Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

Send us a textAnalilia Mejia is currently the co-ED of The Center for Popular Democracy...and prior to that she was Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential Campaign Political Director with stints in the Biden Administration, with the Working Families Party, & deep roots in union organizing. In this conversation, she talks being raised in working class Elizabeth, NJ as a daughter of immigrants, the life-changing role that a union job meant for her family, and the through line of empowering people that has run through her entire career in and around politics.IN THIS EPISODEAnalilia talks growing up in a working poor household in Elizabeth, NJ as the daughter of immigrants...Analilia's "political awakening" in 1988...Analilia cuts her teeth in politics as a union organizer in Chicago...Analilia explains the role of the Working Families Party, whom she led in New Jersey...Analilia on her path to becoming Bernie Sanders '20 Political Director & how she tackled the job...Analilia on why she continues to identify as a "Bernie Bro"...The role Analilia played in bringing Bernie voters into the Biden coalition...How Analilia joined the Biden Administration and why she left it to work again on the outside...Analilia on her role as Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy & the role CPD is playing...Analilia weighs in on how progressive orgs should be cognizant of communicating smartly to voters...Analilia's career advice to young operatives...AND AOC, Saul Alinsky, analogies, Ana Maria Archila, Sarah Badawi, Ella Baker, Build Back Better, George HW Bush, Wendy Chun-Hoon, Detroit Action, Michael Dukakis, finding a full humanity, George Floyd, fireworks, food insecurity, Jeff Flake, the free clinic, gummy bears, Fannie Lou Hamer, The Highlander School, Pramila Jayapal, jiu-jitsu, Arianna Jones, John Kerry, LUCHA Arizona, The Montgomery Bus Boycotts, Vivek Murphy, the New Georgia Project, people chess, radical transparency, Chuck Rocha, Jane Sanders, Faiz Shakir, Singer sewing machines, strep throat, Donald Trump, Nina Turner, the US Constitution, Jeff Weaver...& more!

Send us a textBob Shrum is a platonic ideal of a guest for this podcast…someone who, as a teenager, met JFK at the 1960 Democratic Convention and decades later worked as a strategist for several presidential candidates, big city mayors, Governors, and Senators. In this conversation, we talk his early passion for politics, the fortuitous chance to get his foot in the door as a speechwriter for a NYC mayor, how he connected with Senator Ted Kennedy and helped write his famous ’80 Convention Speech, and Bob’s 3 decades as a leading Democratic admaker and strategist – plus his current role as Director of the USC Center for the Political Future. IN THIS EPISODEBob’s early interest and passion for politics…Memories of meeting JFK as a teenage volunteer at the 1960 Democratic Convention…Bob gets a foot in the door as a speechwriter for NYC Mayor John Lindsay…Bob’s take on what makes for a good speechwriter…How taking the wrong job diverted Bob from politics from several years…How Bob entered the political orbit of Senator Ted Kennedy…Bob talks his role helping write Senator Kennedy’s most famous political speech from the 1980 Democratic convention…Bob on what a Reagan vs Kennedy race might have looked like…Bob talks some of his early consulting clients including Senators John Glenn and Barbara Mikulski…Bob’s longtime relationship with British Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair…Memories of presidential campaigns from Gephardt ’88 to Gore ’00 and Kerry ’04…Bob talks hanging up his political spurs after the ’04 campaign and his current role at the Center for the Political Future at the University of Southern California…Bob games out how he’d approach the 2024 election were he a Biden strategist… AND Bertie Ahern, Dick Aurelio, banging pots and pans, Ehud Barak, Don Beyer, Barbara Boxer, Brandeis University, Pat Buchanan, George W. Bush, butterfly ballots, Pat Caddell, Camden Yards, carousing and hijinx, Jimmy Carter,  Bob Casey Sr, Bill Clinton, Alan Cranston, Culver City, Ron DeSantis, Tad Devine, David Doak, Mike Donilon, East Los Angeles Junior College, Esquire Magazine, feedback loops, Diane Feinstein, Tom Foley, Orville Freeman, Jim Gilmore, giving up the ghost, Richard Goodwin, Jeff Greenfield, Averill Harriman, Kamala Harris, Hubert Humphrey, the Lexington Market, Joe Lieberman, Abraham Lincoln, John Lindsay, Douglas MacArthur, Mac Mathias, Kevin McCarthy, George McGovern, mind’s ear, Amber Miller, Walter Mondale, Tom Morgan, Adam Nagourney, New Times, Tip O’Neil, Carey Parker, Reince Priebus, robot rules, Chuck Robb, Pierre Salinger, John Sexton, Jeff Shesol, Sargent Shriver, Shrumalot, John Smith, Steve Smith, Adlai Stevenson, Bob Squier, Suite 9300, Laurence Tribe, Harry Truman, Tommy Tuberville, Mark Warner, Cornel West…& more!

