Do Politics Better Podcast

In his last visit to the podcast in February 2023, Rep. Garland Pierce had just won his 10th election to the NC House in a hard fought battle against a well funded Republican challenger.  In 2024, he's in another difficult and expensive fight to represent Hoke and Scotland Counties.   In this special edition of the podcast, Rep. Pierce talks politics, his election, and how he leverages his votes on legislation to benefit his poor, rural district.    The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.  

Political polling has always been under public scrutiny, but the 2016 election took our skepticism to an all new level.  To help us understand polling, Skye and Brian sit down with John Locke Foundation CEO Donald Bryson, whose organization issues ten #ncpol polls each year.   Plus, the podcast discusses Governor Cooper's exit from VP consideration, veto overrides, Republican House Caucus TV ad budget, Race of the Week, Tweet of the Week, and winning gold at the Olympics.   The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.  

Independent expenditures and c4s are an increasingly important yet misunderstood part of modern day politics. So what is an IE and a c4, and how do they function in a political ecosystem?  Veteran political operative Dan Crawford stops by the podcast to have a conversation about it.   Plus, Skye and Brian unpack a wild week in NC politics, including Gov. Cooper Veepstakes, new members selected, staffing changes, Tweet of the Week, and more.  The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.  

Stephen Wiley has one job as the NC House Republican Caucus director:  Win elections so the GOP maintains control of the House.  The one-time Apple store employee talks about how the political landscape looks in 2024, the quality of candidates he's fielding versus those he's facing, and his take on the future of the Republican brand.   Skye and Brian talk about a pair of General Assembly resignations, staff changes in the Senate, quarterly fundraising reports, CNBC's business rankings, Race of the Week, Tweet of the Week, camping, and more.   The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.    

This podcast episode is the first of two featuring conversations with the elected chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties in NC.   NC Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton is everywhere it seems.  Following her on social media can be downright dizzying as she criss-crosses the state (and nation) as she pushes out her party's message.   However, there is another side to the 26-year old Person County native and she opens up to Skye and Brian, including her father's vote for President Trump in 2016, the role her mother and late grandmother played in her life, and why she lets out a F-bomb now and then.   With Skye traveling this week, NC Home Builders Association lobbyist Steven Webb joins Brian in unpacking the news, including the latest vetoes, the pending veto overrides, a rundown of bills that didn't make it, Sen. Jim Perry resigns, and Senate Republicans go big early in election ad-buys.   The two also discuss their latest visits to the doctor.   The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.  

Senate 'Big Chair' Brent Jackson is a featured guest one week after his House counterpart, Rep. Jason Saine, made his case for the House budget on the podcast.   The Senate budget writer talks about the impasse with the House, the decision to go it alone with the budget after the House submitted its own, the Farm Act, watermelons and cantaloupes, and how he plans to spend the rest of his summer.   Skye and Brian also break down the last days of session before we return in the fall, including veto overrides, constitutional amendments, spending agreements, #TOTW, and more.   The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.  

After weeks of hearing that a budget would be a conference report agreement between the House and Senate, the House pulled the trigger and released its own budget this week.  Meanwhile the Senate said it's heading home at the end of June.   Rep. Jason Saine is a senior budget writer in the House and he takes listeners behind-the-scenes on how we got here in the process and what we can expect next. In other news, some bills are merging, others are collapsing, and all signs point to a General Assembly shut down in July and August.    The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.  

Listeners may not know Frank Eaton's name, but it's likely they're very familiar with his political ads.  They include eye-popping, attention-getting productions for Rep. Charles Graham, Rep. Deb Butler, Sen. Graig Meyer, Sen. Rachel Hunt, and Lt. Governor Walter Dalton.  The former UNC School of the Arts student also has clients in other states. Frank talks about his Emmy-award winning work and his predictions on what kind of ads we'll see during this election cycle in North Carolina.   Skye and Brian also update listeners on the latest budget news, the mask/campaign finance bill gets final votes, a lawsuit in Carteret County over the school calendar law, Race of the Week, #TOTW, baseball fashion, and more.    The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.  

Brent Woodcox serves as the Senior Policy Counsel to Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Senate Republicans.  Brent also has a presence on X (formerly Twitter) where he weighs in on policy and politics.   Recently, Brent came under fire from a Republican activist who questioned the lifelong Republican's political loyalty.  Brent talks about his social media, his work in the Senate, his faith, and more.    Skye and Brian also unpack the drama in the General Assembly today about a compromise mask/campaign finance bill, Stein launches negative ad, medical marijuana bill up in smoke, pair of state constitutional amendments, Race of the Week, #TOTW, and more.  The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.  

Sen. Mary Wills Bode was Democrats' new hope after the 2022 election in which she won a competitive Senate seat and put up solid numbers in rural part of her Wake-Granville counties district.  However, within a year Sen. Bode announced she was not seeking re-election, was rumored to run statewide, but after the candidate filing in December she was undeclared for any elective office.   Sen. Bode talks about her decision, she gives a run-down of the short session, and she responds to a recent appearance on the podcast by a Senate Republican.   Plus, Skye and Brian send condolences to Speaker Tim Moore, Stein-Robinson polling, a budget update, Race of the Week, Tweet of the Week, a recent pilates class, and more.   The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.