Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

Send us a textEllen Malcolm helped found EMILY's List in 1985 and then served as EL’s President for 25 years. It’s hard to think of an organization over the last 30+ years that has changed politics more than EMILY's List, dramatically increasing the number of Democratic women in the both the Senate and the House. In this conversation originally released in August 2021, Ellen talks about how her early stops at places like Common Cause and the National Women’s Political Caucus prepared her to help found, launch, and grow EMILY's List. And Ellen outlines the key moments, decisions, and campaigns that have forged the successful political institution EMILY's List has become. IN THIS EPISODEEllen grows up in a Republican household…The cause and candidate that pulled Ellen into progressive politics…Ellen cuts her teeth at Common Cause and the National Women’s Political Caucus…Ellen comes out of the philanthropic closet…The one Senate race in 1982 that was the catalyst for the creation for EMILYs List…Geraldine Ferraro’s role in energizing the women’s political movement…How “pro-choice” and “Democratic” became integral to EMILYs List mission…Ellen’s memorable first meeting with then newly-elected Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi…Barbara Mikulski and EMILYs List make history in 1986…The 1988 House race that became a prototype what would soon be EMILYs List political department…Ellen remembers her deep emotional investment in Ann Richards races in Texas…The 1992 “Year of the Woman” changes the trajectory of EMILYs List…The 2004 House race that became a model of how EMILYs List tries to operate…After 25 years as President of EL, how Ellen knew it was time to pass the torch…Ellen’s advice for new or smaller organizations that want to be the next EL…AND 12-2 meetings, 60 Minutes, Tammy Baldwin, Lindy Boggs, Mary Beth Cahill, chain letters, Common Cause, John Danforth, donor networks, Dwight Eisenhower, the ERA fight, Anna Eshoo, John Gardner, Jane Hickey, Anita Hill, Eugene McCarthy, Walter Mondale, Gwen Moore, NOW, Mary Rose Oakar, David Obey, Tip O’Neil, Jen Pihlaja, Sally Ride, Run to Win, Stephanie Schriock, Wendy Sherman, Simon & Garfunkel, Martha Smiley, Lael Stegall, Adlai Stevenson, Clarence Thomas, Jolene Unsoeld, Willi Unsoeld, Watergate, Henrietta Windom, Harriet Woods…& MORE!

Send us a textThere are few more historic political figures than former Senator & Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun - the first Black womzn elected to the US Senate and the first ever Black Democratic Senator. In this conversation, she talks growing up on Chicago's South Side, marching with Martin Luther King at age 16, memories of figures like Richard J. Daley and Harold Washington, the start of her own political career, her history-making underdog Senate win in 1992, memorable moments and lessons learned during her time in the Senate, her tenure as Ambassador to New Zealand, & much more from a truly iconic political life.IN THIS EPISODE…Memories of growing up on Chicago’s South Side…Early memories of Chicago politics and the local labor movement…Growing up in the Chicago of Richard J. Daley…A 16-year-old Carol Moseley Braun marches next to Martin Luther King Jr…Memories of her long relationship with the iconic Harold Washington…How Harold Washington “saved” her political career…The college classmate (and now DC uber lobbyist) who jumpstarted her first political race…Recollections of the Illinois legislature of the 1970s and 80s…How being the target of the Chicago Machine actually helped her career…The amazing story of her history-making underdog US Senate race in 1992…Surprises and difficulties in the early days after being elected to the US Senate…The Senators who served as her mentors…The story of facing down Jesse Helms over the Confederate Flag…Her relationship with then-Senator Joe Biden…Her proudest accomplishment in the Senate…Memories of her tenure as Ambassador to New Zealand…The definitive Carol Moseley Braun advice for visitors to Chicago…AND 98-2, the Action Party, Al the Pal, apolitical medical technicians, Bob Bennett, the Black Belt, Barbara Boxer, brickbats, Brown vs Board, George HW Bush, Robert Byrd, Jane Byrne, carveouts, the civil rights imperative, Bill Clinton, Michael Corleone, cumulative voting, the Cutback Amendment, the Daley Machine, demigods, dirty tricks, Alan Dixon, the Dream Team, the DuSable Museum of African American History, Diane Feinstein, Gage Park, Hansberry vs Lee, Howell Heflin, Anita Hill, Independent Democrats, Nancy Kassebaum, Ted Kennedy, Kiwis, Celinda Lake, Landslide Washington, Pat Leahy, Thurgood Marshall, John McCain, Pat Moynihan, Dick Neuhaus, nuclear submarines, Barack Obama, old bulls, Claiborne Pell, Tony Podesta, Michael Shakman, semi-humans, Paul Simon, Clarence Thomas, Transcendentalists, welfare reform, the WWI Memorial, the Willard Hotel, the Year of the Woman… & more!

