more!
For nearly 40 years, Mark Mellman has been an industry leader in Democratic polling. In this conversation, he talks the serendipitous start of his consulting firm, stories from his iconic clients Al Gore, John Glenn, and Harry Reid, and lessons as lead pollster from John Kerry's '04 Presidential campaign. Mark also talks his founding of Democratic Majority for Israel and the work DMFI is doing to help mold the Democratic Party and shape American policy toward Israel.
IN THIS EPISODE….
Mark talks his roots in a politically interested family in the Columbus, OH area…
The serendipitous phone call while at Yale that gave Mark the opportunity to become a pollster…
The 1982 House upset that kicked off Mark’s consulting career….
How Mark grew his new firm in the 1980s among the established “Big 3” Democratic pollsters…
Mark compares the polling process of his early days to the current approach…
Mark shares stories of some his iconic clients, including Al Gore, Harry Reid, John Glenn, and Steny Hoyer…
Mark on the good and bad as lead pollster from Kerry’ 04 vs George W. Bush…
What led Mark to found Democratic Majority for Israel…
Mark gets under the hood of the Nina Turner vs Shontel Brown special election primary & the role of DMFI…
Mark’s 101 on how Israeli politics work…
Mark on what makes a good pollster…
AND Yasser Arafat, Atari Democrats, Joe Biden, Pat Caddell, Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, Congressional Quarterly, Tom Daschle, Doak Shrum & Donilon, dominant troikas, Elizabeth Drew, Carter Eskew, giant hypodermic needles, John Gilligan, Bill Hamilton, Kamala Harris, Peter Hart, IBM cards, institutionalists, Yair Lapid, Carl Levin, long-haired college students, Joe McCarthy, Meretz, Walter Mondale, Bruce Morrison, Benjamin Netanyahu, Newsweek, Barack Obama, Ohio State University, the Oslo Agreement, Reaganomics, regression analysis, Bernie Sanders, sine qua non, Adlai Stevenson, Bob Squier, Swift Boat Veterans, Harry Truman, UW-Oshkosh, the UK Labour Party, unknown legal aid lawyers, Tim Wirth, Dick Wirthlin & more!
Liam Donovan, a principal at Bracewell PRG, is a regular presence on cable news, in print, and on twitter as an expert explainer of what's going on in Congress and in the Republican Party. With a background both in GOP campaign politics and government relations, Liam's expertise on the intersection of politics and policy gives him tremendous insight to distill what really matters in Washington from the rest of the Beltway din. In this conversation, we talk Liam's path to politics, his time in GOP campaigns, his shift to government relations, and get his insights into the chaos of last week's (eventual) ascent of Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker...what to expect from Congress over the next two years...and his early takes on Trump vs. DeSantis '24 & the future of the Republican Party.
IN THIS EPISODE
Liam’s upbringing as a Navy Brat who went to high school in DC…
Liam’s stint working in GOP politics and at the NRSC…
The iconic GOP Senator Liam served as an aide to at the Senate committee…
Liam’s shift to government relations and lobbying…
Liam’s initial take on the chaotic House GOP process to anoint Kevin McCarthy as Speaker…
Liam on why it was probably inevitable for McCarthy to cave to the hard-right members…
Liam unpacks how McCarthy peeled off the different factions to earn the Speaker’s gavel…
Why the GOP center-right members never wavered for McCarthy…
Liam on why there was never a real chance of a few Republicans working with Democrats to elect a coalition Speaker…
Liam's thoughts on the risk McCarthy could be deposed mid-term…
The Trump impact on the Speaker’s race and the Trump-McCarthy relationship…
Liam analyzes the CLF / Freedom Caucus “truce”…
Liam’s insight on what to expect on the debt ceiling…
Liam’s early handicapping of Trump vs DeSantis 2024…
The origin story of Liam’s unusual twitter profile photo…
Liam shouts out one of his favorite twitter accounts…
AND AOL IM, almost congresspersons, Justin Amash, beating the previous question, Bill Bennett, Joe Biden, Lauren Boebert, John Boehner, John Bolton, Bracewell PRG, Scott Brown, Al Bundy, Alex Burns, George W. Bush, the CLF, Liz Cheney, Chris Christie, John Cornyn, Tom Cotton, Eli Crane, Ted Cruz, determined rumps, David Dewhurst, discharge petitions, Empower America, John Ensign, Al Franken, the Freedom Caucus, frozen budgets, Matt Gaetz, Georgetown, getting your teeth kicked in, Bob Good, Al Gore, Maggie Haberman, Nikki Haley, Andy Harris, Orrin Hatch, hot mic moments, Amo Houghton, Wesley Hunt, Hakeem Jeffries, Jim Jordan, Jack Kemp, kissing the ring, Mike Lee, letter-writing campaigns, Morgan Luttrell, Joe Manchin, Mar-a-Lago, Jonathan Martin, max-out donors, Ted McGinley, Mark Meadows, the meaty middle, Mitch McConnell, Tim Miller, non-privileged motions, Nancy Pelosi, Scott Peters, Scott Perry, Politico Pro, Mike Pompeo, the precipice of failure, Punchbowl, Ringwiss, Mike Rogers, Chip Roy, Paul Ryan, Rick Santelli, Pete Sessions, shoe-leather lobbying, shooting down the rule, the side of chaos, Aaron Sorkin, Arlen Specter, the Sword of Damocles, Marjorie Taylor Greene, turning the screws, the Trevor Project, Truth Social, trust deficits, the Uniparty, Fred Upton, West Wing story arcs & more!
Tom O'Neill is a legendary political figure in his own right - operative, legislator, statewide official, government relations juggernaut - and is, of course, the eldest son of former US House Speaker Tip O'Neill. In this conversation, Tom talks early memories growing up in a political household, lessons from his father, time spent around figures like John Kennedy and Ted Kennedy, the ups and downs of his own political career, and great stories and insights as an observer and participant at the highest level of politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
Early memories, political and otherwise, growing up in North Cambridge, MA in the 1940s and 50s…
The impact of Tom’s mother Millie on his father’s and his own political career…
The role opposing the Vietnam War played in his father’s career…
Remembering the “last of the great Irish vs Italian” primaries when Tip O’Neil replaced John Kennedy in the US House…
The impact of his grandfather Tom O’Neill Sr…
Breaking down the political skills and career of Tip O’Neill…
Tom recalls his time around John F. Kennedy…
Tom recounts running campaign for and with Ted Kennedy…
Tom talks the significance of another Massachusetts House Speaker, John McCormack…
Tom on his own path of running and winning political office…
Tom remembers the energy in the Massachusetts legislature of the 1970s…
Tom’s successful elections running for Lt Governor…
The story behind his final run for office in 1982…
How Tom was thinking of his future after being out of office before the age of 40…
Highlights and insights from nearly four decades in government affairs…
How close he came to running to succeed his father in 1986…
Tom talks the importance of the Big Dig in modernizing Boston…
Tom's recommendations of the best sites of Boston, including his favorite Irish pub and Italian restaurant…
AND American metaphors, Back Bay, Birch Bayh, Beacon Hill, the Bellevue Hotel, bocce courts, the Boston telephone directory, Jimmy Breslin, the Bricklayers Union, Brighton, Jimmy Carter, Silvio Conte, Charles De Gaulle, William Delahunt, Delaware North, the Department of Sewers, Paul Dever, Leo Diehl, Brian Donnelly, Mike Dukakis, Donald Dwight, Charlie Flaherty, Gerald Ford, Barney Frank, Newt Gingrich, the Green Necklace, Harvard, John Hume, Joe Kennedy, Ed King, Paul Kirk, Ed Markey, Joe McCarthy, Mike Neville, Middlesex County, Richard Nixon, Mrs. O’Brien, the Odessa Sea, old Italian matriarchs, Regulars, John Rhodes, FDR, Jimmy Roosevelt, Blanche Rufo, Fred Salvucci, Frank Sargent, Haile Selassie, self-righteousness, Al Smith, Sovereign Bank, steel jungles, street corner games, thumbing to Washington, Donald Trump, Paul Tsongas, Watergate, white Xs & more.
Christie Roberts is the DSCC Executive Director, coming off of the first cycle since 1962 when Senate Democrats expanded their majority while holding the White House...during a cycle when many observers assumed a "red wave" was imminent. Christie talks her path to politics, the importance of learning her craft in Montana politics, and managing Jon Tester's 2018 re-election. And, of course, going deep on all things 2022 Senate races...her original theory of the case of how to succeed in a tough cycle, how the DSCC tried to mold the GOP primary fields, the impact of the Dobbs' decision, the big difference in Dem vs GOP fundraising, and the message & strategic decisions that led to Democrats virtually running the table in the closest Senate races.
IN THIS EPISODE…
The well-known political figure Christie partnered with to help win an 8th grade election…
The first campaign Christie ever worked…
Christie talks how her background in political research prepped her to run big campaigns and orgs…
Christie talks managing Tester 2018 and what makes him a different type of political figure…
Christie’s theory on why Montana produces so many talented Democratic operatives…
Christie on the political tenacity of Chuck Schumer…
Christie talks the leadership of DSCC Chair Gary Peters…
Christie lays out the DSCC’s initial theory-of-the-case as to how to hold the majority…
Christie talks how the DSCC tried to dissuade GOP Govs Sununu and Ducey from running for Senate…
Christie talks the “pivotal impact” of the Dobbs Supreme Court decision…
Christie's expectations heading into Election Day…
Christie on the GOP spin that Colorado and Washington were in play…
The role that competitive losses in North Carolina and Ohio played in protecting the Democratic majority...
Christie gets under the hood of the critical Democratic candidate fundraising advantages…
Christie talks how Catherine Cortez Masto pulled off the cycle’s closest Senate victory…
Christie's take on how the Georgia runoff win in 2022 was different than in 2021…
Christie's surprising similarities between Raphael Warnock and Jon Tester…
Christie on some of the smart strategic decisions by the NRSC…
Christie on how the “friction” between the NRSC and McConnell PACs likely hurt GOP candidates…
Her lessons from 2022 to take to the 2024 cycle…
What might surprise people about the day-to-day role running the DSCC…
AND….300 clips a day, Samuel Alito, Tom Allen, Cheri Beasley, boot camps, Campaign Corps, Jay Carson, the Clinton Foundation, Susan Collins, dirt farmers, EMILYs List, earned media oxygen, Ebenezer Baptist Church, English Lit, entering field data at 11PM, flip phones, free advice, hands in the dirt, Maggie Hassan, hybrid ads, Mark Kelly, Brian Kemp, knife fights, red waves, Matt Rosendale, Tim Ryan, shooting distance, [solidcore], strong visibility gains, Sharla Tester, true alignment, JD Vance, Herschel Walker, Dave Wasserman, workhorses & more
Political forecaster Logan Phillips had the 2022 election cycle's most accurate projections. His website, RacetotheWH.com, hosts all of his models - including his recently-released 2024 White House and Senate polling trackers. In this discussion, Logan talks his time as an Obama White House intern, his path to political modeling, recapping his hyper-accurate 2022 models that came within 1 seat of anticipating the GOP's 222-213 House majority, and gives a nuts-and-bolts Modeling 101 tutorial of what goes into forecasting and how he thinks about the field.
IN THIS EPISODE
Logan’s stint as a White House intern for President Obama…
How Logan gravitated to the field of political modeling…
Logan breaks down what goes into a political model…
Logan compares his approach to 538…
Logan talks lessons learned during the 2020 elections…
Logan breaks down how his model fared in 2022…
Logan talks the differences between forecasting Democratic versus Republican primaries…
Logan’s take on whether Republican polling intentionally “flooded the zone” to influence political modeling…
Logan’s big surprises of 2022…
Logan talks the DeSantis factor in Florida…
Logan’s initial thoughts on modeling the 2024 Presidential, both Biden vs. Trump and Biden vs. DeSantis…
AND American Institute of Architects, David Axelrod, Charlie Baker, Mandela Barnes, Joe Biden, Lauren Boebert, George HW Bush, butterfly effects, Hillary Clinton, Susan Collins, Dwight Eisenhower, Election Twitter, Emerson Polling, Excel, Adam Frisch, Google trends, Kathy Hochul, hope and change, impostor syndrome, Laksyha Jain, January 6th, Karine Jean-Pierre, Ron Johnson, Marcy Kaptur, John Kasich, Brian Kemp, Kari Lake, Al Lawson, lower-priority initiations, JR Majewski, Doug Mastriano, Cecilia Nunez, Dr. Oz, David Perdue, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, QAnon, Rasmussen, Ronald Reagan, Mitt Romney, Marco Rubio, Tim Ryan, Larry Sabato, Nate Silver, Split Ticket, Adlai Stevenson, Trafalgar Polling, Harry Truman, Donald Trump, JD Vance, Wikipedia & more!
Zee Cohen-Sanchez came to politics from an unconventional background…growing up in Australia as the child of “atheist, socialist American Jews”. Back in the United States she took her passion for social justice to work in the labor movement, for Bernie Sanders in 2016, and AOC’s upset primary win in 2018. In this conversation, Zee talks these early formative experiences and how they led her to start Sole Strategies as a firm that helps insurgent candidates – especially first-time candidates and women of color. Great conversation about how the small nuts-and-bolts of politics can fuel big social change.
IN THIS EPISODE…
The activist movement that led Zee to an interest in progressive politics…
Zee’s time growing up in Australia and working in Australian politics…
Zee’s initial connection to Senator Bernie Sanders…
Zee works on AOC’s insurgent 2018 primary win…
Zee starts Sole Strategies in 2020…
Zee gives her definition of “no-good consultants”…
Some of the big wins of Sole Strategies…
Zee on her transition from labor activist to owning and running her own business…
Zee’s 101 for first-time candidates…
Zee talks why the AOC model of political success is almost impossible to replicate…
Zee recalls getting grief from left-wing activists for her work in Democratic primaries…
Zee talks “learning to assert herself” as a woman working in politics…
Zee’s thoughts on how “branding” works in politics…
The best career advice Zee ever received…
AND 1984 RVs, Joe Biden, Charles Booker, Boulder City, CUNY, Dan Carlino, Shirley Chisolm, Joe Crowley, DSA, East Harlem for Bernie, election lawyers, Mike Esposito, explaining experience, John Fetterman, firm handshakes, the Flux Party, Lori Gonzalez, grad school misery, the Green Party, The Heights, John Howard, impossible races, Innocence Project, Gale Kaufman, Rodney King, leading the room, longshots, mandatory voting, mini-Americas, New South Wales, Barack Obama, Occupy Wall Street, Planned Parenthood, ranked choice voting, shoestring budgets, Staten Island, The Sunrise Movement, Tasmania, Torrance CA, Donald Trump, volume games, Wagner College, Amani Wells-Onyioha, What’s The Matter with Kansas, Mark Zuckerberg & more!
Marshall Cohen is the Political Director of the Democratic Governors Association. Over 7 years at the DGA, he's been involved in 50+ races - and before that was an accomplished operative who - in 2016 - managed (and won) the most expensive congressional primary in history. In this conversation, Marshall talks his path to working in politics, his best practices for running and winning races and goes deep on this cycle's top governor's races...how Democrats pulled off upsets in several states, the messaging and strategic decisions that mattered, and lessons learned heading into the 2024 cycle.
IN THIS EPISODE
Marshall’s path to working in politics…
How his New Jersey roots inform his political outlook…
Marshall manages the winner in a 2016 House primary that was the most expensive congressional race in history at the time…
Marshall breaks down the four factors it takes to be an effective campaign manager…
How Marshall starts at the DGA & his theories of what makes governors’ races different…
Marshall talks how he and the DGA have been successful winning in “red” states…
Marshall talks the Virginia ’21 Governors race…how Youngkin won and why that didn’t signal a trend for ’22…
Marshall rebuts the suggestion the DGA “meddled” in GOP primaries to elevate election-deniers…
Marshall & Zac talk the 2022 Nevada Governor’s race…
The “biggest surprise” for Marshall from the 2022 cycle…
Marshall goes deep on several 2022 races, including Arizon, Kansas, and Wisconsin...
Marshall talks Democratic difficulties breaking through in FL, GA, and TX…
Marshall on lessons learned in 2022 that can be applied to the 2024 cycle…
The media spending strategies that worked for the DGA in 2022…
Marshall on the various “it factors” held by governors…
AND American University, Lou Barletta, Andy Beshear, Matt Bevin, Sam Brownback, James Carville, Liz Cheney, Chris Christie, Roy Cooper, core competencies, Dan Cox, Shelbi Dantic, dead ducks, Ron DeSantis, the Dobbs decision, Doug Ducey, John Bel Edwards, Tony Evers, footsie, GW, Maura Healey, Katie Hobbs, Larry Hogan, Bobby Jindal, Doug Jones, Laura Kelly, Tina Kotek, Kari Lake, Joe Lombardo, Doug Mastriano, Kathleen Matthews, Pat McCrory, Tim Michels, Janet Mills, Wes Moore, Phil Murphy, north stars, Beto O’Rourke, Panasonic, Corey Platt, political fiefdoms, Jamie Raskin, Derek Schmitt, self-realizations, Steve Sisolak, train conductors, David Trone, Donald Trump, Scott Walker, Tim Walz, The West Wing, Gretchen Whitmer, wine tasting, the Yuma County GOP & more!
Brendan McPhillips was the campaign manager for John Fetterman's general election campaign, helping guide it to a win over Dr. Oz in the cycle's most chaotic and closey watched Senate race. In this conversation, Brendan talks his path to politics that started in a community college in conservative Southern California and includes running Iowa for Buttigieg in the 2020 primaries and working as Biden PA State Director in the general election. And, of course, we go deep on Brendan's time with Fetterman...from meeting him over a decade ago, running his '16 Senate race, taking the helm of Fetterman 2022 this spring...the candidates, the stroke, the message, the attacks, the debate, and the win.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Brendan’s path from conservative Southern California to working in Democratic politics…
Brendan runs Iowa for Pete Buttigieg in the 2020 primaries…
Brendan crosses paths with John Fetterman over a decade ago…
The Brendan McPhillips 101 on how to run a race in Pennsylvania…
Brendan’s take on the Fetterman dominant primary win…
Brendan takes the helm as manager on the heels of the primary win & health scare…
Brendan breaks down the case the campaign made against Dr. Oz…
How the campaign beat back the “soft on crime” attack…
Brendan weighs in on the Mastriano Effect on the Senate race…
Brendan takes aim at grifting Democratic Scam PACs…
Deep inside the Fetterman vs Oz debate…
Brendan’s expectations heading into Election Day…and his analysis of the 5-point Fetterman win…
Brendan’s take on Pennsylvania’s status as a swing state heading into 2024…
Lessons other campaigns can learn from the Fetterman win…
AND Amtrak tours, annoying naysayers, Val Arkoosh, Tony Baker, Joe Biden, Bob & Barbara’s, George W. Bush, carbon copies, James Carville, Bob Casey, Dave Chase, crazy kitchen cabinets, dive bars, gas bills, GED classes, Andrew Gillum, Lindsay Graham, grocery clerks, HQ Analytics, Ben Halle, hard-ass bouncers, hucksters, Bill Hyers, interesting dudes, Iowa steak frys, Johnstown, Rebecca Katz, Conor Lamb, Malcolm Kenyatta, media buyers from DC, mega churches, Middle Seat, the New Jersey State Hall of Fame, Notre Dame, Barack Obama, old adages, off-track betting, phone trees, Ed Rendell, resident gofers, Mike Schmuhl, Rick Scott, Josh Shapiro, The Situation, Snookie, special sauce, South Bend, the Susquehanna, Temecula, thrilling the DCCC, the Turf Club, UFCW, VFW halls, weirdos, wild rides...& more!
Tim Persico, the Executive Director of the DCCC, provides a post-election debrief with his thoughts on all things 2022 House races. He gets under the hood as to how House Democrats beat the odds to exceed pundit expectations...and weighs in on the winning blend of messaging for candidates, the leadership provided by Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney and Speaker Pelosi, specific seats that helped Democrats buck the midterm trends, the tools and tactics the DCCC utlized this cycle, & much more with one of the key architects of House Democrats' impressive 2022 cycle.
IN THIS EPISODE…
The latest post-election math about control of the House…
How previous DCCC post-mortems helped prep Tim run the organization…
Tim’s macro view of how House Democrats overperformed expectations…
Tim recounts the critical decision by DCCC Chair Maloney to take a risk and go for the majority instead of taking a more cautious approach to hold losses to a minimum…
Tim’s take on whether Democrats won these races late or always had the advantage….
Tim on what messaging worked well for Democratic candidates…
Tim talks leadership lessons learned from Nancy Pelosi…
A few seats Tim was confident Dems could win despite pundit skepticism…
Tim’s initial thoughts on why New York was a tough state for House Dems…
The DCCC’s approach to digital communications…
Lessons learned from digesting hundreds of internal campaign polls…
How Tim handled getting advice from a 220+ member Democratic Caucus…
Tim evangelizes on why a finance background is a good path to rising up the ladder in politics…
Tim compliments some of the strategies utilized by the NRCC…
What Tim is most proud of from this cycle running the DCCC…
AND American treasures, asymmetrical disadvantages, Michael Bennet, big thinking thoughts, building runways, Cheri Bustos, canaries in coal mines, Yadira Caraveo, cookie-cutter stuff, Karen Defilippi, Dirtbags, Isaac Fitzgerald, fully-formed human beings, Tommy Garcia, graybeards, the Hudson Valley, hybrid ads, late movers, left-handed Methodists, Elaine Luria, massive things, moon suits, Patrick Murphy, Wiley Nickel, noisy data, non-linear benefits, pet peeves, pipe bombs, a Pittsburgh Republican, pivot points, pre post-mortems, Christie Roberts, Chuck Schumer, sheer chaos, Eric Sorensen, sour electorates, Abigail Spanberger, special masters, Emilia Sykes, Tony Vargas, walkabouts, Jennifer Wextons, whisper quiet & more!
It's Election Day 2022...so instead of more predictions and punditry, Rebecca Pearcey is back to dive into what political consultants talk about most amongst ourselves...travel tips, hacks, and preferences. In this conversation, Rebecca and I discuss and debate best practices for aiports, flights, hotels, taxis, and all things being a political operative on the road. Hopefully this episode can be an enjoyable 51-minute escape during your Election Day (or aftermath) while waiting for votes to be cast and results to come in.
Rebecca talks her intense travel experiences with Elizabeth Warren on the '20 campaign trail...
A stark disagreement on how early to get to the airport before a flight...
Butting heads on when it makes sense to check a bag for a flight...
Aisle or window? How to choose your seat on the plane?
During the flight...work on the plane? Sleep? Watch a movie?
Rebecca's strong take on airline wifi...
How loyal should you be to the big airline and hotel brands?
Airport lounges: worth it or not?
Zac on an underappreciated in-flight beverage...
Best transportation to and from the airport...
What should go into choosing a hotel?
Agreement on a new option that should exist in hotel apps...
Two very different perspectives on rental cars...
Pearcey on packing...
Pre-check and/or Clear: worthwhile or not?
Zac's restaurant recommendation / attempt to get a sponsorship from a national chain...
Rebecca and Zac give off-the-beaten-path travel destinations...
Maggie Haberman is, of course, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who's covered the political rise of Donald Trump for the New York Times...and her new book, CONFIDENCE MAN: The Making of Donald Trump & The Breaking of America became an immediate best seller. In this conversation, Maggie dives into all things Trump...from his formative influences in the New York City of the 70s and 80s, to his political ascent, time in the White House, her take on the likelihood of another Trump run, what a Trump White House restoration would look like...and much more from perhaps the most authoritative voice on the Trump political phenomenon.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Maggie breaks down the influences that explain Trump’s political persona…
The member of Congress with whom has had a decades-long feud…
Maggie talks Trump’s ethos of “hate as a civic good”…
Why Trump never wanted to be Mayor of New York City…
Maggie talks the rise of Trump as a credible candidate in 2015…
How Trump leveraged Twitter so successfully…
Maggie on the connection between Trump and the National Enquirer…
How Trump has recently lost allies among the conservative media…
Why Trump as the “deal maker” fell flat in the White House…
Maggie’s thoughts on Trump’s various legal entanglements, old and new…
How Maggie thinks about the challenge of covering candidates who lie…
Maggie’s instincts on a Trump 2024 campaign…
The faces Maggie would expect to see around Trump in a second term…
What it’s like to have 1-on-1 conversations with Trump…
What’s surprised Maggie most about Trump’s behavior over the past year…
The status of Trump relationships with names like Giuliani, McConnell, Bannon, Roger Stone...
Some of Maggies favorite books and authors covering NYC politics...
AND avenging angels, Bill Barr, Wayne Barrett, birtherism, Mike Bloomberg, E. Jean Carroll, catch-and-kill, the Central Park Jogger, Hillary Clinton, Michael Cohen, Roy Cohn, James Comey, conspiracy theories, convention speeches, covfefe, Andrew Cuomo, Mario Cuomo, Ron DeSantis, the Dobbs decisions, Meade Esposito, the favor economy, Fox News, Stanley Friedman, Ric Grenell, Sean Hannity, instinctive racial paranoia, Andrew Kirtzman, Ed Koch, Jared Kushner, the Lavender Scare, Rush Limbaugh, low-interest federal loans, Donald Manes, John McCain, McCarthy acolytes, Mark Meadows, Andrew Meier, Robert Morgenthau, Rupert Murdoch, Muslim bans, Jack Newfield, NewsMax, Richard Nixon, OAN, George Pataki, Kash Patel, David Pecker, permanent enemies, Jeanine Pirro, Vladimir Putin, John Ratcliffe, rejecting objective reality, Seth Rich, rubber chicken dinners, Eric Schneiderman, Doug Schoen, Time Magazine, transactional media, Allen Weisselberg, white noise…. & more!
Nobody has a political career like JC Watts. Starting quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, NFL draft pick, several years in the Canadian Football League, the first Black statewide elected official in Oklahoma, 8 years in Congress rising to Conference Chair in the GOP leadership, and voluntarily leaving office with even greater political stardom likely in front of him. In this conversation, he talks his one-of-kind-story of a blue-collar kid from small town Eufala, OK to a high level pro athlete to a groundbreaking political figure - with one of the most unique perspectives in American politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
JC Watts' upbringing in rural Eufala, OK..
The formative experience of playing football at the University of Oklahoma…
The political roots of the Watts family…
What leads him to run for office shortly after his football career ends…
Lessons learned from his iconic coach Barry Switzer…
Memories from early days in the House after his 1994 election…
Congressman Watts talks what he learned about Native culture over the years…
Inside the story of delivering the 1997 GOP Response to the State of the Union…
Congressman Watts ousts John Boehner from the House GOP leadership after the ’98 elections…
Inside the strategic and messaging disagreements among the GOP leadership…
Congressman Watts talks the intoxicating “cheer of the crowd” present in politics…
The two times he most seriously considered running for office after he left the House…
The letter Rosa Parks wrote to Congressman Watts…
Why he left the House after 8 years…
The longtime political relationship between Congressman Watts and his successor Tom Cole…
Congressman Watts talks being both a Black man and a strong Republican…
His thoughts on the state of the Trump-led Republican Party of 2022…
The current projects that he’s most excited about…
AND Arkansas things, bellyachers, Sonny Bono, bootleggers, David Boren, the CFL, Julia Carson, cesspools and jacuzzis, Chattanooga, Dick Cheney, Donna Christensen, Bill Clinton, Tom Coburn, the Contract with America, the Creek Nation, Danny Davis, Tom Delay, disgruntled Democrats, dysfunctional conferences, economics 101, enterprise zones, FCA, Floyd Flake, George Floyd, Harold Ford Jr., Newt Gingrich, HBCUs, Denny Hastert, huge assignments, Jim Inhofe, Jesse Jackson, January 6th, Jack Kemp, knuckleheads, Langston University, lapel pins, Steve Largent, live bodies, Bob Livingston, Longhorn friends, Dave McCurdy, the NAACP, Don Nickles, opportunity zones, Ottawa, Pee Wee leagues, pow wows, private equity funds, pulpit experience, reading the blitz, redshirts, special sauce, The Selmon Brothers, the Sixth Sense, snowball effects, speechwriters, Mike Synar, Toronto, the United Nations, the Urban League, the USA Today, youth ministers, Zach Wamp & more!
Wesley Donehue has an unconventional background for a Republican consultant…growing up in public housing with two parents who struggled with drug addiction…but that upbringing fueled his passion to work in politics and his interest in crisis communications. In this conversation, we talk Wesley’s path to politics, his work as a digital consultant for big GOP names like Lindsay Graham, Marco Rubio, Herschel Walker, and many more – and his recent book Under Fire, which lays out his 13 rules for how candidates, campaigns, and organization should handle crisis.
IN THIS EPISODE…
How failing a college class leads Wesley to a career in politics…
How Wesley gravitated to an expertise in digital politics…
Wesley talks best practices for digital politics…
Wesley talks about the role that digital played on Lindsay Graham’s $100M 2020 Senate re-election…
Wesley on how anti-Trump candidates have gotten back into the good graces of Trump voters…
Wesley on the best campaign managers he’s worked with…
Wesley talks how his chaotic upbringing led him to the field of crisis communications…
What led Wesley to write Under Fire, his new book on dealing with crisis and cancel culture…
Wesley talks the most importance of his 13 rules to deal with crisis…
Wesley cites a politician who handled crisis especially poorly…
Wesley’s analysis of how Donald Trump handles crisis…
Wesley on kitchen cabinets, preparation, and the question of apologies…
Wesley touches on the recent crisis surrounding his firm’s client Herschel Walker…
Wesley recounts when he personally faced an effort to “cancel” him…
Wesley talks his habits that have helped him develop an energetic work ethic…
Wesley’s recommendations when visiting his hometown of Charleston, SC…
AND 1-star reviews, BLM, Calculus II, cold-and-flu season, cord cutters, Jim DeMint, Dow Chemical, earthquake plans, engineering majors, Ferraris, the gap and the gain, David Goggins, Trey Gowdy, Instagram, Ironman marathons, the King of Pop, the MCU, Pabst Blue Ribbon, pounds of flesh, Push digital, Joe Rogan, Mark Sanford, the scraps, Section 8 Housing, soul mates, stoicism, thin skin, Star Trek, U of South Carolina, Phil Vangelakos, vulnerability studies, yachts & more!
