Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

Send us a textCatching up this week with return guest Dr. Michael Cohen, who just released a new edition of his book Modern Political Campaigns this month. He studied under iconic pollster Bill Hamilton as a student, worked in the trenches in Republican campaigns, spent time at Gallup, apprenticed under renowned GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio and worked with famed Dem strategist Mark Penn when Michael was an in-house pollster at Microsoft. Along the way, Michael started his own firm (Cohen Research Group), built the successful Congress in Your Pocket tech app, and wrote Modern Political Campaigns to bring the campaign literature up to speed with the ever-evolving political industry - including a new edition that includes a focus on the role AI is playing in political campaigns. This is a great nuts-and-bolts conversation on the political industry with a smart pollster, tech entrepreneur, and author.IN THIS EPISODE…The new edition of Modern Political Campaigns, including a focus on AI in campaigns...How political campaigns are (and are not) using AI at this point...What Michael knows about Gen Z from teaching courses at NYU and Johns Hopkins...Lessons he learned from a recent heart attack and recovery...Michael's formative years growing up on Long Island…The political switch flips for Michael in college…Michael crosses paths with famed Democratic pollster Bill Hamilton…Michael makes the jump to political polling under Tony Fabrizio…The bizarre story of how one of Michael's candidates was pilloried on the Colbert Report…Michael starts his own polling firm to move beyond partisan politics…Michael's stint as an in-house pollster at Microsoft with Mark Penn…Michael's compares working with legendary Dem pollster Mark Penn and iconic GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio…Michael creates the wildly successful Congress in Your Pocket app…Michael's 101 on how to create an app…The long journey behind Michael's new book Modern Political Campaigns…Michael's advice to those who want to write a book and get it published…Michael's take on what makes a good pollster…Michael weighs in on the question of a “polling crisis”…Michael's advice on the best books to understand how politics works…AND AAPOR, Michael Bender, Sidney Blumenthal, Stephen Colbert, Sean Cook, Bob Dole, enlargement ads, Ezra Cohen Corporation, Arthur Finkelstein, the Gallup Poll, Josh Gottheimer, Sasha Issenberg, Peter Jennings, Steve Jobs, Ed Koch, Celinda Lake, Massapequa mannerisms, mobilization vs. persuasion, Never Trump Republicans, Ronald Reagan, Rowman & Littlefield, Jake Rush, Karen Thurman, Chris Tompkins, Tevi Troy, vampire roleplaying, Ted Yoho, & more!

Send us a textPat Leahy is a giant of the US Senate...the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Vermont...the third longest serving Senator in US history...the Senate President Pro Tem...Chair of Appropriations, Agriculture, and Judiciary...and 8 terms in the US Senate. In this conversation, we talk his roots in small town Vermont, overcoming the state's deep Republican roots in a 1974 upset, entering the Senate in his mid 30s, and his favorite stories, lessons, and proudest moments from nearly 50 years in the US Senate.IN THIS EPISODEGrowing up in small-town Montpelier with a love of reading...How his service as District Attorney propelled his successful run for Senate in 1974 as the first Democrat to win a Vermont Senate seat...Early days in the US Senate in his mid 30s...How he won 8 terms in what was initially a very Republican state...The interesting story behind his 1998 re-election, his first true landslide...The most tense and high-stakes moments during his career in the Senate...Passing anti-land mine legislation...A day in the life of the Senate President Pro Tem...How trust among Senators one late night saved lives during a mid 80s Capitol bombing...Senator Leahy receives a tip he received from an "anonymous jogger" during the Iraq War debate...When Vice President Dick Cheney swore at Senator Leahy on the Senate floor...The Senator who gave the best Senate floor speeches...The most effective Majority Leader he saw...When his colleague Jim Jeffords switched parties and changed control of the Senate...His views on the rise of Bernie Sanders as a national figure...Why he didn't run for re-election in 2022...How he received the Order of the British Empire designation...His connection to the Batman character and appearing in several Batman films...His status as the Senate's leading Grateful Dead Head...The status of his wife Marcelle as his political secret weapon...AND anatomical impossibilities, Howard Baker, James Baker, Leonid Brezhnev, Dale Bumpers, George H.W. Bush, Robert Byrd, George Clooney, DC Comics, designated survivors, Charles Dickens, John Durkin, Jim Eastland, Jerry Ford, Jerry Garcia, John Glenn, holy water, Hubert Humphrey, John F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Heath Ledger, Mike Mansfield, Miranda Rights, Mitch McConnell, Bobby Muller, Christopher Nolan, Sam Nunn, Barack Obama, organic farming, Colin Powell, Quebec City, Hugh Scott, secret weapons, Alan Simpson, Bob Stafford, Ted Stevens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Fred Tuttle, Mark Twain, Vincent Van Gogh, Wayne Industries...& more!

Send us a textYoav Attias is a documentary filmmaker whose projects include Brick City chronicling the inner-workings of Newark, NJ under then-Mayor Cory Booker and CNN's Chicagoland featuring then-mayor Rahm Emanuel. His most recent role is as Director on the new documentary film Fault Lines - which examines the issue of affordable housing in American cities through the prism of several storylines in San Francisco where the housing crisis is especially acute. In this conversation, Yoav talks starting a legal career in South Florida before following his passion to become a documentary filmmaker...what he learned about the politics and challenges facing major American cities working closely around Mayors Cory Booker and Rahm Emanuel...the origin of the Fault Lines film project set in the Bay Area...and a deep dive on the challenges and complexities surrounding the American housing crisis.IN THIS EPISODEYoav's roots in South Florida and why he left a legal career for documentary film-making...Yoav's involvement in the Brick City project that follows Newark politics, including then-Mayor Cory Booker...The documentary that deeply inspired Yoav to enter the field...Yoav's time as showrunner on CNN's Chicagoland project that featured Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel...Yoav's pitch to pols like Rahm Emanuel and Cory Booker to agree to be filmed for hundreds of hours for a documentary project...Yoav's relative optimism versus pessimism regarding the trajectory of the modern major American city...The origin story of his latest project, Fault Lines - a documentary about the housing affordability crisis facing American cities...How the housing process became so broken in cities like San Francisco in the first place...The controversy over 100 proposed affordable housing units in San Francisco's Sunset Neighborhood...How Yoav found housing advocates and a homeless family to participate in Fault Lines...How one local Bay Area elected official found himself caught in a political vice on the issue of affordable housing...Is the housing problem better or worse than Yoav initially thought?The Grateful Dead song that appears toward the end of Fault Lines...Yoav's take on political ad-making from outside of the political industry...The recent political documentary Yoav strongly recommends...AND Mark Benjamin, Anthony Bourdain, Bill Clinton, Todd Davis, Liz Dozier, Fenger High School, field producers, Jerry Garcia, HUD, hippie utopias, Hoop Dreams, hornets' nests, Nate Houghteling, Robert Hunter, Steve James, Flo Kimmerling, Ezra Klein, Marc Levin, Gordon Mar, the Mission, PCE, Section 8 vouchers, Sarah Sherman, toxicology reports, trust-building, undesirables, University of Florida, verité documentaries, Scott Weiner, zoning laws..& more!

Send us a textKaren Deflippi is launching Versus Media Group, after nearly 20 years in politics - including running campaigns, being a House Chief of Staff on the Hill, senior positions at Emilys List and the DCCC, and her current role as a media consultant for Democratic candidates and progressives causes. In this conversation she talks her path in politics from a Catholic family in swing Western PA to helping run some of the most impactful political organizations in the country and now putting a stamp on campaigns as a media consultant.IN THIS EPISODEKaren grows up in a "social justice" Catholic family in Western PA...Why Karen's initial goal of being a Naval fighter pilot wasn't in the cards...The moment Karen realized she wanted to work full-time in political campaigns...Memories of Hillary Clinton 2007-2008 primary campaign...Karen's stints working on Capitol Hill, including as Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Debbie Dingell...Karen spends 3 memorable cycles at Emilys List, from 2016-2020...What structural barriers do women candidates still face running for office?Inside how Karen has tackled candidate recruitment at both Emilys List and the DCCC...Karen takes on the challenge as Deputy ED at the DCCC ahead of the difficult 2022 midterm...Karen on tell-tale signs that a campaign may be in need of intervention...How Democrats exceeded expectations in the '22 midterms...Why Karen took on the role of media consultant as her next challenge & her favorite race she worked in 2024...The Launch of Versus Media Group...The evergreen advice Karen gives to anyone interested in working in politics...Karen's strangest work habit...AND Kelly Ayotte, basic sponges, Berlin Rosen, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Bill Clinton, Angie Craig, Sharice Davids, Deaniacs, John Dingell, framed post-it notes, giat Trump signs, Jared Golden, Maggie Hassan, Chrissy Houlahan, the Iowa State Fair, John Kerry, Ellen Malcolm, Nancy Pelosi, Project 314, Stephanie Schriock, Mikie Sherrill, sleep hygiene, Abigail Spanberger, Sunday staff meetings, Susan Wild...& more!

Send us a textTaegan Goddard is the founder and editor of Political Wire, one of the most widely-read political news sites over the last 25+ years. He created Political Wire in the late 1990s after stints as a Senate staffer on Capitol Hill and several years in state government in his home state of Connecticut. In this conversation, he talks his own development as a rabid political junkie, setting out early goals in the public and private sector, both encouraging and disheartening stints in government, why he decided against running for office, and starting Political Wire initially as a hobby - which has now grown into a site that is a regular stop for 10+ million readers a month. To become a paid subscriber to Political Wire to see additional content and no ads, click here.IN THIS EPISODEGrowing up as a young political junkie in Hartford, CT...Taegan runs across an early version of the internet in the 1980s...The British politician who had an important important on the structure of Taegan's life...Important lessons working for the Senate Banking Chair, Michigan Democrat Don Riegle, on Capitol Hill...Highs and lows of working for Governor Lowell Weicker and others in CT state government...Why time working in state government made Taegan forgo an early desire to run for office himself...The core lesson of his book for elected officials, You Won, Now What?, that stands the test of time...The origin story of the Political Wire news website, which goes back 3+ decades...When Taegan realized Political Wire had found an audience and developed staying power...How Taegan has maintained and grown his audience in the tumultuous space of internet political sites...Taegan's sense of how important and history-making our current era of politics is...Taegan's most effective work tool & favorite non-political website...AND Spiro Agnew, David Bradley, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton's best friend, Congressional Quarterly, Charlie Cook, Al D'Amato, dark horse campaigns, the Federal Reserve Board, Joe Ganim, Newt Gingrich, Michael Heseltine, the Keating 5, John Kerry, Merck, nattering nabobs, The New Republic, Ross Perot, reader freakouts, Robert Redford, Chris Riback, Joe Rogan, Stu Rothenberg, John Rowland, William Safire, Ben Thompson, Chuck Todd, Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal, yellow legal pads...& more!

Dr. Larry Spinelli has worn numerous hats in and around politics...Hill staffer, senior positions in the federal bureaucracy, political science professor, historian and author. His new book is Watergate's Unexpected Hero, about the life of the incredibly impactful New Jersey Democratic Congressman Peter Rodino - to whom Spinelli was a staffer and friend for 30+ years. Rodino's 40-year career in the House spanned from Truman to Reagan as he played important roles on labor policy, landmark civil rights legislation, attempting to hold back the tide of 80s conservatism...but most notably, as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate crisis and Nixon impeachment hearings. In this role, the previously low-profile Rodino led the hearings watched daily by 80 million Americans amidst the greatest constitutional turning point since the Civil War. In this conversation, Dr. Spinelli talks his own connection to Rep. Rodino - and the 50+ year career of the legendary congressman who found himself at the center of a national crisis and ultimately became one of the most prominent and respected members of Congress of the past century.IN THIS EPISODEHow Larry's use of Machivellian high-school politics led him to first meet Peter Rodino in the late 1960s..How the Rodino family first came to the U.S. from Italy and located in Newark NJ...The anti-Italian discrimination the Rodinos faced and how a young Peter Rodino fought back... How Peter Rodino first gets his foot in the door in local politics in the 1930s...How his WWII service and a controversial anti-labor bill set the stage for him to come to Congress in 1948...Just weeks into his first term, Rodino bucks the seniority system and takes on a racist, autocratic committee chair...Peter Rodino's often under-realized impact on the landmark civil rights legislation of the mid 1960s...The two unexpected elections that made Peter Rodino Chair of the House Judiciary Committee in 1973 and thrust him into the spotlight as the Watergate scandal grew...The steps Rodino took to ensure bipartisan cooperation and effectiveness out of the House Impeachment Committee...The liberal member of the Committee who worked against Rodino behind the scenes...What Rodino believed was on the infamous, missing "18 minute gap" in the Nixon White House tapes...Rodino's view Gerald Ford's controversial pardon of Richard Nixon...Rodino's stature as a popular, national-figure after the Watergate hearings...How close did Rodino come to being Jimmy Carter's VP nominee in 1976...How Rodino held on to a changing Newark, NJ district as it moved from majority Italian-American to majority Black...Peter Rodino's final 15+ years after leaving the House in early 1989...Is Peter Rodino the most influential Italian-American political figure in American history...

