Send us a textCharlie Cook is a political icon of his generation. Charlie broke ground in the early days of the race-rating and political newsletter industry, starting the Cook Political Report from scratch in 1984 – and he and his newsletter are still going strong.Charlie talks through his fascinating career and is generous with insights as to how politics and campaigns have changed over the years – with plenty of practical tips to help anyone better understand and better navigate our political system.Podcast Website Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod Twitter: @ZacMcCrary Facebook: The Pro Politics PodcastIN THIS EPISODEThe one political book Charlie remembers being in his house as a kid…High-school Charlie helps out on an underdog Louisiana Senate race…How high school debate helped prepare Charlie for a job in elections analysis..Charlie breaks down the politics of his youth in Louisiana of the 60s and 70s…Charlie remembers his first DC job as an elevator operator in the Russell Senate office building…A young Charlie has a memorable encounter with Senator Jesse Helms…Charlie gives the history of the election newsletter industry…Charlie’s background in polling and campaigns comes in handy…Charlie learns an important lesson from the infamous "bloody" IN-08 congressional race of 1984…Charlie talks about how he started his newsletter in the mid 80s…The important media break Charlie got that helped put his newsletter on the map…The dramatically different subscriber base today from how the Cook Report started…Charlie and Stu Rothenberg meet with VP Cheney before the 2006 elections…Charlies waxes poetic about the Almanac of American Politics…Which committee staffer (and future Governor) was one of Charlie’s best sources of leaks…Charlie gives tips for candidates to prep for meetings with DC handicappers…Charlie’s cryptic comment about a 2004 meeting with then candidate Barack Obama…The one Senate committee chair who talked through races with Charlie independent of committee staff…Charlies talks about the responsibility of knowing his analysis is responsible for impacting races…The recent race result that surprised Charlie the most…Charlie talks about “the worst thing” that can happen in his line of work…Charlie’s tips for TV appearances…The highest compliment Charlie can get from a reader…Charlie’s must-read political books…Charlie talks about the “lost art” of positive political ads…ALSO…Johnny Apple, The Atlantic, Alan Baron, David Broder, Ron Brownstein, Edward Brooke, Bernadette Budde, C-SPAN, CNN, Eric Cantor, Mitch Daniels, Tom Davis, Bob Dole, Jennifer Duffy, Edwin Edwards, Allen Ellender, Rahm Emanuel, Evans and Novak, Vic Fazio, Martin Frost, Cory Gardner, Newt Gingrich, Nathan Gonzales, Phil Gramm, Charles Guggenheim, Bill Hamilton, Peter Hart, Paula Hawkins, F. Edward Hebert, Jesse Helms, Hubert Humphrey, Al Hunt, Laura Ingraham, Bennett Johnston, Gillis Long, Huey Long, Dick Lugar, Sid McMath, George McGovern, Bob Michel, Otto Passman, Kevin Phillips, Roll Call, Stu Rothenberg, Tim Russert, David Sawyer, Bernard Shaw, Bob Squier, Jessica Taylor, Amy Walter, Dave Wasserman, Paul Weyrich, Judy Woodruff, and MORE…!Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook:

Send us a textThey don’t make too many people like Saul Shorr. After hitchhiking across the country,  working in sugar refineries, being in and out of college, Saul fell into working on Mo Udall's 1976 presidential campaign. He soon became an expert in big city politics, started his own media firm, and has helped elect Senators and Governors and Presidents.Saul has one of the most unique paths, some of the biggest wins, and many of the best stories after decades as one of the most respected admakers and strategists in the business. Trust me...if you like politics, you'll love this episode with Saul. Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics PodcastIN THIS EPISODE...Robert Moses, of The Power Broker fame, has a lot to do with how Saul grew up in Queens…Saul’s memories of the day President Kennedy died…Saul’s favorite political slogan of all time…The unusual thing that happened to Saul on his second day working in politics…Saul works for the iconic American political figure Allard Lowenstein…A young Saul spends a day with Coretta Scott King…Saul cuts his teeth in Philly politics during the tumultuous late 70s and early 80s…Saul helps elect Ben Nelson Governor of Nebraska after starting at less than 1%...Saul grows his business by finding a niche with Lieutenant Governors in the South…Saul’s paean to life on the road as a political consultant…Saul gives his view from a front row seat of tragedy and triumph of Mel Carnahan…What it was like when Saul joined the historic Obama 2008 team…David Axelrod’s memorable when Saul put together test-attack ads against then Senator Obama…Saul’s best practices on negative ads…Saul makes arguably the most memorable attack ad against Mitt Romney in 2012…Saul tells the story of how Al Franken’s first TV ad “made him Minnesota” and helped propel him to the US Senate…Saul helps Tom Wolf break out of a crowded PA Governor’s field…The one criteria Saul (jokingly) gives on bringing on a new client…Saul provides an itinerary for your next trip to Philly... ALSO… Jim Andrews, John Anderson (the Black one), John Anderson (the white one), Andre the Giant, John Ashcroft, Geno Auriemma, David Axelrod, Bob Bedard, Paul Begala, Lucien Blackwell, Sherrod Brown, Jerry Brown, Mary Beth Cahill, Jean Carnahan, Bob Casey, Dick Cheney, Robert Clark, Howard Coffin, Norm Coleman, Tom Corbett, Dick Durbin, Tom Eagleton, Mike Easley, Dwight Evans, Marc Farinella, Chaka Fattah, Diane Feldman, Alan Franken, Ben Franklin, Bill Gray, Pierre Howard, Jay Howser, Jacob Javits, Andi Johnson, Rabbi Meir Kahane, Robert Kennedy, Ed Koch, John Lindsay, Myra MacPherson, Kevin Mack, Adam Magnus, Josh Mandel, Terry McAuliffe, Rob McCord, Katie McGinty, Val Molin, Jim Margolis, George McGovern, James Michener, Molly Murphy, Ricky Nelson, Pall Mall unfilitereds, Elizabeth Pearson, Bev Perdue, David Perdue, David Price, JB Pritzker, Fran Rafferty, Frank Rizzo, Cokie Roberts, Mary Ann Sandretti, Allyson Schwartz, Joe Shafer, The Shorr Holding Company, Chris Sifford, Paul Tully,  Mo Udall, Stewart Udall, Anthony Weiner, Alan Wheat, Dennis Wicker, Roger Wilson, Harriet Woods, Jim Young, and MORE!

Send us a textAs a student, Kasim Reed set a goal to be mayor of Atlanta by age 40 - and he made it happen.The Kasim Reed story is truly an original...motivated by a nurturing mother and demanding father, on the Board of Howard University by age 19, the youngest member of the Georgia legislature by 29, managing a successful mayoral race at 32, and winning his own mayoral campaign 8 years later after starting in last place. And 8 successful years as mayor of one of the great international cities. Fascinating to hear Mayor Reed's story - and learn from his advice and insights after a meteoric rise in politics.Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics PodcastIN THIS EPISODEThe life-changing moment when a young Kasim Reed crosses paths with Mayor Andrew Young…The transformational role of Howard University in Mayor Reed’s life…Mayor Maynard Jackson helps mold a young Kasim Reed as a political operative…Mayor Reed talks interning for Congressman Joseph P Kennedy II…The path to becoming both the youngest member of the GA Legislature...How the GA legislature moving from Democratic to Republican made him a better mayor…The Kasim Reed best practices for managing campaigns…Mayor Reed compares Zac to Michael Jordan (not really, but sort of…)Mayor Reed talks about the importance of Atlanta being in the “future business” …The key relationships that helped Ambassador Young land the 1996 Atlanta Olympics…How Kasim Reed became Mayor after starting the race at 3%...Mayor Reed provides advice to Democrats on how to talk about the issue of crime…Mayor Reed gives a day in the life of what it’s like to be Mayor of Atlanta…Mayor Reed talks about using his political capital to get tough things done…What is Mayor Reed’s Purple Squirrel Theory of Management?A great story about Willie Brown helping Mayor Reed solve a tough issue…Mayor Reed provides his recommended itinerary for getting the most out of a trip to Atlanta…ALSO...Hank Aaron, Rev Ralph Abernathy, Troy Aikman, Ivan Allen, Lawrence Ashe, Roy Barnes, President Joe Biden, Arthur Blank, Michael Bloomberg, Julian Bond, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Tom Brady, Willie Brown, Jimmy Carter, Jim Clyburn, Pinky Cole, Sean Combs, Tommy Duncan, Shirley Franklin, Dr Wayne Frederick, Ryan Glover, Taraji P. Henson, high top fades, Michael Irvin, Jesse Jackson, Jimmy Johnson, Vernon Jordan, Jack Kemp, John Lewis, Rev Joseph Lowery, Floyd Mayweather, Mark Mason, the McNeil-Lehrer Report, Dick Parsons, Marty Payson, Mark Pitts, Carl Sanders, Frank Savage, Slutty Vegan, Emmitt Smith, Calvin Smyre, Tracy Reed, Rev C.T. Vivian, and MORE!Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics Podcast  

