Explore every episode of the podcast Pro Politics with Zac McCrary
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forrest Claypool & A Master Class in Chicago Politics | 15 oct. 2024 | 00:59:59 | |
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. | |||
| Senator Mark Udall & A Life in Politics | 01 oct. 2024 | 00:59:04 | |
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. 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.... Old Mountain West connections among the Udalls, Goldwaters, and Romneys... 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...
| |||
| Caleb Smith on Working for 3 GOP House Speakers | 17 sept. 2024 | 01:02:18 | |
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! | |||
| 2024 Digital Trends & Best Practices with Mark Jablonowski, President & CTO of DSPolitical | 03 sept. 2024 | 00:47:47 | |
Mark Jablonowski is the President and Chief Tech Officer of DS Political - one of the leading digital ad firms for Democratic campaigns and progressive causes. Mark's roots in campaign tech go back to 2004 and he was deeply involved in the Obama 2008 primary and general election digital innovations. In this conversation, Mark talks his own path to politics starting in Alaska to Maine to the Obama '08 Chicago HQ and continuing to be on the front lines of the digital political evolution. In addition to his own story, Mark gives his takes on digital best practices and trends on subjects as varied as connected television, questions campaigns should ask their digital vendor, the death of the cookie, AI concerns, and much more on an exploding sector within the political world. IN THIS EPISODE Mark grows up in Anchorage, Alaska... Mark is drawn to politics through the 2004 Alaska Senate race... What it looks like to head up the IT department of a 2004 US Senate race... Mark's early tech interest and building his own computer as a teenager... How Mark connects with the 2008 Obama primary campaign...working from NH to TX to PA to IN to Chicago HQ... Working as Obama 2008 "IT Special Projects Director" and the tech innovations of the '08 Obama team... How Mark became President of the large digital firm, DSPolitical... Mark's take on the common threads of what makes for a successful digital political firm... The initiative of DS Political offering free digital ad inventory to down-ballot campaigns... Mark's best practices on how campaigns should think about digital advertising... The importance of "connected televisions" and being on "the biggest screen in the house"... Misconceptions and unnecessary mistakes in the world of digital advertising... Differences in Democratic vs. Republican digital approaches... Insights into voters' digital habits and where to have the most impact... The end of digital cookies which is changing the way digital politics operates... Mark's concern about AI creating massive misinformation in digital ads... The right type of people to succeed in digital politics... | |||
| Bryan Bennett, of Navigator Research, on Findings from Recent Polling of 4,000 Young Voters | 27 août 2024 | 00:59:54 | |
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! | |||
| Re-connecting with Election Analyst David Nir for the Launch of The Downballot | 20 août 2024 | 01:09:48 | |
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… 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! | |||
| Tucker Eskew, Political & Corporate Comms Expert | 06 août 2024 | 01:04:26 | |
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. | |||
| Deep Inside the World of Political Donors with David Callahan | 23 juil. 2024 | 01:03:37 | |
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... 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 | 09 juil. 2024 | 00:45:48 | |
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! | |||
| Pro Politics Re-Release: Kinky Friedman from June 04, 2021 | 28 juin 2024 | 00:34:52 | |
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. | |||
| Debbie Cox Bultan, CEO of NewDEAL, on 30+ Years Working in the Center-Left | 25 juin 2024 | 00:39:54 | |
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. 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... | |||
| Congressman Mickey Edwards...From Conservative Insurgent to House Leadership to Nonpartisan Iconoclast | 11 juin 2024 | 00:57:18 | |
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. 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... The entreaties he made to organized labor to try to forge common ground with the GOP... 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 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, President of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) | 28 mai 2024 | 00:45:12 | |
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... 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... | |||
| Remembering Political Innovator Hal Malchow, with Trish Hoppey & Rich Schlackman | 14 mai 2024 | 00:41:48 | |
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. 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 & Confessions of a Hill Chief of Staff | 30 avr. 2024 | 00:58:33 | |
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! | |||
| Talking Washington Books, with NYT Columnist Carlos Lozada...author of The Washington Book | 16 avr. 2024 | 00:49:20 | |
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 & 30+ Years as a Top GOP Pollster | 02 avr. 2024 | 00:58:26 | |
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. 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 & His Unconventional Path as a Digital Trailblazer | 19 mars 2024 | 00:55:39 | |
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.
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! | |||
| Chancellor & Congressman Kent Hance, the Best Storyteller in Texas | 05 mars 2024 | 00:43:55 | |
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.
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! | |||
| What Morgan Searcy Learned from 200+ Interviews with First-Time Political Staffers | 20 févr. 2024 | 00:37:24 | |
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.