Julie Roginsky has one of the most unique stories in politics…as a 6-year old, she and her family flee their homeland in the Soviet Union to make their way to the Bronx…she’s drawn to campaigns and spends 20+ years in the trenches in New Jersey politics…she enters the world of cable news, working for 10 years as a Democratic voice on Fox News…ultimately leaving Fox after suing the network and chief Roger Ailes for sexual harassment…and starts Lift Our Voices with former Fox News colleague Gretchen Carlson to eliminate NDAs and other silencing mechanism that protect harassment in the workplace. This is a wide-ranging conversation that covers Julie’s fascinating life, time in campaign politics, and the important work she’s doing now.
IN THIS EPISODE…
The story behind Julie and her parents escaping their native USSR…
Early memories of a 6-year old Soviet refugee growing up in NYC…
Julie campaigns for a presidential candidate as an 11-year old…
Julie changes her professional sights from foreign service to political campaigns…
Julie’s brief excursion working for the UK Labour Party in London…
Julie’s first New Jersey race and her NJ Politics 101 after 20+ years in state politics…
Julie mines her years as a communications expert to offer some comms best practices…
The story behind Julie’s years as a political commentator on Fox News…
Julie addresses her departure from Fox News & the sexual harassment she filed against Fox News and Roger Ailes…
Julie starts Lift Our Voices with Gretchen Carlson to eliminate workplace NDAs that protect workplace harassment…
Julie on the changing advice she gives to young people working in politics…
Julie’s advice on how campaigns can protect proprietary information while not enabling a toxic workplace...
AND…the 6 Train, Madeline Albright, Bombshell, George W. Bush, CNBC, Mary Beth Cahill, Gretchen Carlson, Chris Christie, Jon Corzine, Crayola, the deficit, distant cousins, economic sclerosis, EMILYs List, the Food Network, glasnost, Bernie Goetz, Mikhail Gorbachev, gulags, heroin alley, the Hotel Greystone, internecine primaries, the Iron Curtain, the Iron Sheik, JFK airport, Jersey girls, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Lenin, John Major, Walter Mondale, Rupert Murdoch, Northampton County, Frank Pallone, Perkins Coie, Zelda Perkins, Ronald Reagan, refuseniks, Condoleezza Rice, Susan Rice, Rutgers University, self-censorship, Yakov Smirnoff, Stalin, the Statue of Liberty, The Tea Party, Margaret Thatcher, Donald Trump, the WWF, Harvey Weinstein, Christine Todd Whitman & more!
Keiran Pedley is a veteran pollster, the Director of Politics for Ipsos/UK, and a regular presence in UK media offering analysis on the latest political data and developments. In this conversation, we set the table as to how the UK system is both similar and different than the US, cover the last few Brexit-fueled chaotic years in British politics, the current state of the Labour opposition, and turn to the rise of new Prime Minister Liz Truss and her tumultous first few weeks in office and implications for UK politics moving forward. Whether you're a novice or expert about British politics, you'll enjoy this conversation with Keiran.
IN THIS EPISODE...
Keiran gives a primer on the UK political system...
Keiran talks political realignment across the UK over the past few years...
The importance of the "red wall" in British politics...
Keiran talks about the greater gender and racial diversity in the Conservative leadership than in the Labour Party...
Keiran on the role Brexit has played on roiling UK politics for years...
Keiran talks recent polling on views toward Brexit...
Keiran on the downfalls of three consecutive Conservative Prime Ministers David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson...
Keiran talks the struggles among the Labour opposition over the same period...
Keiran's analysis of current Labour leader Keir Starmer...
Keiran on the ascent of new Conservative Prime Minsister Liz Truss...
Keiran talks the recent economic upheaval in the UK financial system that has led to a rough start for Truss...
Keiran's very early thoughts on the next British General Election...
Keiran on the state of polling in UK politics...
AND anti-Semitism, austerity, the BBC, bang-on polling, the Bank of England, Tony Blair, Britain Elects, Gordon Brown, by-elections, Winston Churchill, the central office, clarifying moments, Susan Collins, Jeremy Corbyn, devolution, the EU, economic competence, electoral quirks, Euro-skeptics, eye-watering figures, Nigel Farage, Fox News, freedom of movement, green benches, honeymoon periods, the House of Lords, Israel, Kwasi Karteng, Lib Dems, Liverpool, long-running sagas, Manchester, manifestos, Ed Miliband, New Jersey wives, Barack Obama, political disasters, Reaganomics, the SNP, Bernie Sanders, short-lisitng, Matt Singh, stitch ups, Rishi Sunak, taking on Brussels, Jon Tester, Margaret Thatcher, trade unions, Donald Trump, UKIP, vociferous campaigning & more!
Lance Tarrance is one of the founding fathers of modern political polling. In this conversation, he talks what drew him into the world of GOP politics, an inflection point working at the US Census Bureau, going to work for Ronald Reagan’s pollster, then opening up his own firm The Tarrance Group. Lance goes deep on several of his interesting races...including beating Bill Clinton in his first gubernatorial re-elect in 1980, the upset Senate win of Mitch McConnell in 1984, his involvement in the California gubernatorial race that gave rise to the so-called “Bradley Effect”, his analysis predicting the rise of a Donald Trump-type candidate & many great stories and insights from his incredible career in politics.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Barry Goldwater inspires Lance to take his career in a dramatically different direction than he’d planned…
Lance helps disrupt Hubert Humphrey in the ’68 Nixon campaign…
How working for the US Census Bureau changed Lance’s life…
Lance enters the world of political polling, working with Regan pollster Dick Wirthlin…
Lance makes a professional bet on partisan realignment in the South & Sun Belt…
The crosstabs that Lance used to help Republicans take the South…
Lance helps engineer the defeat of Governor Bill Clinton in his 1980 re-election…
Lance’s key role handling the polling for Mitch McConnell’s 1984 upset Senate win…
The story behind the most famous US Senate ad ever for McConnell’s ’84 race…
Lance elects a Republican Governor of California in 1982 amidst the so-called “Bradley Effect”…
Lance’s prescient writing and analysis that (partially) anticipated the rise of Donald Trump…
Lance on what makes an effective pollster…
AND academic treatises, John Adams, Roger Ailes, American University, the American Voter Model, backwoods Kentucky, Vince Barabba, Blue Dogs, Bluetick hounds, Tom Bradley, Ron Brownstein, CVS pharmacies, Charlie Cannell, Jimmy Carter, Jack Casserly, the Center for Political Studies, Hillary Clinton, John Connolly, John Sherman Cooper, Mario Cuomo, Dallas-ites, George Deukmejian, Walt DeVries, Eastman Kodak, Tom Edsall, esprit d ’corps, Eureka, Merv Field, flanking moves, GW, Georgetown, Ed Goeas, the Harvard Kennedy School, Hee Haw, Stephan Helgesen, Dee Huddleston, Hubert Humphrey, ivory towers, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, Les Kish, Ed Koch, lone wolves, Rocky Marciano, Marielitos, Larry McCarthy, Gale McGee, George McGovern, mea culpa advertising, monocrats, Dick Morris, outsider revolutions, Charles Percy, Ross Perot, Kevin Phillips, pick-up truck license fees, political engineering, port-o-toilets, Sam Rayburn, the RGA, the RNC, Reagan Democrats, Nelson Rockefeller, Larry Sabato, Hugh Scott, Sargent Shriver, the Southern Strategy, Spencer Roberts, Mitt Romney, the Tea Party, technocrats, Bob Teeter, three-piece suits, ticket-splitting, tough dudes, John Tower, toxic waste sites, University of Arkansas, University of Michigan, Malcolm Wallop, Washington & Lee, Frank White, Dick Wirthlin…& more!
Gale Kaufman is a giant of California politics...winning hundreds of races, including some of the most impactful and expensive ballot measures in American history. In this conversation, Gale talks getting her start in DC, her move to California, an early intersection with Harvey Milk, learning from political mastermind Speaker Willie Brown, starting her own firm that was one of the few woman-owned operations at the time, and growing it into one of the cornerstones of California politics.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Gale’s early political journey from Miami to DC to California…
Gale’s friendship with the legendary late Harvey Milk…
Gale’s early stint working on Capitol Hill in DC…
The two races that helped put Gale on the political map…
Gale talks starting her own firm in the late 80s, as one of few woman-owned political firms…
The significance of the word “tough” in Gale’s career…
Gale talks what makes an effective campaign manager…
Gale goes deep on her two tenures working for political “master” Speaker Willie Brown…
Gale gives her California Politics 101, how she thinks about running and winning in CA…
Gale remembers the initial rise of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger…
Gale beats back 4 Schwarzenegger ballot measures that would’ve transformed CA politics…
Gale’s best practices running ballot measure campaigns…
Gale talks spearheading the effort to make marijuana legal in California…
Gale’s insights on how she’s run her business over the years…
AND Beach High, CTA, Formula One Racing, GW, the Gang of Five, the Haight Ashbury, the inside game, Kaufman Campaigns, Barbara Lee, legal weed, the Library of Congress, George Moscone, Mike Murphy, Grover Norquist, Wayne Owens, “paycheck protection”, Prop 226, SEIU, scared interns, John Tunney, union guys, Watergate, Dan White, The Year of the Woman & more!
Tim Miller had sterling credentials as a top GOP operative, working for the RNC, John McCain, Jeb Bush, Jon Huntsman and more...until he felt increasingly alienated as Donald Trump took over the party. In this conversation, he talks his path out of Republican politics - chronicled in his bestselling book WHY WE DID IT - and how the past several years of GOP politics led to the wholescale Trump takeover of the party. This is a great discussion with one of the most brutally honest observers of American politics, who’s had a front row seat to the most important political phenomenon in decades.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Tim’s path to working in politics…
The early threads Tim saw of the Trump movement in the GOP…
Tim talks his role helping write and promote the infamous post-2012 GOP autopsy…
The moment Tim realized most of the GOP political class would throw in their lot with Trump…
The Corey Lewandowski Theorem…
Tim talks the rivalry between Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney…
Rumors of the negotiations of a possible 2016 Rubio / Cruz pact to stop Trump…
Memories of Lindsay Graham’s vitriolic anti-Trump sermons…
The Breitbart Embassy…
Tim talks the time he's spent around Steve Bannon…
Tim best practices of placing political opposition research…
Tim on the “ruthlessness” gap between the Democratic and Republican political class…
The story of the Independent Journal Review as a glimpse into the GOP base...
Tim’s creative take on the various type of Trump apologists...
Tim defines “nerd revengers”…
Tim’s level of optimism the GOP can pull back from the Trump brink…
Tim’s LSU football fandom…
AND Greg Abbot, George Allen, amnesty, avatars, bags of hammers, Paul Begala, bets with Grandma, blocking and tackling, Dan Bongino, Bruce Braley, Buchaninites, the Bulwark, Jeb Bush, James Carville, Catalist, the Chicago Cubs, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, cloak and dagger, Scott Conroy, the cool kids table, Council Bluffs, Daily Caller, Mitch Daniels, Death Valley, Ron DeSantis, Bob Dole, dorks and nerds, Matt Drudge, the Everglades, Alyssa Farah, Mark Hanna, hatchet men, Chuck Johnson, Brian Kelly, Ted Kennedy, Charlie Kirk, love children, John McCain, William McKinley, H.R. McMaster, meme culture, Mother Jones, mutual fund managers, National Review, Ralph Northam, Ed Orgeron, Bill Owens, Sarah Palin, plutocrats, Reince Preibus, Ronald Reagan, Todd Ricketts, Nick Saban, Mike Shields, Alex Skatell, Sean Spicer, squishes, Elise Stefanik, George Stephanopoulos, Stuart Stevens, Tea Party weirdos, John Thune, Tiger Island, traffic hoses, Sean Trende, unique psychopathy, Upworthy, Dick Wadhams, Scott Walker, the Wall Street Journal, the World Series, YOLO mode & more!
Tom Davis served seven terms in the House from Northern Virginia, including 2 cycles as NRCC Chair and as Chair of the House Government Reform Committee. In this conversation, he talks becoming obsessed with politics at an early age, working as a Senate page in the 1960s, playing a small role in the political operation of Richard Nixon, 15 years on the Fairfax County Board, 14 years in Congress, protecting the GOP majority in 2000 and 2002 while helming NRCC, why he left elected politics, the work he's most passionate about now, and his expectations ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
IN THIS EPISODE..
One early moment when the lifelong political obsession started to click for a 6-year old Tom Davis…
Working as a teenage U.S. Senate page…
Tom spends 30 minutes in the Oval Office with President Nixon…
Tom’s early stint as part of the Nixon political operation…
Tom talks the political legacy of Virginia’s famed Byrd Machine…
Tom remembers his 14+ years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors…
Tom on the excitement as part of the 1994 House GOP wave…
Tom talks the political skills (and flaws) of Newt Gingrich…
Early impressions and surprises on his first term in the House…
Memories of tough votes surrounding the impeachment of President Clinton…
Tom’s path to running the NRCC in both the 2000 and 2002 cycles…
Inside the candidate-recruitment process of the Tom Davis-led NRCC…
Highlights of his tenure as Chair of the House Government Reform Committee…
The tough decision to pass on an open 2008 Senate race and ultimately forgo re-election altogether…
The two types of lobbyists in Washington…
Tom breaks down lessons for Republicans in Glenn Youngkin’s 2021 Virginia win…
How Tom is thinking about the 2022 midterms…
AND Amherst, Appalachian State University, appendages, John Boehner, Harry Byrd, Eldridge Cleaver, Bill Clinger, Carl Curtis, Tom Delay, Harry Dent, Everett Dirksen, David Dreier, Dulles Airport, David Eisenhower, Martin Frost, gay newspapers, George Mason University, Jim Gilmore, Barry Goldwater, Bart Gordon, Bob Haldeman, Jesse Helms, Eleanor Holmes-Norton, Jim Holshouser, Rush Holt, Linwood Holton, John Hostettler, Steny Hoyer, Roman Hruska, Hubert Humphrey, Andrew Jackson, Jacob Javits, Nancy Johnson, Kent State, V.O. Key, lifelong teetotalers, John Linder, Louisiana Smart, Malibu, Mike Mansfield, Terry McAuliffe, Wayne Morse, the Mountain Valley Group, no confidence votes, Oliver North, Barack Obama, Dick Obenshain, Bill Paxon, perfecting amendments, Colin Peterson, Jeffrey Pine, George Rawlings, rental seats, Tom Reynolds, Alice Rivlin, Willis Robertson, Win Rockefeller, the Rotary Club, Antonin Scalia, Chris Shays, slackers, Howard Smith, Billy Tauzin, the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Charles Thone, Strom Thurmond, Tulane, Fred Upton, Bob Walker, John Warner, Mark Warner, the Washington Post, Watauga County, Roger Wicker, wiffle ball, Frank Wolf, Jim Wright, Dick Zimmer, Elmo Zumwalt & more!
Ann Lewis has had a legendary career as a Democratic strategist...from her time as Communications Director in the Clinton White House...as a Senior Advisor to Hillary Clinton's 2000 Senate run and both 08 & 16 Presidentials...to her time as a Senate Chief of Staff and working at institutions like Planned Parenthood, the DNC, ADA, & more. In this conversation...Ann talks growing up in New Jersey in the shadow of the Hudson County Democratic machine, key moments in her career path as a woman in politics in the 1970s and 80s, intersecting with Bill and Hillary Clinton in the 80s, her work in both the Clinton White House and Clinton campaigns for 20+ years, and her best practices for smart communication strategies.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Ann grows up in New Jersey in a family who instilled in her the importance of politics…
Ann’s early political memories of Harry Truman’s upset win in 1948…
Ann talks the Hudson County, NJ political machine of her youth…
A political light-bulb goes off for Ann when canvassing for JFK…
Ann talks the challenges of working up the political ladder as a woman in the 1970s and 80s…
Ann goes deep on the her time working for Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate race…
Ann on the importance of Americans for Democratic Action…
Ann talks her time as campaign manager and Chief of Staff for Senator Barbara Mikulski…
Ann first crosses path with Bill & Hillary Clinton in the early 1980s…
Ann gets to know then-First Lady Hillary Clinton in 1994…
Ann gets pulled into the 1996 Clinton Presidential…
Ann’s time as Communication Directions in the White House, including during the Clinton Impeachment saga…
Ann’s communications best practices…
Ann’s involvement in the ’08 and ’16 Hillary Clinton Presidentials…
Ann talks Bill Clinton’s legendary retail skills and Hillary Clinton’s intellect…
Ann talks growing up with her brother, and fellow legendary political figure, Congressman Barney Frank…
Ann’s advice to the next generation of political operatives…
AND Aunt Fanny, the Baltimore Museum of Art, basement offices, battlefield promotions, Bayonne, blankety-blank campaigns, George H.W. Bush, chattering classes, childish bullies, the Clinton Library, cocktail parties, the Colossus of Rhodes, Democratic Majority for Israel, Thomas Dewey, Bob Dole, Facebook, Fells Point, flaming parachutes, Boss Hague, the George Washington Bridge, Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Margaret Hague, Jesse Helms, Harold Ickes, Jewish Women for Hillary, Junior Advisors, John Kennedy, Rick Lazio, Nita Lowey, Chuck Manatt, Mac Mathias, moderate ethnics, Pat Moynihan, the New York Post, Richard Nixon, NOW, one-and-a-half computers, Norm Ornstein, George Pataki, Planned Parenthood, Charlie Rangel, Joe Rauh, Walter Reuther, Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, sturdy women, third wives, tugboats, the Unpleasantness, upstate winegrowers, Henry Wallace, Anne Wexler, Maggie Williams, the Women’s Political Caucus & more!
Lauren Baer worked at high levels of the American foreign policy establishment...an aide to former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and in the Obama State Department as Senior Advisor to Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry...until the 2016 election drove home the importance of political campaigns. She then put her own name on the ballot as the Democratc nominee in a targeted US House race in South Florida. That experience drove her decision to join Arena as their Managing Partner to recruit, train, and support the next generation of political campaign staff. In this conversation, she talks her time at the upper echelons of American foreign policy, her experience as a political rookie running in a targeted US House seat, and the work and thinking she's doing to invest in a more diverse and skilled next generation of political operatives.
IN THIS EPISODE
Lauren’s late-in-life decision to get involved in politics…
Lauren’s time as Senior Advisor in the US State Department…
Lauren’s experiences working with Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry…
Lauren talks the legacy of Madeline Albright…
Lauren’s thoughts on the most under-discussed foreign policy issue facing the U.S….
Lauren runs for Congress in 2018, learning about campaigns as she goes…
Lauren’s take on Florida’s status as a swing state…
Lauren talks about the work being done by Arena train political operatives…
What is the hurdle that makes a diverse pipeline of campaign staff so challenging…
Lauren on the staffing "crisis” in political campaigns…
Lauren’s response to the idea that the Democratic staffing class tilts too liberal…
How Lauren thinks about the movement toward unionizing political campaigns…
AND…air quotes, Yasser Arafat, Joe Biden, bright blue bathing suits, Val Demings, End Citizens United, golden retrievers, Al Gore, Hacks, Henry Kissinger, Harold Koh, Hard Nos, The Marshall Plan, Brian Mast, moral authority, Debbie Murcasel Powell, pink cowboy hats, Samantha Power, relational organizing, Alex Roarty, Bernie Sanders, Donna Shalala, David Shor, Elissa Slotkin, Donald Trump, Raphael Warnock, WhatsApp, white-shoe law firms, wonkish outward facing orientations & more!
Sean McElwee is the Founding Executive Director of Data for Progress, a progressive polling and think tank operation shaking up the way Democrats utilize data to better message and implement their priorities. Sean talks his roots as a military kid in an evangelical household, his circuitous path to working in progressive politics, the origin and evolution of Data for Progress, and how he thinks about some of the big questions facing those who work in politics.
IN THIS EPISODE….
Sean grows up in an evangelical military family in Connecticut…
What drew Sean toward libertarianism early and what made him move away from it…
The threads of evangelical Christianity that still endure in Sean’s politics…
Sean’s riff on whether candidates should use profanity…
Sean talks the importance of a candidate’s “vibes” and “juice”…
The famous broadcaster Sean is friendly with…
Sean talks the role think-tanks play in American politics…
Sean talks his time leading the “Abolish ICE” effort…
Sean tells the story behind the founding of Data for Progress…
Sean on his friendship with prominent data scient David Shor and where they disagree…
Sean’s theory on why people should gamble more on prediction markets…
Sean talks his big wins and some losses on the political prediction markets…
Sean’s take on the political appeal of John Fetterman…
How Sean thinks about the role of Independent Expenditures…
The Republican politicians whose communications impress Sean...
Sean’s advice on the campaigns Democrats should run in 2022…
What Sean looks for when he’s hiring at Data for Progress…
Sean’s strangest work habits…
AND…the 80-50 rule, 90% agendas, AOC, John Anzalone, automatic voter registration, Richard Blumenthal, books and stuff, Jamaal Bowman, Katie Britt, Mo Brooks, Jimmy Carter, CBS News, chimeras, Jim Clyburn, Susan Collins, Joe Courtney, Henry Cuellar, Defund the Police, Demos, Doug Ducey, elite actors, e-mailing yourself, Elliot Engel, John Fetterman, Brian Fitzpatrick, Rich Funke, Mike Garcia, Jared Golden, governing moments, happy hours, heuristics, Jim Himes, Boris Johnson, Mondaire Jones, John Katko, Brian Kemp, Alexander Lamis, Adam Laxalt, David McKinley, messaging bills, Markwayne Mullin, multi-level regression, Chris Murphy, neoliberalism, New York Times factchecks, Barack Obama, old guy Instagrams, Dr. Oz, Ron Paul, pivotal electoral voters, plastic bag bans, Jef Pollock, popularism, Predict It, Scott Pruitt, Reason Magazine, Robocop, Run for Something, Larry Sabato, SPSS, Chuck Schumer, sex scenes, simulacrums, John Stossel, terrain advantages, Title 42, Ritche Torres, Donald Trump, Nina Turner, woke staffers, Ron Wyden, YouGov, & more!
Charlie Black is a legendary figure in Republican politics, working his first presidential campaign with Ronald Reagan in 1976 and being involved at a high level with both Presidents Bush and names like Kemp, Dole, McCain, Romney, Kasich and more. In this conversation, Charlie talks his roots in the conservative movement of the 1970s, his work as a political consultant in some of the most famous races of the era, and offers stories, insight, and lessons learned from one of the most impactful political lives of his generation.
IN THIS EPISODE
Charlie’s roots in Wilmington North Carolina…
Barry Goldwater draws Charlie to the GOP…
How his early Republican activism leads to his first real campaign job with Jesse Helms first Senate race in 1972…
Charlie talks the political strength of Jesse Helms that led to a 30-year Senate career, including the titanic ’84 race between Helms and Democratic heavyweight Governor Jim Hunt…
Charlie talks the rise of direct mail fundraising, Independent Expenditures, and the development of the conservative movement throughout the 1970s…
Charlie’s role running several states in the insurgent Reagan ’76 primary challenge to Gerald Ford…
Charlie talks the strategic decisions that led to Reagan winning the GOP nomination in 1980…
Charlie goes into political consulting, working for scores of Senators, Governors, and House members…
The question Ronald Reagan asked himself every morning in the White House…
Charlie helps George H.W. Bush turn a 17-point deficit in 1988 into a landslide win…
Charlie’s longtime friendship with George W. Bush…
The Charlie Black 101 on effective campaign management…
Charlie talks his relationship with Lee Atwater, one of his best friends…
Charlie manages Jack Kemp’s 1988 Presidential campaign…
Charlie on the Democratic politicians who’ve most impressed him…
Charlie talks his work in government relations and former business partners Roger Stone and Paul Manafort…
Charlie’s take on how the Republican Establishment lost control of the party to the Trump wing…
Charlie’s best practices for crisis-communication…
AND 80% friends, the ACLU, Roger Ailes, American University, John Anderson, Howard Baker, Jim Baker, Bigness, Boston Harbor, Bill Brock, Pat Buchanan, Buckley v. Valeo, the California guys, Bill Clinton, John Connolly, the Conscience of a Conservative, courtroom lawyers, Phil Crane, Michael Deaver, Terry Dolan, Kitty Dukakis, Michael Dukakis, John East, Jim Ely, Newt Gingrich, Bob Graham, the greatest Senate race ever run, Pete Hannaford, Paula Hawkins, the Hill newspaper, Willie Horton, Peter Kelly, Kemp-Roth tax cuts, Jim Lake, the League of Women Voters, C.S. Lewis, little bastards, Trent Lott, Mac Mathias, George McGovern, Ed Meese, Walter Mondale, Nashua, nativists, negative advertising, Nixon’s coattails, noblesse oblige, Lyn Nofziger, Scott Pastrick, Pauley Pavillion, Ross Perot, Prime Policy Group, the RNC, Reaganites, Karl Rove, John Sears, Richard Schweiker, Bernie Shaw, Arlen Specter, Stu Spencer, Bob Strauss, Donald Trump, Tom Turnipseed, University of Florida, Richard Viguerie, Paul Volcker, Paul Weyrich, YAF, Young Republicans…& more!
Katie Moore was recently named Campaign Manager of the Year for her role managing Eric Adams' winning NYC Mayoral Campaign last year. In this conversation, she talks her roots as a "farm kid" in Western Kentucky, how she fell in love both with New York City and political organizing, and a deep dive into NYC politics and the 2021 Adams' victory.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Katie talks her rural roots in Marshall County in Western KY…
Katie takes inspiration from the Clinton / Gore ticket…
How Katie gets to NYC and develops a passion for political field work…
Katie talks her time working for ACORN and its political legacy…
Katie crosses path with Bill de Blasio in his first City Council race in 2001…
Katie talks her passion for political field work…
Katie gives her 101 on how she thinks of NYC politics…
Katie’s time leading the political operation for the city’s Hotel Trades Council…
Katie’s sabbatical from politics as a yoga instructor…
Katie takes the helm of the 2021 Eric Adams Mayoral Campaign…
The winning story and message behind the Adams’ campaign…
Katie talks the Andrew Yang factor in the mayoral…
The political impact of NYC’s new Ranked Choice Voting system…
The challenges of managing a big race during Covid and with two small kids…
Katie talks her current role as a Partner at Red Horse Strategies…
AND 1199 SEIU, 32BJ, Steve Banks, blue collar mayors, Brooklyn, canvassing on crutches, college-ruled spiral notebooks, Martha Layne Collins, Dennison University, Ruben Diaz Jr., DC 37, Ditch Mitch stickers, expanded EITC, field elitists, Kathryn Garcia, Rudy Giuliani, Al Gore, Aaron Hecht, infinite pockets, Tish James, Corey Johnson, John Kess, Kendrick Lamar, the Legal Aid Society, Bertha Lewis, Connor Martinez, miso soup, music degrees, the NYT spelling bee, nasty hit jobs, non-verbal cues, Paducah, Rand Paul, the Plaza Hotel, rock star moments, Nathan Smith, Scott Stringer, twin boys, union cards, vegans, the Village Voice, Maya Wiley, Jumaane Williams, Emma Wolfe, World Book Encyclopedias, XXL…& more!
Jerry Austin is probably best known as the campaign manager for Reverend Jesse Jackson's '88 Presidential Campaign that won 11 contests and led in delegates deep into the calendar...and he also served as manager, media consultant, advisor to names like Paul Wellstone, Carol Moselely Braun, Sherrod Brown, Paul Tsongas and many more. In this conversation, Jerry talks the '88 Jackson race and high points and lessons learned from decades working with some of the biggest names in American politics. Plus Jerry previews his book series TRUE TALES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL...pulling together the best campaign war stories from a bipartisan coterie of top political consultants.
IN THIS EPISODE
Jerry grows up in a union household in the South Bronx…
Protesting the Vietnam War leads Jerry to a political career…
Jerry’s early connection to rising star and future Ohio Governor Dick Celeste…
A deep dive on Jerry’s time managing the 1988 presidential campaign of Reverend Jesse Jackson…
Jerry tells some great Willie Brown stories…
The first two moves he took to make Jesse Jackson a credible national candidate in 1988…
Wisconsin becomes a “make or break” state for Jackson in the ’88 primaries…
How closely was Reverend Jackson considered for the VP nomination n 1988…
Jerry’s thoughts on how Jackson ’88 blazed the trail for both Clinton '92 and Obama ’08…
Jerry’s involvement at the start of the career of now Senator Sherrod Brown…
Jerry’s integral role in the underdog upset win of Paul Wellstone in 1990…
The story of Paul Wellstone and Ted Kennedy in a heated argument on the Senate floor…
Jerry helps engineer the groundbreaking Senate win of Carol Moseley Braun in 1992…
Jerry talks the rise and fall of former Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker…
Jerry’s brought in to help on Paul Tsongas ’92 Presidential…
Jerry is an official observer during the “Pinochet plebiscite” in Chile…
Jerry talks the origin of his book series “True Tales from the Campaign Trail” and one of his favorite stories…
AND Art Agnos, Salvador Allende, David Axelrod, bagels and coffees, Robert Bork, Rudy Boschwitz, Boston People, Charlie Brown, Ted Brown, Virgil Brown, Cadillacs, Tony Celebrezze, Steve Cobble, the Dallas Cowboys, Alan Dixon, Bob Dole, Pete Domenici, duck hunting, Michael Dukakis, Susan Estrich, exit polls, Louis Farrakhan, gentile women, Al Gore, Al Hofeld, Tom Hsieh, Hunter College, Jerry Jones, Celinda Lake, Vito Marcantonio, matching funds, McDonalds' executives, Meridian MS, Howard Metzenbaum, George Mitchell, Walter Mondale, Dee Dee Myers, Barack Obama, pander bears, pariahs, Augusto Pinochet, pipe dreams, scrums, the Secret Service, Hank Sheinkopf, the Tampa Airport, Clarence Thomas, Tulsa, the UN, the US Communist Party, VW bugs, voice votes, Maxine Waters & more!