Send us a textThis week my guest is Rose Kapolczynski, a legend in California politics and beyond. Rose managed all four of Barbara Boxer's successful US Senate races, including the iconic Boxer upset win in the '92 Year of the Woman. Beyond Boxerworld, Rose started her own consulting firm and has been deeply involved in numerous successful campaigns - and she is currently the President of the American Association of Political Consultants.Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics Podcast IN THIS EPISODEHow the politics of the late 60s set Rose on her path…Rose organizes her high school for George McGovern…Rose talks about the formative period in the 70s of the environmental movement getting involved in campaigns…What was Rose’s memorable first reaction when she was offered a job working for Gary Hart’s '84 presidential campaign…Rose draws parallels between the 1984 presidential primary and the 2020 primary…Why Rose advises people to work for an underdog campaign…Rose’s memories of working in the US Senate in the 80s…Rose’s momentous first meeting with then Congresswoman Barbara Boxer…How Rose helped engineer Barbara Boxer’s upset ’92 Senate race…Rose’s memories of the 1992 Year of the Woman…What early decision did Senator Boxer make to reach out to Republican areas of the state…The “number one thing” Rose looks for when making hiring decisions…The “three jobs” Rose sees as key to being a successful political consultant…Rose’s practical tips on how to pitch potential clients…Rose’s “most important thing” in running your own business…Rose talks about one of her toughest ballot-measure victories as a consultant…Rose tells us what political consultants and strip clubs have in common…ALSO…The AAPC, Mark Armour, Jerry Brown, Frank Church, Bill Clinton, Alan Cranston, Dianne Feinstein, Al Gore, John Glenn, Dorie Greenspan, Bob Hattoy, Pudge Henkel, Bruce Herschensohn, Anita Hill, Jesse Jackson, Ed Lazarus, Jim Margolis, Walter Mondale, Steve Murphy, Karen Olick, Ross Perot, Mark Putnam, Steve Rabinowitz, Ronald Reagan,  the Sierra Club, Amy Simon, Pete Wilson, Tim Wirth and more!Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics Podcast  

Send us a textI'm very fortunate this week to be joined by my first Republican guest, GOP pollster Glen Bolger of Public Opinion Strategies. Glen cut his teeth in polling in the Reagan / Bush era and helmed the polling operation for House Republicans before co-founding his own firm - a firm that now represents more than 40 members of Congress and 10+ US Senators. Glen tells some great stories of his early days in politics - matriculating at American University, interning on the Hill, cutting  his teeth at polling with President Reagan's pollster and at the NRCC before being part of the founding of Public Opinion Strategies. Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics Podcast  IN THIS EPISODEGlen gets “Potomac Fever” in high school…What Glen learned at American University that guided him toward politics…What did he learn that gave Glen a “leg up” when he started in politics…Glen spends a semester working in politics across the pond in the UK…Glen crosses path as a young staffer with Democratic Majority Leader Jim Wright…How Glen’s first job out of college was working with President Reagan’s pollster…Why Glen turned down the RNC and GOP Senate Committee to work for the GOP House Committee…The one House race the Republicans lost that taught Glen an important lesson in politics…Glen’s great story of the lack of GOP preparation before Dan Quayle was chosen as VP…The one strategic decision that helped Ileana Ros-Lehtinen win her first congressional race…What oversight at the NRCC led Glen to worry he was about to lose his job…The origin story Public Opinion Strategies formed around a kitchen table…The one strategic decision of Glen’s that helped win a New Hampshire Governor’s race…Glen’s memories of the ’94 GOP wave…Glen’s take on how important the Cal Cunningham affair was in Thom Tillis 2020 re-election…Glen’s advice on how to get in the door of a polling firm…and then rise through the ranks…ALSO…Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dick Cheney, Barbara Christmas, Mike Crapo, Dan Coats, Jim Courter, Cal Cunningham, Rob Engel, Jim Florio, George Gekas, Newt Gingrich, Wilma Goldstein, Bob Goodlatte, Jack Kingston, Peter Kostmayer,  John McCain, Bill McInturff, Steve Merrill, Neil Newhouse, Chris Nicholas, Jim Nussle, Claude Pepper, Dan Quayle, Arlen Specter, Van Taylor, Thom Tillis, Craig Thomas, Lindsay Thomas, Jill Long Thompson, Richard Wirthlinand more!Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics Podcast  