Mary Bono served 15 years in the House, representing a Palms Springs-based seat in Riverside County, CA. She initially entered politics and the House after the tragic passing of her late husband Sonny Bono - the world-famous singer / TV star turned mayor and ultimately congressman. In this conversation, she talks the political rise of Sonny Bono, running for and winning a seat in the House amidst tragedy, getting her bearings as a member herself, putting her own stamp on her service, taking tough votes as a moderate, championing the cause of prescription drug abuse prevention, and much more in an illuminating conversation with someone who's had one of the most unique and fascinating careers in congressional politics. IN THIS EPISODEGrowing up in the LA area as a daughter of a doctor and scientist and early, formative experiences as a competitive gymnast...The story of when then-Mary Whitaker met Sonny Bono the day after graduating from USC...The challenges of being the spouse of a celebrity and politician...How red-tape run-ins with Palm Springs city government led to Sonny Bono's entry into politics...Sonny Bono's forays into national politics in the mid 90s...What Sonny Bono would've thought of President Trump...The passion projects she believe Sonny Bono would've left politics to pursue...How she made the decision to run for his House seat after Sonny Bono's tragic passing in early 1998...Memories from a whirlwind first few weeks and months of a new member thrown into office in a special election...How she built her own legacy over time in the House...Some of the most intense moments on the House floor in her tenure...The vote against GOP leadership that "got her in the most trouble"...What led to her passion in tackling Rx drug abuse and her experiences of being one of only members who initially took this issue seriously...Memories from her presence as the lone GOP woman on the House Judiciary Committee during the Clinton Impeachment saga...The decision made by Tom Delay that "incensed" Rep. Bono...The bizarre story of a forged love letter from Rep. Bono to another member of the House...The experience of dating and marrying a fellow member of the House...Representing a district that shifted from safe(ish) Republican to a swing seat...Her current projects and passions, including the great podcast Sagely Speaking with Mary Bono...AND 2-tops, Bruce Babbitt, bison farms, Chaz Bono, G.K. Butterfield, Ken Calvert, Lois Capps, Cher, Kellyanne Conway, The Desert Sun, David Dreier, Jo Ann Emerson, Dianne Feinstein, Gerald Ford, King Gillette, Lindsay Graham, Fred Grandy, height jokes, hysterical mothers, the Inland Empire, Angelina Jolie, Gil Kerlikowske, Olga Korbut, Steve Largent, Jerry Lewis, Love Boat, Abbe Lowell, John McCain, The National Enquirer, Anne Northup, Tom Osborn, Nancy Pelosi, Ronald Reagan, Hal Rogers, Karl Rove, SNL, Salton Sea, Tea Party onslaughts, Terry Schiavo, The Waltons...& more!

Ryan Davis, co-founder of the digital political firm People First, has long been at the cutting edge of digital politics and the rise of digital influencers and has dubbed 2024 as "The Influencer Election". In this conversation, Ryan talks his roots in politics, a detour through the NYC theater community, being part of the influential 2004 Howard Dean campaign, and eventually starting the first firm focused on digital political influencers. And Ryan goes deep on the 2024 race...how the campaigns' strategies differed, the role of influencers and podcasts, which platforms are on the ascent versus descent, how he is thinking about the 2026 and 2028, and much more covering one of the most important and quickly evolving facets of modern political campaigns.IN THIS EPISODERyan's path from early work in Libertarian-minded GOP politics to migrating to the Democratic side of the fence...Ryan is inspired to work in politics by the anti-war sentiment of Howard Dean's 04 campaign...Ryan talks his time working in the NYC theatre and his views of "theatre kids" in politics...Ryan on how the '04 Dean digital operation changed the way campaigns are run...Ryan's path from working in campaigns to starting People First - the first political firm focused on digital influencers...Ryan's favorite case studies of how to smartly utilize digital influencers in politics...Ryan on why he dubs 2024 as "The Influencer Election"...The role of podcasts in the '24 presidential election...Why Democrats can't and shouldn't try to create their own Joe Rogan...The symbiotic nature of influencer content bridging into paid media content..."White Guys for Kamala" and other affinity groups...The relative value of political vs non-political influencers...How GenZ digests information differently than those who came before...How some big influencer accounts "rip off" clients...Ryan on the political utility of various platforms like TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, NextDoor, and more...How Ryan would tackle digital organizing ahead of the 2026 and 2028 elections...Ryan on the right skill set to work with digital influencers...Ryan's life as an itinerant "digital nomad" and tips from extensive world travels...AND The Analyst Institute, Andy Beshear, Simón Bolívar, ChatGPT, conservative e-zines, dog influencers, Al Gore, Mark Green, Kamala Harris, Curtis Hougland, John McCain, Barack Obama, parasocial relationships, Ronald Reagan, RealPlayer, Joe Rospars, Sesame Street, Norman Siegel, Snoopy, Zephyr Teachout, Joe Trippi, Barron Trump, Tim Walz...& more!

Mark Harris, co-founder of ColdSpark strategies, was the General Consultant for the successful Dave McCormick 2024 Pennsylvania Senate race - arguably the lone true upset of the '24 Senate cycle. In this conversation, Mark talks his roots in PA politics - including running for office himself, ousting a sitting legislator in a GOP primary, and multiple stints helping elect and re-elect GOP Senator Pat Toomey. Then Mark goes deep on his role helping elect Dave McCormick to the US Senate - starting with McCormick's ill-fated '22 race...getting back on the horse in '24...clearing the GOP field...challenging a proven Pennsylvania political institution...and ultimately winning a close race many pundits expected to break toward the Democratic incumbent.IN THIS EPISODEMark's roots in Pittsburgh & why he ran for office when he was 22...Why running Pat Toomey's 2010 Senate race was Mark's "dream job"...Mark's front row seat to the tumultuous period of PA politics around veteran Senator Arlen Specter's 2009 switch from Republican to Democrat...Mark weighs in on how PA politics has transformed over the past 20 years...Mark's insight on how Pat Toomey won two tough Senate races, despite a non-traditional background for PA politics...How Mark and his firm initially connected with Dave McCormick in his first Senate race in 2022...How Mark was viewing the '24 race against Bob Casey over a year out...How the McCormick campaign navigated a Trump endorsement and cleared the GOP primary field...Mark's best practices on how GOP candidates should pursue a Trump endorsement...The headwinds of running against Senator Bob Casey...The appealing personal bio that McCormick brought to the race....How late focus groups changed the McCormick closing message...How the McCormick ad campaign departed from the traditional GOP playbook...The voter subgroups the McCormick campaign identified as the most important...How the McCormick campaign appealed to "soft pro choice voters" and Black and Latino men...Why the McCormick team was one of the only GOP campaigns that preferred Dems nominate Harris instead of Biden...Why the abortion issue didn't sink McCormick in a 60% pro-choice state...How Mark was interpreting results coming in on Election Night...Mark's thoughts on Democratic erosion in the Dem base in Philadelphia...The approach Mark brings to races as a General Consultant...Mark's views of the potential of PA Dems Josh Shapiro and John Fetterman as national candidates...Mark's travel tips for spending a couple of days in and around Pittsburgh...AND Lou Barletta, James Blair, Bob Brady, Bridgewater Associates, George W. Bush, Herman Cain, Susan Collins, Mike Devanney, flippant poll questions, gold watches, Orrin Hatch, Chris LaCivita, Rush Limbaugh, Katie McGinty, Zell Miller, midnight pay raises, Tim Murphy, muscle atrophy, Dr. Oz, Nancy Pelosi, Primanti Brothers, Andy Reilly, Ed Rendell, Tom Ridge, Rick Santorum, Joe Sestak, shadow primaries, Matt Smith, Tom Smith, Arlen Specter, Brad Todd, West Point, Susie Wiles...& more!

Senior Strategist Morgan Jackson & Campaign Manager Jeff Allen helped guide Democrat Josh Stein to a historic win in the 2024 open-seat North Carolina Governor's Race over GOP lighting rod Mark Robinson. In this conversation, they both discuss how Stein went from trailing in many of the early polls to winning on Election Day by a historic 15-point margin. They talk the initial phase of the race with Robinson leading the polls, the Stein strategy to define Robinson early, the power of using Robinson's own words against him, the infamous "Nude Africa" scandal, the impact of storms and massive damage in Western NC, what is replicable for other campaigns from Josh Stein's victory, & much more digging into the signature gubernatorial race of the 2024 election.IN THIS EPISODEThe political origin stories of both Morgan and Jeff...How NC politics has completely transformed over the past 20 years...The early machinations that led to a Josh Stein vs. Mark Robinson '24 campaign...What led to Jeff managing the '24 Stein campaign...The potential political strengths of Mark Robinson...The initial core strategy and approach of the Stein campaign...The story behind the impactful first TV ad showing voters Mark Robinson in his own words... (link to ad)The Stein strategy to prioritize communications to Black voters...The story & fallout of the "Nude Africa" disclosures that forced national GOP donors to cut Robinson loose...The impact of the Hurricane Helene storms that hit Western NC...How the big Stein margin helped NC Dems win other races downballot...Their expectations heading into Election Day and reactions from the 15-point Stein victory...Both Jeff and Morgan share some of their favorite spots around The Tarheel State...AND...Roy Cooper, crazy uncles, the DCCC, Scott Falmlen, Pete Giangreco, Bill Graham, Bill Hefner, Jesse Helms, Jim Hunt, I-95, Jesse-crats, Mt. Rushmore, Pat McCrory, Myspace, Trey Nix, Barack Obama, Stephanie Pigues, RLG Media, shithouse rats, storm machines, Thom Tillis, Trump-proofing, visceral reactions, Mark Warner, water jets, Kathleen Williams & more!

Rebecca Katz, founder of New Deal Strategies, is coming off her second consecutive cycle as General Consultant on signature Democratic Senate wins - including Ruben Gallego in Arizona and John Fetterman in Pennsylvania. In this episode, Rebecca talks in depth about both of those races and the lessons to be mined for Democrats in the future. And she also discusses her early days on Capitol Hill, important lessons learned working for high profile figures like John Edwards and Harry Reid, and much more with one of the most successful operatives working in Democratic politics.IN THIS EPISODERebecca's roots in a politically-engaged family in Philadelphia, PA...Interning on the Hill for her hometown member, Congressman Chakah Fattah...How Rebecca gravitated toward the communications department on campaigns...How she's a different political operative coming out of Philadelphia...How Rebecca knew she didn't want to stay in Washington...Rebecca's front row seat to the chaotic 2004 Iowa Democratic caucus as part of John Edwards' 2004 Presidential campaign...Rebecca's take on John Edwards' raw political talent...Rebecca recalls an incredibly awkward job interview with Senator Harry Reid and how she ultimately ran the Reid War Room to oppose the Bush Administration...Rebecca's first intersection with John Fetterman in 2015 and how his underdog 2016 Senate loss set him up to subsequently win two statewide races...Inside Fetterman's 2022 Senate race over Dr. Oz despite the candidate dealing with serious health complications...Rebecca helps launch Ruben Gallego's 2024 AZ Senate race...How Gallego overperformed the presidential race by 8 points en route to an important win...What other campaigns can learn from Gallego's success among Latino voters...What led Rebecca to start her firm, New Deal Strategies...Rebecca on the role that a General Consultant plays on campaigns...What Rebecca looks for when hiring new staff...Rebecca's most unusual work habit...AND Americans Coming Together, Max Baucus, Central High School, Clark University, Andrew Cuomo, Dean kids, The Fels Institute, JFK Jr., Ted Kennedy, Kari Lake, David McCormick, Jim Messina, Middle Seat, New Jersey Summers, Cynthia Nixon, John Roberts, Bernie Sanders, Allyson Schwartz, Kyrsten Sinema, Snookie, Students for Choice, Harris Wofford...& more!

Nathan Gonzales is the Editor and Publisher of Inside Elections, one of the foundations of American political analysis, and a frequent presence talking and writing about politics on TV and in print. In this conversation, recorded two weeks after Election Day 2024, Nathan weighs in on the headlines from the '24 campaign, surprises and lessons learned, goes deep on the Presidential, Senate, and House races, looks ahead to the 2026 midterms, & much more.IN THIS EPISODENathan's big picture headlines coming out of Election 2024...Was 2024 simply an anti-inflation, anti-status quo election?The role of "collective amnesia" in the 2024 elections...Do Democrats have a "woke" problem?Why cultural attacks on Democrats packed more punch in 2024 than in other recent elections?Why the "fascism" critique of Trump may have fallen flat?A savvy tactic from the Trump campaign that surprised Nathan...Surprises in the exit polls...Nathan's initial read on the likelihood of a whole-scale partisan "realignment"...The story of the 2024 Senate races...Nathan's take on the split Senate verdicts in AZ, MI, NV, and WI...The one Senate race that was the most frustrating for Republicans...Was the AZ Senate race a missed opportunity for Republicans?Why PA was the one swing state Senate race that flipped from Blue to Red...The two Senate races the party senate committees viewed dramatically differently...Nathan's initial early analysis on the 2026 Senate map, including thoughts on the Senate retirement watch...Headlines from the 2024 House elections...Early handicapping the 2026 House races...Will court cases or redistricting impact the 2026 House playing field?The one House race Nathan was most interested in following...Stories about Tucker Carlson, Robert Novak, the Capital Gang and more from Nathan's first job in politics as a CNN assistant producer in the early 2000s...& more!