Lis Smith is an operative's operative...with nearly 20 years of races under her belt of wins and losses and lessons learned along the way. Her new book ANY GIVEN TUESDAY is now out about her career in politics, while also finding herself in the headlines from time to time...including a deep dive into the unlikely ascent of Pete Buttigieg's 2020 Presidential Campaign. This is a really fun conversation with one of the most dynamic thinkers in today's politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
The moment Lis fell in love with politics…
The common threads of the candidates Lis wants to work with…
What makes Claire McCaskill a talented communicator…
Lis’s take on how Democrats should navigate Fox News…
Lis’s early campaign stint seeing old-school politics in Kentucky…
Lis defines “strategic cuss words”…
Lis squares off against Chris Christie in his first race…
Lis breaks down her role running Rapid Response for the 2012 Obama Re-election…
The political importance of “parasocial relationships”?
Why an operative has to be willing to disagree with their client…
Why some personally charismatic candidates have trouble communicating publicly…
Lis’s very first impressions of Pete Buttigieg…
Memorable responses when people heard Lis was working for the Buttigieg Presidential…
The common thread between John McCain’s 2000 presidential and Buttigieg 2020…
The origin of what came to be known as the Pete Buttigieg "uniform"…
Lis’s favorite memory from the Pete 2020 experience…
Lessons Lis learned in her stint working for Andrew Cuomo…
Her approach to building and nurturing talented teams and operatives…
Lis’s advice on underappreciated Guns N’ Roses songs…
AND David Axelrod, bangers, the bee’s knees, Paul Begala, Richard Ben Cramer, Chuck Berry, Blueberry Hill, Jerry Brown, George Bush, can-do mayors, Tucker Carlson, Hillary Clinton, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Jon Corzine, Stephanie Cutter, Tom Daschle, defense contractors, Diet Dr. Pepper, John Edwards, Albert Einstein, evil twins, Greek tragedies, Sean Hannity, Kamala Harris, Eric Holder, ill-fitting suits, Laura Ingraham, it factors, Bob Kerrey, John Kerry, Ben LaBolt, Chris Maher, Terry McAuliffe, Mallory McMorrow, mill towns, Tim Miller, Martin O’Malley, John Mulaney, normal person language, Michelle Obama, Jen O’Malley Dillon, pantsuits, the Pete Diaspora, Prince Charming, the Prince of Darkness, Jen Psaki, rage juice, Red Bull, Kid Rock, Mitt Romney, Axl Rose, Bernie Sanders, Mike Schmuhl, sequin shirts, Nina Smith, Julianna Smoot, George Stephanopoulos, the Straight Talk Express, Ted Strickland, summer doldrums, Greg Stumbo, TJ Maxx, Donald Trump, Twitter, visual brands, the War Room, water coolers, Glen Youngkin…& more!
From serving in the Air Force, to his time in both the House and Senate, and rising to become Senate Majority Leader during the 9-11 attacks…few have led more impactful political lives than Tom Daschle. In this conversation, he talks the unusual confluence of events that led to his involvement in politics, his mentor George McGovern, being taken under the wing of Speaker Tip O’Neill, his meteoric rise to become Senate Democratic leader…with stories, lessons, and insight from a 50+ career of service that continues to this day.
IN THIS EPISODE
The two candidates that inspired a young Tom Daschle’s interest in politics (one you might guess and the other you won’t)…
The progressive political tradition of South Dakota…
Senator Daschle talks about his “hero” and “mentor” George McGovern…
Senator Daschle talks about his own service in the military and why it made him a better member of Congress…
Memories of his time as a Senate staffer in the 70s during Watergate and the end of the Vietnam War…
The factor that led Congressman Daschle to have a special relationship with Speaker Tip O’Neill…
Winning three 50-50 races over the course of 8 years to win both a House and then a Senate seat…
The story behind the unique name of the Daschle campaign committee…
The story of how a first term Congressman Tom Daschle received a convention vote for Vice President in 1980…
The decision to make the jump from the House to the Senate…
The circuitous story behind Senator Daschle’s 1-vote margin to become Senate Democratic minority leader after the 1994 election…
The “up and down” relationship with President George W. Bush…
Inside the decision of Jim Jeffords to switch parties and give the Democrats a brief Senate Majority in the early 00s…
The legislative accomplishments of which Senator Daschle is most proud…
Memories of the votes when emotions ran high on the Senate floor…
How close did he get to running for President in 2004? (Very close)
What made his longtime Chief of Staff Pete Rouse such an effective staffer…
Senator Daschle talks his relationship with Barack Obama…
A window into his current work with The Daschle Group…
The Daschle pitch for us all to visit South Dakota…
AND 50-50 Senates, 66 counties, Jim Abdnor, Aberdeen, Jim Abourezk, agent orange, Madeline Albright, anthrax, the anti-war movement, the Badlands, Howard Baker, biofuels, the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Black Hills, Robert Byrd, CHIPs, Bill Clinton, the Cold War, Kent Conrad, Nathan Daschle, Chris Dodd, Bob Dole, Byron Dorgan, dugout press conferences, the Dust Bowl, early out programs, Food for Peace, the fragility of democracy, Bill Frist, Fritz Hollings, John Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Bob Kerrey, Trent Lott, George May, John McCain, Jim Messina, Bob Michel, the Missouri River, George Mitchell, the National Democratic Institute, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Omaha, Claude Pepper, populist traditions, regional whips, Franklin Roosevelt, Jim Sasser, the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, the Sioux River, Mo Udall, the Vietnam War, war heroes, Watergate…& more!
Robby Mook has managed races at all levels of politics - from state legislative races to the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential. In this conversation, Robby talks cutting his teeth in Vermont politics, the importance of field work, his time running the DCCC, managing successful races for Jeanne Shaheen and Terry McAuliffe, a deep dive on the 2016 campaign, & much more with one of the smartest thinkers in politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
Robby cuts his teeth in Vermont politics and in the shadow of the next door New Hampshire Primary…
The big name politician Robby rung up as a cashier…
Robby’s memories of Bernie Sanders from the 1990s…
Robby’s time in the US Senate page program…
Robby talks the importance of his background in political field work…
The piece of advice from David Plouffe that has really stuck with Robby…
The Robby Mook 101 for effective campaign managing…
Robby manages the 2008 Senate race for Jeanne Shaheen…
Lessons Robby learned atop the DCCC in 2010 and 2012…
Robby manages Terry McAuliffe’s winning race in 2013…
Robby’s path to managing the Hillary Clinton Presidential campaign in 2016…
How the Clinton campaign almost ended up based out of Buffalo…
The two big decisions in the campaign that took up more of his time than he anticipated…
Robby weighs in on what the Clinton campaign got right in 2016…
Robby talks the political strengths of Trump 2016…
Robby rebuts some of the unfair criticisms lodged against the Clinton campaign…
Robby clarifies how the campaign used analytics down the stretch…
Robby’s advice to other campaign operatives facing adversity after an election…
Robby’s current role at House Majority PAC…
AND airport logistics, Kate Bedingfield, Paul Begala, Joe Biden, James Carville, change elections, DC desk jockeys, easy narratives, Facebook, fast cashiers, New Gingrich, the glue between the bricks, U.S. Grant, Jesse Helms, Pat Leahy, mush, Nancy Pelosi, the Roman Republic, Patti Solis Doyle, the Sununus, Syracuse, third terms, Strom Thurmond, Harry Truman, the US Naval Reserves, the Vermont Democratic Party, Paul Wellstone, White Plains, word clouds, & more!
Ellen Malcolm helped found EMILY's List in 1985 and then served as EL’s President for 25 years. It’s hard to think of an organization over the last 30+ years that has changed politics more than EMILY's List, dramatically increasing the number of Democratic women in the both the Senate and the House. In this conversation originally released in August 2021, Ellen talks about how her early stops at places like Common Cause and the National Women’s Political Caucus prepared her to help found, launch, and grow EMILY's List. And Ellen outlines the key moments, decisions, and campaigns that have forged the successful political institution EMILY's List has become.
IN THIS EPISODE
Ellen grows up in a Republican household…
The cause and candidate that pulled Ellen into progressive politics…
Ellen cuts her teeth at Common Cause and the National Women’s Political Caucus…
Ellen comes out of the philanthropic closet…
The one Senate race in 1982 that was the catalyst for the creation for EMILYs List…
Geraldine Ferraro’s role in energizing the women’s political movement…
How “pro-choice” and “Democratic” became integral to EMILYs List mission…
Ellen’s memorable first meeting with then newly-elected Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi…
Barbara Mikulski and EMILYs List make history in 1986…
The 1988 House race that became a prototype what would soon be EMILYs List political department…
Ellen remembers her deep emotional investment in Ann Richards races in Texas…
The 1992 “Year of the Woman” changes the trajectory of EMILYs List…
The 2004 House race that became a model of how EMILYs List tries to operate…
After 25 years as President of EL, how Ellen knew it was time to pass the torch…
Ellen’s advice for new or smaller organizations that want to be the next EL…
AND 12-2 meetings, 60 Minutes, Tammy Baldwin, Lindy Boggs, Mary Beth Cahill, chain letters, Common Cause, John Danforth, donor networks, Dwight Eisenhower, the ERA fight, Anna Eshoo, John Gardner, Jane Hickey, Anita Hill, Eugene McCarthy, Walter Mondale, Gwen Moore, NOW, Mary Rose Oakar, David Obey, Tip O’Neil, Jen Pihlaja, Sally Ride, Run to Win, Stephanie Schriock, Wendy Sherman, Simon & Garfunkel, Martha Smiley, Lael Stegall, Adlai Stevenson, Clarence Thomas, Jolene Unsoeld, Willi Unsoeld, Watergate, Henrietta Windom, Harriet Woods…& MORE!
There are few more historic political figures than former Senator & Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun - the first Black womzn elected to the US Senate and the first ever Black Democratic Senator. In this conversation, she talks growing up on Chicago's South Side, marching with Martin Luther King at age 16, memories of figures like Richard J. Daley and Harold Washington, the start of her own political career, her history-making underdog Senate win in 1992, memorable moments and lessons learned during her time in the Senate, her tenure as Ambassador to New Zealand, & much more from a truly iconic political life.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Memories of growing up on Chicago’s South Side…
Early memories of Chicago politics and the local labor movement…
Growing up in the Chicago of Richard J. Daley…
A 16-year-old Carol Moseley Braun marches next to Martin Luther King Jr…
Memories of her long relationship with the iconic Harold Washington…
How Harold Washington “saved” her political career…
The college classmate (and now DC uber lobbyist) who jumpstarted her first political race…
Recollections of the Illinois legislature of the 1970s and 80s…
How being the target of the Chicago Machine actually helped her career…
The amazing story of her history-making underdog US Senate race in 1992…
Surprises and difficulties in the early days after being elected to the US Senate…
The Senators who served as her mentors…
The story of facing down Jesse Helms over the Confederate Flag…
Her relationship with then-Senator Joe Biden…
Her proudest accomplishment in the Senate…
Memories of her tenure as Ambassador to New Zealand…
The definitive Carol Moseley Braun advice for visitors to Chicago…
AND 98-2, the Action Party, Al the Pal, apolitical medical technicians, Bob Bennett, the Black Belt, Barbara Boxer, brickbats, Brown vs Board, George HW Bush, Robert Byrd, Jane Byrne, carveouts, the civil rights imperative, Bill Clinton, Michael Corleone, cumulative voting, the Cutback Amendment, the Daley Machine, demigods, dirty tricks, Alan Dixon, the Dream Team, the DuSable Museum of African American History, Diane Feinstein, Gage Park, Hansberry vs Lee, Howell Heflin, Anita Hill, Independent Democrats, Nancy Kassebaum, Ted Kennedy, Kiwis, Celinda Lake, Landslide Washington, Pat Leahy, Thurgood Marshall, John McCain, Pat Moynihan, Dick Neuhaus, nuclear submarines, Barack Obama, old bulls, Claiborne Pell, Tony Podesta, Michael Shakman, semi-humans, Paul Simon, Clarence Thomas, Transcendentalists, welfare reform, the WWI Memorial, the Willard Hotel, the Year of the Woman… & more!
Ari Rabin-Havt spent more time with Bernie Sanders over the past few years than virtually anyone. Ari served as the Sanders' 2020 Deputy Campaign Manager, traveling with Bernie almost 24/7. He recounts much of this time in his new book The Fighting Soul: On the Road with Bernie Sanders...and in this conversation talks about the personal side of Bernie, the major strategic decisions within the campaign, both what he thinks the campaign got right as well as mistakes they made, and much more from one of the operatives closest to the Sanders' campaign and and active participant in almost all of the critical moments of the 2020 Democratic primary.
IN THIS EPISODE
Ari’s motivation to get involved in politics…
The prominent Senator who connected Ari to Bernie Sanders…
Why Bernie warmed up to Ari so quickly…
Ari’s front row seat into the Sanders’ decision process on whether to run in 2020…
The most important factor that determined whether Bernie ran in 2020…
Ari talks “the biggest mistake” the Sanders’ campaign made…
Ari on the Sanders’ alter ego of “Bernie” vs “Earl”…
The most difficult job on the Sanders’ campaign…
Ari demystifies his role as “deputy campaign manager”…
“Beer track” candidates vs. “wine track” candidates…
Ari’s most memorable celebrity encounters from the 2020 race…
Why the campaign decided to handle its paid media internally instead of using an established media consultant…
The Sanders’ campaign confusion over the lack of Iowa TV spending from the Elizabeth Warren campaign…
The moment Ari was afraid an opposing campaign was going to “knock out” Sanders pre-Iowa…
Ari gives a quick lesson in real-time, presidential campaign budgeting…
The “moment of utter transcendent perfection” on the campaign…
Ari breaks out his famed Bernie impression…
Why Bernie didn’t go harder after Joe Biden in the debates...
Ari’s take on whether there’s a scenario of another Sanders runs for President…
Ari on how Democrats should engage with Fox News…
Ari’s 101 on what makes a good advance staffer…
AND 59th Street Bridge, ACDC, AOC, anti-hunger activism, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg, budget sinks, Pete Buttigieg, Daytona Superspeedway, DML Media, Warren Gunnels, insane endeavors, Jewish grandfathers, Arianna Jones, kismet, Amy Klobuchar, Mark Longabaugh, Ed Markey, Media Matters, Josh Miller-Lewis, Outback Steakhouse, Jean-Michel Picher, policy staff, Queensbridge Park, Harry Reid, relative viscosity, restrictor plate races, Chuck Rocha, Jane Sanders, Faiz Shakir, Sirius XM, Rene Spellman, starting the train, Ted Strickland, tactile politics, Tim Tagaris, Nina Turner, Eddie Vedder, Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Weaver, Cornel West, & more!
Veteran Democratic media consultant Neil Oxman is one of the most interesting people working in politics. In addition to his years helping elect Democrats at all levels, he caddies on the PGA tour for golfing legends including Tom Watson. In this discussion, Neil talks the history of political ad-making from the 1950s to today and goes deep inside several of his own high-profile races including PA Governor Ed Rendell, Philadelphia's first Black mayor Wilson Goode, Al Gore's 1988 presidential campaign, and more throughout his career that show the ways TV can help win (and lose) political campaigns. Neil's full presentation on the history of campaign ads was recorded by C-Span in 2016 and can be found here.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Neil’s Philly roots and unusual law school experience at Villanova…
Neil gets his foot in the door in politics in the summer of 1976…
What leads to Neil opening his own media firm in 1980…
Neil talks the roots of television advertising in political campaigns…
The 1969 television ad that Neil believes kicked off the rise of political ads in non-presidential campaigns…
Neil compares ads from the 70s/80s to political ads of today…
The races on which Neil starts to come into his own as a media consultant…
Neil helps Wilson Goode beat Frank Rizzo to become Philadelphia’s first Black mayor…
Neil’s role on the Kentucky Senate race in 1984 and the strategic mistake that led to Mitch McConnell’s first win…
Neil’s role as ad-maker on the Al Gore 1988 presidential campaign…
Neil’s connection to then-mayor of Cincinnati Jerry Springer…
Neil helps Ed Rendell become Philly Mayor and Governor of Pennsylvania…
The last ad that Neil thinks actually mattered in a presidential race…
Neil talks his habit of watching 100s of movies a year…
Neil talks moonlighting as a caddy on the PGA tour for greats like Tom Watson…
Who’s the best golfer in politics?
Neil’s advice for those who want to get into political media…
Neil’s recommendation for the best political movies…
AND 215 media markets, Roger Ailes, Altoona, Doug Bailey, Birch Bayh, Abe Beame, Homero Blancas, Ed Brooke, Pat Caddell, Frank Capra, Hugh Carey, Bob Casey Jr, Bob Casey Sr, Frank Church, Citizens United, cocktail parties, the Columbus Dispatch, Bob Colville, the Daisy ad, John Dierdorf, David Doak, Mike Dukakis, Dwight Eisenhower, Mike Ford, David Garth, gerontocracy, gigantic piles of polls, Wilson Goode, Bob Goodman, Bill Green, Michael Harrington, Anita Hill, Richard Holbrooke, Dee Huddleston, HUT levels, Andi Johnson, Lyndon Johnson, Julian Kanter, Robert Kennedy, Ed Koch, John Lindsay, the Louisville Courier Journal, Willie Maples, McDonalds, George McGovern, Jack McGregor, Mark Moskowitz, Ralph Nader, Jack Nicklaus, Dan Quayle, process questions, Mark Putnam, Robert Redford, regional agoraphobia, Rosser Reeves, Jim Rhodes, Frank Rizzo, Nelson Rockefeller, Buddy Roemer, Nolan Ryan, Rick Santorum, Mike Schmidt, Allyson Schwartz, Joe Sestak, Bob Shrum, Mark Singel, Arlen Specter, Bob Squier, Clarence Thomas, Danny Thomas, Lee Trevino, troglodytes, Harry Truman, Paul Tsongas, Paul Tully, WASPy establishments, Doug Wilder, Tiger Woods, Tom Wolf, Lynn Yeakel & more!
Liz Mair has one of the more unusual career arcs in politics. Raised in both Seattle and London, she got her start working in conservative politics for David Cameron in the UK before moving to the US to work for the RNC and GOP candidates including Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina, Rick Perry, Scott Walker, and more. In this conversation, she talks her unconventional path to working in politics, her ascent in the digital political space, her time working around some of the leading Republican figures of the era, her work to try to beat back Donald Trump in the '16 primaries, and lessons and insights from one of the most creative thinkers in politics.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Liz’s unusual childhood bouncing between Seattle and London…
The school project that exposed Liz to campaign politics…
Liz’s first professional role in politics working for David Cameron and the UK Tory Party…
Liz talks similarities and differences between the UK Conservative Party and American Republicans…
How Liz transitioned from UK to US politics, working for the RNC in the ’08 cycle…
Liz’s experience with the McCain campaign, plus her memories of the Sarah Palin experience…
Liz’s take on GOP pols she’s worked with including Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina, Rick Perry, and Scott Walker…
The unsuccessful 2016 Republican presidential candidate Liz thinks will be president in her lifetime…
Liz talks lessons learned from her anti-Trump efforts in the 2016 GOP primaries…
The ad Liz thinks could’ve taken down Trump in ’16…
Rumors about the failed Rubio / Cruz alliance to stop Trump in 2016…
The mistakes that Liz sees campaign make…
Liz’s career advice to campaign operatives…
Liz’s strangest work habit…
AND Marc Ambinder, annoying bloggers, Joe Biden, billboards in Iowa, billing 110 hours a week, BlogHer, Cameronites, Ken Clarke, Kellyanne Conway, cranberry juice, Ted Cruz, Howard Dean, debt finance, deepest darkest Surrey, Danny Diaz, Elizabeth Dole, Mike Duncan, Euro skeptics, David Gauke, Rudy Giuliani, Maggie Haberman, Hewlett-Packard, the Hunt for the Red October, Amy Klobuchar, Cyrus Krohn, Medieval History majors, modern guys, NDAs, naps, National Review, Mike Nelson, Barack Obama, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Tim Pawlenty, Tina Podlodowski, Hercule Poirot, policy wonks at AEI, post-partum depression, RedState, the Republican Main Street Partnership, Tony Rezko, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Greg Sargent, Steve Schmidt, Allyson Schwartz, Sam Stein, stockbrokers and housewives, the stupidest person in the room, the Tea Party, Margaret Thatcher, Fred Thompson, token volunteering, Trump copycats, Elizabeth Warren, webcasts, the welfare state, Meg Whitman, Rick Wilson & more!
Ken Spain, the founder of Narrative Strategies, had worked at high levels in Republican politics and corporate comms before starting his own strategic communications firm. He worked for the Bush/Cheney re-elect in 04, on the Hill for three different GOP members, at a senior position at the NRCC campaign committee, for the Private Equity Council during the tumultuous 2012 elections, & running corporate communications for Koch Industries. In this conversation, Ken talks his path through GOP politics, his perspective as a Hispanic operative, starting a bipartisan communications firm, and much more.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Ken grows up in Richard Nixon country in Southern California as the son of Reagan Democrats…
Ken breaks into politics working in California legislative politics…
Ken talks helping the George W. Bush re-election campaign carry New Mexico in 2004…
What Ken's learned from mentor Ken Mehlman, manager of the 2004 Bush campaign…
Ken spearheads an effort to help the private equity industry defend itself as it’s attacked during the Mitt Romney presidential campaign…
Ken talks lessons and tips learned from working for 3 members on Capitol Hill…
Ken’s breaks down the differences in a well run Hill office versus a poorly-run office…
Ken’s experience as a Hispanic operative working in GOP politics…
Ken’s take on why Trump overperformed expectations among Latino voters in 2020…
Ken’s level of optimism that California Republicans can start winning statewide soon…
Ken contrasts working at the NRCC in the Dem wave year of 2008 versus the GOP wave in 2010…
Ken talks his time running corporate communications for Koch Industries…
Ken’s analysis of what’s often misunderstood about the Koch Brothers’ approach to politics…
Ken talks the founding of Narrative Strategies and the firm’s growth over the past few years…
Ken’s best practices for developing a professional network…
AND 100 hours of focus groups, the 210 freeway, Americans for Prosperity, arcane business models, Bain Capital, Bernalillo County, Tony Blair, Blue Dogs, John Boehner, Rick Boucher, Brexit, Bobby Bright, British Victorian History, Scott Brown, Lois Capps, classical liberalism, Clovis, Tom Cole, community colleges, Mike Conaway, Charlie Cook, dark money, Gray Davis, Tom Davis, Danny Diaz, David Dreier, Larry Elder, flip-floppers, Fullerton, James Gandolfini, Newt Gingrich, Ari Gold, Barry Goldwater, Scott Jennings, jumpballs, Las Cruces, the Latino Summit, Bob Margett, Mary Queen of Scots, Mike McCaul, Kevin McCarthy, Ken Mehlman, moving down the dais, Gavin Newsom, Jim Oberstar, David Obey, Leon Panetta, pension funds, The Private Equity Council, pumpjacks, Harry Reid, Richard Riordan, Santa Barbara, Steve Schmidt, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pete Sessions, John Shadegg, Bill Simon, Ike Skelton, John Spratt, surprise medical billing, Dave Wasserman, Wichita, Pete Wilson…& more!
Roger Lau has one of the most unique origin stories in all of politics. Growing up in Queens as the child of Chinese immigrants, he dropped out of high school...before eventually getting back on track, getting his GED, and taking a fateful Political Science course at UMass Amherst. Roger talks mistakes and lessons from his early days, how he re-focused his life, and the incredible job interview that led him to an internship that shaped the rest of his life. Roger also shares how he entered the world of Elizabeth Warren in 2012, his perspective as manager of the Warren 2020 presidential campaign, and what motivated him to join the DNC after the 2020 elections.
IN THIS EPISODE
Roger grows up in Queens as the son of Chinese immigrants…
Mistakes Roger made early and how he got back on the right track…
Early political memories from Roger’s childhood…
The amazing confluence of events that led to Roger interning for Senator John Kerry…
Roger speaks to the John Kerry he’s seen up-close and personal…
The role that served as Roger’s “big break” rising through the ranks of politics…
The roles Ayanna Pressley has played in Roger’s career…
The Roger Lau 101 for effective campaign managers…
Roger’s entry point into the world of Elizabeth Warren…
Roger takes the helm of the Warren 2020 campaign…
Roger talks the elements that made the Warren campaign unique…
Two things other 2020 primary campaigns did that impressed Roger…
What makes Elizabeth Warren unique as a political figure…
What sparked Roger’s interest in going to work at the DNC…
What Roger thinks political operatives should understand about the AAPI community…
AND 123 miles, the 7 line, Joe Biden, Scott Brown, Pete Buttigieg, campaign unions, cardboard corrugating factories, Julian Castro, clown t-shirts, Dorchester, Dunkin Donuts, GEDs, generational talents, hot leads, Jesse Jackson, Joe Kennedy, late night dinners, Monopoly, PS 11, Quincy, Juan Rodriguez, Rockaway Beach, John Rocker, rocket science, Roosevelt Avenue, Maya Rupert, selfie lines, Faiz Shakir, Shea Stadium, the Springfield Republican, teaching America, ugly suits, UMass Amherst, unpaid internships, Washington Square Park, wingwomen, Woodside, Worcester, & more!
You no doubt know that Alex Burns and Jonathan Martin, both of the New York Times, recently released their new book THIS WILL NOT PASS…chronicling the last few years of our politics…including Trump’s time in office, the 2020 election and aftermath, the January 6 insurrection, and the first phase of the Biden Administration. In this conversation, they go deep on many of the stories in their book – including some background and asides not fleshed out in the book and stories you won’t have heard from them amidst their recent media blitz.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Does Donald Trump really think he won the 2020 election or is this all subterfuge to refuse to acknowledge he lost?
Which US Senator was prescient in anticipating exactly how Trump would cast doubt on the results post election?
Why hasn’t President George W. Bush been more vocal against Trump?
One Republican Senator who typifies the GOP establishment’s difficulty managing Trump?
How many Republicans would’ve impeached and removed Trump were it a secret ballot?
Inside Mitch McConnell’s decision to back Trump on impeachment…
Whose hold on his caucus is more tenuous…Mitch McConnell or Kevin McCarthy…
The conventional wisdom of what a post-Pelosi Democratic caucus looks like…
Inside the Biden VP process…
Inside GOP attempts to woo Senator Manchin to switch parties…
Weighing in on rumors Trump flirted with dumping Mike Pence from the 2020 ticket…
The backbench Republican Congressman who captured the House GOP sentiment to give Trump a pass for January 6…
The Democratic Governor who was one of their favorite interviews…
The failed GOP Senate recruit who shows the changing of the guard in the Republican Party…
The interview with the House Republican that demonstrates “the beauty of reporting…”…
The two colleagues they specifically mention in the acknowledgements…
The Southern influence on the New York Times…
Off-the-beaten-path political book recommendations from both Alex and Jonathan…
AND Air Force One, Lamar Alexander, Don Bacon, Howard Baker, Dean Baquet, Beau Biden, John Boehner, Josh Bolton, Rick Bragg, Mo Brooks, Jeb Bush, Robert Caro, Turner Catledge, Liz Cheney, Chris Christie, Katherine Clark, Hillary Clinton, colonoscopies, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, convenient self-justification, Bob Corker, defied admonitions, difficult truths, Dixiecrats, Duck Run, Tammy Duckworth, Dwight Eisenhower, Facebook, Fox News, Jeffrey Frank, Maggie Haberman, Kamala Harris, Bill Haslam, the House Steering Committee, Sasha Issenberg, Pramila Jayapal, Hakeem Jeffries, Bill Johnson, Jim Jordan, John F Kennedy, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Patrick McHenry, Mt Rushmore, musical chairs, Richard Nixon, Kristi Noem, normie Republicans, Robert Novak, the Progressive Caucus, Howell Raines, real damn Democrats, red carpets, Reservoir Dogs, Campbell Robertson, Karl Rove, Steve Scalise, Brian Schatz, Adam Schiff, Ted Strickland, Gay Talese, Harry Truman, useful fig leaves, JD Vance, Gretchen Whitmer, Roger Wicker, Steve Womack, worry-mongering, Jeff Zients…& more!