Send us a textYou almost certainly know that, for decades, Stu Rothenberg and his Rothenberg Political Report (now Inside Elections) penned among the most influential political analysis in Washington. But you probably don't know the origin story...his initial academic career track, how he cut his political teeth at the conservative Heritage Foundation, and what led to launching his own newsletter. In this conversation, we talk through all of that plus his most memorable interactions with candidates, biggest surprises, savviest politicians, and when he knew it was time to pass the newsletter baton to his partner Nathan Gonzales. IN THIS EPISODEStu grows up in a family of Rockefeller Republicans in Central Park West Manhattan…Stu’s growing interest in politics and initial career trajectory to become an academic…How Stu’s path diverted from the academic track to join the political operation of the conservative Heritage Foundation…Stu’s tutelage under conservative political icon Paul Weyrich…What led to launching the Rothenberg Report newsletter…Stu’s early intersection with fellow newsletter groundbreaker Charlie Cook…Stu's memories from “candidate interviews” with Ted Cruz, Nikki Haley, and Barack Obama…Stu on the single biggest surprising result in his decades as a political observer…Stu talks some of the smartest political minds in Congress & the one committee chair who was a “giant pain in the ass”…The backstory behind a favorite Rothenberg column “For the Thousandth Time, Don’t Call It a Push Poll”…Stu’s memorable 2006 meeting with then-Vice President Dick Cheney…How Stu handled passing the torch of the Rothenberg Report to Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales…AND The Almanac of American Politics, Morton Blackwell, Bill Bradley, Sherry Boehlert, Mary Bono, Sonny Bono, William Buckley, Bucknell University, CNN, CSX, Canadian-American regional integration, the Club for Growth, Colby College, complicated conservatives, Ted Cruz, Al D’Amato, Mitch Daniels, Tom Davis, David Dewhurst, egomaniacs, Rollie Fingers, Charles Franklin, the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation, Mark French, Milton Friedman, Martin Frost, The Greenbrier, Nikki Haley, Tom Harkin, Peter Hart, Friedrich Hayek, Blair Hull, “It’s Only Politics”, Jan Plans, Jacob Javits, Roger Jepsen, Tommy John, Ben Jones, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Kenneth Keating, Harmon Killebrew, Leading Authorities, Louis Lefkowitz, Jon Lerner, John Lindsay, Juan Marichal, Marxist feminists, John McCain, Joe McLean, Ed Muskie, NYU, Lindsey Nelson, Frank Newport, Richard Nixon, George Pataki, political goo, Walter Rich, Roll Call, Jack Ryan, Larry Sabato, sewage trolls, Casey Stengel, Inez Tenenbaum, total losers, Donald Trump, UCONN, Amy Walter…& more!