[Originally released 11/22]Maggie Haberman is, of course, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who's covered the political rise of Donald Trump for the New York Times...and her book, CONFIDENCE MAN: The Making of Donald Trump & The Breaking of America became an immediate best seller. In this conversation, Maggie dives into all things Trump...from his formative influences in the New York City of the 70s and 80s, to his political ascent, time in the White House, her take on the likelihood of another Trump run, what a Trump White House restoration would look like...and much more from perhaps the most authoritative voice on the Trump political phenomenon. IN THIS EPISODE…Maggie breaks down the influences that explain Trump's political persona…The member of Congress with whom has had a decades-long feud…Maggie talks Trump's ethos of “hate as a civic good”…Why Trump never wanted to be Mayor of New York City…Maggie talks the rise of Trump as a credible candidate in 2015…How Trump leveraged Twitter so successfully…Maggie on the connection between Trump and the National Enquirer…How Trump has recently lost allies among the conservative media…Why Trump as the “deal maker” fell flat in the White House…Maggie's thoughts on Trump's various legal entanglements, old and new…How Maggie thinks about the challenge of covering candidates who lie…Maggie's instincts on a Trump 2024 campaign…The faces Maggie would expect to see around Trump in a second term…What it's like to have 1-on-1 conversations with Trump…What's surprised Maggie most about Trump's behavior over the past year…The status of Trump relationships with names like Giuliani, McConnell, Bannon, Roger Stone...Some of Maggies favorite books and authors covering NYC politics...AND avenging angels, Bill Barr, Wayne Barrett, birtherism, Mike Bloomberg, E. Jean Carroll, catch-and-kill, the Central Park Jogger, Hillary Clinton, Michael Cohen, Roy Cohn, James Comey, conspiracy theories, convention speeches, covfefe, Andrew Cuomo, Mario Cuomo, Ron DeSantis, the Dobbs decisions, Meade Esposito,  the favor economy, Fox News, Stanley Friedman, Ric Grenell, Sean Hannity, instinctive racial paranoia, Andrew Kirtzman, Ed Koch, Jared Kushner, the Lavender Scare, Rush Limbaugh, low-interest federal loans, Donald Manes, John McCain, McCarthy acolytes, Mark Meadows, Andrew Meier, Robert Morgenthau, Rupert Murdoch, Muslim bans, Jack Newfield, NewsMax, Richard Nixon, OAN, George Pataki, Kash Patel, David Pecker, permanent enemies, Jeanine Pirro, Vladimir Putin, John Ratcliffe, rejecting objective reality, Seth Rich, rubber chicken dinners, Eric Schneiderman, Doug Schoen, Time Magazine, transactional media, Allen Weisselberg, white noise…. & more!

[Initially Released 11/07/23]Patrick Ruffini, pollster at Echelon Strategies, returns to talk about his new book PARTY OF THE PEOPLE - on the transition of the Republican Party from being dominated by wealthy, suburban white voters to a more blue-collar and increasingly-multi-racial coalition. In this conversation, Patrick lays out the data behind these shifts, what is driving the GOP's new-found success with blue-collar voters, why this movement came as a surprise to many, the balance of economic vs. cultural priorities, how Latino/AAPI/Black voters are increasingly persuadable audiences in elections, and expectations as to how these shifts will continue to define American politics for the foreseeable future.IN THIS EPISODEPatrick 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!

With just hours until polling places open for the November 5th presidential election, this week's guest is analyst Amy Walter to provide her insights and instincts heading into Election Day. The editor and publisher of The Cook Report with Amy Walter, Amy has been a constant presence writing and thinking about US elections for nearly three decades. In this conversation, she goes deep on her thoughts on the presidential race, her take on both the Senate and House, and narratives she expects to emerge post-election. This is a smart and expansive preview from a top analyst on the eve of an incredibly competitive and consequential election.  IN THIS EPISODEAmy starts with her initial table-setter on expectations in the presidential race...What is Donald Trump's ceiling of support? Rationales for both a Harris win and a Trump win...Is this the closest presidential race 3-4 days out that Amy has covered?Amy's theory that, for many voters, the presidential election boils down to "controlling risk"...Why are we in an era of consistently 50-50 races?Which candidate is more likely to over-perform the polls?The one Rust Belt and one Sun Belt state Amy feels will be the most predictive of the overall result?Why early vote analysis is like shaking gift boxes before Christmas?What is different in Trump's 2024 campaign compared to '16 and '20?Amy's take on the truncated Harris campaign and its closing message?How both Democrats and Republicans would respond to a presidential loss?Amy's range of expectations for the Senate and the race that would be most predictive of which side is having a good night...How the NRSC has tried to avoid mistakes from the '22 cycle...How the issue of abortion could be a stumbling block for a good Republican night in the Senate?Amy's take on late-breaking Senate races in Texas and Nebraska...Amy returns to her roots as a "House homer" to gauge the state of play in the House...Amy's prediction of when the news desks will call the race and declare a President-Election...& more!

This is a different type of episode this week as I have borrowed the audio from a panel I was part of last Thursday (10/24/24) to discuss the upcoming 2024 elections. This panel is hosted by the government affairs firm Husch Blackwell Strategies, and the video link can be accessed here. Moderating the discussion is Husch Blackwell CEO Andy Blunt and I'm also joined by election analyst Jim Ellis - whose background includes working for the GOP House leadership and, for decades, has been an analyst and advisor to corporations and trade associations.The discussion was recorded last Thursday and covers a lot of ground...the current state of the presidential race, the different electoral college paths available to both candidates, what can be gleaned from the early vote, what to expect in the House and Senate races, recent polling trends, late-breaking surprise races, the prediction markets, and much more.

Forrest Claypool has one of the most impressive and varied resumes in politics...early campaign and operative work with David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel, two-time Chief of Staff to the mayor of Chicago, opposing Barack Obama in mock debates in his 2004 Senate race, running the Chicago Park District, Chicago Transit Authority, and Chicago Board of Education, elected to the Cook County Board, intense races against the Chicago machine, and now author of the new book - The Daley Show - about the 20+ year tenure of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. In this conversation, Forrest talks his path from small town Southern, IL to breaking into politics to his time running major city departments to being an integral part of the Chicago machine before running against the machine a few years later and deep into the last 40+ years of Chicago politics through the impact of the mayoralty of Richard M. Daley. IN THIS EPISODE...Forrest's roots in Southern Illinois and the state politics of his youth in the 60s and 70s...Forrest connects with David Axelrod at the start of the Axelrod rise as a national media consultant...The x-factor that made Axelrod such an effective political consultant...One of Forrest's favorite races he worked on as a political consultant...Forrest plays the role of Alan Keyes in Barack Obama's 2004 debate prep...Forrest's initial impressions of the 1990s Barack Obama who started making the rounds in Chicago politics...Forrest remembers the Rahm Emanuel he first worked with in the mid-1980s...Of the numerous positions he held around Chicago and Cook County politics, which did Forrest find most exciting...Why Forrest turned down an almost sure-thing, safe seat in Congress...What he learned when he ran for Cook County office himself...The Forrest Claypool 101 on effectively running organizations...His evolution as a foot soldier of the Daley machine to a prominent machine critic and opponent...What made Forrest write his new book, The Daley Show, about the 20+ year mayoralty of Richard M. Daley...How the original Mayor Daley, Richard J. Daley, dominated Chicago politics for decades...The story of Richard M. Daley in the political wilderness after the death of his father, and how he rose to the mayor's office via an "outside game"...Details on how the Chicago mob controlled an entire city ward into the 1980s and 90s...The importance of "abandoned cars" in running a city...The most important accomplishment of the Mayor Richard M. Daley era...The biggest "missed opportunity" from Daley's time as Mayor...The "most brilliant ploy" Forrest saw from Mayor Daley during the 1990s wars over Chicago-area airports...The story from Forrest's first race in Cook County, with his opponent trying to convince voters that Forrest (who is white) was a Black candidate...How far one has to go back in Chicago politics to find election-counting interference...Forrest's take on why Chicago is no longer "a city that works"...Forrest's favorite story of the influential Chicago columnist, Mike Royko...Forrest's must-see recommendations around Chicago for political junkies...AND AKPD, Yasser Arafat, Thomas Barnes, Evan Bayh, Michael Bilandic, Rod Blagojevich, Jane Byrne, Jimmy Carter, council wars, Fred Cowan, Andrew Cuomo, John D'Arco, Richard Dennis, economic invalids, eye-glazing agencies, Paul Findley, Newt Gingrich, The Grateful Dead, iron-handed bravado, Brandon Johnson, Martin Kennelly, Martin Luther King, Lori Lightfoot, Machiavellian power plays, Ron Madison, Millennium Park, The Rolling Stones, John Stroger, Ed Vrdolyak, & more!

Mark Udall, former Democratic US Senator and House member from Colorado, comes from the famed Udall family of the Mountain West - including his father, Congressman Mo Udall, and uncle, former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall under both JFK & LBJ. But Mark Udall largely stayed away from politics until his mid 40s - having an entire career within the outdoor leadership organization Outward Bound. However, once he flipped the switch to politics, his ascent was rapid: elected to the Colorado State House in 1996, the US House in 1998, and the US Senate in 2008. In this conversation, Senator Udall talks his famous political family, his own early relationship to politics, and memories of 20+ years in elected office that span both highs and lows - with great stories and insights from someone with one of the most unique arcs in American politics. IN THIS EPISODEGrowing up between Tucson, AZ and Washington DC...Lessons about public service learned from his mother...Growing up in a political family of with a Congressman for a father and Cabinet Secretary for an uncle...The political legacy of his father, Mo Udall....The famous friendship between John McCain and Mo Udall...Old Mountain West connections among the Udalls, Goldwaters, and Romneys...The Udall brothers' opinions of both Presidents Johnson and Kennedy...Mark works New Hampshire for his father's 1976 presidential campaign...The 20-year career he had before entering politics...Running for office for the first time in his late 40s...Mark rolls out his Bill Clinton impression...What surprised him most - both positives and negatives - about serving in Congress...The behind-the-scenes machinations of why he didn't run for Senate in 2004 and did run in 2008...Why he was caught flatfooted in his 2014 Senate re-election...Memories of some of the most intense moments on the floor of the House and Senate...The now-infamous role the issue of abortion played in his 2014 race against Cory Gardner...Why he was one of the few members of Congress to list "no religious affiliation" in his bio...The current projects he's most interested in...The Mark Udall recommendations for traveling through Colorado...AND 50 mile hikes, Michael Bennet, Sherry Boehlert, Hale Boggs, Jimmy Carter, Grover Cleveland, Rocky Colavito, Democratic bankers, Denver Nuggets, Don't Ask Don't Tell, William O. Douglas, Fort Wayne Pistons, James Garfield, Gabrielle Giffords, Gary Hart, Jay Inslee, Bobby Kennedy, David King, Lady Bird Johnson, Dick Lamm, John Larson, Monica Lewinsky, Bob McNamara, John McCormack, mercurial marriages, George Miller, Minneapolis Lakers, Minnie Minoso, the NBL, the NRA, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Barack Obama, Tom Osborne, Outward Bound, Bill Owens, Nancy Pelosi, plural marriage, Harry Reid, Ranger Rogers, Roy Romer, George Romney, John Salazar, Ken Salazar, Pat Schroeder, Herb Score, Sonia Sotomayor, tough cookies, Mark Uterus, Tim Wirth, Willard Wirtz & more!

Caleb Smith may be the only political operative who's worked for three consecutive US House Speakers. During over a decade on Capitol Hill, he worked with Speakers Boehner, Ryan, and McCarthy. In this conversation, Caleb talks his path to politics from managing a legislative race in small-town Kentucky to working in some of the most prime real estate at the US Capitol building. He goes in-depth on his time on the Hill - being in the early wave of digital political staffers, joining Speaker Boehner's staff, strengths and weaknesses of the last 3 GOP Speakers, witnessing the rise of Trump from within the walls of the GOP establishment, starting Drive Public Affairs, and much more from a participant in some of the most important political moments of the 21st Century.IN THIS EPISODEGrowing 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!