Hazel Wong is the Director of Global Conservation Campaigns at The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s largest and most successful environmental organizations. In this conversation, Hazel talks growing up on the island nation of The Seychelles, how political upheaval forced her family to migrate to the U.S., the future member of Congress who became a political mentor, and experiences and lessons from nearly 20 years helping win environmental ballot measures.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Hazel talks memories of the first few years of her life growing up on the island nation of Seychelles…
Hazel’s father becomes a political prisoner…
Why it became necessary for Hazel’s family to leave her home and move to the U.S…
Hazel experiences culture shock once her family moves to Las Vegas…
The American politician Hazel’s father regularly complained about…
The future member of Congress who became a mentor to Hazel and steered her toward a career in politics…
How Hazel first connected with The Nature Conservancy…
The Hazel Wong best practices on ballot measures which have led to a 88% success rate…
Hazel talks lessons from winning a campaign in Minnesota and losing a measure in Utah…
Hazel’s thoughts on how a lack of shared resources is compromising the effectiveness of the environmental movement…
Hazel talks how climate change has become an “identity issue” and how that makes progress more difficult…
Why “gloom and doom” climate and change messaging makes it harder to communicate with Americans…
What Hazel has learned about effectively managing teams over the past 20 years…
Hazel provides an update on the progress making the environmental movement more diverse…
Hazel’s tips on building a professional network…
Hazel updates her thoughts on the concept of a personal “likability number”…
Hazel’s travel hacks…
& much more!
Jesse Ferguson is a top Democratic strategist and comms expert - who cut his teeth in Virginia, ran the $60M+ DCCC Independent Expenditure in 2014, served as a top press aide to the Clinton ’16 campaign, and is now a strategist advising numerous organizations and independent expenditures. In this conversation, Jesse talks key moments and lessons from his career, as well as providing his Messaging 101 on how he thinks of effective political communications.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Jesse’s family connection to Joe McCarthy and the 1950s Red Scare…
Jesse’s early Republican leanings and the high-profile Republican he almost interned for…
Jesse’s theory of Virginia as a trendsetter in American politics…
Jesse talks the importance of Mark Warner in the rise of Virginia Democrats…
In college, Jesse starts Virginia21 to encourage more investment in Virginia higher education…
Jesse talks the value of getting experience outside of DC…
Jesse navigates multiple cycles rising through the ranks at the DCCC…
Lessons from his “favorite job” running the DCCC IE in 2014…
Jesse talks his senior comms role in the Hillary Clinton 2016 race…
The 3 challenges the Hillary 2016 campaign had with the press…
Jesse shares insights from health struggles he’s faced…
Jesse provides his Messaging 101 on speaking on the record, outlandish stunts, getting earned media, and more…
Jesse’s go-to “ABCV” message trick…
The three TV shows that form the backbone of Jesse’s approach to life…
AND…agents of intolerance, George Allen, Mark Bergman, Demand Justice, Dukakis bumper stickers, early warning signs, earworms, Brian Fallon, Jerry Falwell, flowing hair, fruit flies, Steve Israel, Steve Jarding, Tim Kaine, kazoos, Abraham Lincoln, Travis Lowe, Stewart Mills, Robby Mook, Rick Nolan, Ralph Northam, The Palm, Jen Palmieri, Ed Peavy, pneumonic devices, press releases on camera, Protect Our Care, Red Dawn, Mame Reiley, the Richmond Jewish community, Pat Robertson, robots, Rockefeller Republicans, Michael Scherer, screen agnosticism, sharp elbows, Star Wars, Tikkun olam, Joe Trippi, the Urban Crescent, Kelly Ward, William & Mary, & more!
Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research, has been a leading Democratic researcher and strategist for 30+ years. In this conversation she talks her Montana roots, her path to polling, working for groundbreaking women like Geraldine Ferraro, Carol Mosley Braun, and Nancy Pelosi, working on Biden 2020, and lessons & insights from four decades working to elect Democrats and advance progressive goals.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Celinda talks growing up on a ranch in Montana…
The progressive tradition in Montana…
The Vietnam War influences Celinda’s politics…
Celinda’s theory on why Montana produces so much political talent…
Celinda moves from the academic world to the campaign world…
Celinda tells the story of one of her heroes, the first woman pollster in politics…
The first races on which Celinda cut her teeth as a political pollster…
Celinda remembers lessons learned from heading up focus groups for Clinton-Gore ’92…
The origins and rise of Lake Research…
The story of turning down a US Senator who wanted to work with Lake Research…
How Celinda thinks of issue messaging…
Celinda talks the challenges women candidates face…
Celinda’s memories of working with trailblazers Geraldine Ferraro, Barbara Mikulski, Carol Mosley Braun, and Nancy Pelosi…
Celinda polls for AOC during her 2018 upset…
What Celinda knows about Joe Biden that might not be common knowledge…
Celinda’s take on what makes a good pollster…
Celinda’s strangest work habit…
AND….22 rifles, Spence Abraham, John Anzalone, Jerry Austin, David Axelrod, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, Matt Barreto, Max Baucus, Jill Biden, Valerie Biden, Heather Booth, blueberry muffins, Ron Brown, James Carville, the cat’s meow, Hillary Clinton, Copper Kings, country schools, Joe Crowley, Mike Donilon, EEOC lawyers, Emerge, EMILYs List, fitbits, Kathleen Frankovic, Anderson Gardner, gatekeeping, Geoff Garin, Geneva, the gender gap, Ed Goeas, Mandy Grunwald, Stan Greenberg, Bill Hamilton, Kamala Harris, Gary Hart, Peter Hart, Harrison Hickman, Higher Heights, Italian city-states, Justice Democrats, George Lakoff, Joe Lamson, Ed Lazarus, Silas Lee, Ann Lewis, looking for patterns, Mike Lux, Dotty Lynch, mainframes, Nelson Mandela, Mike Mansfield, Mark Mellman, Jim Messina, Lee Metcalf, Warren Miller, Barbara Mikulski, Walter Mondale, Motown, new voices, Northern Plains Resource Council, Kathleen O’Reilly, Ross Perot, John Podesta, Lana Pollack, Bob Putnam, the race-class narrative, ranked-choice voting, Jeanette Rankin, Ready to Run, Ronald Reagan, red state sensibilities, Nelson Rockefeller, Steve Rosenthal, Anat Shenker-Osorio, Smith College, Alysia Snell, social proof, Social Security cards, Doug Sosnik, Debbie Stabenow, Gail Stoltz, student deferments, Phil Tawney, Jon Tester, two for one, University of Michigan, Kathy van Hook, Women’s Campaign Fund, The Women’s Lobby, Pat Williams, & more!
Chris Shays cuts an iconic, if disappearing, profile across the American political scene. One of the last by-God moderate House Republicans from the Northeast, he represented Connecticut in the US House for more than 20 years...a congressional career spanning the Reagan Revolution through the 2008 Democrative wave ushering in President Obama. In this discussion, he talks the Republican Connecticut of his youth, his time in Fiji serving in the Peace Corps, his decade serving in the state legislature, the time he was sentenced to several days in prison to protest political corruption, and lessons & memories from 20 years in the House.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Congressman Shays recalls the Republican DNA of the Connecticut of his youth…
What political moment made his father upgrade their TV...
His time serving in Fiji in the Peace Corps…
Memorable door-to-door experiences from his first legislative campaign in 1974…
He rubs party leaders the wrong way on his very first day in the CT State House…
The amazing story of how a fight to root out judicial corruption in Connecticut lands him in jail for several days…
Coming from behind to win a special election to Congress in 1987…
The big difference he noticed between lobbyists in state government vs Congress…
The one other member of Congress he wanted most to meet upon his election…
The changes within the House GOP Conference pre and post Newt Gingrich ascension…
Congressman Shays' contribution to the ’94 GOP takeover wave - both intentional and otherwise...
Behind the scenes of the failed GOP coup against New Gingrich in 1997…
The time moderate Chris Says was most in the doghouse with his party’s leadership…
What it felt like to feel his district shift left in the 2000s…
Congressman Shays talks the breakdown of bipartisanship in Congress…
How deeply did he consider switching parties?
What went into his decision to endorse both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden over Donald Trump?
A memorable meeting when Donald Trump met with Congressman Shays about building a Connecticut casino…
Regrets about his 2012 Senate primary against self-funding Linda McMahon…
The unconventional book idea he may pursue…
AND….Dick Armey, the assault weapons ban, the best office in the Capitol, Black Rock, Roy Blunt, Bridgeport, George W. Bush, Mr. Clean, Bill Clinton, the Commission on Wartime Contracting, Common Cause, Tom Davis, Darien, Tom Delay, Mrs. Donahue, Dwight Eisenhower, Russ Feingold, Gerald Ford, Newt Gingrich, grievance committees, Jim Himes, Pete Hoekstra, Henry Hyde, Hertz, inverted bell curves, it hits the fan, Jehovah’s Witnesses, John Kasich, Joe Kennedy, Ned Lamont, Steve Largent, John Lewis, Joe Lieberman, the Longworth building, Carolyn Maloney, Marla Maples, John McCain, Marty Meehan, Bob Michel, NBC, the NRCC, the New York Times, Christine Niedermeier, Richard Nixon, Jim Nussle, Bill Paxon, the Peace Corps, Nancy Pelosi, penny loafers, Colin Powell, Stamford, Leon Uris, the WWF…& more!
Liuba Grechen Shirley is the founder/CEO of VoteMama – a non-profit dedicated to supporting moms running for office. In this conversation, she talks running for office in 2018 as a first-time candidate, making history as the first woman to receive FEC approval to use campaign money for child care, and making an impact with VoteMama.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Liuba speaks to the politics that shaped here while growing up on Long Island…
Her analysis of why Trump connected with voters on Long Island…
Liuba talks her work on development in Ghana before entering politics…
The phenomenon of “mommy-tracking” in the business world…
How the switch flipped for her to become active in congressional politics in the 2018 election…
Liuba’s take on her 2018 opponent Congressman Peter King…
Her experience running for office as a first-time candidate…
How she made history as the first woman to receive approval to use campaign money to cover child care…
The relationship Liuba forged with Elizabeth Warren during the congressional campaign…
The high profile pol who gave Liuba pep talks before debates…
A window into how Liuba put together her consultant team…
Why she passed on the 2020 open-seat after a narrow 2018 loss…
How she started VoteMama to support mothers running for office…
VoteMama’s nonpartisan work being done to ensure more candidates can use campaign funds for child care…
How Liuba is thinking about the 2022 election cycle…
Advice for others starting a political non-profit…
AND 6-foot cardboard cutouts, Accra, adult coloring books, affable guys, Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Jocelyn Benson, Berlin Rosen, Anna Brichacek, Madison Cawthorn, Hillary Clinton, Stephen Colbert, FoxNews, Kirsten Gillibrand, Chelsea Clark, Isaac Goldberg, green marble notebooks, Grey’s Anatomy, MJ Hegar, Monica Klein, Kathy Hochul, Indivisible, Morgan Lamandre, Lindenhurst, Grace Meng, mom pep talks, Gwen Moore, the Muslim Ban, NYU, Maggie Oliver, paid family leave, orange juice, osteogenesis imperfecta, Papua New Guinea, party bosses, Planned Parenthood, Katie Porter, Emily Robinson, the Russian Revolution, Kim Schrier, small structural change…& more!
Dave Wasserman, a Senior Editor at the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, is universally regarded as one of the foremost election analysts on the planet - especially when it comes to US House races. In this conversation, Dave talks his early obession with all things politics, how he turned that into a job at the Cook Report, his approach to political analysis, the story behind his twitter catchphrase "I've seen enough", and his take on both the 2022 redistricting developments & overall House playing field.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Dave’s early love of maps…
How a cable system glitch leads Dave to find politics…
Dave’s unusual gift request for his 13th Birthday…
The one race that drew Dave into congressional politics…
The story behind a teenage Dave’s appearance as a pundit on a local public affairs show…
Dave talks his important intersection with UVA Professor Larry Sabato…
The $10 bet Dave won from Larry Sabato…
The college analysis Dave wrote that led to his role with the Cook Report…
Dave talks the approach he brings to elections analysis…
What goes into creating Dave’s election night models…
Dave on the races he’s proud he got right, plus some that surprised him…
Dave talks trends he’s observed in House races during his time as a race-rater…
Dave takes us behind the scenes of the NBC Election Night Decision Desk…
The origin of Dave’s catchphrase to call elections…
Dave breaks down the average work week for a race-rating analyst…
Dave talks his longtime fascination with the redistricting process…
Dave gives his thoughts on the 2022 redistricting process…
Dave provides an update on recent legal ground that’s been broken around redistricting…
Dave’s overall read on the '22 House playing field…
Dave talks signs the Trump hold on the House GOP caucus may be weakening…
Dave’s advice to the next generation of race-raters…
AND 2,568 districts, George Allen, Mrs. Barkley, Ben Bernanke, Mary Bono Mack, Lauren Boebert, Bridgegate, Scott Brown, bruised egos, C-Span, Eric Cantor, Joe Cao, Don Cazayoux, Julia Carson, James Carville, Travis Childers, Emanuel Cleaver, Martha Coakley, Miles Coleman, compulsive list making, Jim Cooper, cranberry bread, creative ethics, Joe Crowley, Ted Cruz, Henry Cuellar, Rodney Davis, Pete Dawkins, Peter DeFazio, dummymanders, Election Twitter, Marc Elias, false suspense, food science, Louie Gohmert, Governing Magazine, Josh Harder, Andy Harris, Rush Holt, Bill Jefferson, John Katko, Dan Kildee, Steve Kornacki, Frank Lautenberg, Elaine Luria, Morgan Lutrell, Sean Patrick Maloney, map recipients, Terry McAuliffe, Kevin McCarthy, Bob McDonnell, David McKinley, Peter Meijer, Mary Miller, minimum split districting, Alex Mooney, Nathaniel Moran, Joe Morelle, oddly engrossing debates, Mike Pappas, Nancy Pelosi, PoliticsNJ.com, Premier League Soccer, QVC, Raul Ruiz, Stu Rothenberg, Rutgers, Bernard Shaw, Chris Shays, Siskel & Ebert, Elissa Slotkin, Abigail Spanberger, the Squad, Starbucks, Kenneth Starr, useful stereotypes, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, Fred Upton, violin lessons, Wal Mart, Amy Walter, Jim Webb, West River South Dakota, David Wildstein, Judy Woodruff, John Yarmuth, Glen Youngkin, …& more!
Very few Americans have had the impact on public policy as has Joseph Califano. Though his parents only graduated high school, he went to Harvard Law and by age 30 was working at high levels of the John F. Kennedy Administration - and shortly after was the top domestic White House aide to Lyndon Johnson. In this conversation, he talks his meteoric rise through the Kennedy / Johnson years, seeing first-hand as the LBJ “Johnson Treatment” built the Great Society, the toll that Vietnam took on President Johnson, & his work as HEW Cabinet Secretary under President Carter to start a national anti-smoking campaign that’s had immeasurable benefits to public health in the US. This is a great conversation with a true American Dream success story and political dynamo.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Growing up as an Italian-American kid in the era of Franklin Roosevelt…
How a working class Brooklyn kid makes it to Harvard Law…
Why he left a lucrative private law firm to enter the Kennedy Administration…
He talks working in the early days of the Kennedy Administration with Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara…
Memories from meetings with President Kennedy…
Early impressions working up and close and personal with President Johnson…
Why LBJ sequenced the 1964 Civil Rights Act ahead of other Great Society programs…
Secretary Califano goes in depth describing “The Johnson Treatment”…
Memories from the White House on the night Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated…
The “race against expectations” that informed much of LBJ’s time in office…
Secretary Califano talks the difficulty in passing Fair Housing legislation…
The role that Lady Bird Johnson played in helping making President Johnson more effective…
The connection between Secretary Califano’s son and safety caps on medicine bottles…
Reflecting on a political misfire as President Johnson missed an opportunity to appoint a new Supreme Court Chief Justice…
The toll that the Vietnam War took on President Johnson…
President Johnson’s courageous early foray for gun safety laws…
The last conversation he had with President Johnson after he left office…
His time in the Carter Cabinet as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare…
Why Democrats couldn’t secure universal healthcare during the Democratic trifecta of the late 1970s…
How he came to spearhead a national anti-smoking campaign…
AND the AMA, Carolyn Agger, Brooklyn Prep, McGeorge Bundy, George Christian, Sterling Cottrell, Thomas Dewey, Everett Dirksen, Dwight Eisenhower, Abe Fortas, Gerald Ford, William Fulbright, the Harvard Law Review, the Hirshhorn Museum, Holy Cross, IBM, the JAG Corps, Lady Bird Johnson, Robert Kennedy, leak central, Russell Long, Mike Mansfield, Harry Middleton, Bill Moyers, John McGillicuddy, Harry McPherson, Richard Nixon, Dick Ottinger, PS 182, Claiborne Pell, Jake Pickle, a revolving son of a bitch, the Subversive Activity Control Board, Al Smith, sugar in gas tanks, Jack Valenti, Cyrus Vance, Earl Warren, Watts riots…& more!
Mary Landrieu served 3 terms in the US Senate from Louisiana, after a term as State Treasurer and time in the State Legislature. In this conversation, she talks growing up in New Orleans as the daughter of Mayor Moon Landrieu, the equation that drew her to political service, several rough-and-tumble statewide campaigns, memories from 18 years in the Senate, and what she’s focused on since leaving the Senate in 2015.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up the eldest of 9 siblings to New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu…
The process of elimination that led to pursuing a political career…
A 23-year old Mary Landrieu serves in the virtually all-male Louisiana legislature…
Senator Landrieu remembers Louisiana political giants Russell Long, Lindy Boggs, and Edwin Edwards…
Memories of her first US Senate win in 1996 as an underdog…
What happened when the New Orleans Archbishop declared it would be “a sin” to vote for pro-choice Mary Landrieu…
What surprised her upon entering the US Senate…
Her memories of serving 12 years in the Senate with Joe Biden…
What it’s like being a swing vote in the US Senate…
Her strategy to winning 3 tough statewide in Louisiana…
The current work that excites her the most…
Senator Landrieu provides the agenda for the next time you’re in New Orleans…
AND 5,778 votes, baloney, Valerie Biden, Kathleen Blanco, Hale Boggs, Donna Brazile, Broadmoor, Robert Byrd, chutzpah, the Dinosaur Age, Chris Dodd, David Duke, EMILYs List, Dianne Feinstein, Head and Master Laws, Dan Inouye, Jim Crow, Bennett Johnston, John Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Blanche Lincoln, Gillis Long, Barbara Mikulski, Chep Morrison, Lisa Murkowski, playing fort, Jamie Raskin, Ann Richards, Norman Jane Sabiston, smart cookies, Olympia Snowe, societal sheddings, Ted Stevens, the Superdome, Donald Trump, Ursuline nune & more!
Rory Cooper, partner at Purple Strategies, has worked at all levels of Republican politics…cutting his teeth in campaigns, working in the George W. Bush White House, for the Department of Homeland Security right after 9-11, running communications for the conservative Heritage Foundation, and as Comms Director for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Rory tells great stories from these stops, with lessons and insights learned along the way.
IN THIS EPISODE
Rory’s early political memories growing up around Detroit…
A high school Rory finds a way into the 1992 Presidential debate…
Rory takes over a New Orleans GOP field office in 1996…
A young Rory learns an important political staffing lesson from Trent Lott…
Rory is one of the first staffers hired after the Dept of Homeland Security is created post 9-11…
Rory talks being around President Bush and working in the Bush White House…
An important campaign lesson Rory learned on a California special election…
Rory runs communications for the Heritage Foundation as the think tank undergoes changes…
Interviewing to become Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s Communication Director…
Memorable fights with both Republicans and Democrats as Cantor’s Comms Director…
Rory talks the leadership qualities he saw from then Speaker John Boehner…
The GOP member who’s not a household name who impressed Rory…
Rory talks the difference in good Hill boss versus a bad Hill boss…
Rory reflects on the surprise loss of Eric Cantor in the 2014 GOP primary…
Rory busts some myths about the Cantor loss and the impact of that primary on GOP politics since…
How Rory approaches his next job off the Hill…
Rory talks the work he does now at Purple Strategies…
The messaging lesson Rory learned from Joe Biden…
Rory’s two tips to help people succeed in their career…
AND…Spence Abraham, aligning Powerpoint slides, Dick Armey, ascendancy principles, BRAC, Joe Biden, the boringest day of the campaign, Neil Bradley, Andy Card, carnival barkers, Alex Castellanos, Bill Clinton, corn chowder, Joe Crowley, Ted Cruz, Bob Dole, donut hole fixes, DREAMers, Eisenhower Internships, Rich Falkenrath, fiscal cliffs, Mike Forbes, the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, the Grateful Dead, Joe Hagin, Laura Ingraham, John Jamian, Mardi Gras beads, making Tucker Carlson happy, Mel Martinez, Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, Patrick McHenry, Steve McMahon, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Meet the Press, the members only elevator, Milk Duds, navigating cubicles, Obamacare, participants vs pundits, Phish, quoting Hayek, the Republican Study Committee, remaining sticky, rude customers, RINOs, Save Your Asks, serious legislators, Steve Stombres, the Tea Party, Donald Trump, VAWA, village city councils, What It Takes, yellow tape around memorials, & more!
John Anzalone has been a Democratic pollster winning tough races for 30+ years, most recently as Chief Pollster for Biden 2020 helping navigate a crowded primary and grueling general election en route to ousting Donald Trump. John talks his working class roots growing up in Michigan, cutting his teeth in the Biden '88 ('87) presidential, his path to polling, and ultimately starting and growing his own firm to become on the handful of top-tier Democratic pollsters in the country.
IN THIS EPISODE
John grows up a “free lunch kid” and the son of a Teamster in Michigan…
John learns an unfortunate lesson from his childhood nickname…
Practicing dirty tricks in his first campaign involvement…
John talks about his mentor David Wilhelm…
John’s first big campaign working for Biden for President in 1987…
John’s memories from his early 20s of being around then Senator Biden…
John talks the All-Star team he was part of with James Carville and Paul Begala in a 1988 Senate race…
John’s FOMO from missing the 1992 Clinton Presidential…
The John Anzalone best practices for campaign managers…
John’s decision to go into polling…
John opens up his own polling firm after apprenticing at Frederick Schneiders…
John talks the value of “coming in second” in client pitches…
The challenge of starting a new Democratic firm in the South in the mid 90s…
The firm’s success in 04/06 sets the stage to be brought on board with Obama 2008…
John talks lessons learned from working at high levels in four straight presidential races…
John talks the fabled slide deck that informed some of the early Biden 2020 conversations…
John on early challenges for Biden 2020 and what is underappreciated about the winning campaign against Trump…
John’s advice to the next generation pollsters…
John’s travel tips…
John talks the rebrand of Impact Research…
AND…$50,000, Pete Aguilar, Kevin Akins, Jason Altmire, David Axelrod, Barcaloungers, Anna Bennett, big damn deals, Chris Bollwage, Bobby Bright, Joe Burrow, Pete Buttigieg, Don Cazayoux, the Chicago Sun-Times, Travis Childers, Citizens for Tax Justice, Sam Coppersmith, Country Club Republicans, the DC vortex, Rich Daley, Buddy Darden, Pete Dawkins, dead-bang losers, Nathan Deal, Delta Comfort, David Dixon, David Doak, Mike Donilon, Mike Doyle, Anita Dunn, Rahm Emanuel, Rob Engel, Paul Finebaum, the Florida House Caucus, Pete Giangreco, Gwen Graham, Larry Grisolano, Kay Hagan, Debbie Halvorson, Tom Harkin, Gary Hart, Paul Hodes, Jimmy Hoffa, Matt Hogan, Paul Johnson, Larry Kissell, Ron Klein, Amy Klobuchar, Bruce Koeppel, Leading Edge Computers, Jeff Link, Jeff Liszt, Local 7, Jon Macks, Frank Mascara, Paul Maslin, Steve McMahon, Charlie Melancon, Walter Mondale, the Monkey Business, Molly Murphy, Karen Olick, Jen O’Malley Dixon, Bob Packwood, Steve Paikowsky, David Plouffe, prayer warriors, Mark Pryor, Ronald Reagan, Jay Rhodes, Karl Rove, Mitch Rubin, Dan Rostenkowski, John Salazar, Bernie Sanders, Rick Santorum, Greg Schneiders, Heath Shuler, Sicilian enclaves, Clay Shaw, Bob Shrum, Mark Siljander, Steve Sisolak, David Stockman, stray dogs, Brian Stryker, Survey Monkey, Charles Taylor, Dina Titus, Trenton labor people, Uncle Izzy, Fred Upton, Chris Van Hollen, Jon Vogel, Terry Walsh, Whirlpool HQ, Sheldon Whitehouse, whiz-bang kids, Howard Wolpe, & more!
Joe Crowley was a district party leader at 23, in the New York State Assembly at 26, and in the US House at 37...a political prodigy by any measure. He talks the early lessons learned in Queens politics, his time around Governor Mario Cuomo, his rise through the Assembly and Congress, his 2018 primary against AOC, and memorable moments and valuable insights from 20 years in the House.
IN THIS EPISODE…
The Crowley family lore that intersects with the Titanic…
Congressman Crowley’s early political memories growing up in Queens…
The family connection between the Crowleys and the Cuomos…
The story behind a 26-year-old Joe Crowley elected to the state legislature…
The enduring mystery behind his candidacy for Queens College president…
Memories of the “totalitarian” nature of the New York State Legislature…
He remembers the “magnetic” personality of Mario Cuomo, plus how close he came to a Cuomo Presidential bid…
He talks how Mario Cuomo and Geraldine Ferraro opened the door for pro-choice Catholics in New York politics…
The unusual story behind his surprising 1998 candidacy for Congress…
His first impressions of Congress…
The Joe Crowley 101 of what new members should know…
Congressman Crowley “expends some political muscle” to advance marriage equality…
How Congressman Crowley climbed the leadership ladder to become Democratic Caucus Chair…
Congressman Crowley’s perspective on the Pelosi-Hoyer relationship…
A glimpse into the intensity surrounding the ACA legislative process…
How he views the 2018 primary against AOC with a few years hindsight…
How he’s approached his post-congressional career…
The Broadway musical Congressman Crowley is helping produce…
His thoughts on running for mayor or running statewide…
Advice for those in government relations…
Congressman Crowley’s relationship with both Presidents Obama and Biden…
Who’s the hardest working person in Washington?
Congressman Crowley’s early instincts toward Donald Trump…
Congressman Crowley’s 2022 advice for Congressional Democrats…
AND…9/11, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bella Abzug, John Adams, John Boehner, boiler engineers, Dick Cain, Steve Chabot, civility in discourse, County Armagh, the DCCC, Geraldine Ferraro, the Five Points, Frontline Democrats, Ben Gillman, Thomas Jefferson, John Kennedy, Ed Koch, John Larson, Barbara Lee, Donald Manes, a members’ member, Cathy Nolan, Tom Manton, the New Dem Coalition, Dave Obey, Paradise Square, Nancy Pelosi, Powell Memorial High, Paul Ryan, John Sabini, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Chuck Schumer, shoe leather, Bud Shuster, Squire Patton Boggs, Tammany Hall, Walter McCaffery, Watergate babies, & more!
Adnaan Muslim has been a leading player in Democratic direct mail for more than 20 years, initially helping start Mission Control mail and now as a partner at Deliver Strategies. In this conversation, Adnaan talks his path to working in politics, how he gravitated to direct mail, importance races in his career like electing Elizabeth Warren, Jared Polis, and Raphael Warnock, and the passion he has for campaign speechwriting. Great stories, insight, and advice from one of the most unique voices in politics.
IN THIS EPISODE
The member of Congress that made an impression on Adnaan at age 10…
The Congressional internship and specific moment that led Adnaan to a life in politics…
Adnaan’s talks the value of starting a political career by working in campaign fundraising…
Adnaan gives his perspective as a staffer of color in a historically white business…
Adnaan tells the story of building the Democratic mail firm Mission Control…
The early races that Adnaan cut his teeth on as a strategist…
Adnaan talks his approach to designing effective mail pieces…
Adnaan joins his current firm Deliver Strategies…
Adnaan’s role in Elizabeth Warren’s first campaign in the 2012 Massachusetts Senate race…
Adnaan talks one of the most important inflection points in the Elizabeth Warren 2012 win…
Adnaan’s best practices for political speechwriting…
Adnaan’s talks through two of his favorite political speeches…
Adnaan talks about his passion for writing screenplays and being involved in filmmaking…
Adnaan talks some of the creative tactics behind Raphael Warnock’s Georgia Senate win…
Adnaan’s travel tips and hacks…
Adnaan’s strangest work habit…
Adnaan’s unconventional relationship with one of his competitors…
AND Gabby Adler, Advent calendars, bad packers, Scott Brown, Rob Burch, Maryanne Connelly, checkered reputations, crescendos and decrescendos, Mario Cuomo, Happy Fernandez, Gema, Mandy Grunwald, Jesse Jackson, joining a supergroup, Tim Johnson, Elena Kagan, Ted Kennedy, Haroon Khan, kitchenettes, Mack Sumner, Betsy McCaughey Ross, the Mujahideen, Mindy Myers, Newburgh NY, Bob Ney, photocopies of business cards, George Pataki, Ed Peavy, Jared Polis, Larry Pressler, Ayanna Pressley, Ronald Reagan, roleplaying, Marla Romash, Antonin Scalia, screenplays in a drawer, Sony Walkman, speeches only a Dad could love, unforced errors, Sujata Tejwani, Vernon CT, Raphael Warnock, Charlie Wilson, Michelle Wu, & more!
Kelly Hall is the Executive Director of the Fairness Project, which works to pass ballot measures on economic fairness issues such as the minimum wage, Medicaid expansion, and paid leave. Before taking the helm at the Fairness Project, she worked in campaigns and as a Hill staffer prior to entering the Obama Administration to focus on implementing the Affordable Care Act. In this conversation, Kelly talks through her own experiences to offer insight about working on the Hill, passing Obamacare, winning ballot measures, and running a political non-profit.
