Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

Pro Politics Podcast: Pause

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1704139/open_sms] The Pro Politics Podcast [https://propoliticspod.com/] is taking an indefinite pause, though feel free to reach out to me directly for any reason at my personal email: mccrary.zachary(at)gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

10 Findings from a New Media Consumption Study with Adam Wise of National Media and Mitch Kline & Pat McGee of Katz Media

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1704139/open_sms] Two media firms, Katz Media [https://katzmedia.com/] & National Media [https://natmedia.com/], recently partnered to conduct an in-depth media consumption study in the aftermath of the 2024 elections. For the first time publicly, Mitch Kline / Patrick McGee (Katz) & Adam Wise [https://x.com/dadamwise?lang=en] (National) talk in-depth about this study, what motivated it, and 10 core findings from their data. IN THIS EPISODE The cliff notes version of how Mitch, Pat, and Adam got into politics... The origin story of the new post 2024 election media consumption survey... The 6 distinct voter media consumption profiles identified in this new data...  When voters decided who to vote for in 2024 and media implications moving forward... The interconnection among the decline of ticket-splitting, ballot drop-off, and media fragmentation... The relative import of economic vs. social concerns in driving voter decisions... Texting as the "turnout workhorse" of the 2024 election & why it can't be replicated in 2026... Who voters want to hear from in campaigns? How the rise of second-screen experiences should change media strategies... Dirty little secrets about media ratings... What trends indicate about the future of media consumption in the coming years... The role of direct mail in the 2024 elections Final takeaways from this data from Mitch, Pat, & Adam...

A Master Class in Political Communications, with Democratic Comms Veteran David Bergstein

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1704139/open_sms] David Bergstein [https://x.com/DavidABergstein], Communications Director for Senator Cory Booker, is one of the most accomplished communications professionals working in Democratic politics - working tough campaigns across the country and stints at the DNC, DCCC, and DSCC. In this conversation, we talk his path to politics out of a political family in Portland, OR, why he gravitated to comms, lessons learned on early races, some of his favorite press gimmicks, the difference in working campaigns vs. committees, some of the saviest pols he's worked with, the changing face of political communications & much more. IN THIS EPISODE David grows up in a political household in Portland, OR... Oregon's history as a competitive two-party state throughout the 90s and 00s... The Iraq War and a couple of DC internships pull David into the political profession... Why David was a good fit for political comms work... Lessons from David's early campaign work from California US House races to Midwest mayorals... David's 2 rules on what makes for a good political comms staffer... How comms has changed over the 15+ years David has been in the field... Two of David's favorite costume-related comms gimmicks... Is the media run by liberals? The differences in working for a political campaign committee vs. a campaign... Some of the most politically savvy elected officials David has worked around... Inside the DNC comms operation heading into the 2020 presidential election... How David thinks about candidates balancing preparation vs. authenticity... Lessons David learned from multiple bouts of brain cancer and brain surgery... AND aviator sunglasses, Mark Barabak, Ami Bera, big mouths, Marc Caputo, Jimmy Carter, Edward Chapman, Dick Cheney, consumate liars, Jack Conway, Jim Crounse, dancing Bevin-ochios, Fancy Farm, Neil Goldschmidt, Gwen Graham, The Green Frog, Lucinda Guinn, Haliburton, happy warriors, Tom Henry, Xochitl Hinojosa, Paula Hughes, Doug Jones, Vera Katz, Ted Kulongoski, Dawn Laguens, Alex Leary, Little Beirut, Maryland Matt, Patty Mazzei, Mitch McConnell, Jeff Merkley, methane gas, Roy Moore, Mindy Myers, nesting rats, Tom Perez, Rabinowitz/Dorf, Chuck Schumer, Justin Shaw, Gordon Smith, Steve Southerland, Andy Stone, Pat Stranix, Ron Wyden, Fred Yang...& more!