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 EPISODEMark 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 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 EPISODEBryan's roots outside of Austin, TX and how the 2000 election and Iraq War drew him to politics...Why Bryan gravitated toward polling and his insight as to what makes for an effective political pollster...How Bryan came to Navigator Research, and its mission in the public opinion sphere...Some of the influential work Navigator Research has done over the past few years...The origin of Navigator's project of a 4,000 sample poll of voters under age 35...The seeming disconnect among younger voters between partisanship and policy preferences...What Bryan learned by testing 5 different polling methodologies among younger voters...What is unique about economic sentiments among younger voters...Some of the most surprising findings in this trove of data...What this data reveals about how and where younger voters get their news...What the data showed about a Biden vs. Trump re-match and how it's different with Kamala Harris atop the Democratic ticket...The set of issues younger voters most prioritize...The potential for 2024 polling error among younger voters that Bryan is monitoring...What recent Battleground polling reveals about the 2024 presidential race...Upcoming Navigator Research projects Bryan is most excited about...Bryan details the best way to enjoy a few days in Austin, TX...& much more!

Catching up this week with return guest David Nir, who for over a decade has been an influential election analyst and the creator of Daily Kos Elections. Within the past week, David has moved his analysis to an independent site - now called The Downballot. In this conversation, David provides an update on his transition: what is happening, why now, and David's long-term goals for The Downballot. Then, stay for my original conversation with David - originally released over three years ago in early 2021. David has a fascinating career arc that charts the rise of the online grassroots from a ramshackle group of political junkies in the early 00s to now being one of the pillars of the political universe.IN THIS EPISODE…Why David is launching The Downballot as a new independent, site?Living through the downturn of the online ad economy...Long-term goals David has the for The Downballot...Elected officials who rabid political junkies...What was David's first introduction to feminism?How being the child of a Holocaust survivor has informed who David is…Why David seeing a Geraldine Ferraro rally in 1984 was an ill omen for the ticket's chances…David's early memories of Rudy Giuliani in NYC politics…The candidate who taught David to avoid getting too attached to any individual politician…How David fell in love with down-ballot races…How David made the decision to forego a legal career to plunge full-time into politics…How unlikely candidates in Kentucky and South Dakota kicked off the rise of the Democratic netroots…How an "extra penny" let campaigns know the arrival of the progressive netroots…Lavishing praise upon the DKE Daily News Digest and Elections Data…David's tips for candidates and campaigns who want to connect with the Daily Kos community…The story of Daily Kos and the rise of Jon Ossoff… David helps topple the “turncoat” IDC legislative coalition in New York…What one requirement would have to be part of David's online dating profile… AND….Brendan Boyle, Ben Chandler, Wes Clark, Howard Dean, David Dinkins, John Edwards, Marc Elias, Geraldine Ferraro, Rudy Giuliani, Kaili Joy Gray, Paul Hackett, Karen Handel, Stephanie Herseth, John Kerry, Jeff Klein, John Lewis, Rachel Maddow, Walter Mondale, Markos Moulitsas, Wiley Nickel, Jean Schmidt, Jeff Singer, Elliot Spitzer, Tim Tagaris, Trent Thompson, Elizabeth Warren,  Stephen Wolf, AND MORE!

Communications expert Tucker Eskew has been a participant in some of the most seminal moments in American political history over the course of the past 30+ years...a protege of the famed Republican strategist Lee Atwater, senior aide to the Bush 2000 win over John McCain in the fractious South Carolina primary, working in the White House the morning of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a stint representing the Bush Administration at 10 Downing Street in London, one of Sarah Palin's lead handlers during her whirlwhind 2008 VP experience...among many other momentous experiences during his decades in and around politics. In this conversation, Tucker talks his path to politics and his time as both observer and player in some of the most important moments in recent American history.IN THIS EPISODETucker's roots as the son of a journalist growing up in the Southeast...The DC internship that set him on a path toward working in politics...A couple of his favorite Strom Thurmond stories...Tucker, in his mid 20s, becomes Press Secretary for South Carolina Governor Caroll Campbell...Tucker remembers lessons learned from his mentor - the famed GOP operative, Lee Atwater...Tucker's role on the ground during the bruising, fractious 2000 South Carolina primary between Bush and McCain...Tucker talks the strategic acumen of Karl Rove...Tucker's role as a Bush spokesman in West Palm Beach during the 2000 post-election chaos...Tucker recounts his amazing story of working in the White House on the morning of the 9/11 terrorist attacks...Tucker works out of 10 Downing Street for months, partnering with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in the aftermath of 9/11...Tucker's stint as one of the senior handlers for Sarah Palin during her tumultuous 2008 VP experience...Why John McCain had a sense of relief after losing the 2008 presidential race...Lessons learned from 19 years as a partner at the corporate comms firm Vianovo...AND Whit Ayres, the BBC, Doug Bailey, James Baker, Dan Bartlett, John Buckley, Blaine Bull, Alistair Campbell, Chad Man, Lon Chaney, Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, the Coalition Information Center, Candy Crowley, Matthew Dowd, emergency bunkers, Ray Eskew, flashbulb moments, fog of war, Gerald Ford, Michael Gerson, the Greenville News-Piedmont, Albert Hawkins, Karen Hughes, Jesse Jackson, Greg Jenkins, Lafayette Square, Jim Lake, Joe Lieberman, Larry Lindsey, low bono, Mary Matalin, Bob McAllister, Anita McBride, Tim McBride, mimeographs, next man up, the News Literacy Project, Richard Nixon, Bob Novak, pocket doors, the Presidential Campaign Hotline, the Reagan/Bush 1984 war room, red light moments, Condaleeza Rice, the Roosevelt Room, Mark Sanford, South Lawn moments, sucker optimists, James Taylor, UPI, The University of the South, ugly babies, George Wallace, Jim Wilkinson & more!

David Callahan is a prolific creator and thinker within Democratic politics. He helped start the progressive think tank Demos in the late 90s, founded the media outlet Inside Philanthropy as a Consumer Reports of sorts into the world of charitable giving, and more recently created Blue Tent - an advisory group to help progressive donors get the most bang for their buck. In this conversation, David talks his early days in politics focused on foreign policy, his next stint as a think-tanker trying to pull the Democratic Party left, and why he's more recently been focused on the world of political giving. David is one of the most informed people on the planet on all facets of the political donor world and provides a tour de force on both the current state of play and future trends to better understand how our politics are funded.IN THIS EPISODEGrowing up in New York as the child of academics...An early experience that showed David he was not cut out to be an activist...A formative year spent at the liberal magazine, The American Prospect...David talks getting his PhD and his recommendations for those considering academia...David helps found the progressive think tank Demos and talks the role of think tanks in American politics...What led David to start Inside Philanthropy, a media outlet dedicated to understanding political fundraising...The disturbing trend in political giving that led David to start Blue Tent, a resource for progressive donors...How David and Blue Tent determine where donors will get the most bang for their buck...Why David is an advocate of giving to organizations instead of candidates...David on the phenomenon of "rage giving"...Are donors pulling Democratic candidates to the left?Has Democratic giving fallen off this cycle?David's concern about too many advocacy groups and donor fragmentation on the left compared to more unanimity on the right...David de-mystifies the world of big "donor advisors"...David on the Soros factor on the left...The rough balance of spending from the right vs. spending from the left...The types of operatives who succeed in the donor advising space...The political novel David wrote in the late 90s that eerily predicted elements of both the 9/11 attacks and the rise of a Donald Trump-like politician...AND AOC, Stacey Abrams, Miriam Adelson, The American Enterprise Institute, The American Liberties Project, The American Prospect Magazine, Arabella Advisors, Joe Biden, bioethics, Michael Bloomberg, bureaucratic machinations, the Cato Institute, the Center for Voter Information, Bill Clinton, The Committee on States, credential firepower, the DLC, The Democracy Alliance, Michael Dukakis, The Economic Policy Institute, effective altruism, Federalist Society, Marcus Flowers, Focus for Democracy, Fredrick Forsyth, Forward Montana, Give Well, giving circles, Al Gore, Lindsey Graham, Stanley Greenberg, Jamie Harrison, Hastings-on-Hudson, the Heritage Foundation, Hezbollah, Indian Point Power Plant, Indivisible, the Koch Brothers, LUCHA, Mitch McConnell, Amy McGrath, Michigan United, Mind the Gap, Dustin Moskovitz, Movement Voter Project, neoliberal mindsets, The New America Foundation, Paul Nitze, NYPIRG, Beto O'Rourke, Open Markets, RCTs, Ronald Reagan, The Roosevelt Institute, Run for Something, saber-rattling, Sandinistas, Adam Schiff, Star Wars, the States Project, Swing Left, Marjorie Taylor Greene, transactional donors, Way to Win, Working America & more!

Lisa MacLean, founder of Moxie Media - the first female-founded political direct mail firm in the U.S - talks her path to politics...starting in St Louis and then Vassar, to impactful DC internships, managing campaigns in California and eventually starting her own mail firm in the late 1990s that recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary. In this conversation, Lisa talks overcoming adversity as a young woman in politics, the nuts and bolts of how she started her own firm, some of her big races and wins, direct mail best practices and trends, and much more from her 30+ years as a top political operative.IN THIS EPISODEGrowing up middle-class in the St. Louis suburbs...The searing experience in 9th grade that drove home the importance of politics...How the Senate vote to confirm Clarence Thomas changed the course of Lisa's career...Lisa talks what it was like to go to college at Vassar in the late 80s...Lessons learned during and after the 1992 "Year of the Woman"...A personal story Lisa tells about a very difficult experience as a young woman in a media firm...How Lisa decided to start her own direct mail firm and how she got it off the ground...The biggests changes in direct mail over Lisa's 25 years in the business...Some of the memorable races where Lisa feels smart direct mail made a difference...The direct mail trends Lisa is monitoring...Lessons Lisa learned in running and growing a successful mail firm over 25 years...The story behind the name "Moxie Media"...A glimpse into living in rural, coastal Washington (state)...AND Jill Alper, Sasha Bruce, Andrea Campbell, Yadira Caraveo, Amy Chapman, Tony Coehlo, Michael Dukakis, free shrimp cocktail, Patty Garamendi, The Good Neighbor News, Lisa Grove, Anita Hill, Trish Hoppey, Mary Hughes, Tishaura Jones, Celinda Lake, Kevin Mack, Hal Malchow, Laurie Moskowitz, Pat Moynihan, Adnaan Muslin, Amy Pritchard, Rich Schlackman, Amy Simon, Heather Stone, Clarence Thomas, tomboys, Henry Underhill, Karen White, the Womens Information Network, Harriett Woods...& more!

Kinky Friedman passed away yesterday, June 27 2024. This is a re-release of a Pro Politics Podcast episode with Kinky originally released June 4, 2021.Kinky Friedman wore many hats in his 79 years - country music artist, bestselling novelist, political candidate, animal welfare activist, friend of multiple US Presidents, and a Texas and American icon. In this conversation from roughly three years ago, Kinky talks his connections to figures as varied as Nelson Mandela, Adlai Stevenson, John F Kennedy, Barbara Jordan, Bob Dylan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush among others - and insight into the life of a truly American original.

Debbie Cox Bultan has been working in Democratic politics for more than 30 years, including more than a decade at the Democratic Leadership Council and then helping start NewDEAL where she is now the CEO. At NewDEAL, she works to connect pro-growth progressive leaders and help raise their profiles and amplify their ideas. In this conversation, she talks about the Hill internship that drew her to a career in politics, lessons learned managing campaigns, her long tenure at the influential DLC think tank, what has gone in to starting and growing New Deal over the last several years, and some of her top priorities heading into the 2024 elections. IN THIS EPISODEGrowing up in an apolitical, middle-class family in Sacramento...A formative DC internship for her local Congressman, Vic Fazio...Debbie's early experiences working in CA campaign fundraising and managing...Debbie's 15 years working at the DLC, the Democratic Leadership Council & the impact the DLC had on American politics...Starting the center-left NewDEAL non-profit to engage and promote young Democratic leaders...Using Pete Buttigieg as an example to talk through the role NewDEAL can play in the rise of a public figure...How Debbie has worked to develop to a well-rounded skillset to lead a national organization...The "Freedom Agenda" NewDEAL has helped develop...The role Debbie sees the issue of abortion rights playing in the '24 election cycle...Advice for the next generation of political operatives...Debbie's most unusual, successful work habit...