IN THIS EPISODE
How the first campaign Kelly worked shaped her career...
Memories of interning for Senator Tom Daschle...
Kelly is behind the scenes at the Obama breakout moment at the 2004 Convention...
Kelly’s memories as a Hill health care aide during the tense moments around the Affordable Care Act…
Kelly’s time in the Obama administration implementing the ACA and what she thinks has gone right and wrong with 10 years hindsight…
Kelly’s advice and best practices for Hill staffers...
Kelly’s path to the Fairness Project and the work it does…
Kelly provides case studies from the Fairness Project about expanding Medicaid in "red" states like Oklahoma and Missouri…
Kelly talks the need to build cross party coalitions to win ballot measures…
Kelly on what she’s learned about the nuts and bolts of running a political non-profit...
Kelly’s advice to people early in their political career…
And...Agent Orange, Ann Arbor, Xavier Becerra, Blue Dogs, bullshit detectors, George Bush, Lincoln Chafee, complaining over pizza, constellations of vendors, Joe Crowley, cutting turf, do-gooder lefties, Al Gore, Ted Kennedy, marriage counseling, Mindy Myers, monorail salesmen, Nancy Pelosi, Pete Rouse, SEIU, Allyson Schwartz, shouting into the wind, Sheldon Whitehouse, The Simpsons, Zoom culture…& more!
Jeremy Ben-Ami was born into a family among whom politics was very personal – and became active in politics himself at a young age, interning for the 1976 Carter campaign at 14. From there, he worked for numerous politicians from Ed Koch and David Dinkins and Mark Green to Bill Clinton and Howard Dean. Jeremy talks his life in campaign politics, working in the White House, what led to the creation of J Street, and how J Street has grown to become an influential voice that’s changed the debate on American policy toward Israel.
IN THIS EPISODE
The first campaigns that caught Jeremy’s attention at a young age…
Jeremy’s measures of iconic NYC political figures like Ed Koch and David Dinkins…
The surprising presidential candidate for whom Jeremy served on the ballot as an “elector”…
The issue that led Jeremy to switch from local NYC politics to national politics…
What happened when Jeremy “just shows up” in Little Rock to seek work in the 1992 Clinton campaign…
Jeremy talks about the Bill Clinton he saw up close and personal…
Jeremy gives a glimpse into what it’s like working in the White House…
Jeremy tells the story of managing Democrat Mark Green’s NYC mayoral race that was interrupted and defined by 9/11…
The best practices for campaign managers Jeremy has seen over the years…
Jeremy’s time as Research Director on Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign and how Dean caught fire (temporarily)…
How his time on the Dean campaign led to the formation of J Street…
The first steps Jeremy took to get J Street off the ground…
Jeremy cites the key moments early in the J Street experience that showed it was getting traction…
Jeremy talks through some of the criticisms he and J Street have received from within the Jewish community…
Jeremy gives his 101 on Jewish communal politics…
Jeremy talks the rising threat of anti-Semitism and how it’s intertwined with the attacks on democracy…
Jeremy’s thoughts on why the issue of settlements has become an important flashpoint in the Israeli / Palestinian debates…
Jeremy weighs in on the impact of Benjamin Netanyahu…
Why Jeremy wants to expunge the term “peace process” from the discussions of Israel and Palestine…
How Jeremy thinks of one day passing the torch as President of J Street…
Jeremy’s “strangest work habit”…
AND…the 3 Ps, Mahmoud Abbas, the ADL, AIPAC, alphabet soup, John Anderson, asterisks in the polls, Michael Bloomberg, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, chopped salads, creeping annexation, the “Dean scream”, the Democracy Alliance, “dog and pony shows”, the first rule of holes, founder syndrome, Rudy Giuliani, hanging from the rafters, imprimaturs of seriousness, Martin Indyk, institutional infrastructure, invitations from Hogwarts, Dan Kurtzer, the Man from Hope, meetups, Aaron Miller, the NYC groove, the New York Times magazine, Barack Obama, Ehud Olmert, the Oval Office, the Palestinian Authority, panic attacks, Nancy Pelosi, Ronald Reagan, silent majorities, Rob Stein, talks about talks, a vocal left, Paul Wellstone, The West Wing, & more!
Loretta Sanchez served 20 years in the US House, one of the first Democrats to breakthrough in historically GOP Orange County, CA. She also made history, with her sister Linda Sanchez, as the only two women related by family to serve in Congress. In this conversation, she talks growing up as the daughter of Mexican immigrants in LA, her 1996 upset over GOP fixture Bob Dornan and the election contest that ensued, her 2016 election for Senate ultimately won by Kamala Harris, and memories & insights from two decades in the House.
IN THIS EPISODE
Congresswoman Sanchez talks growing up in the LA-area as the daughter of Mexican immigrants…
The candidate who her father walked door-to-door for, even before he could vote himself…
Her path to running for office in the mid 1990s…
Congresswoman Sanchez talks through the history and politics of Orange County, CA…
The great story behind her 1996 upset of GOP icon Bob Dornan, a race dubbed “the upset of the decade” by Time Magazine…
The year-long election contest that followed her 1996 victory…
Congresswoman Sanchez’s memories of lunch with Joe Biden in 1997…
She explains what makes Nancy Pelosi an effective party leader…
Who Congresswoman Sanchez is keeping an eye on as the next generation of Democratic leaders in the House…
The story behind the history-making election of sisters Loretta and Linda Sanchez as part of the same Congress…
She recounts her decision to run for US Senate in 2016…
Congresswoman Sanchez’s advice to Democrats who want to better communicate with Latino voters…
The advice that Congresswoman Sanchez would offer AOC…
Congresswoman Sanchez talks her current priorities and interests…
AND…Pete Aguilar, Karen Bass, Barbara Boxer, Willie Brown, cause celebres, Chapman University, Gil Cisneros, Katherine Clark, Bill Clinton, Barbara Cubin, Blue Dogs, John Conyers, Lou Correa, Tom Daly, Willian Dannemeyer, David & Goliath, Val Demings, John Dingell, Veronica Escobar, Anna Eshoo, Sam Farr, Barney Frank, Georgetown, Dick Gephardt, Newt Gingrich, Al Gore, Lindsay Graham, green cards, Kamala Harris, Head Start, David Hobson, Hubert Humphrey, Italian Grandmas, Hakeem Jeffries, the Joint Economic Committee, Patrick Kennedy, Barbara Kennelly, Jerry McNerney, John McCain, George Miller, John Murtha, Richard Nixon, Barack Obama, Old Bulls, Colin Peterson, Katie Porter, Ed Rendell, Kathleen Rice, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Harley Rouda, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Rotary Clubs, Ronald Reagan, Tony Rodham, George Stephanopoulos, Univision, the Western White House, Pete Wilson, & more!
Scott Simpson, is a founder and managing partner of the direct mail firm Resonance Campaigns, one of the most successful Black-owned firms in politics. In this epsiode, Scott talks growing up middle class in Massachussetts, early formative political experiences, his time working a pollster before making the jump to direct mail, and ultimately starting his own firm that helped elect - among many others - Joe Biden in 2020.
IN THIS EPISODE
The political issue that kept an 8-year old Scott up at night…
The election that made politics seem cool to Scott…
The pol that left Scott star struck after seeing him on a plane…
Scott’s first internship on a congressional campaign…
Scott’s first (and only) job as a manager shows him managing might not be for him…
Scott’s memories of working on DC Mayor Anthony Williams first campaign…
Scott weighs in on the value of grad school for those who want to work in politics…
An internship with pollster Celinda Lake makes an impact on Scott’s career…
Important races early in Scott’s career in polling…
What caused Scott to make the jump to direct mail and ultimately start his own direct mail firm…
The most irritating comments mail consultants get from the rest of the team…
Legislative races help Scott come into his own as a mail consultant…
Scott lands Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign as an early client for his new direct mail firm…
Scott helps Doug Jones break through in the 2017 Alabama Senate Special Election…
Scott goes in depth on his role working for the Joe Biden 2020 campaign…
What Scott’s learned in starting a successful political consulting firm…
Scott talks his experience as one of the few Black-owned consulting firms…
AND Dave Beattie, Shirin Bidel-Niyat, James Blaine, George W. Bush, Justin Caffrey, Campaigns and Elections Magazine, Tricia Cavell, DC jerks, Ray Dalio, Rich Davis, David Dixon, Jonathan Ducote, Michael Dukakis, Jeff Gumbinner, Elizabeth Guzman, Maren Hesla, the Kennedys, John Kerry, kitchen islands, Lancaster PA, Claire McCaskill, Jeremy McPike, mileage reimbursements, Robby Mook, Roy Moore, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Steve Murphy, Ed Peavy, phone calls at Costco, Joe Pitts, rookie cards, rotary phones, Elizabeth Sena, Donna Shalala, Oren Shur, Doc Sweitzer, Harry Teague, Rashida Tlaib, Jon Vogel, Sean Whitson, Xerox machines, Bobby Zirkin…& more!
Patrick Ruffini has been on the cutting edge of politics for 20+ years, as one of the first wave of operatives working in the tech and digital political space. After working at the RNC in 2004, he started an early political tech firm and then formed Echelon Insights to merge political data and tech. In this conversation, Patrick talks his career trajectory, the advancement of digital political tools, and how American politics has evolved in the age of Donald Trump.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Patrick’s unusual bi-national upbringing…
Patrick starts following politics at a very early age…
A young Patrick on the cutting edge of the political boom on the internet…
Patrick’s 1998 correspondence with Karl Rove…
Patrick’s stint at the RNC in 2004….
Patrick breaks down the tech impact of the Obama 2008 campaign…
Patrick starts his own digital firm Engage…
The importance of the 2012 GOP “autopsy” report on Patrick’s career…
Patrick starts Echelon Insights with GOP pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson…
Patrick’s advice on how to balance reliance on polling vs analytics…
What Patrick has learned about social media listening…
Patrick’s dissection about the recent populist direction of the Republican Party…
Patrick talks of Glenn Youngkin-type candidates as the future of the GOP…
Patrick’s take on the recent reduced racial polarization in the electorate…
Patrick previews a book he’s working on that outlines a rising cross-racial coalition of the Republican Party…
Patrick talks some of the new measurement tools he’s excited about…
AND base politics, Joe Biden, blaming the internet, Blue State Digital, Scott Brown, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Eric Cantor, the center-right blogosphere, Mike Connell, Howard Dean, Chuck DeFeo, Becki Donatelli, Efficient Market Hypothesis, Facebook, Mindy Finn, governing agendas, Don Green, Mickey Kaus, John Kerry, Josh Marshall, John McCain, mybarackobama.com , RCTs, relational organizing, Mitt Romney, snake oil, Andrew Sullivan, the War on Terror, & more!
Ace Smith, Partner at Bearstar Strategies, has lived a fascinating political life intersecting with a long list of the most iconic figures of the last several decades...Harvey Milk, Pat and Jerry Brown, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Rahm Emanuel, Richard M. Daley, Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, & many more. In this conversation, we talk his memories of growing up in a Bay Area political family, cutting his teeth in smaller races and opposition research, transitioning to running campaigns, his role in several key states for Hillary Clinton in 2008, and building Bearstar Strategies to become a dominant media and strategic firm.
IN THIS EPISODE
The prominent Democratic pol Ace is named after…
Ace remembers his father, Arlo, working for iconic CA politician Pat Brown…
Ace’s memories of the 1966 surprise win of Ronald Reagan and similarities to the Trump 2016 win…
Ace talks about Harvey Milk, the groundbreaking LGBT pol, that he knew personally…
Ace’s personal connection to the Harvey Milk / George Moscone assassination…
Ace weighs in on why the Bay Area is a breeding ground for many of the state’s most successful politicians…
Ace talks the value of working small, local races…
Why Ace left a successful career in California politics to start fresh in DC…
A fateful 1987 meeting between Ace and a young Rahm Emanuel…
How opposition research gets Ace’s foot in the door in DC politics…
Ace talks his formula for being an effective political researcher…
Ace’s role in the Bill Clinton 1992 Presidential campaign…
Ace gives insight about Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton from knowing both personally for decades…
Ace talks running Texas and North Carolina for Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primaries…
Ace’s best practices of what makes a good campaign manager…
Ace gives a California Politics 101 of what makes CA politics different…
Ace gives a case study from the Kamala Harris 2010 Attorney General’s race…
Ace talks the rise of Bearstar Strategies…
Ace on what makes Jerry Brown so unique…
Ace talks the strategy utilized (and defining moment) to beat back the 2021 recall attempt against Gavin Newsom…
Ace looks back on the 2020 Kamala Harris Presidential campaign in which he was involved…
Ace’s insight on building political teams…
Ace’s agenda for anyone visiting the Bay Area…
AND David Axelrod, Albert Camus, chaotic minds, Richard M. Daley, dearths and deluges, disappointing Political Science classes, Mike Dukakis, Joe Freitas, Gallic Wars, Averell Harriman, Fred Harris, hippie journey years, Harry Johnston, Tom Lynch, George McGovern, news pyramids, the political club movement, printing obscenities, Robert Redford, Bernie Sanders, Arlo Smith, Adlai Stevenson, testing hunches, Donald Trump, the twinkie defense, Elizabeth Warren, Dan White … & more!
Annie Levene is a partner at the leading Democratic digital firm Rising Tide Interactive, where she’s run digital strategy for the presidential campaign of Senator Amy Klobuchar as well as elected officials including Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Jacky Rosen, Kyrsten Sinema, Heidi Heitkamp, Governor Kate Brown, and Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy. In this conversation, Annie talks her path to working in politics and gives her insights and best practices on all things digital politics.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Annie talks growing up in Rochester in Western New York…
The documentary that helped draw Annie to working in politics…
Annie interns for her hometown Congresswoman Louise Slaughter…
Annie’s path to working in digital Democratic politics…
Annie talks the digital strategy for Heidi Heitkamp’s underdog campaign in North Dakota…
Annie outlines the different roles digital serves in small states versus larger states…
Important lessons Annie learned after being let go from a campaign…
Annie talks her role running digital strategy for the Amy Klobuchar Presidential campaign…
Annie compliments digital strategy of some of the rival campaigns from the 2020 primary elections…
Annie talks some of the important digital lessons from the 2018 Jacky Rosen Senate campaign…
Annie weighs in on the different hats a digital consultant can wear in advising a campaign…
Annie’s take on the “ethics of fundraising emails” and “quadruple matching”…
Annie’s thoughts on measurements and metrics for digital communications…
Annie talks the “right” range digital should consume of a media budget…
Annie busts some myths about how voters consume digital media…
Annie’s take on how to think about twitter vs Tik Tok vs Facebook…
Annie looks 5-10 years in the future of digital politics…
The lessons Annie learned from a shoestring campaign in Peoria, IL…
Annie’s advice to those who want to be successful working in digital politics…
AND…Rita Ali, anti-horse slaughter bills, Cory Booker, Hillary Clinton, coded acronyms, Andy Cohen, DMA maps, Preston Elliott, Facebook ad archives, floating heads, Gourmet Magazine, Kay Hagan, House Majority PAC, Hulu, Eli Kaplan, Danny Kazin, Klobuchar hot dish recipes, MVAR media, Midwest Mom vibes, Modern Family, movie reviews, Mike Muir, Stephanie Murphy, Jon Ossoff, Nancy Pelosi, Jacky Rosen, sliding door moments, spitfires, terrible job markets, Watch What Happens Live, Elizabeth Warren, webmasters, Wildfire Contact, & more!
Emily Parcell is blazing her own path through the political industry...part of the famed 2004 Dick Gephardt Iowa operation, Iowa Political Director for the 2008 Obama Caucus effort, running Indiana for the 2008 Obama general election, starting Wildfire Contact's direct mail arm, helping Democrats win tough races, heading up the Warren 2020 effort as a senior aide...and much more. In this conversation, Emily talks her small town Iowa roots, important stops along her political career, and insights and advice from 2 decades in the political trenches.
IN THIS EPISODE
Emily talks about growing up in small town Iowa…
Emily’s hometown connection to Tom Vilsack…
Emily’s Iowa Politics 101…
Emily’s memories of staffing Senator Tom Harkin up close and personal…
Emily talks being part of the influential Gephardt 2004 Iowa Caucus effort…
Emily talks running the Iowa State Senate Democratic Caucus and de-mystifies what legislative campaigns looks like…
Emily talks her role as Barack Obama’s Iowa Political Director during the magical 2008 Caucus campaign…
Emily’s memories of running Indiana for Obama in 2008, one of the biggest presidential upsets in a generation…
Emily’s accidental path to direct mail and her important early races as a mail consultant…
Emily talks starting her current firm Wildfire Contact…
Emily talks her experiences in a senior role of the 2020 Warren for President campaign…
Emily’s advice to political operatives early in their careers…
AND…the Atlas Project, BDSM liaisons, battle cries and covers songs, Birch Bayh, Sarah Benzing, Joe Biden, Sherrod Brown, Susie Buffett, Bill Burton, Cheri Bustos, Jon Carson, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, cougars, Abby Curran, Tom Daschle, Sharice Davids, Raghu Devaguptapu, Preston Elliott, fake glasses, Abby Finkenauer, Lee Fisher, Marygrace Galston, Dan Geldon, Jane Gephardt, Grandma Jenny, Al Gore, Mike Gronstal, Josh Grossfeld, Lucinda Guinn, ice cream spoons, Iowa Nice, Jason Isbell, Charlie Kelly, John F. Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Mary Landrieu, John Lapp, Roger Lau, Andrew LaVigne, Dean Levitan, Jeff Link, Jill Long Thompson, Travis Lowe, Leslie Martes, John McCain, Motorola, mousetrap minds, Andrew Myers, BJ Neidhardt, John Norris, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Kristen Orthman, Rohan Patel, Palm Pilots, Rebecca Pearcey, Aaron Pickrell, David Plouffe, Jessica Post, Joe Rospars, Mitch Stewart, Jonathan Swain, Tailgates with Tom, Suzie Terrell, Kip Tew, Paul Tewes, Caroline Valand, Doug Vilsack, Wartburg College, & more!
Mark Putnam, Democratic media strategist and founder of Putnam Partners, has helped elect 11 Governors, 10 Senators, and dozens of members of Congress. In this conversation, Mark talks growing up in Alaska, his unconventional path to working in political media, early races on which he cut his teeth, helping elect Presidents Obama and Biden, how to think about “viral” ads, some of his favorite spots, and smart insights from one of the most successful careers in political media.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Mark talks what it’s like growing up in Alaska…
Mark remembers the tragic disappearance of of Congressman Nick Begich…
How Mark thinks of Alaska politics 101…
A memorable meeting a teenage Mark had with Senator Ted Stevens…
Mark explains the connection between his college major in Molecular Biology and what he does now…
How Geraldine Ferraro helped a novice Mark get into political consulting…
The iconic political admakers Mark apprenticed under…
The 1986 Senate race Mark first put his stamp on…
The losing 1994 Governor’s race where Mark learned an important lesson…
Mark’s thoughts on using humor in political advertising…
Mark’s opportunity to help elect a friend a state Attorney General…
Mark’s rules of thumb on videos going viral…
What Mark thinks is unique about a Putnam Partners ad…
Mark talks through the media behind Heidi Heitkamp’s upset Senate win in 2012…
Mark makes a believer out of a skeptical Governor Bill Richardson on an out-of-the-box idea…
The two moments Mark remembers most from working for the 2008 Obama campaign…
Mark helms “the most expensive political ad ever made”…
Mark’s role in the 2020 pro-Biden Unite the County Super PAC ads…
Mark tells a wild story from a local New Jersey race when he was repeatedly threatened for trying to do the job…
Mark talks what he’s learned about running a business and building a team…
Mark’s weirdest work habit…
Mark’s advice for the next generation of political media consultants…
AND…August releases, David Axelrod, Mark Begich, Joe Biden, Randy Bryce, Ken Burns, Chuck Chvala, Jim Clyburn, the consideration set, Chancy Croft, Jeremiah Denton, Michael Dukakis, Ellis Island, Carter Eskew, Peter Fenn, forcefields of appeal, gold Cadillacs, Al Gore, Davis Guggenheim, Bob Graham, Mike Gravel, The Great Alaska Earthquake, John Gregg, Jay Hammond, MJ Hegar, Tom King, Bill Knapp, Tony Knowles, MTV, Jim Margolis, Mitch McConnell, Amy McGrath, Steve Murphy, Nordstrom, Tom Ochs, Ozzy Osbourne, Mike Pence, the Philadelphia, David Plouffe, Hal Riney, Joe Salazar, Terry Sanford, Steve Schale, Richard Shelby, Paul Simon, Tony Soprano, Bob Squier, Mark Squier, Tommy Thompson, Donald Trump, the valiant effort reel, Phil Weiser, John Zaccaro, Laura Zaccaro, & more!
Michael Barone, senior political analyst at the Washington examiner, is one of the most important political writers and thinkers of his time. He helped found the Almanac of American Politics in the early 70s and was the lead author for decades. He worked in politics himself, before transitioning to a role as a journalist, author, and pundit - always being an incisive and influential analyst of American politics at each stop along the way. In this conversation, we talk his roots in post-war Detroit, his time working for Democratic candidates and as a Democratic pollster, founding the Almanac, moving from left-of-center to right-of-center, and he gives his thoughts on some of the most pressing issues facing the political system and country today.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Michael’s memories of growing up in post-war Detroit…
The first election Michael remembers in detail…
The up-and-coming politician Michael worked for at an important time…
Michael talks his movement from liberal to conservative…
Michael shares his memories of being on the scene during the momentous 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention…
The off-hand comment that led to Michael’s involvement in forming and writing the Almanac of American Politics…
Michael talks the nuts and bolts that have gone into writing the Almanac for 40 years…
Michael spends several years working with legendary Democratic pollster Peter Hart…
The time when Senator Joe Biden took issue with something Michael wrote in the Almanac…
Michael remembers the impact of Senator Pat Moynihan…
Some of Michael’s favorite political convention memories…
Michael’s involvement in the infamous 1980 convention fights between the forces of Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy…
How Michael makes the jump from political consultant to an opinion writer and journalist…
The 3 books that shaped Michael’s political thinking…
Michael’s thoughts on today’s political writing…
Michael talks the unusual place that California holds in today’s politics…
Michael’s take on the current state of both political parties…
Michael compares today’s political scene to the politics of the 1880s…
Michael’s current view on what demographics tell us about politics…
The issue of the last decade on which Michael wishes he’d have been much more active…
AND…the 1967 Detroit riots, 8 Mile Road, the UAW, US-16, the arsenal of democracy, Dan Balz, Big 3 Auto Companies, baloney and malarkey, David Broder, James Buchanan, George W. Bush, Pat Caddell, Jimmy Carter, Jerome Cavanaugh, Bill Clinton, Geoffrey Cowan, Mario Cuomo, Richard D. Daley, Duke University, Dwight Eisenhower, flotsam and jetsam, Gerald Ford, John Kenneth Galbraith, Newt Gingrich, Meg Greenfield, Martha Griffiths, Jon Grinspan, John Gunther, Lou Harris, Hubert Humphrey, Al Hunt, Jim Hunt, Harold Ickes, Jesse Jackson, John Judis, Jack Kemp, John Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, V.O. Key, Lyndon Johnson, John Lindsay, Samuel Lubell, Madison Square Garden, Walter Mondale, The Moynihan Report, Wade McCree, George McGovern, Ralph Nader, Newton’s Second Law of Motion, Richard Nixon, Kirk O’Donnell, Tip O’Neill, Charles Oakman, Barack Obama, obvious impractical proposals, Nancy Pelosi, podium passes, prayers of political scientists, Franklin Pierce, David Price, Oliver Quayle, Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan, recessed steering columns, Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney, Tim Russert, E.E. Schattschneider, Mark Shields, superdelegates, supply side economics, John Paul Stevens, Ted Stevens Airport, Ruy Teixeria, Bob Torricelli, Donald Trump, Grant Ujifusa, Carl Wagner, George Wallace, Woodrow Wilson, Worland Wyoming, Sam Yorty, Coleman Young, & more!
Taifa Butler is the President of Demos, the “think tank of the movement” - dedicated to building a democracy and economy rooted in racial equity. Taifa talks the politics of her native Philadelphia in her formative years, what inspired her to pursue a life in politics and advocacy, her path to becoming President of Demos in early 2021, the work she’s most passionate about now, and her best practices on leadership, fundraising, public speaking, and much more.
IN THIS EPISODE
Taifa talks growing up amidst the tumultuous Philadelphia political scene in the 70s and 80s…
Taifa remembers the momentous transition in the city from Mayor Frank Rizzo to Mayor Wilson Goode…
The experience as a junior in high school that set Taifa on her path toward politics and advocacy…
Taifa talks how single-sex schools gave her important opportunities…
The lessons Taifa learned in a narrow loss running for local office…
Taifa de-mystifies the role that think tanks can play in our politics…
Taifa’s thoughts on how advocates can be successful even when partisan and ideological currents work against them…
Taifa remembers what she’s seen working with and around Stacey Abrams…
Taifa talks the priorities of the progressive think tank Demos and her path to becoming its President…
Taifa explains what it looks like to head a large national think tank…
Taifa talks how to avoid non-profit jargon…
Taifa’s thoughts on how to build the right team for an organization, plus tips for jobseekers…
Taifa’s 101 on how she thinks about racial equity and advice for those looking to learn more…
Taifa’s tips for those who want to improve their public-speaking skill set…
Taifa’s “one unusual work habit”…
…and much more!
This week's episode is a compilation of some of my favorite campaign war stories and memorable moments from the first three months of episodes, covering March - May 2021.
IN THIS EPISODE
Paul Begala talks a key lesson he learned from the 1984 Texas Senate race…and the Democratic candidate the Clinton campaign believed posed the greatest threat to Clinton in the primaries.
Rebecca Pearcey, Political Director on the Warren 2020 presidential, recalls crossing paths with celebrities on the campaign trail and breaks down the value and mechanics of Elizabeth Warren’s selfie lines from the 2020 primaries…
Glen Bolger, Republican pollster, shares a memory from 1988 demonstrating showing how unprepared GOP institutions were when George HW Bush chose Dan Quayle to be his VP nominee…and – as the pollster for Senator Thom Tillis – weighs in on whether or not the Cal Cunningham affair made the difference in the 2020 NC Senate race…
Rose Kapolczynski, manager of Barbara Boxer’s four successful Senate campaigns, takes us deep inside Barbara Boxer’s underdog 1992 Senate race…and talks the role the Anita Hill / Clarence Thomas hearings had in the race and in creating that cycle’s “Year of the Woman”…
Two-term Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed shares fantastic stories about two of his mentors, Mayors Maynard Jackson and Willie Brown…
Saul Shorr, Democratic admaker, talks about his memories of Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan - including the historic winning 2000 Senate race that took place three weeks after Governor Carnahan died in a tragic plane crash…
Democratic media strategist Martha McKenna remembers her front row seat seeing the political origins of now Cabinet Secretaries Deb Haaland and Pete Buttigieg…
Mike Murphy, GOP media guru, talks two of the times he rubbed the brass of the Bush ’92 re-election team the wrong way…and shares a fantastic Pat Buchanan story…
Faiz Shakir, Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign manager, goes deep into the 2020 campaign, including the re-boot of the campaign after Senator Sanders’ heart scare, the campaign’s theory of the race, and a couple of things he’d want to handle differently in hindsight…
Founder of House Majority PAC Ali Lapp recounts one of her favorite examples of HMP utilizing creative tactics to help Democrats win a tough House seat in 2016…
Ariel Edwards-Levy is CNN's Polling and Elections Analytics Editor, after covering the public opinion beat at Huffington Post for several cycles. In this episode she talks growing up in Southern California, the election that hooked her on politics at a young age, her early days in journalism, how she gravitated toward the polling beat, her transition from Huffington Post to CNN, and Ariel tackles many of the weighty questions confronting the field of polling.