Send us a textFred Davis only ended up in politics due to a family tragedy and then a family connection, and yet has become one of the most creative and controversial ad makers in America. His clients include a who's who of Republican elected officials...from Bush to Dole to McCain to Schwarzenegger among dozens of others. And despite electing Presidents and numerous Republicans up and down the ballot, he's most famous for his unique perspective on advertising that has led to some of the most memorable and controversials spots of the last few decades...the McCain '08 ad comparing Senator Barack Obama to Paris Hilton, introducing soon-to-be Michigan Governor Rick Synder as "one tough nerd", "Demon Sheep" in California, and introducing the phrase "I'm Not a Witch" into popular culture. Fred is a natural story teller with a great story of an accidental path and unconventional approach to politics.(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)IN THIS EPISODEHow family tragedy propels Fred into the PR at 19 years old & ultimately the ad business…The Senate race that put Fred on the national political map…Fred’s connection the rise of Napa Valley wines…The stories behind some of Fred’s most famous ads…- The “celebrity” ad against Barack Obama in 2008…- A colorful device for Governor Schwarznegger’s 2006 re-election…- Branding Michigan Governor Rick Synder as “One Tough Nerd”…- The story behind the infamous Demon Sheep spot for Carly Fiorina’s 2010 Senate race…- Fred’s concept behind the Christine O’Donnell “I’m Not a Witch” ad from the 2010 Delaware Senate race…- The Jon Huntsman “motorcycle” announcement video…- Fred talks one of his favorite current clients, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy…- The story behind Fred’s first viral video for Sonny Perdue against Georgia Governor Roy Barnes…How a high-profile conservative ad-maker is received living in liberal Hollywood…AND Jason Alexander, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, bell bottoms, the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bon Van Inc, David Boren, Bottle Rocket, Barbara Boxer, Tom Campbell, Chateau Montelena, cheese boards, Bill Clinton, Robert Davi, Gray Davis, Dan Duckhorn, family disagreements, the Freitas Brothers, Gateway computers, good luck charms, gotcha ads, Kelsey Grammer, half-way houses, Mark Halperin, Jim Inhofe, large-format cameras, Rush Limbaugh, Lippincott, Mitch McConnell, Dave McCurdy, Dan McLagan, mirrored pedestals, Robert Mondavi, Sam Nunn, the NRSC, Ogilvy & Mather, Sarah Palin, pink tutus, Steve Schmidt, selling fishing bait, K. Wortham Smith, Steven Spielberg, J. Walter Thompson, Chuck Todd, Trinity University, True Lies, weathermen, the West End Grill, Meg Whitman, Wine Spectator & more!Links to ads cited in this episode: Prison dancing (Inhofe '94)Big Spender (Inhofe '94)Bug Zapper (Inhofe '98)Celebrity (McCain '08)Schwarzenegger Re-election ('06)One Tough Nerd (Rick Synder '10)Demon Sheep (Fiorina '10)I’m Not a Witch (Christine O'Donnell '10)Huntsman Motorcycle Presiden

Send us a textDr. Annie Andrews has an incredibly unqiue political story...a pediatrician turned House candidate turned founder of the new organization Their Future, Our Vote. In this conversation, she demystifies what it takes to become a practicing medical doctor, mines her background studying gun violence, talks her jump to become a candidate for Congress in 2022, what it's like to run for House as a first-time candidate, & the decision that led her to start a new advocacy group focusing on a "kids first agenda".(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)IN THIS EPISODEWhat drew Annie toward the field of medicine from an early age…What goes into becoming a medical doctor…The historic Republican inclinations of the medical community…Why there is a temptation for doctors to be apolitical…Two of the political figures she most identifies with…Her background researching gun violence and what she knows on the topic that most might not…Annie on the challenge of child hunger…What led her to jump into the SC-01 congressional race in 2022…What surprised her about running for Congress…How she overcame her aversion to “small talk” as a candidate…How her medical background made her a different type of political candidate…Some of the “conventional wisdom” advice she ignored…The groups that did the most to help her campaign…The origin story of her new organization, Their Future Our Vote…What is the day-to-day role as a founder of a new advocacy organization…Annie’s most unconventional work habit… AND 314 Action, Cory Booker, Joe Cunningham, daily trauma, Dollar General, doomscrolling, Everytown, food deserts, giant binders, Renee Harvey, Instacart, internet trolls, lovely notifications, the MCAT, Nancy Mace, moderate white suburban women, Moms Demand Action, Barack Obama, organic chemistry, Parkland, Tim Scott, Liuba Grechen Shirley, sticky notes, subtexts, sugared beverages, Vote Mama, Elizabeth Warren, weirdo rates, western Kentucky & more!