Mickey Edwards served 16 years in Congress, as the first Republican to represent his Oklahoma City-based district in almost 50 years. Prior to his time in the House, he'd already made a mark as a leader in early days of "New Right" conservative organizations like the Young Republicans and Heritage Foundation. In this conversation, he talks his early days as a conservative political outsider in a Democratic state, the upset victory that propelled him to 8 terms in the House, his ascent within the GOP House Leadership, and how conservatism and Congress have changed since he left elected office.IN THIS EPISODEGrowing up blue-collar in the Rust Belt, before his family moves to Oklahoma City...The incredible story of surviving three gunshot wounds while being robbed....What led him to gravitate to conservative politics in a one-party Democratic state...His roots as part of the "New Right" in the 1960s and 1970s...His early days as a newspaperman before entering politics exclusively...How he beat established Republicans and Democrats in route to becoming the first GOP House member to represent OK City in nearly 50 years...How he caused a furor from both parties in his first floor speech in the House...Why Tip O'Neil is one of his political heroes...Why he views GOP Speaker Newt Gingrich and Democrat Jim Wright as harmful to the institution of the House...His occasional role in the 70s and 80s as a conduit between the establishment and activist wings of the GOP...Memories of working with Presidents Carter, Reagan, and Bush...The entreaties he made to organized labor to try to forge common ground with the GOP...Why he considers himself a "Jack Kemp Republican"...How he became the GOP Policy Chair, the 4th highest leadership position in the House GOP...Why advocating for the Osage Tribe was his proudest moment as a House member...His analysis of how the conservative movement and Republican Party have gotten off track...His level of his pessimism that our political system will become increasingly dysfunctional...His thoughts on a career as a prominent Jewish Republican...The current projects he's most passionate about...AND Ethan Allen, the American Conservative Union, James Baker, Blair House, Lauren Boebert, cinder blocks, the Cleveland Guardians, Hillary Clinton, closed rules, Tom Delay, JR Ewing, Matt Gaetz, Barry Goldwater, Nathan Hale, Denny Hastert, Chic Hecht, Patrick Henry, The Heritage Foundation, Jewish Workmens' Circle, John Kennedy, Killers of the Flower Moon, Paul Laxalt, Look Magazine, Ed Madigan, Bob Michel, Richard Nixon, Oklahoma Sooners, night depositories, Ronald Reagan, Sandinistas, Chris Shays, shoe stores, the Sierra Club, John Sununu, tall grass praries, Marjorie Taylor Green, the Tea Party, Tinker Air Force base, Donald Trump, JC Watts, Paul Weyrich, Jim Wright, Lee Zeldin...& more!

Heather Williams is the President of the DLCC, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee - the party committee focused on state legislative races and chambers. In this conversation, Heather talks her initial path to politics, working in state legislative races in Iowa, early days working in finance, the many hats she's worn at the DLCC, and now her current role as the organization's President. We also go in depth on why state legislative races are so critical, the current battleground map heading into the 2024 elections, the importance of the issue of abortion, and much more with a leading thinker on all things state legislative politics.IN THIS EPISODEHow Heather became interested in politics growing up in Minnesota...Heather's early political roots working in Iowa...What Heather learned from well-respected, Iowa Senate Leader Mike Gronstal...What made Heather gravitate to working in the finance role in campaigns...How Heather was drawn to the DLCC initially, almost 20 years ago...Heather's take on what makes for a successful state legislative caucus operation...The many hats Heather wears as President of the DLCC, and how she's tackled some that didn't come as naturally to her...Legislative lessons learned after big Democratic losses in the 2010 election cycle...Heather's favorite case studies for legislative wins coming out of the 2022 midterms...Heather on her approach to leading a big political organization, despite not being a natural extrovert...What Heather learned from her long-term predecessor at DLCC, Jessica Post...Why it's important to "get comfortable with risk"...How Heather thinks about the current partisan balance at the state legislative level and her priorities for the 2024 cycle...The role that the abortion issue is currently playing in state legislative politics...How the DLCC has to always have future redistricting in mind as a strategic priority...Some of the most dynamic state legislative leaders currently on the scene...Heather's advice to those just starting a career in politics...Heather's most unusual, successful work habit...

Hal Malchow was the incredibly innovative Democratic direct mail and fundraising consultant, who passed away several weeks ago. His final chapter was chronicled by Sasha Issenberg in Politico recently. Hal's was truly a creative mind, including breaking new ground on sophisticated political microtargeting and "social pressure" tactics to generate increased voter turnout. Joining this conversation are two of Hal's longtime business partners and friends - fellow direct mail consultants, Trish Hoppey and Rich Schlackman. We discuss Hal's political roots in progressive politics out of the Deep South, his innovative and curious political mind, the new approaches he developed, and the legacy he leaves behind after decades in the trenches of political targeting and communications. IN THIS EPISODEMemories of meeting Hal for the first time...Hal's path to DC from the Deep South...The GOP luminary who was one of Hal's most trusted friends...The innovations in political targeting and messaging spearheaded by Hal...A few of the races and campaigns most impacted by Hal's creativity...The origin of Hal's groundbreaking work on "social pressure" with two Ivy League academics...Why Hal left day-to-day consulting after the 2010 cycle and how he stayed involved over the past decade...Hal's most recent advice to Democratic campaigns...Hal's motivations during the final chapter of his life...Final thoughts on Hal's legacy in politics...AND The Analyst Institute, bananas ideas, Evan Bayh, better mousetraps, Andrew Bleeker, CHAID analysis, Campaign Performance Group, Christina Coloroso, couch surfing, Mario Cuomo, Morris Dees, failed attorneys, fake-out mail, Vic Fazio, feedback loops, funny accents, Page Gardner, Alan Gerber, Al Gore, Christine Hopkinson, Herb Kelleher, Harry Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Dean Levitan, Alex Malchow, microtargeting, Janet Napolitano, Gavin Newsom, paella, personalized yard signs, Mike Podhorzer, rat infestations, Rick Ridder, Mitt Romney, Ron Rosenblith, Santa Fe, Tom Sugar, Richard Viguerie, Voter Contact Services, Mark Warner, Michael Woolridge & more!

Matt Robison has worn many political hats, among them working in numerous positions across Capitol Hill - including serving as Chief of Staff for three members. He also managed the successful 2012 upset re-election of Rep. John Tierney, after Tierney was named the GOP's top takeover opportunity that cycle. With roots in Manhattan, Matt had formative experiences in NYC public schools before a chance meeting with then Governor Bill Clinton in 1992 and an unlikey mentor at Harvard, nudged him to a career working in government. In this conversation, Matt talks his path to working in politics, goes deep on the best practices and unwritten rules of working on the Hill, and updates on his post-Hill life as a writer, radio host, and podcaster.IN THIS EPISODEHow Matt's brief time in the NYC public school system informed his future outlook as a political operative...Matt's memorable experience meeting Bill Clinton during the 1992 presidential campaign...An unexpected political mentor and how Matt got his foot into the political door...Matt successfully manages a Democratic House incumbent in 2012 who was the GOP's #1 target...Matt's initial impressions of working on the Hill as a junior staffer...Matt's best practices for running a Hill office...The mistake Matt made as a Hill Chief that led to an attack ad against his member...Why scheduling is the worst part of the job as a Hill Chief of Staff...The one type of person Matt recommends never hiring as a Hill Chief...Matt's advice for new Hill staffers...Matt's take on the rise of unionized Hill offices...Matt's estimate on the share of House members who are jerks...Some of the most impressive members (both Dem & GOP) Matt saw during his time on the Hill...Why Matt left the Hill after running three House offices...Matt's "most interesting number in politics"...Matt's current podcast, releasing three episodes a week...Matt's strangest work habits...AND Charlie Bass, Biafra, Lauren Boebert, Jeb Bradley, George HW Bush, Robert Caro, James Carville, General Comfort, Crash Davis, Mickey Edwards, David Gergen, Newt Gingrich, gross metaphors, half hugs, Paul Hodes, Rush Holt, Steny Hoyer, hybrid ads, illegal offshore gambling rings, Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs, Gerry Kavanaugh, logistical nightmares, Nancy Mace, massive scandals, Chris Matthews, Mike Michaud, Mr. Miyagi, Tip O'Neill, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, personal mishegas, philosophical questions, Reagan Democrats, Stu Rothenberg, South Park, the stupidest law in America, John Tierney, Donald Trump, unhinged maniacs, wicked sore throats...& more!

Carlos Lozada is currently an Opinion columnist at The New York Times, after spending nearly 20 years at The Washington Post - where he earned the Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for criticism as The Post's nonfiction book critic. He's also an author, with his second book -  The Washington Book - recently published: a collection of essays exploring what books by and about D.C. power players reveal about the people and political conflicts that define Washington. In this conversation, Carlos talks his path from Peru to South Bend to D.C., his accidental route to working in the press, some of his favorite Washington books and stories, and deeply mining his own insights into our current political moment.IN THIS EPISODECarlos' personal journey from Lima, Peru to Washington D.C...Carlos "gateway drug" books into the genre of Washington books...How Carlos defines what exactly is a "Washington Book"...Carlos weighs in on what he considers some of the earliest Washington Books...Carlos' rave  review of the U.S. Grant memoir...The place of All The President's Men in the pantheon of Washington Books...Carlos' favorite cliches from presidential campaign memoirs...The D.C. corridors of power that are undercovered in Washington Books...The Washington Books that are purely exercises in settling scores...Carlos compares the Donald Trump of 2016 to the Donald Trump of 2024...The Washington Books that never were that Carlos would love to read...What reading Vladimir Putin revealed to Carlos about the Russian leader...Carlos' 101 on sharp essay-writing...Carlos waxes nostalgic about the late Washinton Post Outlook Section...AND The 1619 Project, Alexis de Tocqueville, all sorts of minutia, Jody Allen, the American Enterprise Institute, Carol Anderson, animating impulses, The Appalachian Trail, Appomattox, asymmetric polarization, Peter Baker, Steve Bannon, Bob Barnett, beleaguered officials, Joe Biden, Joan Biskupic, Kate Boo, George H.W. Bush, Robert Caro, Jimmy Carter, Jesus Christ, Julie Davis, drop-down menus, enabling environments, farm foremen, The Federal Reserve, Craig Fehrman, Foreign Policy magazine, full absorption, Susan Glasser, Garret Graff, Lindsay Graham, Alan Greenspan, Stephanie Grisham, Maggie Haberman, Susan Hennessey, Fiona Hill, Dustin Hoffman, holy crap anecdotes, David Ignatius, joining-ness, Jurassic Park, Bob Kaiser, Ibram X. Kendi, the Kerner Commission, Adam Kushner, Robert E. Lee, Joe Lieberman, Steve Luxenberg, Thomas Mann, David Maraniss, Mark Meadows, mid-level authoritarian regimes, military duds, Mark Milley, Robert Moses, Robert Mueller, murdered darlings, murky institutions, The New York Review of Books, Kirstjen Nielsen, Notre Dame, Barack Obama, obligatory campaign memoirs, obscene crescendos, Norm Ornstein, parallel histories, the paralysis of power, George Pataki, Tim Pawlenty, policy wonks, John Pomfret, Robert Redford, Marco Rubio, Mark Sanford, Michael Schaffer, Brent Scowcroft, Michael Shear, silent Moscow, John Sununu, Barton Swaim, targeted excerpts, Mark Twain, Mario Vargas Llosa, velociraptors, Scott Walker, Ben Wittes, Michael Wolff, Bob Woodward...& more!

Whit Ayres, founder and president of North Star Opinion Research, has been a leading GOP pollster for more than 30 years. First a high school teacher then an academic, he cut his political teeth as state Budget Director for South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell. As a pollster, upset Senate victories for Georgia Senator Paul Coverdell in 1992 and Tennessee Senator Bill Frist in 1994 put Whit and his firm on the map. And since then he's worked for some of the biggest names in GOP politics: Strom Thurmond, Lamar Alexander, Marco Rubio, Bob Corker, Lindsey Graham, Ron DeSantis, among others. In this conversation, Whit talks his path to politics, favorite campaign stories, most famous clients, best polling practices, thoughts on the trajectory of the GOP and much more.IN THIS EPISODEWhit's interest in politics sparks in an Ames, Iowa high school classroom...The "searing experience" that influenced him in 1970s Berlin...What Whit learned teaching 8th grade public school for three years...Whit's gets his start in politics working for future South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell...How a vetoed pay raise encouraged Whit to take up political polling...Whit's first big client, Paul Coverdell, wins an upset Georgia Senate race in 1992...Whit's role in Lamar Alexander's insurgent 1996 GOP Presidential Primary campaign...Whit helps re-elect South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond at age 94 to his last term in the Senate...Whit polls for Marco Rubio's underdog first US Senate race in 2010 over Florida Governor Charlie Crist...Whit talks his role working for Ron DeSantis in 2018...and his take on the DeSantis 2024 presidential...Whit remembers the 1994 Bill Frist upset Senate win in Tennessee...Whit's take on the evolution of the GOP over the last decade...Whit on what makes for an effective pollster...Whit talks his time as active airplane pilot...AND academic towns, ballistic donors, Bob Barr, the Bernoulli Principle, bionic men, Brexit, Pat Buchanan, William Jennings Bryan, Checkpoint Charlie, Chris Christie, Bill Clinton, commuting marriages, Bob Corker, Steph Curry, Davidson College, Bob Dole, Mr. Enquist, flaming underdogs, Wyche Fowler, Cheryl Glenn, hail fellow well mets, Alex Haley, Nikki Haley, Tom Ingram, Dan Judy, Ted Kennedy, Rush Limbaugh, Huey Long, Dick Lugar, mainframe computers, Jon McHenry, Mike Murphy, Barack Obama, plaid work shirts, Adam Putnam, Dick Riley, Ronald Reagan, Jim Sasser, Floyd Spence, the Tea Party, totalitarian regimes, Donald Trump, two scrubs, Vanderbilt Hospital, George Wallace, Susie Wiles, Joe Wilson, & more!