IN THIS EPISODE
Ariel self-identifies as an LA Valley Girl…
Ariel’s political awareness starts around the 2000 Bush-Gore election…
Ariel fondly remembers the days of getting the daily print newspaper…
Ariel talks the connections between her background as a journalist to her current focus on polling…
Ariel talks her early path in journalism and how she came to the polling beat at the Huffington Post…
Ariel talks her transition from Huffington Post to CNN…
Ariel talks through what the day job of the Polling and Analytics Editor at CNN actually is…
Ariel weighs in on the state of the polling industry…
Ariel breaks down the differential non-response bias problem…
Ariel on both improvements polling has made recently as well as challenges the field still faces…
Ariel talks the mistakes that get under her skin from some public polling…
Ariel talks how she thinks about tackling polling complex issues…
Ariel’s best practices for people to become savvy consumers of public opinion data…
Ariel talks the value of qualitative research…
Ariel talks how she’s developed a large Twitter footprint…
Ariel’s one quirky work habit…
Jeff Romig has been working in the trenches of politics for well over a decade. Inspired to work in campaigns by Congressman John Lewis, he's worked in all phases of campaigns to win tough races at the state and local level - and he's deeply experienced running non-profits as well. But the time is right now to talk to Jeff, as he's just released a memoir about living for 25 years in the shadow of his father's suicide and coming to grips with his own mental health and addiction issues. The book, Don't F***ing Kill Yourself (dfkybook.com), was released last week and is already an Amazon Bestseller. I find Jeff's book and story to be very timely as the conversation about mental health concerns for those who work in and around politics is just starting to happen. I appreciate Jeff's openness in his book and his commitment to using his own life and struggles to help keep this important conversation going.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Jeff bounces around in journalism in South Carolina and Indiana before finding his way to working politics…
Spending time around Congressman John Lewis inspires Jeff toward a career in politics…
Jeff tells memorable stories of being up close and personal with John Lewis…
Jeff talks through some of the key moments from his career working in politics…
Jeff talks the parallels between being a working journalist and a political operative…
Jeff talks his best practices from years of helping non-profits succeed and grow…
Jeff talks through his new book and what motivated him to write it…
Jeff talks about the need to de-stigmatize suicidal ideation…
Jeff talks about some of the specific mental health challenges he’s run across while working in politics…
Jeff talks his struggle with alcoholism and the mental health and recovery tools that have helped him…
Jeff talks the nuts-and-bolts of how his book went from a broad concept to a completed, published work…
Over the course of 2017, Doug Jones went from a respected Alabama attorney and empty nester to one of the most well-known US Senators in the country. In this conversation, we talk growing up in the shadow of segregation and George Wallace, starting to see those walls come down as he’s in high school, learning under his mentor Senator Howell Heflin, his time as US Attorney seeking justice against the Klan for the 1963 bombing of a Black church in Birmingham, the upset win and political hurricane in his 2017 special election, and memories of 3 influential years in the US Senate.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Sen Jones talks growing up in the segregated South and then seeing the world change before his eyes…
He remembers the toxic legacy of Governor George Wallace…
He remembers his time as an aide for his mentor, the iconic Alabama Senator (Judge) Howell Heflin…
His memories of the Senate Judiciary Committee of the late 1970s…
The twists-and-turns that lead to the opportunity to become US Attorney in 1997…
US Attorney Jones helps deliver justice decades-later in the cold case of the KKK bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham…
He talks his aborted race against Jeff Sessions in 2002…
Why he decided to run for Senate 15 years later in 2017…
Inside the 2017 Senate race when the entire political universe turns its eyes toward Doug Jones…
The role Republican Senator Richard Shelby played in the 2017 race…
Senator Jones talks the historic Black voter turnout in 2017…
What surprised him about the Senate when he’s sworn in…
What he’s most proud of from his tenure in the Senate…
Senator Jones talks his No vote on the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings…
He weighs in on the current debates in the US Senate…
AND Lamar Alexander, Jim Allen, Arent Fox, Bill Baxley, Birch Bayh, Joe Biden, Amelia Boynton, Brown vs the Board of Education, Build Back Better, Center for American Progress, the Civil Rights Trail, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Thad Cochran, Susan Collins, Bull Connor, constitutional compasses, John Culver, Joe Donnelly, Dwight Eisenhower, the Equal Justice Initiative, Medgar Evers, Christine Blasey Ford, Cory Gardner, Gold Star widows, Chuck Grassley, HBCUs, Claude Harris, Kamala Harris, Chris Hastings, Orrin Hatch, Heidi Heitkamp, Mike House, human infrastructure, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Johnny Isakson, Mick Jagger, Kelly Ingram Park, Caroline Kennedy, JFK, Ted Kennedy, Kay Ivey, John Lewis, MLK, Paul Laxalt, Pat Leahy, John McCain, Claire McCaskill, Chris McNair, Howard Metzenbaum, Walter Mondale, money from heaven, the only game in town, Mike Pence, Giles Perkins, Janet Reno, Right Side of History PAC, Rosa Parks, Alan Simpson, Tina Smith, John Sparkman, Frank Stitt, Jon Tester, Strom Thurmond, Joe Trippi, Doug Turner, unprofessional demeanors, US Steel, Hosea Williams, the Women’s March, a Yoda doll….& more!
Who else has a story like Chuck Robb? Marries the President Johnson's daughter in a White House ceremony, serves in Vietnam, changes the political culture of Virginia in the 70s and 80s, two consequential terms in the Senate, helps found the influential centrist DLC, and casts several courageous, unpopular votes that ultimately take a toll on his career in elected office. This is a frank, revealing conversation though Governor Robb's one-of-a-kind political life.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Governor Robb’s indirect connection to Woodrow Wilson…
His formative time in the Marines, including combat in Vietnam…
A young Chuck Robb’s ceremonial role in the LBJ White House…
He recalls a meeting in the Lincoln Bedroom asking the President Johnson’s blessing to marry his daughter Linda…
More of his memories from seeing President Johnson up close…
He also speaks to the important role that Lady Bird Johnson played in President Johnson’s career…
He weighs in on the “rivalry” between the Kennedys and the Johnsons…
The ribbing from John McCain that would always get a rise from Governor Robb…
The early days kicking his political career off in Virginia…
The 1984 DNC Convention speech he gave that gave rise to the centrist, DLC movement…
Why he never ran for President…
The long relationship between Chuck Robb and Doug Wilder…
He remembers his iconic 1994 re-election race against Oliver North…
He talks through his courageous 1996 vote against the Defense of Marriage Act…
He also talks his reversal of opinion to cast a vote against the Flag Burning Amendment…
He talks his losing 2000 race against George Allen and gives advice to candidates running as underdogs…
Weighing in on the debate over the filibuster reform…
He talks the roles he’s taken on after his Senate career…
AND…8th and I, Joe Biden, Harry Byrd, Bill Clinton, Marshall Coleman, Jim Crow, Everett Dirksen, Episcopalians, John Glenn, heifers, Howell Heflin, Hubert Humphrey, HMX-1, Scoop Jackson, Barbara Jordan, Robert Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, John McCain, mixed doubles with Ethel Kennedy, muddy boot Marines, Sam Nunn, Strom Thurmond, the USS Northampton, the WMD Commission, Robert W. Wooley, & more!
There aren't many stories like Stefan's Smith in politics...growing up with a single mom in public housing in South Carolina...and from a gig worker to the upper echelons of presidential campaigns and iconic progressive organizations in four years. Stefan flirted with both a career in academia and the entertainment industry before finding his calling in digital politics. In this conversation, he talks his unusual path to politics, his road warrior days on campaigns, goes deep on his time with the Buttigieg campaign, & the projects he's taken on since. Stefan is also generous with his advice to those bouncing around campaigns, those interested in working in digital, and anyone looking to help make working in politics accessible to more people.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Stefan’s upbringing in Greenville, South Carolina…
The life-changing moment when Stefan got his first computer…
The first race Stefan cared about…
Why Stefan veered away from academia…
Stefan’s stint as a researcher / writer on Drunk History on Comedy Central…
The two reasons why Stefan found himself on the 2016 Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign…
Stefan’s time as an itinerant campaign worker for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Senator Martin Heinrich…
Stefan’s “transformational” experience building a digital plan for New Mexico Democrats…
Stefan’s 4 practical tips for campaign road warriors…
Stefan’s circuitous path to working for Pete Buttigieg…
Stefan’s take on why & how Buttigieg dramatically exceeded conventional wisdom in 2020…
Stefan takes us inside the Buttigieg world on Iowa Caucus night…
Stefan de-mystifies the Buttigieg digital strategy…
Stefan’s digital advice for lower-budget campaigns…
Stefan’s tips for operatives who want to work in digital…
Stefan’s post-primary work on election violence and criminal justice reform…
Stefan’s current job as the #2 digital staffer at the ACLU…
Stefan’s one ask of white people to help diversify political campaigns…
Stefan’s one unusual work habit…
AND…10-page memos, Adobe Premier, Rakim Brooks, George W. Bush, Greta Carnes, the catapult strategy, the CHIP program, clown car primaries, the Confederate flag, Kevin Costner, digital armies & ass whoopings, dope meme stashes, Facebook, Carrie Gooch, Al Gore, Michael Halle, Bridget Halligan, Kamala Harris, Meena Harris, Martin Heinrich, the Iowa Liberty-Justice Dinner, Tito Jackson, Jay-Z, Jeep Wranglers, Marsha P. Johnson, Van Jones, Joe Kabourek, the Kennedy-Nixon debates, Eric Koch, Machiavelli, Meek Mill, momentous cigarette breaks, More in Common, Jess O’Connell, para-social relationships, political gateways, Postmates, pyroclastic volcanic flows, Reddit, REFORM, Karl Rove, Ian Sams, Bernie Sanders, Saturday morning champagne, Hari Sevugan, Sonal Shah, Lis Smith, SnapChat, Spice Girls chat rooms, Samantha Steelman, Tom Steyer, Sun Tzu, Twitter, Uber Eats, vanity metrics, Viacom, Chris Wallace, Derek Waters, Patrick Wyman, YouTube…& MORE!
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has a truly American story: born in Cuba, emigrates to Miami with her family at age 8, works as a teacher before being elected to the Florida legislature - and then makes history as the first Hispanic woman in American history to be elected to Congress. This is a great conversation about her one-of-a-kind life, history-making career, great political stories, and advice & insight to candidates, elected officials, lobbyists, and staffers after serving nearly 30 years in the U.S. House.
IN THIS EPISODE
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s early memories growing up in Cuba and her sudden emigration to Miami…
She breaks down why Cuban Americans started to align with the Republican Party…
The conversation that got her involved in politics for the first time…
She talks about her House predecessor, the legendary Congressman Claude Pepper…
How she overcame racist tactics to become the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress…
The surprising way she learned she made history on Election Night…
What surprised her as she got her feet wet in Congress…
She’s remembers how Newt Gingrich changed the Republican Party and transformed Congress…
Why she didn’t sign the 1994 Republican “Contract with America”…
The House Democrat she remembers for brass-knuckle tactics…
She remembers times she was “in the dog house” for breaking with GOP party leadership…
Her signature accomplishments after 30 years in the house…
She remembers the intensity around the Elian Gonzalez custody case, occurring right in her district…
She weighs in on if the Elian Gonzalez case cost Al Gore Florida in 2000 and ultimately the presidency…
Her memories of the impeachment of Bill Clinton…
Why she never ran statewide and didn’t run for re-election in 2018…
Her take on what makes a good lobbyist…
Her tips on running on a congressional office…
She remembers Marco Rubio as a young intern in her office…
What does she miss about being in Congress…
Her take on why there are so many Florida politicians on the national scene…
She weighs in on whether Florida remains a “swing state”…
Her advice on what people should do when visiting Miami…
AND…537 Votes, The Bay of Pigs, Beltway Fever, Brigade 2506, Jeb Bush, Kathy Castor, Fidel Castro, Liz Cheney, Shirley Chisholm, Bill Clinton, Billy Corben, Katie Couric, Cuba Libres, the Defense of Marriage Act, Tom DeLay, Val Demings, Ron DeSantis, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Bob Dole, Dante Fascell, first airplane rides, Tom Foley, get-along and go-along Republicans, Newt Gingrich, Elian Gonzalez, Homestead Air Force Base, Steny Hoyer, Sam Johnson, JFK, Bill Lehman, David Leahy, Dexter Lehtinen, John Lewis, La Loba Feroz, John McCain, Bob Michel, a minority mentality, Stephanie Murphy, Obamacare, olive-green military attire, Red Pepper, Robert Redford, Janet Reno, Steve Schale, snowbirds, South Beach, SWAT teams, the University of Havana, Versailles, Don Young, & more!
Ed Peavy founded Democratic direct mail firm Mission Control and is rightfully known as one of the good people in the business. In this conversation, Ed talks why after working a few weeks on the Hill he knew it wasn't right for him, his early campaign days including on the legendary Harris Wofford Senate race in Pennsylvania, and then starting a small direct mail firm that has become one of the most successful in politics. Great conversation with Ed with lots of practical tips about the mechanics of campaigns, the art of mail, running a political business, and much more.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Ed grows up in the Beltway and has a closer-than-you’d-think connection the Iranian Hostage Crisis…
The first political race Ed remembers…
Ed’s brief time working as a Hill staffer…and when he realized it wasn’t for him…
The congressional race Ed worked on that changed his professional path…
Ed learns a lot on the legendary Senate special election to elect Harris Wofford in PA…
Ed’s thoughts on what separates good campaign managers from the pack…
Ed’s path to consulting and direct mail…
Ed makes the decision to start Mission Control direct mail…
The story behind the name “Mission Control”…
The story of a rival candidate hiring Ed after being attacked by Ed’s mail…
The key races that helped put Ed and Mission Control on the map…
Ed breaks down his process of building his professional network…
Ed’s 101 on how campaigns and candidates should utilize direct mail…
Ed talks the the work Mission Control did in the GA Senate races to flip the Senate majority…
The thing that some people do that drives Ed “the most nuts” in the business…
Ed breaks down who is and isn’t a good fit to work in direct mail…
Ed weighs in with his tips on deeply controversial travel questions…
AND John Anderson, Tom Andrews, Melissa Bean, Paul Begala, Tim Bishop, Richard Bolling, Joe Brennan, James Carville, Jimmy Carter, Dante Fascell, Gerald Ford, Sam Gejdenson, Felix Grucci, Martin Hamburger, Maren Hesla, Brian Joyce, Stephen Lynch, Jim Maloney, Marty Markowitz, Joe Moakley, Dennis Moore, Connie Morella, Adnaan Muslim, Steve Murphy, Jon Ossoff, Claude Pepper, RAGBRAI, Ronald Reagan, Nelson Rockefeller, Olympia Snowe, Tom Suozzi, terrible headlines, Dick Thornburgh, upset landslides, Alan Wheat, Anthony Weiner,…& more!
Dr. Michael D. Cohen studied under iconic pollster Bill Hamilton as a student, worked in the trenches in Republican campaigns, spent time at Gallup, apprenticed under iconic GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio (most known recently as Donald Trump's pollster) and worked with famed Dem strategist Mark Penn when Michael was an in-house pollster at Microsoft. Along the way, Michael started his own firm (Cohen Research Group), built the booming political Congress in Your Pocket technology app, and recently wrote the book Modern Political Campaigns to bring the campaign literature up to speed with the ever-evolving political industry. This is a great nuts-and-bolts conversation on the political industry with a successful pollster, tech entrepreneur, and author.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Michael’s formative years growing up on Long Island…
The political switch flips for Michael in college…
Michael crosses paths with famed Democratic pollster Bill Hamilton…
Michael makes the jump to political polling under Tony Fabrizio…
The bizarre story of how one of Michael’s candidates was pilloried on the Colbert Report…
Michael starts his own polling firm to move beyond partisan politics…
Michael’s stint as an in-house pollster at Microsoft with Mark Penn…
Michael’s compares working with legendary Dem pollster Mark Penn and iconic GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio…
Michael creates the wildly successful Congress in Your Pocket app…
Michael’s 101 on how to create an app…
The long journey behind Michael’s new book Modern Political Campaigns…
Michael’s advice to those who want to write a book and get it published…
Michael’s take on what makes a good pollster…
Michael weighs in on the question of a “polling crisis”…
Michael’s advice on the best books to understand how politics works…
AND AAPOR, Michael Bender, Sidney Blumenthal, Stephen Colbert, Sean Cook, Bob Dole, enlargement ads, Ezra Cohen Corporation, Arthur Finkelstein, the Gallup Poll, Josh Gottheimer, Sasha Issenberg, Peter Jennings, Steve Jobs, Ed Koch, Celinda Lake, Massapequa mannerisms, mobilization vs. persuasion, Never Trump Republicans, Ronald Reagan, Rowman & Littlefield, Jake Rush, Karen Thurman, Chris Tompkins, Tevi Troy, vampire roleplaying, Ted Yoho, & more!
Mindy Myers has a knack for being where political history happens and, more importantly, has run and won tough Senate races. She managed Sheldon Whitehouse in 2006 over Linc Chafee and ran Elizabeth Warren's first political race in 2012...then was the first ever woman to serve as E.D of the DSCC. Now she's started MZL Media to put into practice what she's learned winning tough races. And even as a young operative, Mindy found herself witnessing political history...working for trailblazing Congresswoman Pat Schroder, interning in the Clinton White House during impeachment, the Brooks Brothers' riot in Florida, the Daschle office when Jim Jeffords switched, helping Democrats win the Senate in 2006, running a state for Obama in 2008, seeing the very start of the Elizabeth Warren's political career and on and on. This was a great conversation walking through Mindy's time in politics and what she's learned along the way.
IN THIS EPISODE…
The 1992 Year of the Woman engages a young Mindy growing up in Lancaster, PA…
Mindy interns in the office of trailblazing Congresswoman Pat Schroeder…
Mindy’s works in the White House during the Clinton impeachment era…
Mindy’s moves to Nashville to work on her first campaign in Al Gore’s 2000 race…
Mindy’s "boiler room" memories of roller coaster election night 2000
Mindy’s on the ground for a first-hand account of the Brooks Brothers riot in Florida…
Mindy works in the office of Senator Tom Daschle…
Mindy’s memories of Jim Jeffords’ party switch in 2001…
What Mindy learned from iconic Chief of Staff Pete Rouse…
Mindy manages Sheldon Whitehouse’s 2006 Senate campaign against incumbent Lincoln Chafee…
Mindy explains why Linc Chafee was like “a bad boyfriend”…
Mindy’s advice for first-time campaign managers…
Mindy runs the Obama 2008 general election in New Hampshire…
Mindy runs Elizabeth Warren’s first Senate race in 2012…
Mindy’s tips for Hill Chiefs of Staff…
Mindy’s time as the first woman to serve as the ED of the DSCC…
How many phone calls with Chuck Schumer are part of an average week for the ED of the DSCC?
Mindy’s memories of the upset victory of Doug Jones over Roy Moore in 2017…
Mindy’s decision to launch the new media firm MZL Media...
Mindy’s take on how to run effective Independent Expenditure campaigns…
Mindy’s “guiding principles” of how candidates should choose consultants…
...AND 36 days in Florida 2000, Paul Ambrosino, John Anzalone, ballot watching in Volusia County, Michele Ballantyne, Richard Blumenthal, Donna Brazile, Scott Brown, Pat Buchanan, Mark Childress, Hillary Clinton, Tom Delay, Monica Dixon, Mike Donilon, fabulous memos, Vic Fazio, Donnie Fowler, Franklin & Marshall College, Mandy Grunwald, Joe Hansen, Tim Johnson, Doug Jones, John King, Roger Lau, Tracey Lewis, John McCain, Linda McMahon, Roy Moore, Janet Murguía, obscure Vermont radio, Mark Patterson, Peoples’ Pledge, Pete Rouse, Pat Schroeder, Jeanne Shaheen, Arlen Specter, Chris Van Hollen, Michael Whouley, Lynn Yeakel, Sarah Callahan Zusi…& more!
Not many people have a story in politics like Raghu Devaguptapu...son of Indian immigrants, making the jump from touring with a band to working in politics, working at the upper echelons of both state and national politics, and then co-founding his own media firm. This is a great conversation talking through Raghu's early life, key moments in his career, and insight and advice from a one-of-a-kind career in politics.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Raghu grows up in Wisconsin as the son of immigrants straddling the worlds of being both American and Indian…
Raghu’s connection an Indian political luminary…
Raghu’s early forays “organizing” college parties creates an entre to political organizing…
Raghu’s time as a singer in the alt-rock scene in the Midwest…
Raghu’s Wisconsin Politics 101…
Raghu learns important lessons on Russ Feingold’s Senate campaign…
Raghu comes into his own running the WI State House Caucus…
Raghu learns important lessons while finding himself in the middle of a political scandal…
Raghu goes national working on state legislatives at the DLCC…
Raghu’s critical time at the DGA and AFSCME’s IE…
Raghu makes the jump to ad-making at the Adelstein Liston media firm…
Raghu helps elect the first Indian American to Congress in 50 years…
Raghu learns important lessons working for Congressman Mike Honda…
Why and how Raghu co-founds his own media firm Left Hook…
Raghu talks how Left Hook helped elect Mark Kelly to the US Senate…
Raghu weighs in on how to run smarter campaigns…
AND Eric Adelstein, George Aldrich, appropriate engagement models, Ami Bera, David Bergstein, Big Wheel, Tanya Bjork, Anthony Carter, Jen Cox, Michael Davies, economic diasporas, Ricky Feller, the Fox Valley, Lisa Grove, Lucinda Guinn, Brandon Hall, Danny Kazin, Kennedy Democrats, Lake Winnebago, the Lion of Andrha, Ann Liston, Operation Sting, Optic Box, Rachel Ostendorf, powder-keg questions, the Salt March, Larry Scanlon, Soul Asylum, Tom Petri, Tanguturi Prakasam, Scott Tyre, Josh Wachs, Wandering Aimlessly, the William D. Ford direct lending program, Josh Wolf, & more!
Jim Duffy is one of the Godfathers of Democratic media consultants. He joined with Raymond Strother in the mid 80s to form Strother Duffy - one of the elite Dem firms of the era. Jim cut his teeth working in New Orleans politics - for names like Moon Landrieu and Lindy Boggs, before making the move to DC as an ad-maker. As a media consultant, Jim has helped elect numerous Senators, Governors, and members of Congress - and in this conversation, he talks about the Louisiana politics of his youth, learning the nuts and bolts of campaigns in New Orleans, and his experiences and advice from four decades working in political media.
IN THIS EPISODE…
How the policies of Huey Long brought the Duffys to Louisiana…
Jim breaks down the Long / anti-Long Louisiana politics of his youth…
Jim talks the influence of Cajun voters on state politics…
Jim tells some great Edwin Edwards stories…
Jim’s first big political break by working with New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu…
Jim manages Congresswoman Lindy Boggs first competitive primary…
Jim intersects with premier Democratic media consultant Raymond Strother in 1984…
Jim talks the political consulting landscape of the 1980s…
The 1989 special election that helped put Jim on the map on his own…
Jim’s deep bench of Blue Dog clients…
Jim tells a great story of developing the message to help Buddy Roemer beat Edwin Edwards…
Jim’s advice to those entering the media business…
Jim pays a compliment to a Republican’s ability to message…
Jim’s pitch for people to work in politics…
AND…Roger Ailes, Matt Angle, Beryl Anthony, Doug Bailey, Sidney Barthelemy, Lloyd Bentsen, Hale Boggs, Lindy Boggs, Jim Brown, Bud Cramer, the Delta Airline Crown Room, David Duke, Joyce Elliot, Martin Frost, Pete Geren, Bob Goodman, Al Gore, Charles Guggenheim, Bill Hamilton, Peter Hart, Blanche Lincoln, Bob Livingston, Russell Long, Louisiana State Normal College, Bill McCuen, message delivery systems, LF Payne, Leander Perez, Mark Putnam, David Sawyer, Ronnie Shows, Bob Squier, Charlie Stenholm, Strother Duffy Strother, Blaze Starr, Billy Tauzin, Wayne State University, Jim Wright & MORE!
Ellen Malcolm helped found EMILY's List in 1985 and then served as EL’s President for 25 years. It’s hard to think of an organization over the last 30+ years that has changed politics more than EMILY's List, dramatically increasing the number of Democratic women in the both the Senate and the House. In this conversation, Ellen talks about how her early stops at places like Common Cause and the National Women’s Political Caucus prepared her to help found, launch, and grow EMILY's List. And Ellen outlines the key moments, decisions, and campaigns that have forged the successful political institution EMILY's List has become.
IN THIS EPISODE
Ellen grows up in a Republican household…
The cause and candidate that pulled Ellen into progressive politics…
Ellen cuts her teeth at Common Cause and the National Women’s Political Caucus…
Ellen comes out of the philanthropic closet…
The one Senate race in 1982 that was the catalyst for the creation for EMILYs List…
Geraldine Ferraro’s role in energizing the women’s political movement…
How “pro-choice” and “Democratic” became integral to EMILYs List mission…
Ellen’s memorable first meeting with then newly-elected Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi…
Barbara Mikulski and EMILYs List make history in 1986…
The 1988 House race that became a prototype what would soon be EMILYs List political department…
Ellen remembers her deep emotional investment in Ann Richards races in Texas…
The 1992 “Year of the Woman” changes the trajectory of EMILYs List…
The 2004 House race that became a model of how EMILYs List tries to operate…
After 25 years as President of EL, how Ellen knew it was time to pass the torch…
Ellen’s advice for new or smaller organizations that want to be the next EL…
AND 12-2 meetings, 60 Minutes, Tammy Baldwin, Lindy Boggs, Mary Beth Cahill, chain letters, Common Cause, John Danforth, donor networks, Dwight Eisenhower, the ERA fight, Anna Eshoo, John Gardner, Jane Hickey, Anita Hill, Eugene McCarthy, Walter Mondale, Gwen Moore, NOW, Mary Rose Oakar, David Obey, Tip O’Neil, Jen Pihlaja, Sally Ride, Run to Win, Stephanie Schriock, Wendy Sherman, Simon & Garfunkel, Martha Smiley, Lael Stegall, Adlai Stevenson, Clarence Thomas, Jolene Unsoeld, Willi Unsoeld, Watergate, Henrietta Windom, Harriet Woods…& MORE!
Ben Nelson has lived an iconic political life...two terms as Governor and two terms in the Senate as a Democrat in deep red Nebraska - and the key swing vote on landmark legislation from the Bush tax cuts to judicial votes to Obamacare. In this conversation, he talks his political career - beginning with his first Governor's race (starting at 0% and winning by 42 votes). And he goes into depth about his time in the Senate - weighing in on colleagues that impressed him and disappointed him, and touching on the themes of the breakdown of the body in his new book Death of the Senate.
IN THIS EPISODE
Senator Nelson reminisces about growing up in idyllic Western Nebraska…
The significance of being an only child…
A memorable first experience in the Nebraska’s Governor’s Office as a 17-year old…
Senator Nelson talks about the importance of his political hero Senator George W. Norris…
The value of a unicameral legislature…
Why Senator Nelson gravitated toward Democrats despite growing up in very Republican turf…
Senator Nelson’s academic background in Philosophy…
Winning his first race for Governor by 42 votes…
Senator Nelson talks about his lone loss in the 1996 open Senate Seat…
How he came back four years later to win a Senate race…
Which of his new Senate colleagues were the biggest surprises to him?
Senator Nelson pinpoints the transition from Trent Lott to Mitch McConnell as the start of the breakdown of the Senate…
Senator Nelson talks his vote for the Bush tax cuts…
Did he get close to switching parties?
Senator Nelson explains his early primary endorsement of Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton?
Senator Nelson walks through the process that led to the passage of the ACA Obamacare…
Setting the record straight on the so-called “Cornhusker Kickback”…
The letter Senator Nelson wrote correcting Justice Scalia…
Why did Senator Nelson forgo running for re-election in 2012?
Senator Nelson’s “rough” perspective on Donald Trump…
Weighing in on the debate over eliminating the filibuster…
Senator Nelson’s advice on hiring and managing…
Senator Nelson’s itinerary for getting the Nebraska Experience…
AND….Barbara Boxer, John Breaux, burrow-crats, Robert Byrd, Dick Cheney, circuit breakers, conference committees, Tom Daschle, Bill Frist, Chuck Hagel, hollow math, the Hyde Amendment, Interstate-80, Jeffersonian principles, JFK, kooks, Lala Land, laboratories of democracy, Joe Lieberman, Trent Lott, making it rain, Joe Manchin, One Nebraska, party theology, Harry Reid, ridiculous carrots, sophists and skeptics, Tom Sawyer, Saul Shorr, Olympia Snowe, so-called autobiographies, stare decisis, Toadstool Park, unfunded mandates, Wildcat Hills, & more!
Jessica Taylor is the Senate Editor for the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and recently made history as the first woman to be a Senior Author for the Almanac of American Politics. Jessica talks her small-town Tennessee roots, her path to political journalism, her early thoughts on the 2022 Senate map, and a deep-dive into both the history of The Almanac and her ground-breaking role at that hallowed institution.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Jessica traces her interest in political journalism to both her mother and father…
How a neighbor from Arkansas made an important impact on a 7-year old Jessica…
Jessica’s first job working at her local paper…
Jessica’s career goals take shape at Furman University…
Advice Jessica gives to young aspiring journalists…
Jessica’s controversial tenure as editor of her college paper…
Jessica’s first job in DC political journalism…
Jessica talks her time working with both Stu Rothenberg and Charlie Cook…
Jessica shares a memorable “candidate interview” from a now high-profile elected official…
Jessica explains the “race ratings” that are a big part of her job…
Jessica’s early take on the 2022 Senate map…
Jessica talks the history of the Almanac of American Politics…
A couple of Jessica’s favorite details she’s learned researching for The Almanac…
AND…Lamar Alexander, John Armstrong, Judy Bainbridge, Michael Barone, Cheri Beasley, Ted Budd, Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Bill Clinton, Rich Cohen, Roy Cooper, Ted Cruz, Howard Dean, Val Demings, David Dewhurst, Doug Ducey, Jennifer Duffy, John Edwards, The Elizabethton Star, Ally Flinn, Friday Night Lights, Nathan Gonzales, Jeff Jackson, Meg Kinnard, Kristin Kobes du Mez, Charlie Mahtesian, Pat McCrory, nationaljournal.com, the New York Times, The Paladin, David Perdue, Rob Portman, Kyrsten Sinema, Grant Ujifusa, Herschel Walker, Amy Walter, Dave Wasserman, the Watergate Building, William Rehnquist, & MORE!
You know Edward-Isaac Dovere from his work at The Atlantic, and Politico before that. His recent book Battle for the Soul chronicles the 2020 presidential campaign, especially the Democratic primaries. In this conversation, we discuss Isaac's path to writing about politics, the genesis of his book, and several of the key moments from the 2020 campaign trail.
IN THIS EPISODE
The member of Congress who helped Isaac first get involved in the political process…
Isaac talks through the genre of “campaign books”…
Isaac shares the original title of the book and how “Battle for the Soul” later emerged…
Isaac’s contention that Medicare For All hindered the candidacies of the most progressive candidates…
Isaac talks through a symbolically important dinner at the Georgetown Four Seasons…
How close did Hillary Clinton get to jumping in?