Send us a textA great conversation this week with David Nir, recently celebrating his 10-year anniversary as the Political Director of Daily Kos. David's career charts the rise of the Democratic online grassroots from a ramshackle group of political junkies in the early 00s to now being one of the pillars of the Democratic political universe.Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics PodcastIN THIS EPISODE…What was David’s first introduction to feminism?How being the child of a Holocaust survivor has informed who David is…Why David seeing a Geraldine Ferraro rally in 1984 was an ill omen for the ticket’s chances…David’s early memories of Rudy Giuliani in NYC politics…The candidate who taught David to avoid getting too attached to any individual politician…How David fell in love with down-ballot races…How David made the decision to forego a legal career to plunge full-time into politics…How unlikely candidates in Kentucky and South Dakota kicked off the rise of the Democratic netroots…How an "extra penny" let campaigns know the arrival of the progressive netroots…Lavishing praise upon the DKE Daily News Digest and Elections Data…David’s tips for candidates and campaigns who want to connect with the Daily Kos community…The story of Daily Kos and the rise of Jon Ossoff… David helps topple the “turncoat” IDC legislative coalition in New York…What one requirement would have to be part of David’s online dating profile… AND….Ben Chandler, Wes Clark, Howard Dean, David Dinkins, John Edwards, Marc Elias, Geraldine Ferraro, Rudy Giuliani, Kaili Joy Gray, Paul Hackett, Karen Handel, Stephanie Herseth, John Kerry, Jeff Klein, John Lewis, Rachel Maddow, Walter Mondale, Markos Moulitsas, Jean Schmidt, Jeff Singer, Elliot Spitzer, Tim Tagaris, Trent Thompson, Elizabeth Warren,  Stephen Wolf, AND MORE! Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics Podcast

Send us a textI’m thrilled this week to be joined by the brilliant Rebecca Pearcey! Rebecca has worked in politics for 20+ years – from working in field to managing statewide races to running big independent expenditure programs. In the 2020 cycle, Rebecca was a senior advisor and political director to the Warren for President campaign – while also traveling with the candidate for months.Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics Podcast IN THIS EPISODE…How a Christmas card and a goldfish taught Rebecca an important lesson about politics…How did Rebecca end up testifying before the Oregon State Senate…Rebecca’s theory on how Gephardt 2004 was a launching pad for so many talented staff…How a staffers’ ex boyfriend helped keep the lights on at the Gephardt HQ (whether the ex knew it or not)…What Rebecca learned working in red states…What Rebecca knows about Mike Pence after running the 2012 campaign against him…The legislative race that was Rebecca’s “heart-breaker” during her time at the DLCCThe story Rebeca hasn’t told before about her path to the Warren campaign…What does Rebecca know about Senator Warren after spending months in a minivan with her…Rebecca’s high point on the Warren campaign…One thing that Rebecca wishes the Warren campaign would’ve handled differently…What happened when Elizabeth Warren met John Legend….Rebecca’s four-word motto for hiring the right people…What 15 white guys in blazers showed Rebecca about problems facing Democratic campaigns…Rebecca’s 3 travel hacks… AND….Bill Burton, George W Bush, Margaret Carter, Wesley Clark, John Edwards, Preston Elliott, John Gregg, Lucinda Guinn, Kamala Harris, Abby Horrell, Karen Johanson, John Kerry, John Lapp, Andy LaVigne, Travis Lowe,  Mike Mikus, Emily Parcell, Jessica Post,  Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Ted Strickland, and MORE! Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics Podcast

