Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

Send us a textWho else has a story like Chuck Robb? Marries the President Johnson's daughter in a White House ceremony, serves in Vietnam, changes the political culture of Virginia in the 70s and 80s, two consequential terms in the Senate, helps found the influential centrist DLC, and casts several courageous, unpopular votes that ultimately take a toll on his career in elected office. This is a frank, revealing conversation though Governor Robb's one-of-a-kind political life.IN THIS EPISODE…Governor Robb’s indirect connection to Woodrow Wilson…His formative time in the Marines, including combat in Vietnam…A young Chuck Robb’s ceremonial role in the LBJ White House…He recalls a meeting in the Lincoln Bedroom asking the President Johnson’s blessing to marry his daughter Linda…More of his memories from seeing President Johnson up close…He also speaks to the important role that Lady Bird Johnson played in President Johnson’s career…He weighs in on the “rivalry” between the Kennedys and the Johnsons…The ribbing from John McCain that would always get a rise from Governor Robb…The early days kicking his political career off in Virginia…The 1984 DNC Convention speech he gave that gave rise to the centrist, DLC movement…Why he never ran for President…The long relationship between Chuck Robb and Doug Wilder…He remembers his iconic 1994 re-election race against Oliver North…He talks through his courageous 1996 vote against the Defense of Marriage Act…He also talks his reversal of opinion to cast a vote against the Flag Burning Amendment…He talks his losing 2000 race against George Allen and gives advice to candidates running as underdogs…Weighing in on the debate over the filibuster reform…He talks the roles he’s taken on after his Senate career…AND…8th and I, Joe Biden, Harry Byrd, Bill Clinton, Marshall Coleman, Jim Crow, Everett Dirksen, Episcopalians, John Glenn, heifers, Howell Heflin, Hubert Humphrey, HMX-1, Scoop Jackson, Barbara Jordan, Robert Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, John McCain, mixed doubles with Ethel Kennedy, muddy boot Marines, Sam Nunn, Strom Thurmond, the USS Northampton, the WMD Commission, Robert W. Wooley, & more!

Send us a text There aren't many stories like Stefan's Smith in politics...growing up with a single mom in public housing in South Carolina...and from a gig worker to the upper echelons of presidential campaigns and iconic progressive organizations in four years. Stefan flirted with both a career in academia and the entertainment industry before finding his calling in digital politics. In this conversation, he talks his unusual path to politics, his road warrior days on campaigns, goes deep on his time with the Buttigieg campaign, & the projects he's taken on since. Stefan is also generous with his advice to those bouncing around campaigns, those interested in working in digital, and anyone looking to help make working in politics accessible to more people.  IN THIS EPISODE…Stefan’s upbringing in Greenville, South Carolina…The life-changing moment when Stefan got his first computer…The first race Stefan cared about…Why Stefan veered away from academia…Stefan’s stint as a researcher / writer on Drunk History on Comedy Central…The two reasons why Stefan found himself on the 2016 Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign…Stefan’s time as an itinerant campaign worker for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Senator Martin Heinrich…Stefan’s “transformational” experience building a digital plan for New Mexico Democrats…Stefan’s 4 practical tips for campaign road warriors…Stefan’s circuitous path to working for Pete Buttigieg…Stefan’s take on why & how Buttigieg dramatically exceeded conventional wisdom in 2020…Stefan takes us inside the Buttigieg world on Iowa Caucus night…Stefan de-mystifies the Buttigieg digital strategy…Stefan’s digital advice for lower-budget campaigns…Stefan’s tips for operatives who want to work in digital…Stefan’s post-primary work on election violence and criminal justice reform…Stefan’s current job as the #2 digital staffer at the ACLU…Stefan’s one ask of white people to help diversify political campaigns…Stefan’s one unusual work habit…AND…10-page memos, Adobe Premier, Rakim Brooks, George W. Bush, Greta Carnes, the catapult strategy, the CHIP program, clown car primaries, the Confederate flag, Kevin Costner, digital armies & ass whoopings, dope meme stashes, Facebook, Carrie Gooch, Al Gore, Michael Halle, Bridget Halligan, Kamala Harris, Meena Harris, Martin Heinrich, the Iowa Liberty-Justice Dinner, Tito Jackson, Jay-Z, Jeep Wranglers, Marsha P. Johnson, Van Jones, Joe Kabourek, the Kennedy-Nixon debates, Eric Koch, Machiavelli, Meek Mill, momentous cigarette breaks, More in Common, Jess O’Connell, para-social relationships, political gateways, Postmates, pyroclastic volcanic flows, Reddit, REFORM, Karl Rove, Ian Sams, Bernie Sanders, Saturday morning champagne, Hari Sevugan, Sonal Shah, Lis Smith, SnapChat, Spice Girls chat rooms, Samantha Steelman, Tom Steyer, Sun Tzu, Twitter, Uber Eats, vanity metrics, Viacom, Chris Wallace, Derek Waters, Patrick Wyman, YouTube…& MORE!