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, Founding Partner of Democratic Media Firm GMMB | 06 févr. 2024 | 00:54:46 | |
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
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! | |||
| Pro Politics Podcast Update: New Episodes Coming Soon | 09 janv. 2024 | 00:01:01 | |
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 Z. Barabak, L.A. Times Political Columnist, on the Changing Politics of the New West | 21 nov. 2023 | 00:56:55 | |
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! | |||
| How Beshear Kept the Bluegrass State Blue, with Beshear '19/'23 Manager Eric Hyers | 14 nov. 2023 | 00:50:12 | |
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.
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! | |||
| Author & Pollster Patrick Ruffini on His New Book, PARTY OF THE PEOPLE, & the Changing GOP Coalition | 07 nov. 2023 | 00:52:07 | |
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: From Hollywood to the Halls of Congress | 31 oct. 2023 | 00:51:26 | |
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. 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!"
| |||
| Remembering Dianne Feinstein, with her former Chief Media Strategist Bill Carrick | 24 oct. 2023 | 00:44:17 | |
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, co-founder of Way to Win, on Effective Progressive Messaging | 17 oct. 2023 | 00:48:54 | |
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.
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 Returns to Talk the Toppling of Kevin McCarthy, Odds on the Next Speaker, & State of the GOP Presidential Primary | 10 oct. 2023 | 00:42:06 | |
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. Liam’s take on the 9-month tenure of Speaker McCarthy…
| |||
| Ed Blakely: GOP Media Trailblazer & Trendsetter | 03 oct. 2023 | 00:53:18 | |
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…
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! | |||
| Remembering Governor Bill Richardson, with his former Campaign Manager & Chief of Staff Dave Contarino | 26 sept. 2023 | 01:04:28 | |
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…
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! | |||
| Best of Pro Politics: Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the first Hispanic woman to serve in Congress | 19 sept. 2023 | 00:48:28 | |
[Originally released October 2021] Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s early memories growing up in Cuba and her sudden emigration to Miami…
| |||
| Rich Schlackman, Democratic Direct Mail Pioneer | 12 sept. 2023 | 00:55:44 | |
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. on Growing up Goldwater, 7 Terms in Congress, & A Life in Politics | 05 sept. 2023 | 00:47:19 | |
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
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, Partner at SKDK, on 40+ Years as an Admaker | 29 août 2023 | 00:54:41 | |
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
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: Founder & Executive Director of the Asian American Women's Political Initiative | 22 août 2023 | 00:48:50 | |
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... | |||
| Navigating the Future: Unraveling A.I. in Politics with Media Consultant & AAPC Board Member Kelly Gibson | 15 août 2023 | 00:42:42 | |
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…
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! | |||
| Democratic Pollster Lisa Grove on the Power of a Question Mark | 08 août 2023 | 00:45:36 | |
[EPISODE ORIGINALLY RECORDED FEBRUARY 2021] 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: Manager of 2 Presidentials, 8 Winning Senate Races, DSCC Exec Dir, Senate Chief & More | 01 août 2023 | 00:51:48 | |
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. 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...
| |||
| Chris Mottola, GOP Media Consultant, on Four Decades Making Ads | 25 juil. 2023 | 00:54:31 | |
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
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! | |||
| Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman: From Vanquishing a Political Institution to Becoming One | 18 juil. 2023 | 00:52:19 | |
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
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 & A Political Journey from Bethel, Alaska to Caracas, Venenzuela | 11 juil. 2023 | 00:57:12 | |
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. Michael’s move from Long Island to rural Alaska sparks an interest in politics…
| |||
| Andi Johnson, Trailblazing Democratic Media Consultant & Partner at GPS Impact | 04 juil. 2023 | 00:53:55 | |
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
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, former Democratic House Leader & Two-Time Presidential Candidate | 27 juin 2023 | 00:55:17 | |
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
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, co-Exec Dir of The Center for Popular Democracy & Bernie Sanders' 2020 Political Director | 20 juin 2023 | 00:49:33 | |
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. 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! | |||
| Legendary Democratic Strategist Bob Shrum | 13 juin 2023 | 00:54:11 | |
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
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! | |||
| Inside Election Analysis with Stu Rothenberg | 06 juin 2023 | 00:47:18 | |
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…
| |||
| Fred Davis, One of the Most Creative & Controversial Ad Makers in Politics | 30 mai 2023 | 01:11:23 | |
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.
How family tragedy propels Fred into the PR at 19 years old & ultimately the ad business…
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) | |||
| Dr. Annie Andrews: Pediatrician, Congressional Candidate, & Founder of Their Future, Our Vote | 23 mai 2023 | 00:46:20 | |
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".
What drew Annie toward the field of medicine from an early age…
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! | |||
| Acclaimed Author Richard Norton Smith on His New Biography of Gerald Ford, An Ordinary Man | 16 mai 2023 | 00:55:33 | |
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. What made Ford the “first post-New Deal President”...
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! | |||