Send us a textAri Rabin-Havt spent more time with Bernie Sanders over the past few years than virtually anyone. Ari served as the Sanders' 2020 Deputy Campaign Manager, traveling with Bernie almost 24/7. He recounts much of this time in his new book The Fighting Soul: On the Road with Bernie Sanders...and in this conversation talks about the personal side of Bernie, the major strategic decisions within the campaign, both what he thinks the campaign got right as well as mistakes they made, and much more from one of the operatives closest to the Sanders' campaign and and active participant in almost all of the critical moments of the 2020 Democratic primary.IN THIS EPISODEAri’s motivation to get involved in politics…The prominent Senator who connected Ari to Bernie Sanders…Why Bernie warmed up to Ari so quickly…Ari’s front row seat into the Sanders’ decision process on whether to run in 2020…The most important factor that determined whether Bernie ran in 2020…Ari talks “the biggest mistake” the Sanders’ campaign made…Ari on the Sanders’ alter ego of “Bernie” vs “Earl”…The most difficult job on the Sanders’ campaign…Ari demystifies his role as “deputy campaign manager”…“Beer track” candidates vs. “wine track” candidates…Ari’s most memorable celebrity encounters from the 2020 race…Why the campaign decided to handle its paid media internally instead of using an established media consultant…The Sanders’ campaign confusion over the lack of Iowa TV spending from the Elizabeth Warren campaign…The moment Ari was afraid an opposing campaign was going to “knock out” Sanders pre-Iowa…Ari gives a quick lesson in real-time, presidential campaign budgeting…The “moment of utter transcendent perfection” on the campaign…Ari breaks out his famed Bernie impression…Why Bernie didn’t go harder after Joe Biden in the debates...Ari’s take on whether there’s a scenario of another Sanders runs for President…Ari on how Democrats should engage with Fox News…Ari’s 101 on what makes a good advance staffer…AND 59th Street Bridge, ACDC, AOC, anti-hunger activism, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg, budget sinks, Pete Buttigieg, Daytona Superspeedway, DML Media, Warren Gunnels, insane endeavors, Jewish grandfathers, Arianna Jones, kismet, Amy Klobuchar, Mark Longabaugh, Ed Markey, Media Matters, Josh Miller-Lewis, Outback Steakhouse, Jean-Michel Picher, policy staff, Queensbridge Park, Harry Reid, relative viscosity, restrictor plate races, Chuck Rocha, Jane Sanders, Faiz Shakir, Sirius XM, Rene Spellman, starting the train, Ted Strickland, tactile politics, Tim Tagaris, Nina Turner, Eddie Vedder, Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Weaver, Cornel West, & more!