Send us a textIleana 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’s remembers how Newt Gingrich changed the Republican Party and transformed Congress…Why she didn’t sign the 1994 Republican “Contract with America”…The House Democrat she remembers for brass-knuckle tactics…She remembers times she was “in the dog house” for breaking with GOP party leadership…Her signature accomplishments after 30 years in the house…She remembers the intensity around the Elian Gonzalez custody case, occurring right in her district…She weighs in on if the Elian Gonzalez case cost Al Gore Florida in 2000 and ultimately the presidency…Her memories of the impeachment of Bill Clinton…Why she never ran statewide and didn’t run for re-election in 2018…Her take on what makes a good lobbyist…Her tips on running on a congressional office…She remembers Marco Rubio as a young intern in her office…What does she miss about being in Congress…Her take on why there are so many Florida politicians on the national scene…She weighs in on whether Florida remains a “swing state”…Her advice on what people should do when visiting Miami…AND…537 Votes, The Bay of Pigs, Beltway Fever, Brigade 2506, Jeb Bush, Kathy Castor, Fidel Castro, Liz Cheney, Shirley Chisholm, Bill Clinton, Billy Corben, Katie Couric, Cuba Libres, the Defense of Marriage Act, Tom DeLay, Val Demings, Ron DeSantis, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Bob Dole, Dante Fascell, first airplane rides, Tom Foley, get-along and go-along Republicans, Newt Gingrich, Elian Gonzalez, Homestead Air Force Base, Steny Hoyer, Sam Johnson, JFK, Bill Lehman, David Leahy, Dexter Lehtinen, John Lewis, La Loba Feroz, John McCain, Bob Michel, a minority mentality, Stephanie Murphy, Obamacare, olive-green military attire, Red Pepper, Robert Redford, Janet Reno, Steve Schale, snowbirds, South Beach, SWAT teams, the University of Havana, Versailles, Don Young, & more!

Send us a textEd Peavy founded Democratic direct mail firm Mission Control and is rightfully known as one of the good people in the business. In this conversation, Ed talks why after working a few weeks on the Hill he knew it wasn't right for him, his early campaign days including on the legendary Harris Wofford Senate race in Pennsylvania, and then starting a small direct mail firm that has become one of the most successful in politics. Great conversation with Ed with lots of practical tips about the mechanics of campaigns, the art of mail, running a political business, and much more. IN THIS EPISODE…Ed grows up in the Beltway and has a closer-than-you’d-think connection the Iranian Hostage Crisis…The first political race Ed remembers…Ed’s brief time working as a Hill staffer…and when he realized it wasn’t for him…The congressional race Ed worked on that changed his professional path…Ed learns a lot on the legendary Senate special election to elect Harris Wofford in PA…Ed’s thoughts on what separates good campaign managers from the pack…Ed’s path to consulting and direct mail…Ed makes the decision to start Mission Control direct mail…The story behind the name “Mission Control”…The story of a rival candidate hiring Ed after being attacked by Ed’s mail…The key races that helped put Ed and Mission Control on the map…Ed breaks down his process of building his professional network…Ed’s 101 on how campaigns and candidates should utilize direct mail…Ed talks the the work Mission Control did in the GA Senate races to flip the Senate majority…The thing that some people do that drives Ed “the most nuts” in the business…Ed breaks down who is and isn’t a good fit to work in direct mail…Ed weighs in with his tips on deeply controversial travel questions…AND John Anderson, Tom Andrews, Melissa Bean, Paul Begala, Tim Bishop, Richard Bolling, Joe Brennan, James Carville, Jimmy Carter, Dante Fascell, Gerald Ford, Sam Gejdenson, Felix Grucci, Martin Hamburger, Maren Hesla, Brian Joyce, Stephen Lynch, Jim Maloney, Marty Markowitz, Joe Moakley, Dennis Moore, Connie Morella, Adnaan Muslim, Steve Murphy, Jon Ossoff, Claude Pepper, RAGBRAI, Ronald Reagan, Nelson Rockefeller, Olympia Snowe, Tom Suozzi, terrible headlines, Dick Thornburgh, upset landslides, Alan Wheat, Anthony Weiner,…& more!