Send us a textI’m so fortunate to be joined by Paul Begala as my first guest – we had a great conversation. Paul is a great storyteller, with tremendous insights he’s learned over the years that remain incredibly relevant today.Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics PodcastIN THIS EPISODE…Paul breaks out his spot-on impressions of Bill Clinton, James Carville, and a deep cut of Phil Graham…Why was Paul’s nickname “Huntley-Brinkley”?Which Senator did a 12-year old Paul see, from the Senate Gallery, skillfully working the room during the 1973 Alaska pipeline vote?How does high-school Paul cross paths with both Tom Delay and Ron Paul in the 1970s? Why the concept of “taxation and representation” was incredibly influential in Paul’s time at the University of Texas?The lasting impact Diane Begala, Paul’s wife, has had on the UT campus…The story of Paul’s (temporary) defeat for Student Body President by a fictional character…The two-word slogan that has defined Paul’s outlook on politics, government, and life…What wager do Paul and his wife make before they see their friend Mark McKinnon on TV?How Paul learned more from losing a race in Texas than he did on any of the races he won?How Paul helped revive the political career of the man known as “The Three Time Loss from Holy Cross”…How one candidate’s embrace of Transcendental Meditation changed a race…Which candidate Paul worked for had “the greatest collection of talent on one staff” that Paul’s ever seen (and it’s not the 1992 Clinton Team)…The story of how a pollster and an eye doctor found the right health care messaging to overcome a 47-point deficit in the 1991 upset win of PA Senator Harris Wofford…How the lesson of “be like Bobby Kennedy” made Paul a better campaign manager…Who is the potential Democratic candidate that Paul thought posed the greatest threat to Clinton’s prospects…The “one thing that hasn’t changed in the Democratic Party” since 1992…What was the “gold watch” strategy in the 1992 presidential race…Why Ross Perot actually hurt Bill Clinton in 1992 more than George HW Bush…What did Hillary Clinton say when Ross Perot (temporarily) pulled out of the ’92 race…Why Bill Clinton wanted Paul Begala to work in the White House even though Paul felt “unqualified”…Paul in the middle of the Clinton impeachment fight during a strained personal relationship with the President…Paul’s tips on how to be good on television…The advice Paul gives to anyone considering a career in politics…Which recent political movie does Paul “highly, highly recommend”?What spot on the map does Paul call “the greatest place in the world”?What Paul has learned from each of his four sons… Also mentioned...John Anzalone, Howard Baker, Billy Begala, Charlie Begala, Diane Begala, John Begala Patrick Begala, Anna Bennett, Lloyd Bentsen, Joe Biden, David Bowie, Bill Bradley, George W Bush, James Carville, Bob Casey, Bill Clements, Hillary Clinton, Mario Cuomo, Mike Donilon, Lloyd Doggett, Sarah Eckhardt, Bob Gammage, Bryan Garner, Dick Gephardt, Al Gore,  Florence Scroggins Graham, Larry Grisolano, Kent Hance, John Heinz, David Humphreville, Vernon Jordan, Ted Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Bob Kreuger, Frank Lautenberg, Lyle Lovett, Neil MacBride, Mary Matalin, Linda Moore, Karen Olick, Jay Rockefeller, Ronald Reagan, Ann Richards, John Schwartz, Bill Scranton, Bob Shrum, Russ Tidwell, Dick Thornburgh, Joh

Send us a textHello everyone, I’m Zac McCrary. I’m a Democratic pollster, but before I was a political operative, I was a political junkie. That’s why I’m starting the Pro Politics Podcast. I’ll be having conversations with interesting and accomplished people – across the partisan spectrum - who work in the political industry…campaign managers, messaging experts, ad-makers, journalists, policy experts and beyond. This is not a podcast that will provide punditry on the latest beltway flare up or go back and forth with partisan talking points, there are plenty of places for that.  Instead I want to talk to some of the most impactful people in the political process and hear their what got them into the business, some behind-the-scenes campaign war stories, and their thoughts, advice and insights on how to succeed in the political business and make an impact. So please subscribe to the Pro Politics Podcast, find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and keep an eye out for new episodes every Tuesday. https://twitter.com/ProPoliticsPodhttps://www.facebook.com/ProPoliticsPodhttps://twitter.com/ZacMcCrary