Send us a textVeteran Democratic media consultant Neil Oxman is one of the most interesting people working in politics. In addition to his years helping elect Democrats at all levels, he caddies on the PGA tour for golfing legends including Tom Watson. In this discussion, Neil talks the history of political ad-making from the 1950s to today and goes deep inside several of his own high-profile races including PA Governor Ed Rendell, Philadelphia's first Black mayor Wilson Goode, Al Gore's 1988 presidential campaign, and more throughout his career that show the ways TV can help win (and lose) political campaigns. Neil's full presentation on the history of campaign ads was recorded by C-Span in 2016 and can be found here. IN THIS EPISODE…Neil’s Philly roots and unusual law school experience at Villanova…Neil gets his foot in the door in politics in the summer of 1976…What leads to Neil opening his own media firm in 1980…Neil talks the roots of television advertising in political campaigns…The 1969 television ad that Neil believes kicked off the rise of political ads in non-presidential campaigns…Neil compares ads from the 70s/80s to political ads of today…The races on which Neil starts to come into his own as a media consultant…Neil helps Wilson Goode beat Frank Rizzo to become Philadelphia’s first Black mayor…Neil’s role on the Kentucky Senate race in 1984 and the strategic mistake that led to Mitch McConnell’s first win…Neil’s role as ad-maker on the Al Gore 1988 presidential campaign…Neil’s connection to then-mayor of Cincinnati Jerry Springer…Neil helps Ed Rendell become Philly Mayor and Governor of Pennsylvania…The last ad that Neil thinks actually mattered in a presidential race…Neil talks his habit of watching 100s of movies a year…Neil talks moonlighting as a caddy on the PGA tour for greats like Tom Watson…Who’s the best golfer in politics?Neil’s advice for those who want to get into political media…Neil’s recommendation for the best political movies…AND 215 media markets, Roger Ailes, Altoona, Doug Bailey, Birch Bayh, Abe Beame, Homero Blancas, Ed Brooke, Pat Caddell, Frank Capra, Hugh Carey, Bob Casey Jr, Bob Casey Sr, Frank Church, Citizens United, cocktail parties, the Columbus Dispatch, Bob Colville, the Daisy ad, John Dierdorf, David Doak, Mike Dukakis, Dwight Eisenhower, Mike Ford, David Garth, gerontocracy, gigantic piles of polls, Wilson Goode, Bob Goodman, Bill Green, Michael Harrington, Anita Hill, Richard Holbrooke, Dee Huddleston, HUT levels, Andi Johnson, Lyndon Johnson, Julian Kanter, Robert Kennedy, Ed Koch, John Lindsay, the Louisville Courier Journal, Willie Maples, McDonalds, George McGovern, Jack McGregor, Mark Moskowitz, Ralph Nader, Jack Nicklaus, Dan Quayle, process questions, Mark Putnam, Robert Redford, regional agoraphobia, Rosser Reeves, Jim Rhodes, Frank Rizzo, Nelson Rockefeller, Buddy Roemer, Nolan Ryan, Rick Santorum, Mike Schmidt, Allyson Schwartz, Joe Sestak, Bob Shrum, Mark Singel, Arlen Specter, Bob Squier, Clarence Thomas, Danny Thomas, Lee Trevino, troglodytes, Harry Truman, Paul Tsongas, Paul Tully, WASPy establishments, Doug Wilder, Tiger Woods, Tom Wolf, Lynn Yeakel & more!

Send us a textLiz Mair has one of the more unusual career arcs in politics. Raised in both Seattle and London, she got her start working in conservative politics for David Cameron in the UK before moving to the US to work for the RNC and GOP candidates including Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina, Rick Perry, Scott Walker, and more. In this conversation, she talks her unconventional path to working in politics, her ascent in the digital political space, her time working around some of the leading Republican figures of the era, her work to try to beat back Donald Trump in the '16 primaries, and lessons and insights from one of the most creative thinkers in politics.IN THIS EPISODE…Liz’s unusual childhood bouncing between Seattle and London…The school project that exposed Liz to campaign politics…Liz’s first professional role in politics working for David Cameron and the UK Tory Party…Liz talks similarities and differences between the UK Conservative Party and American Republicans…How Liz transitioned from UK to US politics, working for the RNC in the ’08 cycle…Liz’s experience with the McCain campaign, plus her memories of the Sarah Palin experience…Liz’s take on GOP pols she’s worked with including Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina, Rick Perry, and Scott Walker…The unsuccessful 2016 Republican presidential candidate Liz thinks will be president in her lifetime…Liz talks lessons learned from her anti-Trump efforts in the 2016 GOP primaries…The ad Liz thinks could’ve taken down Trump in ’16…Rumors about the failed Rubio / Cruz alliance to stop Trump in 2016…The mistakes that Liz sees campaign make…Liz’s career advice to campaign operatives…Liz’s strangest work habit…AND Marc Ambinder, annoying bloggers, Joe Biden, billboards in Iowa, billing 110 hours a week, BlogHer, Cameronites, Ken Clarke, Kellyanne Conway, cranberry juice, Ted Cruz, Howard Dean, debt finance, deepest darkest Surrey, Danny Diaz, Elizabeth Dole, Mike Duncan, Euro skeptics, David Gauke, Rudy Giuliani, Maggie Haberman, Hewlett-Packard, the Hunt for the Red October, Amy Klobuchar, Cyrus Krohn, Medieval History majors, modern guys, NDAs, naps, National Review, Mike Nelson, Barack Obama, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Tim Pawlenty, Tina Podlodowski, Hercule Poirot, policy wonks at AEI, post-partum depression, RedState, the Republican Main Street Partnership, Tony Rezko, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Greg Sargent, Steve Schmidt, Allyson Schwartz, Sam Stein, stockbrokers and housewives, the stupidest person in the room, the Tea Party, Margaret Thatcher, Fred Thompson, token volunteering, Trump copycats, Elizabeth Warren, webcasts, the welfare state, Meg Whitman, Rick Wilson & more!