Isaac’s take on why Beto O’Rourke’s campaign didn’t catch on…
Isaac talks the importance of Lis Smith to the rise of Pete Buttigieg…
Isaac breaks down the post-debate boom for Kamala Harris…
Why Isaac sees the Clyburn Fish Fry as a microcosm of the primary…
Isaac gets behind the scenes of the Clyburn endorsement of Joe Biden…
Isaac talks Bernie at his high point post-Nevada caucus…
Isaac’s contention that Amy Klobuchar had an enormous impact on the Biden VP decision…
The trail restaurant Isaac is most eager to visit again...
AND…David Axelrod, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, CBD dispensaries, Guy Cecil, classic Iowa questions, the Clyburn Fish Fry, Cobble Hill Restaurant, Ted Cruz, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Kamala Harris, The Hill, Amy Klobuchar, John Lewis, Terry McAuliffe, Pat Moynihan, Jerry Nadler, Barack Obama, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Beto O’Rourke, Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, Al Sharpton, Stephanie Schriock, Chuck Schumer, Lis Smith, St. Kilda, Eric Swalwell, Neera Tanden, Elizabeth Warren, Gretchen Whitmer, and MORE!
Chuck Rocha, Democratic operative and founder of Solidarity Strategies, may have the most interesting and unusual story of ascent in politics. From a 19-year old single father working a union job at a rubber plant in East Texas, to the political director of the national Steelworkers' Union, to a senior advisor to both Bernie Sanders' campaigns, and founder of the largest Latino-owned political consulting firm. Chuck's stories, insight, and advice match his unconventional path in the industry...this is a great conversation with one of the most distinctive voices in American politics.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Chuck talks navigating both the Mexican and Anglo sides of his family…
Chuck talks his first job out of school working in a rubber factory…
Chuck’s eyes are opened once he starts working in his local union…
The Chuck Rocha 101 of Political Organizing…
Chuck’s early intersection with Ann Richards campaigns…
Chuck cuts his teeth on Martin Frost’s campaigns in Texas…
Chuck’s path from the factory floor to the National Political Director of the Steelworkers…
How Chuck makes the decision to start his own firm, Solidarity Strategies…
Chuck learns important lessons after making a professional mistake…
Chuck’s advice for anyone starting their own political business…
Chuck helps elect an underdog insurgent Mayor of Providence, RI…
Chuck talks the different vibes in pitching the presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton vs Bernie Sanders…
Chuck talks how the mistakes and experiences from Bernie 2016 led to the early Bernie 2020 momentum…
Chuck’s advice as to how local campaigns can replicate the Bernie 2020 organizing success…
Chuck’s insight into Bernie Sanders’ the person that the rest of us don’t know…
Who had the best Bernie impression on the campaign?
Chuck stars the innovative Nuestro Super PAC?
Chuck’s advice to help Democrats better connect with Latino voters…
Chuck talks the importance of cultural competency in communicating with Latino voters…
Chuck’s career advice for the next generation of operatives…
The new habit that is “changing Chuck’s life”…
AND…Luis Alcauter, aspirational messaging, beepers, the Blue Green Alliance, Buddy Cianci, Larry Cohen, economic populism, eggheads, El Charro’s, Jorge Elorza, Jim English, Martin Frost, Eileen Garcia, Daysi Gonzalez, Goodyear Tire, Google translate, Maria Hinojosa, Yvette Herrera, keyboard warriors, Matthew McConaughey, John Nash, Nuestro PAC, Vinny Panvini, Ari Rabin-Havt, rapid-response fax machines, rednecks in East Texas, Ann Richards, Jon Soltz, Larry Scanlon, Terry Turner, Tio Bernie, Tortilla Coast, Vote Vets, Jeff Weaver, woke white consultants, & MORE!
No operative is more identified with their state's politics than Steve Schale is with Florida. Steve cut his teeth winning tough legislative districts in Florida as the state drifted red, then ran Florida for the winning Obama campaign in 2008 and was deeply involved again in Obama 2012. And beyond Florida, Steve helmed the Draft Biden 2016 effort and the 2020 Biden Super PAC Unite the Country. This is a great conversation not just about Steve's experiences in Florida politics, but also covering how a high-level political operative approaches campaigns, building organizations, and navigating a career in a tough industry.
IN THIS EPISODE
Steve’s “uncle” who was elected Governor of a Midwestern state (before spending time in prison)…
Steve’s early activism in the anti-apartheid movement…
How Newt Gingrich inadvertently helped Steve during the first campaign he worked…
Steve develops a reputation for helping Florida Democrats win in red areas…
What races Steve thinks are the best training ground to learn politics…
The “argument” Steve had during his Chicago interview to run for Florida for Obama 2008…
The one tactical decision that helped Obama 2008 keep Florida on their swing state map…
Steve talks what put Obama over the top in Florida…
Steve remembers the Election Eve event in Jacksonville when he told Sen. Obama he was going to carry the state…
Steve talks how the Obama 2012 win in Florida was different than winning in 2008…
Why Steve initially held a grudge toward Joe Biden…and what Biden did to win him over for good…
Steve talks how 2015-2016 Draft Biden effort was the most interesting four months of his life…
Just how close did Biden get toward jumping in the 2016 race…
Steve’s role in creating and running the Biden Super PAC Unite the Country…
Steve’s advice for doing live television…
The HR lessons Steve learned from hiring and running a 600-person campaign…
Steve’s international involvement with the NGO American Council of Young Political Leaders…
AND…Biden’s aviators, Jeb Bush, Stephen Colbert, the Congo, Charlie Crist, Rich Davis, Dick Durbin, Florida House Victory, Peter Gabriel, Newt Gingrich, GOPAC, Gwen Graham, Leonard Hamilton, Steve Hildebrand, Michael Jordan, Nelson Mandela, Jonathan Martin, Mitch McConnell, Jen O’Malley Dillon, David Plouffe, Greg Schultz, soft diplomacy, Paul Simon, Jerry Springer, the Tallahassee Crowd, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Doug Wiles, win and advance, & more!
Maren Hesla has done virtually everything there is to do in Democratic politics. She’s currently a partner in leading Democratic direct mail firm Mission Control…but before that she managed campaigns, worked for the DNC, DCCC, and EMILYs List, and spent time as a media consultant and pollster. Maren talks her personal journey as a Minnesota transplant growing up in the Deep South and what she’s learned navigating the political profession. Great episode with both smart political stories and highly actionable advice for pursuing and succeeding in a career in politics.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Maren’s first political memory at a local protest…
Maren’s memories growing up in the Atlanta area during the height of the Civil Rights Era…
Maren’s memories of seeing a fellow Georgian in the White House….
Maren’s first campaign with a local political icon in the Atlanta area…
How a mistake calculating voter IDs played havoc in the Mondale targeting operation…
How Maren built the first statewide voter file in Georgia county by county…
Maren manages the campaign of Ben Jones (“Cooter” from the Dukes of Hazzard)…
The Democratic member who broke Maren’s heart…
Maren talks what a field plan looked like in the 1990s…
Maren’s time in the polling industry learning under Diane Feldman…
Maren remembers Tammy Baldwin’s underdog first race for Congress…
Maren’s unlikely path to EMILY’s List…
Maren’s best practices to running independent-expenditure campaigns…
Maren’s early modeling project at EMILYs List…
Maren talks the talent pipeline produced by EMILYs List…
How Maren joined up with Mission Control and Ed Peavy…
Maren explains Direct Mail 101…
The most common mistakes in direct mail…
Maren talks how smart direct mail aided in the recent elections of Sherrod Brown and Jon Ossoff…
AND…the Analyst Institute, Julian Bond, Sherrod Brown, cutting turf, Rahm Emanuel, Emory University, Jennifer Granholm, Amy Green, Clay Henderson, Allison Jaslow, John Lewis, Ann Liston, Lester Maddox, Hal Malchow, Ellen Malcolm, Manuel Maloof, Martha McKenna, Ellen Moran, Jim Moran, Jerry Nadler, Jon Ossoff, the Peanut Brigade, Mike Podhorzer, psychographic profiles, Jim Quackenbush, Connie Schultz, Doug Sosnik, standard-issue white guys, Pat Swindall, George Wallace, Karen White, Andrew Young, and MORE!
Other than those who've been elected President, I'm not sure anyone in his generation has had a more remarkable political career than Haley Barbour. Running Mississippi for Nixon while he was still in college...ED of the MS GOP at a critical building phase in the 70s...battling a Senate Giant in his unsuccessful first race in '82...running the Reagan White House's political operation...chairing the RNC during the '94 GOP wave...2-term Governor...and starting what has become one of the most successful lobbying government affairs firms in the country. Great conversation hearing about Haley Barbour's rise from small town Mississippi to the highest corridors of political power.
IN THIS EPISODE
How Haley Barbour got into politics “totally by fluke”…
Running Mississippi for Nixon in ’68…
What made a young Haley Barbour gravitate to the Republican Party…
The rise of Thad Cochran and Trent Lott…
Haley Barbour’s time in the early 70s as executive director of the Mississippi Republican Party…
The story of Haley Barbour’s lone political loss in the 1982 Senate race against longtime Dem incumbent John Stennis…
Haley Barbour’s rules for candidates and campaign managers…
Haley Barbour’s time running the political operation in the Reagan White House…
Haley Barbour tells his favorite Jim Baker story…
The connection between Haley Barbour and serial killer John Wayne Gacy…
Why was Barbara Bush so angry at Haley Barbour in the ’88 campaign?
Why Haley Barbour turned down working out of the White House?
The one time Ronald Reagan overruled Haley Barbour?
The early days of the rise of Newt Gingrich…
Haley Barbour beats two future US Senators to take over the Republican National Committee in 1993…
Haley Barbour talks the GOP wave of 1994…
Haley Barbour talks his 2003 Governor’s campaign ousting a Democratic incumbent…
How he overcame the “lobbyist” label in the Governor’s race…
Getting close to jumping in the 2012 presidential race…
How Haley Barbour started one of DC’s premier lobbying firms…
Haley Barbour rules for being an effective lobbyist…
AND…Spencer Abraham, John Ashcroft, Lee Atwater, James Baker, Lloyd Bentsen, Kirk Blalock, Remy Brim, Barbara Bush, Bob Calloway, Gil Carmichael, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton Mitch Daniels, Democrats for Eisenhower, Walt Disney, Bob Dole, James Eastland, Frank Fahrenkopf, Don Fierce, Gerald Ford, Kirk Fordice, Jim Free, Lanny Griffith, Mike Huckabee, Paul Johnson, Paul Laxalt, Ron Lewis, Zell Miller, Ronnie Musgrove, Lyn Nofziger, the OEB, Mike Parker, Heather Podesta, Tony Podesta, Scott Reed, Ed Rogers, Ed Rollins, Mitt Romney, George Shultz, Sam Skinner, Stu Spencer, John Sununu, Jim Thompson, George Wallace, Wendell Willkie, and MORE!
From a very early age, Jim Messina knew he wanted to manage a presidential campaign. And he made it happen as the manager for the 2012 Obama re-elect. In between, Jim ran campaigns at all levels across the country, served as Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill, and served as a White House aide helping pass much of the first-term Obama agenda. In this conversation, Jim talks growing up in a blue collar Mountain West family, his early activism against nuclear weapons, how he connected with eventual mentor Senator Max Baucus, and the lessons learned on his path to managing the campaign to re-elect President Obama.
IN THIS EPISODE…
The story of Jim “managing” his first campaign in 4th Grade…
The book a young Jim read that turned him onto politics for good…
Jim helps save the political career of the mayor of his college town…
The impact of the “no Nuke” movement on Jim…
Jim talks his relationship with his mentor Senator Max Baucus…
The similar approach in the Baucus ’02 re-election and the Obama 2012 re-elect…
Jim’s involvement in stopping the Bush ’05 Social Security Privatization plan…
Jim talks why Republicans often have the strategic advantage on messaging…
Jim’s theory as to why Montana creates so many talented political operatives…
Jim’s best practices for working on Capitol Hill…
The Republicans that have impressed Jim over the years…
Jim waxes nostalgic about Prairie Populism…
Jim talks about the greatest living Senate staffer…
Why Jim almost passed on working for the Obama 2008 race…
Voter file controversies in 2008…
Jim tells great stories from helping put the Obama Cabinet together…
Jim talks how President Obama wouldn’t let the ACA fail…
The “shrewdest political operator” Jim has ever seen…
Jim’s conversations with President Obama before taking the helm of the 2012 re-elect…
What surprised Jim about running a presidential campaign…
Jim talks inflection points in the 2012 presidential campaign…
Why Jim was confident Biden wouldn’t have major gaffes in 2020…
Jim's approach to starting The Messina Group after 2012…
AND…21 Rules, Yohannes Abraham, actual mullets, Al D’Amato, David Axelrod, Baucus Burger Bonanzas, the Beast, Steve Bullock, Andy Card, Jimmy Carter, Tara Corrigan, Jim Crounse, Tom Daschle, Byron Dorgan, John Elway, Rahm Emanuel, FABIO, Tim Geithner, Girl in Red, Newt Gingrich, half-gin/half-tonic, Dave Hunter, Jesse Jackson, Liz Jarvis-Shean, Peter King, Celinda Lake, Trent Lott, Mike Mansfield, Ty Matsdorf, Carolyn McCarthy, midnight calls from Bill Clinton, Olivia Morgan, Patty Murray, Jen O’Malley, Alyssa Mastromonaco, Nancy Pelosi. David Plouffe, Prairie Populists, Marc Racicot, Harry Reid, Mitt Romney, Pete Rouse, Eric Schmidt, Stephanie Schriock, Nate Silver, Julianna Smoot, Steven Spielberg, Gail Stoltz, Taylor Swift, Larry Summers, Jon Tester, Three Mile Island, walking across Montana, Pat Williams, Anna Wintour, and MORE!
Nse Ufot is CEO of The New Georgia Project, an integral part of the infrastructure that contributed to Georgia turning blue for Joe Biden and delivering two US Senate seats as part of a Democratic majority. Under her leadership, NGP has trained local activists, built innovative organizing apps, and helped register over 400,000 voters. In this conversation, Nse talks her childhood move from Nigeria to Atlanta, her early days as a labor lawyer, building NGP with Stacey Abrams, and the strategies employed and lessons learned that helped turn Georgia blue in 2020/2021.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Nse talks her memories of growing up the first few years of her life in Nigeria…
How growing up in a large family informed Nse’s early politics…
What got Nse off a path towrard medical school…
The childhood hero that taught Nse to “never meet your heroes”…
How a UN conference in South Africa & 9/11 set Nse on her career path…
Nse’s early career representing public employees in negotiations…
Nse talks about what it’s like representing zookeeper’s in public-employee bargaining…
Why Nse’s path nearly didn't cross with Stacey Abrams…
Nse recounts the origin story of the New Georgia Project…
How the Affordable Care Act was a launching pad for growing the New Georgia Project…
Nse talks about the Stacey Abrams she knows from working closely with her for years…
Nse talks the nuts-and-bolts of political organizing…
Nse talks the mechanics of New Georgia Project’s registration efforts…
The innovative technology NGP builds and employs…
Nse talks NGP’s role in flipping GA in November 2020 & January 2021…
How Nse & NGP are looking at the 2022 cycle…
Journalist and author Sasha Issenberg recently released his new book, The Engagement: America's Quarter-Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage. Sasha chronicles the path to progress on this issue from the early 90s when even most LGBT advocates didn't see marriage equality as an achievable goal..to the present with marriage equality cemented by the Supreme Court and over 70% of Americans (and rising) lining up behind these rights. In this conversation, Sasha talks the core thesis of his book, the strategic decisions that made a difference in the debate, the key political actors on both sides of the debate, and insight into the inner workings of the Obama White House as the positions of the President and VP evolved. A lot of smart stuff from Sasha to chew on as a primer for his authoritative book, The Engagement, on the seminal civil rights issue of the last thirty years
(Please consider leaving a rating and review in your podcast app)
IN THIS EPISODE…
The conversations that led to Sasha sinking his teeth into this topic…
Sasha explains why “civil unions” was a double-edged sword for the marriage equality movement…
The problems gay marriage advocates had to solve to move from losing to winning at the ballot box…
The “huge” breakthrough for the gay community in the ’92 presidential campaign…
The Republican who played a key role in moving Senate Democrats toward marriage equality…
Which marriage equality opponent was the most effective?
What explains the “backlash” in public opinion against marriage equality in the mid 90s and mid 2000s?
Inside the Obama White House when VP Biden comes out for marriage equality before the President…
Sasha talks the 5-4 Supreme Court Obergefell decision…
One elected official Sasha believes showed a Profile in Courage on this issue…
Sasha talks the importance of pop culture in driving progress…
Two book recommendations Sasha used as models for The Engagement…
AND…George Allen, PT Barnum, Elizabeth Birch, Barbara Boxer, Bill Clinton, Brides Magazine, James Comey, contact theory, Betsy DeVos, Mike Dukakis, the ERA ratification fight, Andrew Flores, Barney Frank, Freedom to Marry, going to war with Bolivia, Whoopi Goldberg, Lisa Grove, Hawaii’s Future Today, Valerie Jarrett, Anthony Kennedy, Mark Kirk, the LDS Church, longitudinal connections, Claire McCaskill, Ken Mehlman, the movable middle, notebook factories, the NRCC, NYT wedding announcements, the Orlando Magic, the Portland Arch Diocese, the Reliance Doctrine, Rob Portman, Robin Roberts, Chuck Robb, Mitt Romney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, sending astronauts to Pluto, Amy Simon, the soil of South Carolina, Jon Tester, Third Way, The View, virtuous cycles, Dick Wirthlin, & MORE!
Miles Coleman is an analyst at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, though he is best known as the unofficial President of "Election Twitter" - a loose affiliation of (mostly) amateur political junkies and pundits who drive much of the political chatter and analysis on social media. Miles also has helped popularize political cartography, with some of his self-made political maps revealing important insights about elections past, present, and future. In this conversation, Miles talks all things Elections Twitter, goes into his personal connections to two prominent US Senators, talks through the several years he spent at the FBI, and puts on his pundit hat to give his take on the 2022 cycle.
(Please consider leaving a rating and review in your podcast app)
IN THIS EPISODE…
What does Miles have in common with Chris Christie?
The first candidate Miles’ waved signs for…
The story of Miles first political maps…
Miles connection to Senator Kay Hagan…
Miles Coleman…at the FBI?
Miles story of being around James Comey…
Miles trip to New Hampshire as an exit pollster…
How does Miles get to the UVA’s Center for Politics…
Miles best practices for “race ratings”…
Miles DMs with Senator Claire McCaskill…
Miles talks the origin of “Election Twitter”…
Miles cliffs notes tutorial on what goes into election mapping…
Miles early thoughts on the 2022 cycle…
AND…Hale Boggs, the Crystal Ball, Dave’s Redistricting App, DDHQ, Elizabeth Dole, Jeff Flake, the IC, the J Edgar Hoover Building, Ron Johnson, Doug Jones, Brian Kemp, Krispy Kreme donuts, Kyle Kondik, Earl Long, minimizing toss ups, Roy Moore, Ray Nagin, Barack Obama, Larry Sabato, Kyrsten Sinema, Chris Sununu, Donald Trump, Ann Wagner, and MORE!
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Those in the political world know Jason Stanford as the founder of the opposition research firm Stanford Campaigns - which is still going strong after 20+ years. He's also a prolific writer, with a new book out. Forget the Alamo chronicles the history of the Alamo, starting before the first shot was fired to the present day as the Alamo continues to roil Texas politics. In this discussion, Jason talks about his early days in Moscow as an aspiring spy, cutting his teeth working for Ann Richards in Texas, starting his opposition research firm, and touches on a few of the fascinating stories from his new book.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
(Please consider leaving a rating and review in your podcast app)
IN THIS EPISODE
Jason is an eyewitness to Boris Yeltsin rolling in the tanks…
How a West Coast kid like Jason winds up working in Texas politics…
Jason works for and learns from Ann Richards in the ’94 campaign…
Jason dusts off some of the ’94 talking points against George W Bush…
How Jason started his opposition research firm in the mid-90s that is still going strong today…
Jason talks a couple of times his research changed the course of a campaign…
The origin story of Jason’s new book Forget the Alamo…
Jason explains the connection between the Alamo and Walt Disney, John Wayne, and Phil Collins (yes, that Phil Collins)…
How the Alamo played an important role in JFK’s 1960 campaign…
The Alamo causes political waves for George P. Bush and Julian & Joaquin Castro…
Jason provides an itinerary for your next visit to Austin…
AND…Barton Springs, a black Volkswagen without A/C, Jim Bowie, Bryan Burrough, James Carville, Rosie Castro, Ben Chandler, the Continental Club, Davy Crockett, Lincoln Davis, Johnny Depp, gas station tacos, ghostwriters at the Alamo, internet porn, Bruce Lunsford, the mayor of Jerusalem, Dan Morales, Ken Paxton, Mike Plant, Ton Ryan, Santa Ana, Mark Strama, the Texas Rangers, Chris Tomlinson, William Travis, Donald Trump, the World Bank, Boris Yeltsin…and more!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
(Please consider leaving a rating and review in your podcast app)
James Aldrete comes out of a family political tradition with one foot in the world of radical Tejano politics of the 50s and 60s - and one foot in the Democratic establishment. As a political professional, he's merged those strands to start his own firm (MAP) based in Austin, TX and become a leading voice within the Democratic party on communications and messaging, with a focus on Hispanic engagement and media. In this conversation, James talks cutting his teeth in Texas politics for Governors Mark White and Ann Richards, building his own media firm over the past 20+ years, working in multiple presidential campaigns, and his thoughts on the changing way to communicate with a diversifying coalition of voters.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE
James grows up with one foot in Texas and one foot in DC…
James’ family roots in both radical politics and establishment politics…
James remembers leading lights of the Hispanic community coming through for dinners at his house…
James’ interns at the Lloyd Bentsen-era DSCC…
The 1986 Mark White Governor’s campaign gives James his first political network…
James' memories working for Ann Richards’ 1990 campaign…
How James grows his business after hanging up his own shingle in the mid 90s…
James experience working for Obama 2008 media team…
James best practices of communicating with Hispanic voters…
James talks Trump’s 2020 performance with Hispanic voters…
The Santa Fe Mayoral Race that meant a lot to James…
AND Kirk Adams, Sharron Angle, David Axelrod, Lloyd Bentsen, Fabian Chavez, Matthew Dowd, Kida de la Garza, Harris Diamond, the GI Forum, Dave Gold, Javier Gonzales, Charlie Gonzalez, Henry Gonzalez, Larry Grisolano, Luis Guiterrez, Jane Hedgepeth, Dwayne Holman, Ruben Hinojosa, Hubert Humphrey, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Felix Longoria, Jim Margolis, Mark McKinnon, Ruben Montoya, Dick Morris, George Rakis, Harry Reid, Ann Richards, Cecile Richards, Eliot Richardson, Ciro Rodgriguez, George Sanchez, John Sayles, Bob Squier, Raymond Strother, Russ Tidwell, Mark White, Isabel Wilkerson, Ralph Yarborough….and more!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
Enjoy a short bonus episode with the iconic (and iconoclastic) Kinky Friedman...country music legend, best-selling novelist, and sometimes political candidate. Kinky talks through some of his political heroes, his favorite political stories, his time in the Peace Corps, his friendship with both Bill Clinton and George W Bush.,.& and closes the episode with one of his songs - that was a favorite of Nelson Mandela.
IN THIS EPISODE...Kinky talks about the politician that spoke to him most as a kid....
Kinky tells the story of Texas political legend Barbara Jordan's famous speech at the 1976 Democratic Convention...
Kinky's time in the Peace Corps in Borneo...
Kinky tells the story of a lunch involving Bob Dylan and his father...
The story of one of Kinky's songs being played regularly by Nelson Mandela in his prison cell...
Kinky writes the "first pro-choice" country song...
Kinky talks through his early days as a musician in Nashville...
Kinky's time around Bill Clinton and George W. Bush (both big fans of his novels)
Kinky visits the White House...
Kinky's current passion project of the Echo Hill Ranch, providing a summer camp experience for kids of Gold Star families...
AND...Barrabas, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Marcie Friedman, Professor Tom Friedman, John Glenn, Hill Country Motors, Molly Ivins, Barbara Jordan, JFK, Moses, Dolly Parton, Rick Perry, Ann Richards, Rolling Thunder Revue, Mark Twain, Tokyo Sexwale, Shel Silverstein, Adlai Stevenson, Robert Strauss, Helen Suzman, Billy Swann, the White Horse Saloon, Hank Williams, Warren Zevon, and MORE!
Becki Donatelli is a legendary GOP strategist and a trailblazing digital consultant. She got her start as a Goldwater Girl, worked for Reagan in '76, knew Jim Baker and Ronald Reagan, and worked with John McCain in 2000 & 2008. As a digital pioneer, Beck was part of the first operation to raise political money on the internet. And her firm, Campaign Solutions, has been leading in the digital space for 20+ years in presidential races and hundreds of statewide and congressional campaigns. This is a great conversation following Becki's one-of-a-kind career and a front-row seat to the advent and evolution of the digital politics we know today.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE
Becki talks about growing up in “idyllic” Orange County, CA in the 1960s…
Becki’s first political experience volunteering for a CA Assembly race…
Becki’s love-at-first-sight experience with DC…
Becki works for the insurgent ’76 Reagan campaign…
Becki’s involvement in Jim Baker’s one race for office in Texas…
The story behind the first online political donation…and the surprising recipient…
Becki’s friendship with Roger Stone…
Becki’s passion for political fundraising and the difference between Doers and Donors…
Becki talks about her time around Ronald Reagan…
Beck starts a new firm…and connects with John McCain…
How Becki’s firm played a key role in the insurgent McCain 2000 campaign…
The early “wars” between online giving vs. major donors…
Becki and her firm stick it out with McCain during the up-and-down 2008 primaries…
Becki’s best practices on digital messaging…
Becki admires the Obama digital operation…
Becki talks the historically expensive Lindsay Graham / Jamie Harrison race of 2020…
Becki identifies a “bad practice” within the industry…
How Becki’s firm stays on top of a rapidly-changing industry…
AND The Biltmore, Charlie Black, Rich Bond, Cambridge Analytica, Chick-fil-A, Citizens for Reagan, Bob Dole, Elizabeth Dole, Frank Donatelli, Carla Eudy, Fairfield Inns, Facebook, Steve Forbes, Barry Goldwater, Tom Hockaday, Brian Jones, David Keene, Walter Knott, Jim Lake, Paul Manafort, George Pataki, skywriters, Roger Stone, John Wayne, John Weaver, YouTube, and more!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
Very few people have had more impact on US House races over the past decade than Ali Lapp. After years in campaigns and as a Hill Chief of Staff, she created House Majority PAC from scratch in 2011. With Ali at the helm, HMP has established itself as a vital presence on the political landscape - raising and spending hundreds of millions of dollars to elect Democrats to the House. In this episode, Ali talks her early days in politics in Washington state, her time on the Hill as a Chief, how and why she started HMP, and what she's learned from a decade in the trenches in House races.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE
Ali’s first political memory…
Ali looks back on the pendulum swinging back and forth in Washington state as she grows up…
How volunteering for a legislative campaign in college leads to Ali becoming a House Chief of Staff in DC…
Ali talks the Hill in the 90s…
Ali runs John Kerry’s caucus campaign in 2004…
Ali joins the famed Rahm Emanuel-led DCCC team of the 2006 cycle…
Ali’s front-row seat at the creation of the “modern-day independent expenditure” …
What motivated Ali to start House Majority PAC after 2010…
The nuts and bolts of starting HMP from scratch…
Ali’s “most depressing moment” in the first year of HMP…
What Ali’s learned about fundraising after a decade of raising money…
Ali’s take on what mistakes she sees campaigns making…
Ali’s favorite example of a “high impact" HMP tactic…
The House districts that have most frustrated Ali over the years…
The 2006 House race that informs how Ali thinks about going negative in races…
Ali’s tips on hiring and managing…
AND… Sheldon Adelson, American Crossroads, airplane banners over the Jersey Shore, John Barrow, Melissa Bean, Jeff Bjornstad, Leonard Boswell, Bill Burton, the Christian Coalition, the Congressional Airport Caucus, Howard Dean, Norm Dicks, Brad Ellsworth, Rahm Emanuel, EMILYs LIST, Sarah Feinberg, Geraldine Ferraro, flight attendant school, Tom Foley, Scott Garrett, Josh Gottheimer, Bruce Kieloch, John Lapp, LCV, Warren Magnuson, the MCU, Microsoft, Jen O’Malley, Jen Psaki, Ralph Reed, Christina Reynolds, Karl Rove, Nicole Runge, Adam Smith, Randy Tate, Ellen Tauscher, The University of Puget Sound, David Valadao, Brian Wolff, and MORE!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
Faiz Shakir, manager of the 2020 Bernie Sanders' campaign, has worked from the inside (Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid) and the outside (Bernie, the ACLU) to advance the causes in which he believes. Faiz has one of the most versatile and unique resumes in politics. But beyond his professional experience, he has a uniquely American story as a Muslim-American child of Pakistani immigrants who spent his childhood bouncing across Florida before baseball served as his path to Harvard University.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE
The formative role of baseball in Faiz’s early life…lessons that endure today…
The Harvard Institute of Politics gives Faiz some professional direction…
9/11 is an inflection point in Faiz’s worldview…
The early lessons that Faiz learns working for Senator Bob Graham…
Faiz embeds at the Center for American Progress during CAP’s early days…
Which prominent figured married Faiz and his wife?