Larry Huynh is a Partner and founder of Trilogy Interactive, a trailblazing digital political firm. His path to politics is anything but typical...his family coming to the U.S. as refugees after the Vietnam War, his academic background in biochemistry, and early career in the finance sector. In this conversation, Larry talks his unconventional route to working in politics, the 2004 campaign that changed his trajectory, early days of the political internet, plus some of his favorite case studies, best practices, and thoughts on digital trends that have the potential to change politics. IN THIS EPISODEHow Larry's family had to flee Vietnam after the fall of Saigon...Growing up a Texan in a low-income family in Houston...Larry talks his pre-political interest in biochemistry and work in the financial sector...The 2004 movement to Draft General Wes Clark into the presidential race pulls Larry into politics...Memories of meeting General Clark the first time and the 2004 Clark campaign...What contributed to the massive spike of online fundraising in the 2004 presidential campaign...Larry starts one of the first digital political firms after the 2004 elections...How Barbara Boxer's approach to Senate hearings blazed a path for effective use of digital political tools...Larry on current trends in digital politics...Larry talks studies his firm has done to better utilize AI...Larry's perspective on the right type of people who should pursue a career in digital politics...Larry talks his role as President of the AAPC and smart ways to utilize the organization...AND alchemy, Bank of America, Stacey Bashara, best laid plans, Brent Blackaby, Blackrock, Doug Boxer, Howard Dean, Fort Chaffee, genetically-modified seeds, hard science, Jeff Hauser, jacked-up arms, Paul Johnson, Rose Kapolczynski, John Kerry, kill lists, Blanche Lincoln, Terry McAuliffe, John McCain, Jason McIntosh, Katie Merrill, Monsanto, MoveOn, Eli Pariser, Condaleeza Rice, Diana Rogal, Josh Ross, Randy Stearns, vice principals, windowless rooms....& more!

Kent Hance served 6 years in the House from West Texas, was Chair of the Texas Railroad Commission, and had an 8-year tenure as Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System - but his most famous political accomplishment is as the only person to ever defeat George W. Bush in a political campaign. He also hosts his own podcast, The Best Storyteller in Texas, where he mines his favorite political stories and weighs in on the news of the day. In this conversation, Chancellor Kent Hance talks about his famous 1978 win over George W. Bush in an open-seat congressional...his preceding time in the Texas State Senate, his time in the House carrying landmark legislation for President Reagan, running statewide, helming a major public university system, memories of iconic political figures, and some of his best stories from 6+ decades in politics.IN THIS EPISODE...Growing up in rural West Texas...How the books his mother chose to read to him as a child led to a lifelong interest politics...A Kent Hance best-practice for avoiding troublemakers at town hall meetings...How he took on a West Texas political machine to beat a sitting State Senator in 1974...Chancellor Hance shares his memories of iconic Texas political figures John Connally, Lloyd Bentsen, and Ann Richards...Going in-depth about his good friend and former colleague, Congresswoman Charlie Wilson...How Kent Hance beat George W. Bush for Congress in an open seat race in 1978...The 1978 Hance campaign tactic that stuck with George W. Bush for 30+ years...Memories of sponsoring President Reagan's historic, controversial tax cut in the early 1980s.Highlighting a major difference in the leadership style of Presidents Reagan and Trump...Coming up short running for Senate in 1984...Demystifying what it's like serving on the Texas Railroad Commission...What led to becoming Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System...The curveball of the Texas Tech football coach he helped hire becoming now-US Senator Tommy Tuberville...AND $1.2 Billion, AT&T, Jodey Arrington, Coalter Baker, Jim Baker, bank charters, Choc Blanchard, Doc Blanchard, Laura Bush, The Committee for the Survival of a Free Congress, Barber Conable, dealmakers, Bob Dole, Ken Duberstein, Phil Gramm, hardcore Navy guys, Tommy Joe Harrison, hating Communists, Chic Hecht, Vic Henry, Bill Hobby, Lee Iacocca, Jack Kemp, LBJ, Little Britches, George Mahon, mail carriers, Wilbur Mills, Walter Mondale, the New England Journal of Medicine, Don Pease, Sam Rayburn, Walter Rogers, Dan Rostenkowski, Preston Smith, talking heads, trial lawyers, Donald Trump, Paul Weyrich, whipping the Russians, Clayton Williams, windfall profits tax...& more!

Morgan Searcy is a graphic designer whose work has supported some of the top brands in corporate America (Nike, MTV to name a few) and has also worked in campaigns for names like Warren and Ossoff. After the 2020 cycle, she embarked on a new project to capture and record experiences of first-time political staffers - a project that turned into the book One Year in Politics. In this work, she chronicles interviews with more than 220 first-time political staffers...with in-depth information about their motivations, challenges, concerns, aspirations, and more.IN THIS EPISODEMorgan's roots growing up as an Asian American in Huntsville, AL...What drew Morgan to politics from a largely non-political family...Morgan talks her background in graphic design and best practices for effective visuals...How Morgan transitioned from corporate design work to working in politics in the 2020 cycle...What led Morgan to tackle the project that turned into her book, "One Year in Politics"...Morgan's takeaways from 220+ interviews with first-time political staffers...Hurdles identified by first-time BIPOC staffers...What interviews from 2020 revealed about staffer experiences during the pandemic...The types of "burnout" first-time staffers report feeling...How first-time staffers' ideology compared to the candidate or cause for whom they worked...Morgan's advice to staffers early in the career...AND 5-Star hotels, all-hands meetings, art kids, bigger logos, Boeing, brand recognition, Emerge, EMILYs List, Google Forms, hierarchies of information, Jason Kander, NASA, Jon Ossoff, traditional job boards, video game designers, Werner Von Braun & more!

Jim Margolis, partner at GMMB media, is a pioneering Democratic media consultant who is featured in the new documentary, The Bigger Hammer, by filmmaker Keith Gaby that focuses on the message war behind the Obama vs. McCain 2008 race (now available on Amazon). In this conversation, Jim talks his path to politics through student activism in Kalamazoo, managing House campaigns, and working on the Hill before partnering with Frank Greer to start GMMB. He also goes in depth on his work for the Obama Presidential campaigns and shares some of his favorite stories and spots from a career atop the world of political media.IN THIS EPISODEJim's early entry into politics as a high schooler in Kalamazoo, MI...Why a narrow loss in one of the first races he worked was "the best thing that ever happened" to him...Jim talks the important role Congressman Howard Wolpe played in his development...Lessons learned from his early days as a campaign manager and Hill Chief...A one-of-a-kind story from Kent Conrad's upset 1986 Senate win in North Dakota...How his partnership with Frank Greer started and Jim's early days as an ad-maker...A deep dive into Jim's role spearheading media on the Obama '08 presidential campaign...Why Jim had the '08 Democratic Convention stage dramatically changed at the last minute...Jim's 101 on producing political conventions...Jim on working for two of his most prominent Senate clients, Barbara Boxer and Harry Reid...What got Jim in Harry Reid's doghouse for a couple of weeks...Jim talks the evolution of his firm GMMB over the years...Jim breaks down the art of political ad-buying...Jim's advice to the next generation of political media consultants...AND 3/10/83, Brock Adams, Africanists, Mark Andrews, David Axelrod, blue suits, Quentin Burdick, the Chicago Tribune, Cinderella years, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, crazy hats, Fred Davis, disease implications, Byron Dorgan, ending apartheid, extra chips, fancy Florida hotels, Dianne Feinstein, Fort Defiance, Wyche Fowler, game show sets, good ears, Larry Grisolano, herculean tasks, Anita Hill, Paris Hilton, Invesco Stadium, John Kerry, Jim Messina, Michigan State University, Walter Mondale, Robby Mook, mosquito nets, Navajo reservations, David Plouffe, punch cards, Bernie Sanders, tax commissioners, Western Michigan University...& more!

Listen to a brief update about the Pro Politics Podcast, with the upshot that you should stay tuned for new episodes coming soon. For any feedback, feel free to drop me a line at mccrary.zachary(at)gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

Mark Barabak, the veteran political reporter and columnist for the L.A. Times, has just helmed a six-part series analyzing the political evolutions across the New West - Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon.  In this conversation, Mark talks his recent series, touches on the politics in all six of these states, and breaks down what it says about the trajectory of the region and the impact on the national landscape. He also mines his reporter's notebook to talk some of his favorite stories and personalities from 35+ years covering politics.IN THIS EPISODEMark talks how he was drawn to working in political journalism...The one state Mark hasn't covered yet...What led Mark to helm his recent series on the New West...The biggest surprise in the recent political evolution of the West...How much remains of the historical, libertarian political character of the West...How Cindy McCain has recently played an important symbolic role in Arizona politics...Mark on Governor Jared Polis and political trajectory of Colorado...Why emigration from California is not helping Republicans in the rest of the region...Mark talks the importance of Latino voters in the West...Mark's take on what it would take for Republicans to finally break through in Oregon...What Bend, OR reveals about politics in the state...How resilient is Democratic strength in the West if the party moves more to the left...How Bill Clinton muscled California into becoming a safe Democratic state...The anecdote Mark has waited 30 years to use...Mark recalls the importance of the Berman/Waxman So Cal "machine" and Northern CA's Burton "machine"...Mark's memories covering Nancy Pelosi's political career from her very first race in the 80s...Mark weighs in on the '24 California open Senate seat...The most charismatic politicians Mark has seen over the years...AND 801 Chophouse, accelerants, Joe Biden, Barbara Boxer, Harry Britt, broad libertarian streaks, Pat Brown, Ron Brown, Willie Brown, bundling, Sala Burton, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, California tattoos, criminal malpractice, Gray Davis, Michael Dukakis, election deniers, John Emerson, extractive industries, fingertip sensitivity, Diane Feinstein, Greek Lit, Kamala Harris, Peter Hart, John Hickenlooper, the hoi polloi, Mark Kelly, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Kari Lake, Adam Laxalt, Barbara Lee, Mel Levine, Bill Lunch, Maricopa County, Blake Masters, Leo McCarthy, Narragansett, Grover Norquist, Tip O'Neill, Mike Ovitz, Leon Panetta, Pablo Picasso, Katie Porter, RINOs, Ronald Reagan, Dick Riordan, Brian Sanderoff, Adam Schiff, John Seymour, Derek Shearer, Bob Shrum, sourdough bread, unhelpful quotes, Pete Wilson...& more!

Eric Hyers, manager of both Andy Beshear's '19 and '23 gubernatorial races, goes deep on last week's election of Governor Beshear in Kentucky. Eric talks his initial theory of the race, key strategic decisions from both campaigns, how the Beshear campaign fought back against transgender attacks and leveraged the issue of abortion against GOP nominee Daniel Cameron. In addition to getting under the hood of the 2023 race, Eric outlines his path to politics, experiences helping Democrats win in red states, theories on effective campaign management and much more.IN THIS EPISODEEric's early days in political organizing and how that prepped him to run campaigns...Eric weighs in on the three traits of effective campaign managers...What Eric has learned about fostering the right relationship between a candidate and campaign manager...Eric's memories of helping elect Governors Gina Raimondo and Steve Bullock...Why the office of Attorney General makes a good launching pad for Democrats running for higher office...The Eric Hyers' 101 of Kentucky politics...How Eric entered the political world of Andy Beshear...How Andy Beshear ousted GOP incumbent Matt Bevin in 2019...How Governor Beshear talked Eric into managing the 2023 re-elect as well...Eric's theory of the race when it kicked off in early 2023...Eric breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of GOP nominee Daniel Cameron...How the Beshear campaign responded to attacks on transgender issues...How the Beshear campaign went about targeting securing Trump / Beshear voters...The strategic decision to communicate on the issue of abortion exceptions...The messaging importance of Governor Beshear always "showing up" for Kentucky...What Eric can report about the turnout dynamics of the 2023 race...Eric's most unusual work habit...AND 17% approval ratings, 20,000 yard signs, Rocky Adkins, Steve Beshear, the Brent Spence Bridge, bus tours, David Cicilline, Cincinnati suburbs, complete jerks, crisis governors, DraftKings, John Edwards, GPS Impact, getting to yes, Greg Gianforte, Kirsten Gillibrand, good luck gourds, Mandy Grunwald, Jack Harlow, Bill Hyers, Nicole Kayner, Patrick Kennedy, Colin Lauderdale, managing multiple humans, Mitch McConnell, The Mountain Parkway, playoff beards, primetime players, Pulaski VA, red to pink, Saratoga Springs, setting a tone at the top, Josh Shapiro, Skidmore College, spreadsheet guys, TV Andy, Erin White, Williams College, Fred Yang....& more!