Send us a textKen Spain, the founder of Narrative Strategies, had worked at high levels in Republican politics and corporate comms before starting his own strategic communications firm. He worked for the Bush/Cheney re-elect in 04, on the Hill for three different GOP members, at a senior position at the NRCC campaign committee, for the Private Equity Council during the tumultuous 2012 elections, & running corporate communications for Koch Industries. In this conversation, Ken talks his path through GOP politics, his perspective as a Hispanic operative,  starting a bipartisan communications firm, and much more.IN THIS EPISODE…Ken grows up in Richard Nixon country in Southern California as the son of Reagan Democrats…Ken breaks into politics working in California legislative politics…Ken talks helping the George W. Bush re-election campaign carry New Mexico in 2004…What Ken's learned from mentor Ken Mehlman, manager of the 2004 Bush campaign…Ken spearheads an effort to help the private equity industry defend itself as it’s attacked during the Mitt Romney presidential campaign…Ken talks lessons and tips learned from working for 3 members on Capitol Hill…Ken’s breaks down the differences in a well run Hill office versus a poorly-run office…Ken’s experience as a Hispanic operative working in GOP politics…Ken’s take on why Trump overperformed expectations among Latino voters in 2020…Ken’s level of optimism that California Republicans can start winning statewide soon…Ken contrasts working at the NRCC in the Dem wave year of 2008 versus the GOP wave in 2010…Ken talks his time running corporate communications for Koch Industries…Ken’s analysis of what’s often misunderstood about the Koch Brothers’ approach to politics…Ken talks the founding of Narrative Strategies and the firm’s growth over the past few years…Ken’s best practices for developing a professional network…AND 100 hours of focus groups, the 210 freeway, Americans for Prosperity, arcane business models, Bain Capital, Bernalillo County, Tony Blair, Blue Dogs, John Boehner, Rick Boucher, Brexit, Bobby Bright, British Victorian History, Scott Brown, Lois Capps, classical liberalism, Clovis, Tom Cole, community colleges, Mike Conaway, Charlie Cook, dark money, Gray Davis, Tom Davis, Danny Diaz, David Dreier, Larry Elder, flip-floppers, Fullerton, James Gandolfini, Newt Gingrich, Ari Gold, Barry Goldwater, Scott Jennings, jumpballs, Las Cruces, the Latino Summit, Bob Margett, Mary Queen of Scots, Mike McCaul, Kevin McCarthy, Ken Mehlman, moving down the dais, Gavin Newsom, Jim Oberstar, David Obey, Leon Panetta, pension funds, The Private Equity Council, pumpjacks, Harry Reid, Richard Riordan, Santa Barbara, Steve Schmidt, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pete Sessions, John Shadegg, Bill Simon, Ike Skelton, John Spratt, surprise medical billing, Dave Wasserman, Wichita, Pete Wilson…& more!