Send us a textDr. Michael D. Cohen studied under iconic pollster Bill Hamilton as a student, worked in the trenches in Republican campaigns, spent time at Gallup, apprenticed under iconic GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio (most known recently as Donald Trump's pollster) and worked with famed Dem strategist Mark Penn when Michael was an in-house pollster at Microsoft. Along the way, Michael started his own firm (Cohen Research Group), built the booming political Congress in Your Pocket technology app, and recently wrote the book Modern Political Campaigns to bring the campaign literature up to speed with the ever-evolving political industry. This is a great nuts-and-bolts conversation on the political industry with a successful pollster, tech entrepreneur, and author.IN THIS EPISODE…Michael’s formative years growing up on Long Island…The political switch flips for Michael in college…Michael crosses paths with famed Democratic pollster Bill Hamilton…Michael makes the jump to political polling under Tony Fabrizio…The bizarre story of how one of Michael’s candidates was pilloried on the Colbert Report…Michael starts his own polling firm to move beyond partisan politics…Michael’s stint as an in-house pollster at Microsoft with Mark Penn…Michael’s compares working with legendary Dem pollster Mark Penn and iconic GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio…Michael creates the wildly successful Congress in Your Pocket app…Michael’s 101 on how to create an app…The long journey behind Michael’s new book Modern Political Campaigns…Michael’s advice to those who want to write a book and get it published…Michael’s take on what makes a good pollster…Michael weighs in on the question of a “polling crisis”…Michael’s advice on the best books to understand how politics works…AND AAPOR, Michael Bender, Sidney Blumenthal, Stephen Colbert, Sean Cook, Bob Dole, enlargement ads, Ezra Cohen Corporation, Arthur Finkelstein, the Gallup Poll, Josh Gottheimer, Sasha Issenberg, Peter Jennings, Steve Jobs, Ed Koch, Celinda Lake, Massapequa mannerisms, mobilization vs. persuasion, Never Trump Republicans, Ronald Reagan, Rowman & Littlefield, Jake Rush, Karen Thurman, Chris Tompkins, Tevi Troy, vampire roleplaying, Ted Yoho, & more!