Patrick Ruffini, pollster at Echelon Strategies, returns to talk about his new book (released today, 11/7/23) PARTY OF THE PEOPLE - on the transition of the Republican Party from being dominated by wealthy, suburban white voters to a more blue-collar and increasingly-multi-racial coalition. In this conversation, Patrick lays out the data behind these shifts, what is driving the GOP's new-found success with blue-collar voters, why this movement came as a surprise to many, the balance of economic vs. cultural priorities, how Latino/AAPI/Black voters are increasingly persuadable audiences in elections, and expecations as to how these shifts will continue to define American politics for the forseeable future.IN THIS EPISODEPatrick lays out the core thesis of Party of the People...Patrick's favorite data points that illustrate the changing face of the GOP...Patrick's take on the role of "educational attainment" in changing voting patterns...Patrick gives a quick tutorial on when and how Democrats have historically been the party of working-class Americans...How flawed 2012 exit polls have contributed to shifting party coalitions more than a decade later...Patrick's take on how the "In This House..." yard signs unwittingly speak to tensions within the Democratic coalition...Economic vs cultural drivers of voter behavior...Missteps and missed GOP opportunities from the trifecta control of government in 2017 and 2018...Mining recent data among Hispanic voters...What Patrick learned about border communities on a trip to the Rio Grande Valley...Why Lester Chang is important...Why Black voter behavior has been more stable than Latino and Asian voters...Patrick's take on the growing segment of biracial and multi-racial Americans...The impact of free trade and foreign policy on changing partisan coalitions...What Patrick learned in the process of writing his first book...AND 7:3 coalitional splits, anti-globalization sentiments, Joe Biden, blurbs, Brexit, George W. Bush, census buckets, charts and data, Hillary Clinton, Nate Cohn, Thomas Dewey, Tom Edsall, Ryan Enos, existential demographic crisis, fading historical patterns, faint echoes, frontier mentalities, the Great Recession, the green transition, Hamiltonian tendencies, illiberal populism, instinctive hawks, Andrew Jackson, jettisoning first principles, Chryl Laird, majority popular tendencies, mercantile progress, the New Deal, Barack Obama, Mike Podhorzer, Ronald Reagan, the Republican autopsy, rivalrous groups, Mitt Romney, sheepskin effects, David Shor, social taboos, Starr County, Steadfast Democrats, Harry Truman, Donald Trump, the UAW, Ismail White, white phenomenons....& more!

Fred Grandy spent 8 years in the US House as a Republican from Northwest Iowa, but remains best known for the decade he spent playing the character Gopher on the iconic 70s/80s hit television show "The Love Boat". In this conversation, he talks how his small-town Iowa roots mixed with matriculating at tony Eastern boarding schools, how he came to spend time around both President Eisenhower and President Nixon, why an initial flirtation with politics instead pushed him to Hollywood, what drew him back to politics after an incredibly successful run in show business, memories of his 8 years in the House, challenging an incumbent in a 1994 gubernatorial primary, what he's done since leaving office, and one of his current projects portraying Harry Truman on stage in "Give 'Em Hell, Harry". Fred Grandy is a natural storyteller and no one in politics has a story like him.IN THIS EPISODEHis unusual roots in both Sioux City Iowa and Eastern prep schools...An early lesson in congressional politics before going into show business...Stories of spending time around both President Eisenhower and President Nixon...The accidental conversation that drew him to politics from Hollywood in the mid 80s...Memories of being an international celebrity at the height of The Love Boat's run...The role the "Gopher Gap" and Johnny Carson played in his first race for Congress...Important lessons learned when seeking committee positions in his first term...Why he left the House to mount an underdog primary against IA Governor Terry Branstad...Why politics can be a narcotic...His post-congressional career as an Executive at Goodwill Industries...Talking through his current stage play inhabiting Harry Truman in "Give 'Em Hell, Harry!"AND...the Americans with Disabilities Act, Bret Baier, Steve Bartlett, Berkley Bedell, Sonny Bono, the Bourbons, Bill Broomfield, Bill Clinton, Tom Dewey, fishing tackle, Bill Ford, The Freedom Support Act, funny hats, Newt Gingrich, Goodwill Industries, Clayton Hogdson, Henry Hyde, Steve King, Bob Livingston, lugubrious hearings, Nancy Mace, Gavin MacLeod, Edward Madigan, Marblehead, Wiley Mayne, David McCullough, Bob Michel, Alyssa Milano, moneyed patricians, nativist foundations, Leon Panetta, the patois of the district, the Pendergast Organization, Phillips Exter, Ronald Reagan, the Republican bosom, ringworm, ritual slaughter, Rivercade, Pat Roberts, Dan Rostenkowski, screwing the sugar industry, seed caps, Sherman Oaks, shoving words around a room, Sturm und Drang, summer stock, Robert Taft, Fred Thompson, Craig Tufty, Mary Tydings, Mo Udall, the underbelly of Congress, Watergate & more!

Bill Carrick was the longtime chief media strategist for Senator Dianne Feinstein, as well as helping elect President Bill Clinton, multiple LA mayors, Congressman Jim Clyburn, and many more. In this conversation, Bill discusses his early political roots in South Carolina, his time working for Senator Ted Kennedy, his pivot to political media, and a deep dive on his time as chief strategist for Dianne Feinstein. We talk her early activist days in the 60s, the assassination that led to her becoming mayor of San Francisco, their first lunch meeting in 1989, how she leveraged a loss in the '90 Governor's race into 6 terms in the Senate, and her impact and legacy on priorities as varied as water policy, gun safety, choice, anti-torture policies, and more. IN THIS EPISODEBill's roots in South Carolina Democratic politics...One of Bill's favorite Fritz Hollings story...Bill's time working for Senator Ted Kennedy...The 1974 race that convinced Bill he should become a media consultant...Bill talks the early career of Dianne Feinstein on the San Francisco Board...Bill relates the story Dianne Feinstein would tell about the tragic assassination that propelled her to the Mayor's office...The first meeting of Bill with then-Mayor Feinstein before her 1990 Governor's race against Pete Wilson...The focus groups that helped ignite her statewide political career...Her '94 re-election amidst the GOP wave and against one of the first deep-pocketed self-funders...Bill relates Feinstein's views toward being on the short list of the '84 Vice Presidential process...Bill on Senator Feinstein's top passions and priorities...Feinstein's evolving views of the death penalty...Memories of her final re-election in 2018...Bill weighs in on the political legacy of Diane Feinstein...AND Aiken, the assault weapons ban, Tony Bennett, Annette Bening, The Boston Herald, Barbara Boxer, Willie Brown, George H.W. Bush, cable cars, Bill Clinton, the Commerce Committee, DACA, Gray Davis, Kevin de León, The Desert Protection Act, George Deukmejian, Jim Eastland, Dwight Eisenhower, Geraldine Ferraro, Don Fowler, Dick Gephardt, Barry Goldwater, Aaron Henry, Michael Huffington, the Inland Empire, Olin Johnston, Joshua Tree, JFK, Bob Lagomarsino, lovefests, John McCain, Leo McCarthy, Harvey Milk, Walter Mondale, George Moscone, Earl Morris, Rupert Murdoch, the NRA, Richard Nixon, Ole Miss, Prop 187, Pug Ravenel, Ronald Reagan, Dick Riley, Ed Riley, Donald Russell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Seymour, Strom Thurmond, Mark Twain, VAWA, John Van de Kamp, Dan White, Curtis Wilkie...& more!

Jenifer Fernandez Ancona is a co-founder of Way to Win, a progressive donor hub that has helped direct nearly $300M since 2018. Jenifer talks her early experiences in journalism, what pulled her into political activism in the early 2000s, why Way to Win was needed, and the work and research and guidance Way to Win is providing to help Democrats message, organize, and advocate more effectively.IN THIS EPISODEJenifer's path from journalism to political advocacy after 9/11...Both the national and local political figures who inspired her activism...Jenifer talks her work on major donor fundraising...Why Jenifer co-founded Way to Win after the 2016 elections...Jenifer's take on Democrats' historic "message problem"...What Jenifer has learned from Way to Win's research ad-testing 50+ spots...Jenifer on the power of qualitative, focus group research...Jenifer offers guidance on how Democrats should talk about economic progress when many voters are feeling pessimistic...Why Jenifer thinks messages promoting bipartisanship are counter-productive...The balance in communicating to a multi-racial coalition...Jenifer's thoughts on a potential "zoomed out" macro message for progressives...Recent research and guidance Way to Win has rolled out among Latino voters...AND Mandela Barnes, Cheri Beasley, George W Bush, Hillary Clinton, corporate media, crazy babykillers, Howard Dean, deep canvassing, El Salvador, Tory Gavito, Leah Hunt-Hendrix, the LA Times, Daraka Larimore-Hall, movement spaces, Richard Nixon, peace protests, Nancy Pelosi, pregnancy crisis centers, status threats, Swayable, the Tribune Company, Donald Trump, victory laps, Das Williams...& more!

Liam Donovan, a principal at Bracewell and longtime insider and observer of the Hill GOP, returns to weigh in on a chaotic couple of weeks in the House - including the surprise sidestepping of a government shutdown, the toppling of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and the budding race to fill his shoes. In this conversation, Liam talks the factors that led to McCarthy's ouster, how House Democrats could've "saved" him (and why they didn't), how he's thinking about the nascent race to be the next Speaker, a check-in on the '24 GOP presidential primary & more.IN THIS EPISODELiam's take on the 9-month tenure of Speaker McCarthy…Liam's biggest surprises in the saga of the toppling of Kevin McCarthy…Why the CR to keep the government open both antagonized GOP rebels while alienating House Democrats…Why Democrats might have chosen to “save" McCarthy…and why they didn't…How Liam is looking at the Jordan vs. Scalise battle for Speaker…Liam on the possibility of a McCarthy Restoration…Why acting-Speaker Patrick McHenry could be a default longer-term option…A couple members of the GOP conference who Liam thinks will be predictive of who emerges from the fight for Speaker…Liam on a possible shutdown after the 45-day CR elapses…The path forward for additional funding of Ukraine…Liam's latest take on Trump's strength in the GOP presidential primary and the campaigns of Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley…AND big bargaining chips, catching the fly, Wile E. Coyote, the debt limit crisis, Diet Trump, discharge petitions, evil-genius super villains, Brian Fitzpatrick, the Freedom Caucus, the Gaetz 8, the Full Ginsberg, Lindsay Graham, gratuitous shutdowns, Garret Graves, Ben Jacobs, Hakeem Jeffries, jousting with totems, Mitch McConnell, nihilism, AOC, Nancy Pelosi, Politico, procedural blockades, Punchbowl, The Republican Study Committee, revocable non-support, tipping points, Glenn Youngkin…& more!

Over the course of a career focused on political media, Ed Blakely helped innovate within Republican politics that led to the modernization of the media arms of campaign committees of both parties. After a stint in US Amry intelligence, Ed spent nearly 20 years at the NRCC before joining the GOP media firm of Smith & Harroff. In this conversation, Ed talks his efforts to modernize political media at the NRCC, his favorite story of filming President Reagan in the Oval Office, memories from John McCain's first US Senate race in 1986, and much more across an incredibly interesting and influential career in politics. IN THIS EPISODEEd grows up in Hawaii after his father dies in WWII…The somewhat famous (if confidential) film that Ed produced after being drafted into the US Army…Ed's brush with fame as the youngest disc jockey in Hawaii…How Ed's path led to political media at the NRCC…Some of Ed's favorite stories of filming ads with President Reagan in the Oval Office…Ed talks the media innovations he brought to the NRCC that ultimately helped modernize the operations of both parties…Why Ed came back to the NRCC after being at a private agency for over a decade…Ed's memories of Newt Gingrich's ascent in the House GOP…Why Ed left the NRCC after more than a decade in the mid 80s & where he landed…Ed helps elect John McCain in 1986 in his first race for US Senate…Ed gives an impromptu history lesson of jingles in political TV ads…Ed talks his approach to fostering new Republican media talent that paid dividends…Ed's stints in the public sector…  AND Creighton Abrams, Roger Ailes, Army Intelligence, Bailey-Deardorff, Baltimore, Katja Bullock, Jay Bryant, Edward Butler, Tom Delay, Bob Ehrlich, the fickle finger of fate, Gerald Ford, Barry Goldwater, Bobby Goodman, Peter Hannaford, Denny Hastert, Humphrey Browning MacDougall, Jim Innocenzi, LBJ, JFK, kinescope, The Lincoln Memorial, Bob Livingston, Robin Luke, Robert McNamara, Morning in America, Chris Mottola, Oahu, the Pentagon, Chip Pickering, radio actualities, Hal Riney, Santa Monica, slow boats, Smith & Harroff,  Olympia Snowe, The Sound of Music, speech modules, Steven Spielberg, John Sununu, The Tuesday Team, USC, Guy Vander Jagt, The Washington Post, Watergate, Henry Waxman, whistlestops, Don Young … & more!