Send us a textRoger Lau has one of the most unique origin stories in all of politics. Growing up in Queens as the child of Chinese immigrants, he dropped out of high school...before eventually getting back on track, getting his GED, and taking a fateful Political Science course at UMass Amherst. Roger talks mistakes and lessons from his early days, how he re-focused his life, and the incredible job interview that led him to an internship that shaped the rest of his life. Roger also shares how he entered the world of Elizabeth Warren in 2012, his perspective as manager of the Warren 2020 presidential campaign, and what motivated him to join the DNC after the 2020 elections.IN THIS EPISODERoger grows up in Queens as the son of Chinese immigrants…Mistakes Roger made early and how he got back on the right track…Early political memories from Roger’s childhood…The amazing confluence of events that led to Roger interning for Senator John Kerry…Roger speaks to the John Kerry he’s seen up-close and personal…The role that served as Roger’s “big break” rising through the ranks of politics…The roles Ayanna Pressley has played in Roger’s career…The Roger Lau 101 for effective campaign managers…Roger’s entry point into the world of Elizabeth Warren…Roger takes the helm of the Warren 2020 campaign…Roger talks the elements that made the Warren campaign unique…Two things other 2020 primary campaigns did that impressed Roger…What makes Elizabeth Warren unique as a political figure…What sparked Roger’s interest in going to work at the DNC…What Roger thinks political operatives should understand about the AAPI community…AND 123 miles, the 7 line, Joe Biden, Scott Brown, Pete Buttigieg, campaign unions, cardboard corrugating factories, Julian Castro, clown t-shirts, Dorchester, Dunkin Donuts, GEDs, generational talents, hot leads, Jesse Jackson, Joe Kennedy, late night dinners, Monopoly, PS 11, Quincy, Juan Rodriguez, Rockaway Beach, John Rocker, rocket science, Roosevelt Avenue, Maya Rupert, selfie lines, Faiz Shakir, Shea Stadium, the Springfield Republican, teaching America, ugly suits, UMass Amherst, unpaid internships, Washington Square Park, wingwomen, Woodside, Worcester, & more!

Send us a textYou no doubt know that Alex Burns and Jonathan Martin, both of the New York Times, recently released their new book THIS WILL NOT PASS…chronicling the last few years of our politics…including Trump’s time in office, the 2020 election and aftermath, the January 6 insurrection, and the first phase of the Biden Administration. In this conversation, they go deep on many of the stories in their book – including some background and asides not fleshed out in the book and stories you won’t have heard from them amidst their recent media blitz. IN THIS EPISODE…Does Donald Trump really think he won the 2020 election or is this all subterfuge to refuse to acknowledge he lost?Which US Senator was prescient in anticipating exactly how Trump would cast doubt on the results post election?Why hasn’t President George W. Bush been more vocal against Trump?One Republican Senator who typifies the GOP establishment’s difficulty managing Trump?How many Republicans would’ve impeached and removed Trump were it a secret ballot?Inside Mitch McConnell’s decision to back Trump on impeachment…Whose hold on his caucus is more tenuous…Mitch McConnell or Kevin McCarthy…The conventional wisdom of what a post-Pelosi Democratic caucus looks like…Inside the Biden VP process…Inside GOP attempts to woo Senator Manchin to switch parties…Weighing in on rumors Trump flirted with dumping Mike Pence from the 2020 ticket…The backbench Republican Congressman who captured the House GOP sentiment to give Trump a pass for January 6…The Democratic Governor who was one of their favorite interviews…The failed GOP Senate recruit who shows the changing of the guard in the Republican Party…The interview with the House Republican that demonstrates “the beauty of reporting…”…The two colleagues they specifically mention in the acknowledgements…The Southern influence on the New York Times…Off-the-beaten-path political book recommendations from both Alex and Jonathan…AND Air Force One, Lamar Alexander, Don Bacon, Howard Baker, Dean Baquet, Beau Biden, John Boehner, Josh Bolton, Rick Bragg, Mo Brooks, Jeb Bush, Robert Caro, Turner Catledge, Liz Cheney, Chris Christie, Katherine Clark, Hillary Clinton, colonoscopies, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, convenient self-justification, Bob Corker, defied admonitions, difficult truths, Dixiecrats, Duck Run, Tammy Duckworth, Dwight Eisenhower, Facebook, Fox News, Jeffrey Frank, Maggie Haberman, Kamala Harris, Bill Haslam, the House Steering Committee, Sasha Issenberg, Pramila Jayapal, Hakeem Jeffries, Bill Johnson, Jim Jordan, John F Kennedy, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Patrick McHenry, Mt Rushmore, musical chairs, Richard Nixon, Kristi Noem, normie Republicans, Robert Novak, the Progressive Caucus, Howell Raines, real damn Democrats, red carpets, Reservoir Dogs, Campbell Robertson, Karl Rove, Steve Scalise, Brian Schatz, Adam Schiff, Ted Strickland, Gay Talese, Harry Truman, useful fig leaves, JD Vance, Gretchen Whitmer, Roger Wicker, Steve Womack, worry-mongering, Jeff Zients…& more!