Send us a textMindy Myers has a knack for being where political history happens and, more importantly, has run and won tough Senate races. She managed Sheldon Whitehouse in 2006 over Linc Chafee and ran Elizabeth Warren's first political race in 2012...then was the first ever woman to serve as E.D of the DSCC. Now she's started MZL Media to put into practice what she's learned winning tough races. And even as a young operative, Mindy found herself witnessing political history...working for trailblazing Congresswoman Pat Schroder, interning in the Clinton White House during impeachment, the Brooks Brothers' riot in Florida, the Daschle office when Jim Jeffords switched, helping Democrats win the Senate in 2006, running a state for Obama in 2008, seeing the very start of the Elizabeth Warren's political career and on and on. This was a great conversation walking through Mindy's time in politics and what she's learned along the way.IN THIS EPISODE…The 1992 Year of the Woman engages a young Mindy growing up in Lancaster, PA…Mindy interns in the office of trailblazing Congresswoman Pat Schroeder…Mindy’s works in the White House during the Clinton impeachment era…Mindy’s moves to Nashville to work on her first campaign in Al Gore’s 2000 race…Mindy’s "boiler room" memories of roller coaster election night 2000Mindy’s on the ground for a first-hand account of the Brooks Brothers riot in Florida…Mindy works in the office of Senator Tom Daschle…Mindy’s memories of Jim Jeffords’ party switch in 2001…What Mindy learned from iconic Chief of Staff Pete Rouse…Mindy manages Sheldon Whitehouse’s 2006 Senate campaign against incumbent Lincoln Chafee…Mindy explains why Linc Chafee was like “a bad boyfriend”…Mindy’s advice for first-time campaign managers…Mindy runs the Obama 2008 general election in New Hampshire…Mindy runs Elizabeth Warren’s first Senate race in 2012…Mindy’s tips for Hill Chiefs of Staff…Mindy’s time as the first woman to serve as the ED of the DSCC…How many phone calls with Chuck Schumer are part of an average week for the ED of the DSCC?Mindy’s memories of the upset victory of Doug Jones over Roy Moore in 2017…Mindy’s decision to launch the new media firm MZL Media...Mindy’s take on how to run effective Independent Expenditure campaigns…Mindy’s “guiding principles” of how candidates should choose consultants…...AND 36 days in Florida 2000, Paul Ambrosino, John Anzalone, ballot watching in Volusia County, Michele Ballantyne, Richard Blumenthal, Donna Brazile, Scott Brown, Pat Buchanan, Mark Childress, Hillary Clinton, Tom Delay, Monica Dixon, Mike Donilon, fabulous memos, Vic Fazio, Donnie Fowler, Franklin & Marshall College, Mandy Grunwald, Joe Hansen, Tim Johnson, Doug Jones, John King, Roger Lau, Tracey Lewis, John McCain, Linda McMahon, Roy Moore, Janet Murguía, obscure Vermont radio, Mark Patterson, Peoples’ Pledge, Pete Rouse, Pat Schroeder, Jeanne Shaheen, Arlen Specter, Chris Van Hollen, Michael Whouley, Lynn Yeakel, Sarah Callahan Zusi…& more!

Send us a textNot many people have a story in politics like Raghu Devaguptapu...son of Indian immigrants, making the jump from touring with a band to working in politics, working at the upper echelons of both state and national politics, and then co-founding his own media firm. This is a great conversation talking through Raghu's early life, key moments in his career, and insight and advice from a one-of-a-kind career in politics. IN THIS EPISODE…Raghu grows up in Wisconsin as the son of immigrants straddling the worlds of being both American and Indian…Raghu’s connection an Indian political luminary…Raghu’s early forays “organizing” college parties creates an entre to political organizing…Raghu’s time as a singer in the alt-rock scene in the Midwest…Raghu’s Wisconsin Politics 101…Raghu learns important lessons on Russ Feingold’s Senate campaign…Raghu comes into his own running the WI State House Caucus…Raghu learns important lessons while finding himself in the middle of a political scandal…Raghu goes national working on state legislatives at the DLCC…Raghu’s critical time at the DGA and AFSCME’s IE…Raghu makes the jump to ad-making at the Adelstein Liston media firm…Raghu helps elect the first Indian American to Congress in 50 years…Raghu learns important lessons working for Congressman Mike Honda…Why and how Raghu co-founds his own media firm Left Hook…Raghu talks how Left Hook helped elect Mark Kelly to the US Senate…Raghu weighs in on how to run smarter campaigns…AND Eric Adelstein, George Aldrich, appropriate engagement models, Ami Bera, David Bergstein, Big Wheel, Tanya Bjork, Anthony Carter, Jen Cox, Michael Davies, economic diasporas, Ricky Feller, the Fox Valley, Lisa Grove, Lucinda Guinn, Brandon Hall, Danny Kazin, Kennedy Democrats, Lake Winnebago, the Lion of Andrha, Ann Liston, Operation Sting, Optic Box, Rachel Ostendorf, powder-keg questions, the Salt March, Larry Scanlon, Soul Asylum, Tom Petri, Tanguturi Prakasam, Scott Tyre, Josh Wachs, Wandering Aimlessly, the William D. Ford direct lending program, Josh Wolf, & more!