Dave Contarino was Bill Richardson's 2002 gubernatorial campaign manager, his first term Chief of Staff, and manager of his 2008 presidential campaign. Very few are better equipped to remember the life and legacy of Governor Richardson than Dave. In this conversation we talk Dave's own path to politics and mine his expertise specifically about New Mexico, then go in depth about the inspiration, impact, and influence of Bill Richardson...from his unconventional lifestory, to his time as a rising star in the House, stint in the Clinton cabinet, two terms as Governor, groundbreaking presidential campaign, and his focus over the past decade helping to free Americans held hostage in foreign countries (including the recent release of Britt ney Griner). This is a wide-ranging conversation about a truly original and transformational figure, the late Governor Bill Richardson. IN THIS EPISODE…Dave's roots near Boston and path to politics via a couple of interesting internships…One of Dave's early jobs as a DCCC staffer under then-operative Rahm Emanuel…How Dave's career took him to New Mexico and his 101 for understanding New Mexico Politics…Dave talks the early life and political origin story of Bill Richardson…The role Richardson's Hispanic heritage played in his political career…Congressman Richardson's ascent in the House and how he started to become known as an international hostage negotiator in the 1990s…Why the ambitious Richardson waited 20 years after he was first elected before he ran statewide…Dave remembers some of the high points of Bill Richardson's tenure as Governor…Dave talks Richardson's decision to run for President in 2008 and memories of what went right & what went wrong…Some of the story behind Richardson's surprise decision to endorse Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in 2008…Dave goes in depth on the work Governor Richardson has done over the past 30 years to help free American hostages from foreign countries…Dave closes by speaking to Governor Richardson's political legacy… AND ANWR, Madeline Albright, Andover, Bruce Babbitt, the big seat, Jeff Bingaman, The Boston Globe, Richard Branson, George Brown, the Cape Cod League, Bob Carr, James Carville, the Catholic Church, Henry Cisneros, Cornell University, Warren Christopher, Pete Domenici, Friends of Bill, Geronimo's attorney, grazing fees, Brittney Griner, the Harriman Center, the head of Denver Transit, Saddam Hussein, James Inhofe, Lyndon Johnson, Judas, Sergey Lavrov, David Letterman, Manuel Lujan, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Susanna Martinez, Paul Maslin, Terry McAuliffe, Roberto Mondragon, Steve Murphy, NAFTA, Ollie North, Pasadena, Federico Pena, Mark Penn, Mark Putnam, radio actualities, the Rio Grande Corridor, Ed Romero, Pat Schroeder, the Science and Technology Committee, Hillary Tompkins, Tufts, Tom Udall, The War on the West & more!

[Originally released October 2021]Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has a truly American story: born in Cuba, emigrates to Miami with her family at age 8, works as a teacher before being elected to the Florida legislature - and then makes history as the first Hispanic woman in American history to be elected to Congress. This is a great conversation about her one-of-a-kind life, history-making career, great political stories, and advice & insight to candidates, elected officials, lobbyists, and staffers after serving nearly 30 years in the U.S. House.IN THIS EPISODECongresswoman Ros-Lehtinen's early memories growing up in Cuba and her sudden emigration to Miami…She breaks down why Cuban Americans started to align with the Republican Party…The conversation that got her involved in politics for the first time…She talks about her House predecessor, the legendary Congressman Claude Pepper…How she overcame racist tactics to become the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress…The surprising way she learned she made history on Election Night…What surprised her as she got her feet wet in Congress…She remembers how Newt Gingrich changed the Republican Party and transformed Congress…Why she didn't sign the 1994 Republican “Contract with America”…The House Democrat she remembers for brass-knuckle tactics…She remembers times she was “in the dog house” for breaking with GOP party leadership…Her signature accomplishments after 30 years in the house…She remembers the intensity around the Elian Gonzalez custody case, occurring right in her district…She weighs in on if the Elian Gonzalez case cost Al Gore Florida in 2000 and ultimately the presidency…Her memories of the impeachment of Bill Clinton…Why she never ran statewide and didn't run for re-election in 2018…Her take on what makes a good lobbyist…Her tips on running on a congressional office…She remembers Marco Rubio as a young intern in her office…What does she miss about being in Congress…Her take on why there are so many Florida politicians on the national scene…She weighs in on whether Florida remains a “swing state”…Her advice on what people should do when visiting Miami…AND…537 Votes, The Bay of Pigs, Beltway Fever, Brigade 2506, Jeb Bush, Kathy Castor, Fidel Castro, Liz Cheney, Shirley Chisholm, Bill Clinton, Billy Corben, Katie Couric, Cuba Libres, the Defense of Marriage Act, Tom DeLay, Val Demings, Ron DeSantis, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Bob Dole, Dante Fascell, first airplane rides, Tom Foley, get-along and go-along Republicans, Newt Gingrich, Elian Gonzalez, Homestead Air Force Base, Steny Hoyer, Sam Johnson, JFK, Bill Lehman, David Leahy, Dexter Lehtinen, John Lewis, La Loba Feroz, John McCain, Bob Michel, a minority mentality, Stephanie Murphy, Obamacare, olive-green military attire, Red Pepper, Robert Redford, Janet Reno, Steve Schale, snowbirds, South Beach, SWAT teams, the University of Havana, Versailles, Don Young, & more!

Rich Schlackman is best known as a pioneer of all things direct mail - and he continues to hit the mail box and also spearheads important efforts as a GC and has expanded his reach to digital messaging. In this conversation, Rich talks his early activist roots at the '68 Democratic Convention and with names like Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden...why he gravitated to political direct mail in the mid 70s...how he took the "California Style" of mail national in the 80s and 90s...diving deep into his best practices and favorite races...plus some of the efforts for which he's been a General Consultant, like ousting Chesa Boudin as San Francisco DA last year. And of course a conversation with Rich is not complete without hearing how he became the leading wine expert among political consultants and getting his tips to make anyone a little smarter on the topic. This is a fun conversation with one of the most colorful and ground-breaking consultants in the industry.IN THIS EPISODERich grows up in a heavily union neighborhood in NYC and becomes active in the anti-Vietnam War movement...Rich's experiences as a protestor at the '68 Democratic Convention...Rich talks his time around activists Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden...How Rich pivots to direct mail in the 1970s...Rich innovates the "California style" of direct mail in the 70s and 80s...Rich talks the rise of the national direct mail firms in the 80s and 90s...Rich on a few of his favorite clients, including Congressman Vic Fazio, Governor Janet Napolitano, and nearly beating Newt Gingrich in 1990...Rich talks his time working for Senator Joe Lieberman...Rich's favorite Bay Area races, including figuring out how to handle ranked-choice voting...Rich recounts GCing the recent successful effort to recall San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin...Rich's insights from working with Gavin Newsom on the now-Governor's very first local race in San Francisco...Rich talks some of the most frustrating "input" received from others on his mail...Rich on the evolution of mail and targeting over the course of his career...Ten minutes picking Rich's brain on his famed expertise on wine...AND Saul Alinsky, Bill Andresen, Applecart, Ross Bates, Evan Bayh, the Berman Machine, Ruth Bernstein, billy clubs, Willie Brown, CHAID analysis, the Campaign for Economic Democracy, Fidel Castro, Jim Chapman, Chris Cooper, Barry Dill, Bob Dole, drop letters, Bob Edgar, Rahm Emanuel, Carter Eskew, gloss paper, Ruth Yannatta Goldway, Matt Gonzalez, Lisa Grove, Mandy Grunwalkd, Edd Hargett, Dan Hazelwood, Abie Hoffman, Wayne Johnson, Kansas politics, Celinda Lake, Ned Lamont, Mel Levine, Hal Malchow, Milton Marks, John McCain, David Metts, Bob Mulholland, Jerry Nadler, Joe Napolitan, No Labels, Mark Penn, phony tabloids, the Port Huron Statement, The Rare Wine Company, Norm Rice, H.L. Richardson, Ben Rosenthal, Michael Rowan, Dr. Bill Roy, Jerry Rubin, Tony Schwartz, Saul Shorr, George Soros, Andy Spahn, Bob Squier, Marty Stone, The Valley Messenger, Pete Visclosky, Voter Contact Services, Lowell Weicker, Scott Weiner, David Worley, the Yippie Revolution....& more!

Barry Goldwater Jr. grew up in politics as the son of the influential Senator and '64 GOP Presidential Nominee. He has a one-of-a-kind story of witnessing his father's political rise and then his own political career with his House tenure spanning parts of 3 decades. In this conversation, he talks his early memories in a political household, key moments in his father's career, his own political trajectory in Southern California, and the difficulties and opportunities he's found in life after leaving office. IN THIS EPISODEBorn into a political family in Phoenix, AZ…The story of Goldwater's Department Store and the rise of his father's political career…The surprise that took him to a different state and different profession than expected…The coin flip that set Barry Goldwater Sr. on a path in Republican politics…Memories of the '64 Goldwater presidential campaign…The Goldwater / JFK relationship and what a JFK vs Goldwater '64 campaign might have looked like…The story behind Senator Goldwater urging Nixon to resign at the height of Watergate…His read on Senator Goldwater's late-in-life pro-choice and pro-LGBT sentiments…Barry Goldwater Jr's first race for office in a 1969 House special election…Memories of the House of the 70s and 80s…The leadership skill he witnessed of Speaker Tip O'Neill….Barry Goldwater Jr and Ed Koch team up to pass a bipartisan Privacy Act…An important lesson learned from his mother…The story behind his race for US Senate in California in 1982…His read on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger….How he approached being out of office for the first time in 14 years in his mid 40s…The story of being on the ballot in Louisiana as Ron Paul's VP candidate in 2008…His early thoughts on the 2024 GOP primary field…The story of Senator Goldwater's surprisingly close connection to President Clinton…Time spent around both President Reagan and Nancy Reagan…The guerilla tactic that helped Barry Goldwater Jr win his first election…The importance of a Higher Power in his life… AND apron pockets, Arizona State University, Best Always, brickbats, William F. Buckley, Burbank, John Burton, Phil Burton, cold calls, The Conscience of a Conservative, John Dean, Dwight Eisenhower, Newt Gingrich, S.I. Hayakawa, Carl Hayden, hiding in the bushes, Jewish peddlers, Lyndon Johnson, Chiang Kai-Shek, Jack Kemp, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Lockheed-Martin, the Mayflower, Mitch McConnell, Mike McCormack, the NAACP, Northrup-Grunman, nylon, the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange, Nancy Pelosi, raylon, John Rhodes, Hugh Scott, shenanigans, Janet Travell, Donald Trump, the Urban League, John Van De Kamp, the wild west, Mao Zedong…. & more!

Bill Knapp is in his fifth decade as a top Democratic media consultant and is the first K in the mega-media firm SKDK. In this conversation, Bill talks his NYC roots, the 1980 Senate campaign that launched his professional career, lessons from his mentor & eventual partner Bob Squier, key races in his development as a strategist, the '96 Clinton re-elect, 20 years as part of Mike Bloomberg's political orbit, advice for budding media consultants, and much more. IN THIS EPISODEBill's roots on the Upper West Side of Manhattan…The three prominent figures Bill met as a child in his apartment building…Bill dips his toe into politics at Franklin & Marshall College in rural PA…The 1980 Liz Holtzman Senate campaign changes Bill's professional direction…Bill's intersection with mentor and future business partner, the legendary Bob Squier…Bill talks the legacy of Bob Squier…The US Senate race where Bill established himself as a media strategist in his own right…Bill goes deep inside the 1996 Clinton Presidential Re-election…Bill helps elect Mike Bloomberg Mayor of NYC in 2001…Bill's perspective on the Bloomberg 2020 presidential with a few years' hindsight…How Bill's firm, SKDK, grew to the size of 100+ employees…Bill talks the skillset of his prominent business partner Anita Dunn…Bill's advice to the next generation of political media consultants… AND $15 CPP, Adas, Avenue J, Daniel Barash, Bob Bauer, Belmont Stakes, Joe Biden, Rod Blagojevich, Jim Blanchard, Bill Bradley, Jim Brady, broad shoulders, Quentin Burdick, Jimmy Carter, Pia Carusone, Central Park, Chat GPT, cinema verité, Tony Coehlo, The Communications Company,  the crack epidemic, crusty editors, Jennifer Cunningham, the DSCC, Rich Davis, Joe DiMaggio, David Dinkins, David Doak, Bob Dole, Byron Dorgan, Rahm Emanuel, Carter Eskew, F stops, FIFA, Friday Shabbat, David Garth, Newt Gingrich, Al Gore, Bob Graham, Frank Greer, Hal the Doorman, David Halberstam, Patti Harris, the Hinckley Hilton, Harold Ickes, Independent Network News, Josh Isay, Elena Kagan, Keith Kincaid, Samantha Knapp, Stanley Kubrick, JFK, lashon hara, Joe Lieberman, Horace Mann, Minnesota boys, Damon Miranda, Rick Miranda, Mike Moore, Mike Morey, Dick Morris, Jim Mulhall, New Jersey droughts, Jackie Onassis, Mark Penn, Earl Pomeroy, Mark Putnam, Riverdale, Bob Roe, Hillary Rosen, David Sawyer, Doug Schoen, Kevin Sheekey, Oren Shur, Doug Sosnik, Mark Squier, George Stephanopoulos, David Strauss, Earl Strinden, Ray Strother, technocrats, torturing gaffers, Donald Trump, Bradley Tusk, Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, VW Karmann Ghia, Otto von Bismarck, War and Peace, Lowell Weicker, Elie Wiesel & more!