Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

Send us a textBarry 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!

Listen to Bill Knapp, a top Democratic media consultant, as he shares his NYC roots, the 1980 Senate campaign that launched his career, lessons from his mentor Bob Squier, key races in his development as a strategist, the '96 Clinton re-elect, 20 years in Mike Bloomberg's political orbit, advice for budding media consultants, and more.

Diana Hwang, Founder & Executive Director of the Asian American Women's Political Initiative, talks about growing up in Houston in a Taiwanese-immigrant family, her political awakening in Boston, the challenges she faced running for State Senate, the mission and tools of the AAWPI, partisan differences within the AAPI community, and the impact of the 2021 Georgia mass shooting on her work.

Media Consultant & AAPC Board Member Kelly Gibson discusses the impact of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) in politics, including the opportunities and threats it presents. Topics include A.I. as a revolutionary tool, A.I.'s role in content creation and advertising production, and the potential disruption of political jobs by A.I.

Send us a text[EPISODE ORIGINALLY RECORDED FEBRUARY 2021]Lisa Grove has been a leading Democratic strategist and pollster for 25+ years, helping elect a President, Senators, Governors, and more. She also developed a reputation for winning tough ballot measures and helped refine messaging to advance the cause of marriage equality. In this conversation (recorded February '21), she talks her roots in Oregon politics and activism, being drawn to polling, her early days in the business, starting her own firm in the mid 90s, and stories & insight from a successful career that has spanned several decades.IN THIS EPISODELisa grows up in Portland, OR inspired by the activism around her...Lisa's early jobs in politics in route to becoming a pollster...Lisa talks learning from famed pollster Nancy Belden...Lisa on her approach to focus groups and her favorite focus group stories...How and why Lisa started her own polling firm in the mid 90s...How Lisa made it work as a pollster living in Hawaii...How Lisa's chalked up a successful record on ballot measures...Lisa's work helping advance the cause of marriage equality...Some of the celebrities Lisa has worked with over the years and her current work with Billie Eilish...AND John Anderson, John Anzalone, Brian Baird, Maggie Baird, Warren Beatty, Nancy Belden, Sergio Bendixen, Anna Bennett, Ami Bera, Brian Bilbray, Graeme Blair, Shirley Chisolm, Tom Daschle, Susan Davis, Peter DeFazio, Barry Diller, Tom Donilon, Mike Dukakis, Matt Erickson, Pablo Escobar, Lily Eskelsen, feather boas, Diane Feldman, Sarah Flowers, Cesar Gaviria, Dick Gephardt, the Golden Rule, Martin Hamburger, Hanford Nuclear Site, Darlene Hooley, Jack Mormons, Ron Kind, Celinda Lake, Ed Lazarus, Norman Lear, Carl Levin, Sandy Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Jeff Liszt, Jon Macks, mai tais, Tom McCall, Mark Mellman, Howard Metzenbaum, Mr. Steak, Ralph Nader, Narcos, Finneas O'Connell, Bob Packwood, Jessica Paulson, paradise guilt, the princess ad, Christy Quirk, Rob Reiner, Barbara Roberts, Michael Robinson, Will Robinson, Rich Schlackman, Barbra Streisand, sustainable furniture, swagger, tattoos, Third Way, tissue paper flowers, Joe Trippi, Univision, Melissa Williams, Ron Wyden, Yucca Mountain & more!

Send us a textPaul Johnson's resume reads like it should cover three careers...managing multiple presidentials, manager/general consultant on twelve Senate races, DSCC Executive Director over two cycles, and several years on Capitol Hill as a Senate Chief of Staff. In this conversation, we talk his roots in Minnesota politics, rising up the ranks through Mondale '84 to manage Tom Daschle's first Senate race in 1986 and then Bob Kerrey's first Senate race in 1988...then staying part of the Kerrey world for the next 20+ years. And eventually managing  presidential campaigns for both Senator Bob Graham and General Wes Clark - plus why Paul has been based out of Shreveport, LA for the past 20 years. This is a great discussion through a fascinating career with one of the most accomplished operatives in Democratic politics.IN THIS EPISODEPaul grows up in the Twin Cities, inspired by the political tradition of Minnesota Democrats...The one time Paul ran for office in his own right...Paul leads a Minnesota brigade to help Walter Mondale in the '84 Iowa Caucus...Paul manages Tom Daschle's first US Senate race in 1986...Paul talks the political impact of the "farm crisis" of the 1980s...Paul connects with Bob Kerrey in the 1988 cycle and stays part of his political world for 20+ years...Paul breaks down the missteps and missed opportunities from the Bob Kerry '92 presidential...Paul speaks to the legacy of political courage shown by Bob Kerrey...Paul's approach as a Senate Chief of Staff on the Hill...A little color on some of the famed friction between President Clinton and Senator Kerrey...Paul's memories of running the DSCCC during the 96 and 98 cycles...Paul goes deep on the boom and bust of the Wes Clark '04 Presidential campaign...An important lesson learned from his time managing Senator Bob Graham's '04 presidential...The Paul Johnson "3 Ms" of what makes an effective campaign manager...Why Paul has been based out of Shreveport, LA for 20+ years...AND...318 area codes, 441 AD, Jim Abdnor, agrarian movements, B+ trip notes, background noise, Scotty Baesler, Brent Blackaby, Jerry Brown, Jim Bunning, Larry Cohen, Susan Collins, Jim Crounse, Jim Crow, Howard Dean, Ron DeSantis, John Edwards, Russ Feingold, Don Foley, Jane Fonda, the Fritz Blitz, going batshit, Grandmother's Restaurant, Gary Hart, Hubert Humphrey, Larry Huynh, Dave Karnes, John Kerry, Carl Levin, Gene McCarthy, meat slicers, Carol Moseley Braun, Sheila Murphy, Ben Nelson, Parade magazine, party mergers, Rudy Perpich, press release routes, Ronald Reagan, Jody Severson, Bob Smith, soft money, Harold Stassen, Pete Stavrianos, Dick Swett, Bob Torricelli, Paul Tsongas, WCCO, Winnebagos, Debra Winger & more!