Faiz works for Nancy Pelosi and heads up the social media operation for House Democrats…
Faiz’s leap of faith to work for Harry Reid in the Senate for 4+ years…
The first question Harry Reid would ask in every meeting…
Faiz’s role as Political Director of the ACLU at a transformative time…
How Faiz takes the helm of the Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign…
Faiz breaks out his best Bernie impression…
Why Faiz says being a campaign manager has to be “lonely at the top”…
What Faiz learned about running a $200M, 1100-person campaign…
The elements of the Sanders’ campaign of which Faiz is most proud of…
Faiz gives inside scoop on the Bernie-is-Back / AOC rally...
Faiz’s take on the “ideological lanes” theory of the Democratic primary race…
Three Sanders’ strategic decisions Faiz would want to handle differently…
The one question Faiz believes the primary revolved around…
Faiz's advice to the next generation of operatives and activists…
AND Lamar Alexander, John Boehner, Tom Brokaw, Pete Buttigieg, Fidel Castro, Anderson Cooper, Ted Cruz, Tom Dooley, Dianne Feinstein, Adele Graham, Bob Graham, Peter Jennings, Amy Klobuchar, Mitch McConnell, More Perfect Union, Brad Parscale, John Podesta, Ari Rabin-Havt, Dan Rather, Bill Richardson, Jane Sanders, ThinkProgress, the Wal-Mart shareholders meeting, Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Weaver, wikileaks … and more!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
No journalist defines his or her state's politics like Jon Ralston and Nevada. Jon's been deep in Nevada politics since the early 80s, rising from the the night police beat to his state's foremost voice on politics. In this conversation, Jon talks through his ascent in Nevada politics, some of the most memorable races and personalities he's covered, the "math" behind today's Nevada elections, and the gamble he took to start his own news non-profit, The Nevada Indpendent. Great episode for anyone interested in politics and political journalism.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE…
The one political sign Jon remembers in his yard as a kid…
The writer that a young Jon wanted to emulate…
Jon’s first beat in Las Vegas is on the nightly crime beat…
How Jon fell in love with politics a few years into his career in Las Vegas…
What happened when Jon almost left Nevada after the 1986 elections and why he stayed…
Jon talks about the 1986 race that launched Harry Reid’s Senate career…
Jon’s talks the math behind the “three different states” of Nevada politics…
What is the Reid Machine and how does it work so well…?
The time Harry Reid called in live on-air to correct Jon…
Jon breaks down how the gaming industry influences Nevada politics…
Jon talks the influence of the Culinary Union…
Jon’s early thoughts on the 2022 Governor and Senate races…
Jon riffs on the right pronunciation of Nevada…
Jon’s wake-up call to how politics works in the newspaper business…
Jon gambles by starting his own journalism outlet, the Nevada Independent, in 2016…
The one quality Jon learned is vital in both journalism and running his own business…
Jon breaks down his notoriously dogged TV interview style…
The one compliment Jon loves getting from viewers…
Jon’s hidden gem restaurant recommendation in Vegas…
ALSO… Sheldon Adelson, Joe Biden, Catherine Cortez Masto, the Clark County Firewall, Bill Clinton, Ned Day, John Ensign, Brian Greenspun, Kenny Guinn, Rebecca Lambe, Adam Laxalt, Paul Laxalt, Carl Levin, Frank McCulloch, Barack Obama, rabble-rousers and nastygrams, Ronald Reagan, Don Reynolds, Jim Santini, Sinclair Broadcasting, Steve Sisolak, Red Smith, Tony Spilotro, Bob Stoldal, the University of Buffalo, Larry Wallace…AND MORE!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
You won't find a better 59 minutes of political stories and advice than this conversation with longtime GOP media consultant / strategist Mike Murphy. Mike has worked with some of the iconic Republican political names of his generation...McCain, Schwarzenegger, Bush, Romney, Alexander, Engler...and so many more. And there is no better and more enthusiastic political storyteller than Mike Murphy.
IN THIS EPISODE
Mike’s family connection to a “thank you” letter sent from FDR’s campaign manager…
Mike talks about how the Cold War defined politics in his early days…
A young Mike learns under Arthur Finkelstein…
Mike finds himself in Moscow during a momentous moment…
How Darth Vader focused Mike on a career in politics…
Which iconic GOP House member just needed a 6-pack of Heineken to be the life of the party…
Mike’s very specific advice about how to quickly learn the political ropes…
Roger Ailes gives Mike an important early break…
Mike tells the story of the fabled negative ad against Jesus Christ…
Mike talks about the “mentor” model vs the Google model of learning the political craft…
Mike talks about the importance of running an incumbent like a challenger…
Mike’s great story of the advice he got from crusty old media consultant Bobby Goodman…
Mike’s big breakthrough in the Governor’s race in his home state…
Mike gets an important call from Bob Dole (with a great Bob Dole impression)…
Mike talks the Minnesota race that was “the craziest race he’s ever been in”…
Mike doesn’t make any friends at his first (and only) George H.W. Bush White House strategy meeting…
Mike’s killer story of how his aborted “man on the street” TV shoot for Bush in ’92 led to getting his access to the top floor of HQ revoked…
Mike’s love-letter to the ’96 Lamar! For President race in 1996…
Pat Buchanan’s ’96 Iowa stump speech makes Mike fear for his life…
Mike talks the McCain magic in the 2000 primaries…
John McCain can’t resist needling Steve Forbes…
Mike helps engineer the rise of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger…
Mike’s advice to any budding media consultant…
Mike’s recommendation for a deep cut political movie…
ALSO…Roger Ailes, atomic dirigibles, Doug Bailey, James Baker, Jim Blanchard, Rudy Boschwitz, Warren Buffett, Murphy Brown, Pat Buchanan, Jeb Bush, Harry Byrd, Jimmy Cagney, James Carville, Jimmy Carter, Arne Carlson, Alex Castellanos, Bill Clinton, Paul Coverdell, Phil Crane, John Deardorff, Jeremiah Denton, Terry Dolan, Dick Dresner, John Engler, Arthur Finkelstein, Steve Forbes, Wyche Fowler, John Gautier, Barry Goldwater, Jon Grunseth, Adam Goodman, Bobby Goodman, Chuck Grassley, Judd Gregg, Pat Griffin, ham-and-egger debates, Hogan’s Heroes, John Hiler, Mick Jagger, Lyndon Johnson, Ron Kaufman, Dirk Kempthorne, Bill Kristol, Christopher Lasch, Mike’s madras blazer, Mack Mattingly, Larry McCarthy, George McGovern, Joel McCrea, HL Mencken, Dennis Miller, Chris Mottola, NCPAC, Ogilvy on Advertising, Rudy Perpich, Pontius Pilate, Larry Pressler, Dan Quayle, Ronald Reagan, Steve Ricchetti, Mitt Romney, Karl Rove, John Rousselot, Tim Russert, Bernie Sanders, schnitzel at Spago’s, Bob Shrum, Don Sipple, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Greg Stevens, Preston Sturges, Steve Symms, Bob Teeter, Hunter S. Thompson, Donald Trump, the USC Center for the Political Future, John Weaver, Vin Weber, Paul Wellstone, and MORE!
Martha McKenna has been at the upper echelons of politics for years...campaign manager, EMILYs List, the DSCC...and now is a decade in to her own media firm, McKenna Media. Through her firm, Martha has developed something of a Midas Touch - working at critical points in their career with Kamala Harris, Deb Haaland, and Pete Buttigieg. Martha is one of the party's smartest strategists and offers many great insights over the course of this discussion.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE...
Martha evangelizes about everything Baltimore…
The two famous political alums (in addition to Martha) of Martha’s high school…
A third-grade Martha is inspired by Geraldine Ferraro…
How the first campaign Martha worked on changed the direction of her life…
EMILYs List provides a launching pad for Martha’s career in politics…
What was the “best advice to learn about politics” that Martha ever received…
Martha’s tips for campaign managers…
Martha talks about some of her favorites races as an EMILYs List staffer…
Martha manages the race for the first woman to be elected mayor of Baltimore…
Martha learns at the DSCC under the tutelage Senator Schumer…
Martha tells the story of recruiting Kay Hagan in an underdog North Carolina Senate race…
Martha learns important lessons in television strategy from heading up the DSCC Independent Expenditure…
Why and how Martha starts up McKenna Media…
Martha joins the media team for Kamala Harris’ 2016 race…
Martha plays an integral role in Pete Buttigieg’s first campaign in South Bend…
Martha's involvement in Deb Haaland’s historic congressional win…
The one previous job Martha thinks is a great fit for making the jump to politics…
Martha talks about the importance of the group Emerge…
Martha gives her itinerary for the perfect Baltimore experience…
AND… Joe Biden, Nancy Boyda, Cheryl Benton, Mary Beth Cahill, Guy Cecil, Mary Pat Clark, Sean Clegg, Luke Clippinger, Elijah Cummings, Sharice Davids, Sheila Dixon, Candace Dodson-Reed, Elizabeth Dole, Linda Eberhart, Geraldine Ferraro, Diane Fink, Peggy Flanagan, Ashanti Golar, Chip Hagan, Kay Hagan, Jane Harman, Karin Johanson, Rachel Jones, Delores Kelley, Ellen Malcolm, Salima Marriott, Kweisi Mfume, Barbara Mikulski, Sheila O’Connell, Martin O’Malley, Jen Pihlaja, JB Poersch, Nancy Pelosi, Odette Ramos, Juan Rodriguez, Loretta Sanchez, Jan Schakowsky, Kurt Schmoke, Carol Shea-Porter, Louise Slaughter, Ace Smith, Joe Solmonese and MORE!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
Charlie Cook is a political icon of his generation. Charlie broke ground in the early days of the race-rating and political newsletter industry, starting the Cook Political Report from scratch in 1984 – and he and his newsletter are still going strong.
Charlie talks through his fascinating career and is generous with insights as to how politics and campaigns have changed over the years – with plenty of practical tips to help anyone better understand and better navigate our political system.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE
The one political book Charlie remembers being in his house as a kid…
High-school Charlie helps out on an underdog Louisiana Senate race…
How high school debate helped prepare Charlie for a job in elections analysis..
Charlie breaks down the politics of his youth in Louisiana of the 60s and 70s…
Charlie remembers his first DC job as an elevator operator in the Russell Senate office building…
A young Charlie has a memorable encounter with Senator Jesse Helms…
Charlie gives the history of the election newsletter industry…
Charlie’s background in polling and campaigns comes in handy…
Charlie learns an important lesson from the infamous "bloody" IN-08 congressional race of 1984…
Charlie talks about how he started his newsletter in the mid 80s…
The important media break Charlie got that helped put his newsletter on the map…
The dramatically different subscriber base today from how the Cook Report started…
Charlie and Stu Rothenberg meet with VP Cheney before the 2006 elections…
Charlies waxes poetic about the Almanac of American Politics…
Which committee staffer (and future Governor) was one of Charlie’s best sources of leaks…
Charlie gives tips for candidates to prep for meetings with DC handicappers…
Charlie’s cryptic comment about a 2004 meeting with then candidate Barack Obama…
The one Senate committee chair who talked through races with Charlie independent of committee staff…
Charlies talks about the responsibility of knowing his analysis is responsible for impacting races…
The recent race result that surprised Charlie the most…
Charlie talks about “the worst thing” that can happen in his line of work…
Charlie’s tips for TV appearances…
The highest compliment Charlie can get from a reader…
Charlie’s must-read political books…
Charlie talks about the “lost art” of positive political ads…
ALSO…Johnny Apple, The Atlantic, Alan Baron, David Broder, Ron Brownstein, Edward Brooke, Bernadette Budde, C-SPAN, CNN, Eric Cantor, Mitch Daniels, Tom Davis, Bob Dole, Jennifer Duffy, Edwin Edwards, Allen Ellender, Rahm Emanuel, Evans and Novak, Vic Fazio, Martin Frost, Cory Gardner, Newt Gingrich, Nathan Gonzales, Phil Gramm, Charles Guggenheim, Bill Hamilton, Peter Hart, Paula Hawkins, F. Edward Hebert, Jesse Helms, Hubert Humphrey, Al Hunt, Laura Ingraham, Bennett Johnston, Gillis Long, Huey Long, Dick Lugar, Sid McMath, George McGovern, Bob Michel, Otto Passman, Kevin Phillips, Roll Call, Stu Rothenberg, Tim Russert, David Sawyer, Bernard Shaw, Bob Squier, Jessica Taylor, Amy Walter, Dave Wasserman, Paul Weyrich, Judy Woodruff, and MORE…!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
They don’t make too many people like Saul Shorr. After hitchhiking across the country, working in sugar refineries, being in and out of college, Saul fell into working on Mo Udall's 1976 presidential campaign. He soon became an expert in big city politics, started his own media firm, and has helped elect Senators and Governors and Presidents.
Saul has one of the most unique paths, some of the biggest wins, and many of the best stories after decades as one of the most respected admakers and strategists in the business. Trust me...if you like politics, you'll love this episode with Saul.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE...
Robert Moses, of The Power Broker fame, has a lot to do with how Saul grew up in Queens…
Saul’s memories of the day President Kennedy died…
Saul’s favorite political slogan of all time…
The unusual thing that happened to Saul on his second day working in politics…
Saul works for the iconic American political figure Allard Lowenstein…
A young Saul spends a day with Coretta Scott King…
Saul cuts his teeth in Philly politics during the tumultuous late 70s and early 80s…
Saul helps elect Ben Nelson Governor of Nebraska after starting at less than 1%...
Saul grows his business by finding a niche with Lieutenant Governors in the South…
Saul’s paean to life on the road as a political consultant…
Saul gives his view from a front row seat of tragedy and triumph of Mel Carnahan…
What it was like when Saul joined the historic Obama 2008 team…
David Axelrod’s memorable when Saul put together test-attack ads against then Senator Obama…
Saul’s best practices on negative ads…
Saul makes arguably the most memorable attack ad against Mitt Romney in 2012…
Saul tells the story of how Al Franken’s first TV ad “made him Minnesota” and helped propel him to the US Senate…
Saul helps Tom Wolf break out of a crowded PA Governor’s field…
The one criteria Saul (jokingly) gives on bringing on a new client…
Saul provides an itinerary for your next trip to Philly...
ALSO… Jim Andrews, John Anderson (the Black one), John Anderson (the white one), Andre the Giant, John Ashcroft, Geno Auriemma, David Axelrod, Bob Bedard, Paul Begala, Lucien Blackwell, Sherrod Brown, Jerry Brown, Mary Beth Cahill, Jean Carnahan, Bob Casey, Dick Cheney, Robert Clark, Howard Coffin, Norm Coleman, Tom Corbett, Dick Durbin, Tom Eagleton, Mike Easley, Dwight Evans, Marc Farinella, Chaka Fattah, Diane Feldman, Alan Franken, Ben Franklin, Bill Gray, Pierre Howard, Jay Howser, Jacob Javits, Andi Johnson, Rabbi Meir Kahane, Robert Kennedy, Ed Koch, John Lindsay, Myra MacPherson, Kevin Mack, Adam Magnus, Josh Mandel, Terry McAuliffe, Rob McCord, Katie McGinty, Val Molin, Jim Margolis, George McGovern, James Michener, Molly Murphy, Ricky Nelson, Pall Mall unfilitereds, Elizabeth Pearson, Bev Perdue, David Perdue, David Price, JB Pritzker, Fran Rafferty, Frank Rizzo, Cokie Roberts, Mary Ann Sandretti, Allyson Schwartz, Joe Shafer, The Shorr Holding Company, Chris Sifford, Paul Tully, Mo Udall, Stewart Udall, Anthony Weiner, Alan Wheat, Dennis Wicker, Roger Wilson, Harriet Woods, Jim Young, and MORE!
As a student, Kasim Reed set a goal to be mayor of Atlanta by age 40 - and he made it happen.
The Kasim Reed story is truly an original...motivated by a nurturing mother and demanding father, on the Board of Howard University by age 19, the youngest member of the Georgia legislature by 29, managing a successful mayoral race at 32, and winning his own mayoral campaign 8 years later after starting in last place. And 8 successful years as mayor of one of the great international cities.
Fascinating to hear Mayor Reed's story - and learn from his advice and insights after a meteoric rise in politics.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE
The life-changing moment when a young Kasim Reed crosses paths with Mayor Andrew Young…
The transformational role of Howard University in Mayor Reed’s life…
Mayor Maynard Jackson helps mold a young Kasim Reed as a political operative…
Mayor Reed talks interning for Congressman Joseph P Kennedy II…
The path to becoming both the youngest member of the GA Legislature...
How the GA legislature moving from Democratic to Republican made him a better mayor…
The Kasim Reed best practices for managing campaigns…
Mayor Reed compares Zac to Michael Jordan (not really, but sort of…)
Mayor Reed talks about the importance of Atlanta being in the “future business” …
The key relationships that helped Ambassador Young land the 1996 Atlanta Olympics…
How Kasim Reed became Mayor after starting the race at 3%...
Mayor Reed provides advice to Democrats on how to talk about the issue of crime…
Mayor Reed gives a day in the life of what it’s like to be Mayor of Atlanta…
Mayor Reed talks about using his political capital to get tough things done…
What is Mayor Reed’s Purple Squirrel Theory of Management?
A great story about Willie Brown helping Mayor Reed solve a tough issue…
Mayor Reed provides his recommended itinerary for getting the most out of a trip to Atlanta…
ALSO...Hank Aaron, Rev Ralph Abernathy, Troy Aikman, Ivan Allen, Lawrence Ashe, Roy Barnes, President Joe Biden, Arthur Blank, Michael Bloomberg, Julian Bond, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Tom Brady, Willie Brown, Jimmy Carter, Jim Clyburn, Pinky Cole, Sean Combs, Tommy Duncan, Shirley Franklin, Dr Wayne Frederick, Ryan Glover, Taraji P. Henson, high top fades, Michael Irvin, Jesse Jackson, Jimmy Johnson, Vernon Jordan, Jack Kemp, John Lewis, Rev Joseph Lowery, Floyd Mayweather, Mark Mason, the McNeil-Lehrer Report, Dick Parsons, Marty Payson, Mark Pitts, Carl Sanders, Frank Savage, Slutty Vegan, Emmitt Smith, Calvin Smyre, Tracy Reed, Rev C.T. Vivian, and MORE!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
This week my guest is Rose Kapolczynski, a legend in California politics and beyond. Rose managed all four of Barbara Boxer's successful US Senate races, including the iconic Boxer upset win in the '92 Year of the Woman. Beyond Boxerworld, Rose started her own consulting firm and has been deeply involved in numerous successful campaigns - and she is currently the President of the American Association of Political Consultants.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE
How the politics of the late 60s set Rose on her path…
Rose organizes her high school for George McGovern…
Rose talks about the formative period in the 70s of the environmental movement getting involved in campaigns…
What was Rose’s memorable first reaction when she was offered a job working for Gary Hart’s '84 presidential campaign…
Rose draws parallels between the 1984 presidential primary and the 2020 primary…
Why Rose advises people to work for an underdog campaign…
Rose’s memories of working in the US Senate in the 80s…
Rose’s momentous first meeting with then Congresswoman Barbara Boxer…
How Rose helped engineer Barbara Boxer’s upset ’92 Senate race…
Rose’s memories of the 1992 Year of the Woman…
What early decision did Senator Boxer make to reach out to Republican areas of the state…
The “number one thing” Rose looks for when making hiring decisions…
The “three jobs” Rose sees as key to being a successful political consultant…
Rose’s practical tips on how to pitch potential clients…
Rose’s “most important thing” in running your own business…
Rose talks about one of her toughest ballot-measure victories as a consultant…
Rose tells us what political consultants and strip clubs have in common…
ALSO…The AAPC, Mark Armour, Jerry Brown, Frank Church, Bill Clinton, Alan Cranston, Dianne Feinstein, Al Gore, John Glenn, Dorie Greenspan, Bob Hattoy, Pudge Henkel, Bruce Herschensohn, Anita Hill, Jesse Jackson, Ed Lazarus, Jim Margolis, Walter Mondale, Steve Murphy, Karen Olick, Ross Perot, Mark Putnam, Steve Rabinowitz, Ronald Reagan, the Sierra Club, Amy Simon, Pete Wilson, Tim Wirth and more!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
I'm very fortunate this week to be joined by my first Republican guest, GOP pollster Glen Bolger of Public Opinion Strategies.
Glen cut his teeth in polling in the Reagan / Bush era and helmed the polling operation for House Republicans before co-founding his own firm - a firm that now represents more than 40 members of Congress and 10+ US Senators. Glen tells some great stories of his early days in politics - matriculating at American University, interning on the Hill, cutting his teeth at polling with President Reagan's pollster and at the NRCC before being part of the founding of Public Opinion Strategies.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE
Glen gets “Potomac Fever” in high school…
What Glen learned at American University that guided him toward politics…
What did he learn that gave Glen a “leg up” when he started in politics…
Glen spends a semester working in politics across the pond in the UK…
Glen crosses path as a young staffer with Democratic Majority Leader Jim Wright…
How Glen’s first job out of college was working with President Reagan’s pollster…
Why Glen turned down the RNC and GOP Senate Committee to work for the GOP House Committee…
The one House race the Republicans lost that taught Glen an important lesson in politics…
Glen’s great story of the lack of GOP preparation before Dan Quayle was chosen as VP…
The one strategic decision that helped Ileana Ros-Lehtinen win her first congressional race…
What oversight at the NRCC led Glen to worry he was about to lose his job…
The origin story Public Opinion Strategies formed around a kitchen table…
The one strategic decision of Glen’s that helped win a New Hampshire Governor’s race…
Glen’s memories of the ’94 GOP wave…
Glen’s take on how important the Cal Cunningham affair was in Thom Tillis 2020 re-election…
Glen’s advice on how to get in the door of a polling firm…and then rise through the ranks…
ALSO…Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dick Cheney, Barbara Christmas, Mike Crapo, Dan Coats, Jim Courter, Cal Cunningham, Rob Engel, Jim Florio, George Gekas, Newt Gingrich, Wilma Goldstein, Bob Goodlatte, Jack Kingston, Peter Kostmayer, John McCain, Bill McInturff, Steve Merrill, Neil Newhouse, Chris Nicholas, Jim Nussle, Claude Pepper, Dan Quayle, Arlen Specter, Van Taylor, Thom Tillis, Craig Thomas, Lindsay Thomas, Jill Long Thompson, Richard Wirthlin
and more!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
A great conversation this week with David Nir, recently celebrating his 10-year anniversary as the Political Director of Daily Kos. David's career charts the rise of the Democratic online grassroots from a ramshackle group of political junkies in the early 00s to now being one of the pillars of the Democratic political universe.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE…
What was David’s first introduction to feminism?
How being the child of a Holocaust survivor has informed who David is…
Why David seeing a Geraldine Ferraro rally in 1984 was an ill omen for the ticket’s chances…
David’s early memories of Rudy Giuliani in NYC politics…
The candidate who taught David to avoid getting too attached to any individual politician…
How David fell in love with down-ballot races…
How David made the decision to forego a legal career to plunge full-time into politics…
How unlikely candidates in Kentucky and South Dakota kicked off the rise of the Democratic netroots…
How an "extra penny" let campaigns know the arrival of the progressive netroots…
Lavishing praise upon the DKE Daily News Digest and Elections Data…
David’s tips for candidates and campaigns who want to connect with the Daily Kos community…
The story of Daily Kos and the rise of Jon Ossoff…
David helps topple the “turncoat” IDC legislative coalition in New York…
What one requirement would have to be part of David’s online dating profile…
AND….
Ben Chandler, Wes Clark, Howard Dean, David Dinkins, John Edwards, Marc Elias, Geraldine Ferraro, Rudy Giuliani, Kaili Joy Gray, Paul Hackett, Karen Handel, Stephanie Herseth, John Kerry, Jeff Klein, John Lewis, Rachel Maddow, Walter Mondale, Markos Moulitsas, Jean Schmidt, Jeff Singer, Elliot Spitzer, Tim Tagaris, Trent Thompson, Elizabeth Warren, Stephen Wolf, AND MORE!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
I’m thrilled this week to be joined by the brilliant Rebecca Pearcey! Rebecca has worked in politics for 20+ years – from working in field to managing statewide races to running big independent expenditure programs. In the 2020 cycle, Rebecca was a senior advisor and political director to the Warren for President campaign – while also traveling with the candidate for months.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE…
How a Christmas card and a goldfish taught Rebecca an important lesson about politics…
How did Rebecca end up testifying before the Oregon State Senate…
Rebecca’s theory on how Gephardt 2004 was a launching pad for so many talented staff…
How a staffers’ ex boyfriend helped keep the lights on at the Gephardt HQ (whether the ex knew it or not)…
What Rebecca learned working in red states…
What Rebecca knows about Mike Pence after running the 2012 campaign against him…
The legislative race that was Rebecca’s “heart-breaker” during her time at the DLCC
The story Rebeca hasn’t told before about her path to the Warren campaign…
What does Rebecca know about Senator Warren after spending months in a minivan with her…
Rebecca’s high point on the Warren campaign…
One thing that Rebecca wishes the Warren campaign would’ve handled differently…
What happened when Elizabeth Warren met John Legend….
Rebecca’s four-word motto for hiring the right people…
What 15 white guys in blazers showed Rebecca about problems facing Democratic campaigns…
Rebecca’s 3 travel hacks…
AND….
Bill Burton, George W Bush, Margaret Carter, Wesley Clark, John Edwards, Preston Elliott, John Gregg, Lucinda Guinn, Kamala Harris, Abby Horrell, Karen Johanson, John Kerry, John Lapp, Andy LaVigne, Travis Lowe, Mike Mikus, Emily Parcell, Jessica Post, Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Ted Strickland, and MORE!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
I’m so fortunate to be joined by Paul Begala as my first guest – we had a great conversation. Paul is a great storyteller, with tremendous insights he’s learned over the years that remain incredibly relevant today.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE…
Paul breaks out his spot-on impressions of Bill Clinton, James Carville, and a deep cut of Phil Graham…
Why was Paul’s nickname “Huntley-Brinkley”?
Which Senator did a 12-year old Paul see, from the Senate Gallery, skillfully working the room during the 1973 Alaska pipeline vote?
How does high-school Paul cross paths with both Tom Delay and Ron Paul in the 1970s?
Why the concept of “taxation and representation” was incredibly influential in Paul’s time at the University of Texas?
The lasting impact Diane Begala, Paul’s wife, has had on the UT campus…
The story of Paul’s (temporary) defeat for Student Body President by a fictional character…
The two-word slogan that has defined Paul’s outlook on politics, government, and life…
What wager do Paul and his wife make before they see their friend Mark McKinnon on TV?
How Paul learned more from losing a race in Texas than he did on any of the races he won?
How Paul helped revive the political career of the man known as “The Three Time Loss from Holy Cross”…
How one candidate’s embrace of Transcendental Meditation changed a race…
Which candidate Paul worked for had “the greatest collection of talent on one staff” that Paul’s ever seen (and it’s not the 1992 Clinton Team)…
The story of how a pollster and an eye doctor found the right health care messaging to overcome a 47-point deficit in the 1991 upset win of PA Senator Harris Wofford…
How the lesson of “be like Bobby Kennedy” made Paul a better campaign manager…
Who is the potential Democratic candidate that Paul thought posed the greatest threat to Clinton’s prospects…
The “one thing that hasn’t changed in the Democratic Party” since 1992…
What was the “gold watch” strategy in the 1992 presidential race…
Why Ross Perot actually hurt Bill Clinton in 1992 more than George HW Bush…
What did Hillary Clinton say when Ross Perot (temporarily) pulled out of the ’92 race…
Why Bill Clinton wanted Paul Begala to work in the White House even though Paul felt “unqualified”…
Paul in the middle of the Clinton impeachment fight during a strained personal relationship with the President…
Paul’s tips on how to be good on television…
The advice Paul gives to anyone considering a career in politics…
Which recent political movie does Paul “highly, highly recommend”?
What spot on the map does Paul call “the greatest place in the world”?
What Paul has learned from each of his four sons…
Also mentioned...
John Anzalone, Howard Baker, Billy Begala, Charlie Begala, Diane Begala, John Begala Patrick Begala, Anna Bennett, Lloyd Bentsen, Joe Biden, David Bowie, Bill Bradley, George W Bush, James Carville, Bob Casey, Bill Clements, Hillary Clinton, Mario Cuomo, Mike Donilon, Lloyd Doggett, Sarah Eckhardt, Bob Gammage, Bryan Garner, Dick Gephardt, Al Gore, Florence Scroggins Graham, Larry Grisolano, Kent Hance, John Heinz, David Humphreville, Vernon Jordan, Ted Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Bob Kreuger, Frank Lautenberg, Lyle Lovett, Neil MacBride, Mary Matalin, Linda Moore, Karen Olick, Jay Rockefeller, Ronald Reagan, Ann Richards, John Schwartz, Bill Scranton, Bob Shrum, Russ Tidwell, Dick Thornburgh, John Tower, Doug Wilder, David Wilhelm, Harris Wofford, and more!
Hello everyone, I’m Zac McCrary. I’m a Democratic pollster, but before I was a political operative, I was a political junkie. That’s why I’m starting the Pro Politics Podcast.
I’ll be having conversations with interesting and accomplished people – across the partisan spectrum - who work in the political industry…campaign managers, messaging experts, ad-makers, journalists, policy experts and beyond.
This is not a podcast that will provide punditry on the latest beltway flare up or go back and forth with partisan talking points, there are plenty of places for that.
Instead I want to talk to some of the most impactful people in the political process and hear their what got them into the business, some behind-the-scenes campaign war stories, and their thoughts, advice and insights on how to succeed in the political business and make an impact.
So please subscribe to the Pro Politics Podcast, find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and keep an eye out for new episodes every Tuesday.
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