Send us a textRichard Norton Smith is a renowned historian, a former director of five presidential libraries, & author whose latest work - Ordinary Man - chronicles the life and career of Gerald Ford. In this conversation, we talk the insurgent rise of Ford as he takes on the local GOP machine, his ascent through the House GOP of the 50s and 60s, the fortuitous events that led him to become Vice President and then President upon Nixon's resignation, his very narrow loss in 1976, & why the Ford Presidency and his enduring impact on America is much more consequential than often realized.(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)IN THIS EPISODEWhat made Ford the “first post-New Deal President”...One of the rare times Ford lost his temper in politics...Ford’s “political father figure”, Senator Arthur Vandenberg…The story behind Ford’s first insurgent bid for Congress…The secret society within the House that helped propel Ford’s career…The story behind Ford’s attempt to become Richard Nixon’s running mate in 1960…The never before disclosed “deal” that nearly gave House Republicans the majority in the early 1970s…The one politician who could’ve disrupted Ford’s path to become Nixon’s VP in 1974…The proposed “constitutional coup” that could have replaced Richard Nixon with a Democratic President…Two meetings with the same influential senator only days apart demonstrate Ford’s quick growth in office…The political damage done to Ford by his pardon of Richard Nixon…Two late factors that might have cost Ford in his narrow loss to Jimmy Carter…The political impact of First Lady Betty Ford in the 1976 campaign…Ford’s leftward drift after he left the White House…Richard reads a bit of what he feels is Ford’s best speech as President…Two of Richard’s favorite recommendations for off-the-beaten-path historical sites around DC… AND Bella Abzug, Sprio Agnew, Carl Albert, apartheid, asterisks, Doug Bailey, bar stools, the Bicentennial, Phil Buchen, butcher knives, the CIA, Chevy Chase, Dick Cheney, concealed resentments, John Connally, docile acceptance, Bob Dole, Tom Dewey, English muffins, Barry Goldwater, grizzly bears, Jesse Helms, the Helsinki Accords, Leon Jaworski, Billy Kidd, Leslie King, Henry Kissinger, Tom Korologos, Mel Laird, Henry Cabot Lodge, Russell Long, The Marshall Plan, Sara Jane Moore, non-descript committee rooms, OSHA, Old Bulls, John Rankin, Ronald Reagan, the road to Damascus, Nelson Rockefeller, John Rhodes, Rhodesia, the Rules Committee, Bob Schieffer, Phyllis Schlafly, Hugh Scott, scoundrels, George Shultz, ski chalets, Oliver Sipple, Ted Sorensen, Robert Taft, transitional figures, Harry Truman, the UAW, the Warren Commission & more!

Send us a textAntjuan Seawright is a veteran political strategiest, founder of Blueprint Strategy, & political contributor to CBS News. In this conversation, he talks growing up with roots in rural South Carolina, early lessons from mentors Congressman Jim Clyburn and DNC Chair Jamie Harrison, the work he's done with the DNC, DSCC, & DCCC...and his best practices and insight on how candidates, campaigns, and organizations can most effectively communicate with Black voters.  (To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)IN THIS EPISODE….Antjuan’s roots as a son of the South, growing up in South Carolina…The difference between change and progress…Antjuan’s 5th grade introduction to politics…The “transformational” experience in the Congressional Black Caucus political bootcamp…Antjuan speaks to the role the CBC plays in our political system…Antjuan’s insight as to how longtime South Carolina Fritz Hollings set the stage for Joe Biden’s success in the state in 2020…Antjuan talks lessons learned from his mentor, Congressman Jim Clyburn…The story behind the Clyburn 2020 Biden endorsement…The direct correlation between yoga and Jim Clyburn…Antjuan breaks down the strengths of DNC Chair Jamie Harrison…How Antjuan started his firm, Blueprint Strategies…The Antjuan Seawright 101 on how campaigns should engage with Black voters..Antjuan on the GOP’s evolving tactics regarding Black voters…Lessons he’s learned about being an effective communicator as a CBS Political Commentator…Antjuan talks the impact of his weekly radio partner, Rev. Al Sharpton…Antjuan remembers advice from the late Congressman John Lewis…Antjuan’s early thoughts heading into the 2024 election cycle…AND alley oops, Heyward Bannister, John Fetterman, Friday snacks, Kamala Harris, Jamie Harrison, high-touch campaigns, Darrell Jackson, Hakeem Jeffries, Doug Jones, Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles, John Lewis, Barack Obama, Omega men, political deployment papers, Cedric Richmond, the school of hard knocks, Josh Shapiro, South Carolina State University, Sunrise Communication, survival votes, TV lawyers, TWAs, tectonic plates, Bennie Thompson, Herschel Walker, Raphael Warnock & more!