Chris Mottola, a Republican media consultant with nearly 400 campaigns under his belt, discusses his passion for film, political techniques, lessons from legendary operatives, and memorable campaigns. Topics include Philly roots, film influence, formalism in filmmaking, first press conference, handling 50 spots as NRCC production staffer, lessons from admakers Goodman and Guggenheim, influence of pollster Finkelstein, signature wins in Wisconsin and Florida, growth from a loss in Washington Senate race, work with Senator Specter, and more.

Send us a textElizabeth Holtzman is best known for her legendary primary upset of the Dean of the House in 1972, making her the youngest woman elected to Congress and propelling her to national notice as part of the House Judiciary Committee Impeachment Hearings of Richard Nixon. Even beyond that specific era, the diversity and duration of her public service is nearly unrivaled...including working in 1960s Georgia to advance civil rights, her role bringing 100+ Nazi War Criminals closer to justice, becoming the first woman to be a District Attorney in New York City,  the only woman to serve as NYC comptroller, and an impactful political legacy spanning several decades that continues to this day.IN THIS EPISODEMemories of growing up in an immigrant family in Brooklyn, NY...An incredibly formative experience working on civil rights issues in Albany, GA...Her instrumental role bringing 100+ Nazi war criminals to justice in the 1970s...How she became the youngest woman elected to Congress by beating the Dean of the House in 1972...Stories of taking on the Brooklyn political machine...An unsettling comment from a veteran member after she's first elected to the House...Memories of her service on the House Judiciary Committee during the Nixon Impeachment Hearings...Her rejection of the revisionist view of Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon...Analyzing her very narrow loss for US Senate in 1980...Looking back on her stint as both Brooklyn District Attorney and NYC Comptroller...Her view on the "finest mayor NYC has had"...Comparing her 2022 House race to her first run in 1972...Her view of the current Supreme Court as "illegitimate"...The couple of times her path crossed with Donald Trump in NYC politics...AND Abraham Lincoln High, Samuel Alito, Birch Bayh, Jimmy Breslin, bureaucratic gobbledygook, the CIA, CORE, Jimmy Carter, cattle prods, Manny Celler, Frank Church, Cracker Barrel, John Culver, Al D'Amato, Mike Dewine, William O. Douglas, Meade Esposito, the first piece of paper, Flatbush, Gimbles, The Godfather, Barry Goldwater, the instrumentality of the state, Jacob Javits, John Lindsay, Carolyn Maloney, James Meredith, Pat Moynihan, NAACP, Radcliffe, John Rhodes, Peter Rodino, Russian pogroms, SNCC, Bernie Sanders, Hugh Scott, shoe leather, smoking guns, John Paul Stevens, Adlai Stevenson, Tammany Hall, Clarence Thomas, Larry Tribe, whistleblowers, witch hunts & more!