Send us a textHazel Wong is the Director of Global Conservation Campaigns at The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s largest and most successful environmental organizations. In this conversation, Hazel talks growing up on the island nation of The Seychelles, how political upheaval forced her family to migrate to the U.S., the future member of Congress who became a political mentor, and experiences and lessons from nearly 20 years helping win environmental ballot measures.IN THIS EPISODE…Hazel talks memories of the first few years of her life growing up on the island nation of Seychelles…Hazel’s father becomes a political prisoner…Why it became necessary for Hazel’s family to leave her home and move to the U.S…Hazel experiences culture shock once her family moves to Las Vegas…The American politician Hazel’s father regularly complained about…The future member of Congress who became a mentor to Hazel and steered her toward a career in politics…How Hazel first connected with The Nature Conservancy…The Hazel Wong best practices on ballot measures which have led to a 88% success rate…Hazel talks lessons from winning a campaign in Minnesota and losing a measure in Utah…Hazel’s thoughts on how a lack of shared resources is compromising the effectiveness of the environmental movement…Hazel talks how climate change has become an “identity issue” and how that makes progress more difficult…Why “gloom and doom” climate and change messaging makes it harder to communicate with Americans…What Hazel has learned about effectively managing teams over the past 20 years…Hazel provides an update on the progress making the environmental movement more diverse…Hazel’s tips on building a professional network…Hazel updates her thoughts on the concept of a personal “likability number”…Hazel’s travel hacks…& much more!

Send us a textJesse Ferguson is a top Democratic strategist and comms expert - who cut his teeth in Virginia, ran the $60M+ DCCC Independent Expenditure in 2014, served as a top press aide to the Clinton ’16 campaign, and is now a strategist advising numerous organizations and independent expenditures. In this conversation, Jesse talks key moments and lessons from his career, as well as providing his Messaging 101 on how he thinks of effective political communications.IN THIS EPISODE…Jesse’s family connection to Joe McCarthy and the 1950s Red Scare…Jesse’s early Republican leanings and the high-profile Republican he almost interned for…Jesse’s theory of Virginia as a trendsetter in American politics…Jesse talks the importance of Mark Warner in the rise of Virginia Democrats…In college, Jesse starts Virginia21 to encourage more investment in Virginia higher education…Jesse talks the value of getting experience outside of DC…Jesse navigates multiple cycles rising through the ranks at the DCCC…Lessons from his “favorite job” running the DCCC IE in 2014…Jesse talks his senior comms role in the Hillary Clinton 2016 race…The 3 challenges the Hillary 2016 campaign had with the press…Jesse shares insights from health struggles he’s faced…Jesse provides his Messaging 101 on speaking on the record, outlandish stunts, getting earned media, and more…Jesse’s go-to “ABCV” message trick…The three TV shows that form the backbone of Jesse’s approach to life…AND…agents of intolerance, George Allen, Mark Bergman, Demand Justice, Dukakis bumper stickers, early warning signs, earworms, Brian Fallon, Jerry Falwell, flowing hair, fruit flies, Steve Israel, Steve Jarding, Tim Kaine, kazoos, Abraham Lincoln, Travis Lowe, Stewart Mills, Robby Mook, Rick Nolan, Ralph Northam, The Palm, Jen Palmieri, Ed Peavy, pneumonic devices, press releases on camera, Protect Our Care, Red Dawn, Mame Reiley, the Richmond Jewish community, Pat Robertson, robots, Rockefeller Republicans, Michael Scherer, screen agnosticism, sharp elbows, Star Wars, Tikkun olam, Joe Trippi, the Urban Crescent, Kelly Ward, William & Mary, & more!