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Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

Latest episodes

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Mar 5, 2024 • 44min

Chancellor & Congressman Kent Hance, the Best Storyteller in Texas

Send us a textKent 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!
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Feb 20, 2024 • 37min

What Morgan Searcy Learned from 200+ Interviews with First-Time Political Staffers

Send us a textMorgan 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!
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Feb 6, 2024 • 55min

Jim Margolis, Founding Partner of Democratic Media Firm GMMB

Send us a textJim 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!
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Jan 9, 2024 • 1min

Pro Politics Podcast Update: New Episodes Coming Soon

Send us a textListen 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.
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Nov 21, 2023 • 57min

Mark Z. Barabak, L.A. Times Political Columnist, on the Changing Politics of the New West

Send us a textMark 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!
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Nov 14, 2023 • 50min

How Beshear Kept the Bluegrass State Blue, with Beshear '19/'23 Manager Eric Hyers

Eric Hyers, manager of Andy Beshear's '19 and '23 races, discusses key strategic decisions, fighting back against attacks, leveraging abortion issue, effective campaign management traits, and fostering candidate-manager relationships in this insightful podcast.
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Nov 7, 2023 • 52min

Author & Pollster Patrick Ruffini on His New Book, PARTY OF THE PEOPLE, & the Changing GOP Coalition

Patrick Ruffini, pollster at Echelon Strategies, discusses his new book on the changing GOP coalition, highlighting the party's success with blue-collar voters. He explores economic vs. cultural priorities, the influence of flawed 2012 exit polls, tensions within the Democratic coalition, missed GOP opportunities, and recent data among Hispanic voters. The podcast also delves into the historical evolution of Democrats as the party of the working class, the complexities of biracial and multiracial voters, and the role of foreign policy in the rise of the populist coalition.
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Oct 31, 2023 • 51min

Fred Grandy: From Hollywood to the Halls of Congress

Send us a textFred 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!
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Oct 24, 2023 • 44min

Remembering Dianne Feinstein, with her former Chief Media Strategist Bill Carrick

Send us a textBill 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!
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Oct 17, 2023 • 49min

Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, co-founder of Way to Win, on Effective Progressive Messaging

Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, co-founder of Way to Win, discusses her transition from journalism to political activism, the founding and purpose of Way to Win, improving Democratic messaging, and effective messaging strategies for Biden Democrats.

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