Send us a textKati Card is coming off two stints as Chief Digital Officer for the DSCC and is now a Senior VP at the digital firm MissionWired. Kati talks her initial path to politics, a key internship with Senator Hillary Clinton, spending time around Senators Reid, Schumer, and Cortez Masto, working on big campaigns and in Senate offices, and spending two cycles as Chief Digital Officer at the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. In addition to talking through her own trajectory, Kati provides a smart tutorial on all things digital fundraising.(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com) IN THIS EPISODEKati’s roots in upstate New York and how an internship set her on a path to work in politics…Kati’s memories as a 21-year old working with iconic US Senators…How early work in research and press prepped Kati to work in digital politics…How Kati pivoted to work in digital and what digital politics looked like in 2015…How running a digital operation differs on a campaign versus as part of an official Senate office…The most digital-savvy Senators Kati has been around…Kati shares memories and stories of what makes Senators Reid, Cortez Masto, and Schumer unique…The 90s jam band about whom Chuck Schumer is surprisingly conversant…Kati speaks to the strength of leading Democratic operatives Scott Fairchild and Christie Roberts…How Kati synced up with her current firm, MissionWired…Kati breaks down who low-dollar Democratic donors are, what they look like, where they get their information, and how they like to give…Why Twitter is indeed real life for digital fundraising staffers…The best time of day and best day of the week to make digital fundraising appeals…Kati’s best practices and myth-busting about digital fundraising…Will digital fundraising continue to spike on campaigns?The Trump factor among Democratic low-dollar donors…The Dobbs impact on 2022 (and beyond) digital fundraising…Kati’s “biggest takeaway” on GOP digital fundraising appeals…Kati’s thoughts on the types of operatives who are best-suited for digital politics…Kati’s crystal ball on trends in digital fundraising…Kati’s strangest work habit…AND Cory Booker, CNN, James Carville, cash crops, Hillary Clinton, dark money, the Dobbs’ Decision, Tammy Duckworth, faxing tweets, John Fetterman, the Finger Lakes, following the floor, Lindsay Graham, Jamie Harrison, Maggie Hassan, Ted Kennedy, Carl Levin, Ann Lewis, Anne Lewis, MSNBC, Dave Matthews, Mitch McConnell, Amy McGrath, Chris Murphy, the New York Times, Mehmet Oz, response rates, SMS, Bernie Sanders, the Senate Democratic Policy and Communication Center, silly TV, teams of one, technical complexities, total goofballs, turning 30, Raphael Warnock, Elizabeth Warren, the Washington Post…& more!