Send us a textMichael Rowan's political career started in a small Alaksan fishing village in the 1960s and has ascended to heights of helping elect Presidents, Senators, Governors, and working in 17 countries. Michael was a contemporary and colleague of some of the most influential political minds in the modern era - Larry O'Brien, Joe Napolitan, Tony Schwartz, Marshall McLuhan, among many others. And the campaigns he had an impact on includes names like Bill Clinton, Pat Moynihan, Andrew Young, Howard Metzenbaum, Mike Gravel, and more. And after working against Hugo Chavez in Venenzuela, Michael and his family had to flee after death threats from Chavez henchmen. Michael Rowan has a great political story and shares much of it in this conversation.IN THIS EPISODEMichael’s move from Long Island to rural Alaska sparks an interest in politics…How organizing a political slate in a small fishing village leads to Michael’s career in campaigns…Michael is the campaign manager for Mike Gravel’s successful upset of an incumbent Senator in 1968…Michael’s take on the quixotic Gravel presidential campaign of 2008…Michael’s early intersection with political consulting legend & future business partner Joe Napolitan…Michael talks the influence of his colleagues Marshall McLuhan and Tony Schwartz…How Michael helped Howard Metzenbaum beat American hero John Glenn in an Ohio Senate primary…Michael goes in depth on the political skills of two of his iconic clients, Andrew Young and Pat Moynihan…Michael’s connections to Bill Clinton’s core campaign message in 1992…Michael talks his work against Hugo Chavez in Venezuela that led to death threats against him and his family…Michael diagnoses the threats of polarization in American politics and a possible solution…AND agoraphobia, the Alaska Model, anthropological dreamworlds, asymmetric media, Jeff Bezos, Tony Blair, Rafael Caldera, James Carville, coding nightmares, Jim Dunn, Claudio Fermin, Eskimos, Buckminster Fuller, David Garth, Ernest Gruening, Charles Guggenheim, Jay Hammond, Michael Harrington, Robert Kennedy, Kent State, Jiddu Krishnamurti, the Kuskokwim River, Maslow’s Hierarchy, Ed Mezvinsky, Elon Musk, Larry O’Brien, Sarah Palin, Carlos Andres Perez, Ronald Reagan, Ralph Rivers, Winthrop Rockefeller, Rorschachians, Manuel Rosales, St Johns University, Milton Shapp, Sargent Shriver, Shelby Storck, Margaret Thatcher, wave theory, weird containers, Dick Wirthlin, William Butler Yeats & more!

Send us a textAndi Johnson, a partner at GPS Impact, is a veteran Democratic media strategist who has been a trailblazer as one of the first women in Democratic media. She's worked for leading Democratic political figures for over 30 years...names like Obama, Klobuchar, Leahy, Inslee, Bob Casey Jr, and many more. In this conversation, Andi talks growing up in a political family in Eugene, OR, how she somewhat accidentally found a path into political media, mentoring under the late Democratic admaker Joe Slade White, some of her favorite races she's worked on...from Ben Nighthorse Campbell (as a Democrat) in 1988 to helping elect Cherelle Parker Mayor of Philadelphia just a few weeks ago. This is a great talk through a fascinating career with a groundbreaking woman in media consulting and one of the most successful admakers in Democratic politics. IN THIS EPISODEAndi grows up in a politically-minded family in Eugene Oregon…A teenage Andi rubs shoulders with Senator Ted Kennedy and his 1980 presidential campaign staff…Andi remembers the politics of her native Oregon in her formative years…Andi’s fortuitous intersection with two iconic media consultants, Roger Ailes and Joe Slade White…Andi talks the "two revolutions" in production of political media…Andi on what she learned from her early colleague Joe Slade White…Andi talks an early key race for (then Democrat) Ben Nighthorse Campbell in Colorado…Andi distills her approach to admaking…Andi talks one of her favorite ads for VT Senator Pat Leahy…Andi breaks down the appeal of two of the most memorable ads she produced for the Obama 2008 Presidential…Three Bedroom Ranch and Rearview Mirror…Andi’s memories working for the Klobuchar 2020 presidential campaign…Andi talks the recent success of her client Cherelle Parker, the next mayor of Philadelphia…Andi recalls a groundbreaking ad she helped write in 1998 for then Congressman Jay Inslee…Andi talks what she learned from longtime partner Saul Shorr…Andi discloses her strangest work habit and her advice to budding media consultants…Andi goes deep on her experiences as a traiblazing woman in political media & how the business has changed on that front over the past generation... AND audible gasps, Michael Bennet, Kit Bond, bungalows, Ken Burns, George W Bush, The Cascades, clean young men, Bill Clinton, Christopher Close, Coro Fellows, Dr. Ruth, the Daisy Ad, John Danforth, Danish mothers, Darlingside, David Dixon, Anita Dunn, The Eugene Weekly, Sandra Feldman, Norma Ferrer, The Foreign Service, Booth Gardner, Neil Goldschmidt, Mandy Grunwald, Charles Guggenheim, The Harriman Center, Sincere Harris, Mark Hatfield, Hillman & Carr, Peter Hoagland, Jay Howser, Val Hoyle, Tom Jones, Bill Knapp, Monica Lewinsky, Loony Tunes, Al Lowenstein, Dottie Lynch, MTV, Tom McCall, John McCain, Gunn McKay, Barbara Mikulski, Wayne Morse, the naked word, Janet Napolitano, Bob Packwood, Aren Platt, Prince, Questlove, Ed Rendell, The Responsive Chord, Will Robinson, rum raisin ice cream, Bill Sarpalius, Sawyer Miller, Tony Schwartz, Bill Sheffield, Shep Sherbell, Soundhound, Bob Squier, Ken Swope, Roy Temple, Tom Udall, Greta Van Fleet, the voice of God, WHYY, wandering in the desert, Jim Weaver, Randi Weingarten, Rick White, Williams College, Harriet Woods & more!