Send us a textJim Duffy is one of the Godfathers of Democratic media consultants. He joined with Raymond Strother in the mid 80s to form Strother Duffy - one of the elite Dem firms of the era. Jim cut his teeth working in New Orleans politics - for names like Moon Landrieu and Lindy Boggs, before making the move to DC as an ad-maker. As a media consultant, Jim has helped elect numerous Senators, Governors, and members of Congress - and in this conversation, he talks about the Louisiana politics of his youth, learning the nuts and bolts of campaigns in New Orleans, and his experiences and advice from four decades working in political media.IN THIS EPISODE…How the policies of Huey Long brought the Duffys to Louisiana…Jim breaks down the Long / anti-Long Louisiana politics of his youth…Jim talks the influence of Cajun voters on state politics…Jim tells some great Edwin Edwards stories…Jim’s first big political break by working with New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu…Jim manages Congresswoman Lindy Boggs first competitive primary…Jim intersects with premier Democratic media consultant Raymond Strother in 1984…Jim talks the political consulting landscape of the 1980s…The 1989 special election that helped put Jim on the map on his own…Jim’s deep bench of Blue Dog clients…Jim tells a great story of developing the message to help Buddy Roemer beat Edwin Edwards…Jim’s advice to those entering the media business…Jim pays a compliment to a Republican’s ability to message…Jim’s pitch for people to work in politics…AND…Roger Ailes, Matt Angle, Beryl Anthony, Doug Bailey, Sidney Barthelemy, Lloyd Bentsen, Hale Boggs, Lindy Boggs, Jim Brown, Bud Cramer, the Delta Airline Crown Room, David Duke, Joyce Elliot, Martin Frost, Pete Geren, Bob Goodman, Al Gore, Charles Guggenheim, Bill Hamilton, Peter Hart, Blanche Lincoln, Bob Livingston, Russell Long, Louisiana State Normal College, Bill McCuen, message delivery systems, LF Payne, Leander Perez, Mark Putnam, David Sawyer, Ronnie Shows, Bob Squier, Charlie Stenholm, Strother Duffy Strother, Blaze Starr, Billy Tauzin, Wayne State University, Jim Wright & MORE!

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, 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 textBen Nelson has lived an iconic political life...two terms as Governor and two terms in the Senate as a Democrat in deep red Nebraska - and the key swing vote on landmark legislation from the Bush tax cuts to judicial votes to Obamacare. In this conversation, he talks his political career - beginning with his first Governor's race (starting at 0% and winning by 42 votes). And he goes into depth about his time in the Senate - weighing in on colleagues that impressed him and disappointed him, and touching on the themes of the breakdown of the body in his new book Death of the Senate.  IN THIS EPISODESenator Nelson reminisces about growing up in idyllic Western Nebraska…The significance of being an only child…A memorable first experience in the Nebraska’s Governor’s Office as a 17-year old…Senator Nelson talks about the importance of his political hero Senator George W. Norris…The value of a unicameral legislature…Why Senator Nelson gravitated toward Democrats despite growing up in very Republican turf…Senator Nelson’s academic background in Philosophy…Winning his first race for Governor by 42 votes…Senator Nelson talks about his lone loss in the 1996  open Senate Seat…How he came back four years later to win a Senate race…Which of his new Senate colleagues were the biggest surprises to him?Senator Nelson pinpoints the transition from Trent Lott to Mitch McConnell as the start of the breakdown of the Senate…Senator Nelson talks his vote for the Bush tax cuts…Did he get close to switching parties?Senator Nelson explains his early primary endorsement of Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton?Senator Nelson walks through the process that led to the passage of the ACA Obamacare…Setting the record straight on the so-called “Cornhusker Kickback”…The letter Senator Nelson wrote correcting Justice Scalia…Why did Senator Nelson forgo running for re-election in 2012?Senator Nelson’s “rough” perspective on Donald Trump…Weighing in on the debate over eliminating the filibuster…Senator Nelson’s advice on hiring and managing…Senator Nelson’s itinerary for getting the Nebraska Experience…AND….Barbara Boxer, John Breaux, burrow-crats, Robert Byrd, Dick Cheney, circuit breakers, conference committees, Tom Daschle, Bill Frist, Chuck Hagel, hollow math, the Hyde Amendment, Interstate-80, Jeffersonian principles, JFK, kooks, Lala Land, laboratories of democracy, Joe Lieberman, Trent Lott, making it rain, Joe Manchin, One Nebraska, party theology, Harry Reid, ridiculous carrots, sophists and skeptics, Tom Sawyer, Saul Shorr, Olympia Snowe, so-called autobiographies, stare decisis, Toadstool Park, unfunded mandates, Wildcat Hills, & more!