Send us a textAntonio Villaraigosa is the 41st mayor of Los Angeles and arguably the most impactful Latino elected official in American history. In this conversation, he talks his roots as blue-collar kid in East LA, how public schools offered him a second chance after early struggles, cutting his teeth as a union organizer and in the civil rights and farm workers’ movements, his rapid ascent from freshman legislator to California Assembly Speaker over three years, how his 2001 mayoral loss set the stage for a 2005 win and two successful mayoral terms, the 2018 race for Governor, his current role as Infrastructure Advisor to the state and Governor Newsom, and much more from one of the most unique stories in American politics.(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com) IN THIS EPISODE…Overcoming struggles growing up in East LA…The issues and political struggles that first engaged him…Cutting his teeth in union organizing and the civil rights, anti-war, and farm workers’ movements…His path from activism to running for office himself in 1994…His path from a freshman legislator to Assembly Speaker in 3 short years…Lessons from his mentor, iconic CA Speaker Willie Brown…Highlights of his time as Assembly Speaker…The decision to run for mayor in 2001…The difference in his 2001 mayoral loss and 2005 blowout win…The 4 core areas of his focus as mayor…His leadership style that led to not losing a single vote to the city council in 8 years…On whether the job of mayor has become harder over the last few years…Looking back of the 2018 Governors’ race and why Southern California Democrats have a hard time winning statewide…Other positions and races he’s considered from US Senate to President Obama’s Transportation Secretary…How mayors across the country network and share ideas…His approach on tackling big issues facing American cities…His current role as an Infrastructure Advisor to Governor Newsom… AND 7th & Broadway, 224 languages, the ACLU, a million trees, Actum, affirmative action, America Fast Forward, Aztlan, Xavier Becerra, Tom Bradley, Boston Consulting, Cathedral High, Cesar Chavez, cheap red wine, Richard M. Daley, Manny Diaz, dog whistles, finding the bathroom, firebrands, freshman football, the Griffith Observatory, Jim Hahn, Kamala Harris, the Hollywood sign, Delores Huerta, Herman Katz, Martin Luther King Jr, the LA Times, the MEChA movement, Measure R, Mt. Baldy, Gavin Newsom, Rosa Parks, quixotic efforts, Simon Rodia, Roosevelt High,  Edward Roybal, SEIU, the Santa Monica Freeway, streamlined permitting, United Teachers of LA, the US Conference of Mayors, the USEOC, the Watts Towers, Pete Wilson…& more!

Send us a textBrandon Davis is a media consultant and partner at Technicolor Political – and the senior media strategist for the winning campaign of Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson. In this conversation, we go deep on the Chicago race – how Johnson emerged from a crowded field, the role of public safety & crime, the contrasts that defined the runoff, key strategic decisions made by both Johnson & Vallas, & political lessons that can apply to other races and places. Beyond Chicago, we also talk Brandon’s political roots in the Midwest and insights from a career as a campaign manager, SEIU political director, DNC Chief of Staff, & now a top Democratic media consultant.(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)IN THIS EPISODEBrandon’s early life growing up in East St. Louis, IL…The two moments that motivated Brandon toward civic engagement…Brandon’s time working for Senator Claire McCaskill…Brandon de-mystifies what a campaign’s Political Director does…Brandon’s experience running races and rules of thumb on effective campaign managing…Lessons learned running $80M campaigns for SEIU…Brandon’s role as DNC Chief of Staff during the tumultuous 2016 cycle…What motivated Brandon to move into media consulting & start Technicolor Political…Brandon talks the political strengths of Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson…Why Mayor Lightfoot struggled…Brandon on the role public safety and the "Defund the Police" narrative played in the race…How Johnson broke from the pack after starting at 2% and then handled a sprint in the 5-week runoff…Strategic decisions of the Paul Vallas campaigns that surprised Brandon…Brandon’s breaks down the winning Johnson coalition…Lessons from Chicago 2023 that can be applied more broadly in 2024…Best practices on finding ways to communicate with hard-to-reach voters…Brandon’s advice to budding political operatives… AND the 5th floor, JJ Balaban, banks of TVs, big tents, Donna Brazile, George W. Bush, CTU, Cabrini-Green, captive audiences, Jean Carnahan, Mel Carnahan, George Washington Carver, Hillary Clinton, cudgels, WEB Du Bois, Fisk University, Chuy Garcia, Gen X lifestyles, Al Gore, gymnast techniques, Bob Holden, Hurricane Katrina, Jesse Jackson, John Kerry, Jim Kottmeyer, Rebecca Lambe, Mary Landrieu, Barack Obama, Greg Pratt, Ronald Reagan, sledgehammers, Snapchat, Jim Talent, Talladega College, Roy Temple, TikTtok, Donald Trump, Tuskegee University, the University of Missouri, vicissitudes, Wendi Wallace, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Youtube…& more!