Yasmin Radjy, ED of Swing Left, on Grassroots Tactics That Work & Those That May Not

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1704139/open_sms] Yasmin Radjy is the Executive Director of Swing Left [https://swingleft.org/] and Vote Forward [https://votefwd.org/], and was featured recently in The Atlantic [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/06/democrats-progressives-campaign-organizing/683069/] after her organization released data showing some of ther field and canvassing tactics in the 2024 election did not work. In this conversation, Yasmin talks her family's path as Iranian refugees to the US, how the '08 Obama campaign shifted her perspective on practical politics, founding Resistance School in the aftermath of the 2016 election, her stints as National Political Director at Planned Parenthood and in the Biden Administration, the importance of measuring and disclosing what tactics do and do not work, and the new ideas and projects on which she's focused during an incredibly turbulent time in American politics. IN THIS EPISODE Yasmin talks her family's journey as immigrants fleeing the Iranian Revolution of the late 1970s... The inherent politicization of being an Iranian-American... Yasmin becomes active in partisan politics while in college... Yasmin's world is turned upside down knocking doors as a Northern California liberal in small town Ohio in 2008... Yasmin's take on what makes an effective political organizer... Yasmin forms "Resistance School" in the aftermath of the 2016 elections - a program utilized by hundreds of thousands of activists... Yasmin's time as Organizing Director & National Political Director at Planned Parenthood... How Yasmin took the reins at Swing Left and the role it plays in the progressive infrastructure... Findings highlighted in a recent Atlantic article [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/06/democrats-progressives-campaign-organizing/683069/] of what Swing Left did in 2024 and what worked and didn't work... Why Yasmin believes it's critical for organizations to publicize findings about its work, especially when programs don't move the needle as planned... The difference in the aftermath of Trump's 2016 win versus Trump's 2024 win... Questions Yasmin wants future research to answer to sharpen grassroots activism... The one trait Yasmin looks for in hiring staff at Swing Left...

Morris Katz, Lead Media Strategist for Zohran Mamdani for NYC Mayor

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1704139/open_sms] Morris Katz [https://x.com/katz_morris], ad-maker at the Fight [https://www.fight.agency/team] media firm, is the lead media strategist for Zohran Mamdani's insurgent campaign that secured the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City in a decisive upset over the long-favored Andrew Cuomo. In this conversation, Morris talks his NYC roots, coming from an artistic family, his accidental path into politics, and a deep dive into the Mamdani campaign's monumental win. We discuss the candidates, the overarching strategy, important tactical decisions, inside the memorable viral and paid media content, the role of outside groups, what is misunderstood about the race, what is replicable for others and much more with a lead operative on one of the most impressive and innovative campaigns in recent memory. IN THIS EPISODE Morris grows up in downtown Manhattan in an artistic household... What diverted Morris from focusing on screenwriting to a career in politics... How a stint in North Carolina politics shaped Morris' trajectory... What is unique about Morris' firm, Fight [https://www.fight.agency/]... How Morris entered the world of Zohran Mamdani & his first impressions of the candidate... Morris breaks down the 3-phase strategy of the Mamdani mayoral campaign... The role the DSA-NY and Working Families Party played in the rise of Zohran Mamdani... How the Mamdani field operation fundamentally changed the race... Was the Free Palestine movement integral to the Mamdani ascent... Inside the Mamdani digital program and why it caught fire... A communication strategy the Mamdani campaign "unlocked"... Technical aspects that made Mamdani video and ad content stand out... What makes Zohran Mamdani an effective political communicator? The paid-media strategy undergirding the campaign's rise... How the Knicks playoff run impacted Mamdani media decisions... Why the campaign invested in :15 second ads... Parallels between Zohran Mamdani and Barack Obama... How Morris views the attacks on Mamdani of anti-semitism and defunding the police... The influential role played by mayoral candidate Brad Lander... Unpacking the winning Mamdani coalition... Morris' most surreal post-election moment... What is most replicable for other campaigns from the Mamdani success? AND AOC, Elle Bisgaard-Church, Eric Bogosian, Jamaal Bowman, Adam Carlson, Josh Charles, Andrew Cuomo, Bill de Blasio, Bob Dylan, Andrew Epstein, eyebrows, halal-flation, Hiroshima Mon Amour, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Rebecca Katz, Brett Leonard, Willy Loman, manic energy, Tommy McDonald, Matt McLaughlin, Melted Solids, Arthur Miller, Julian Mulvey, the new brunch, Trey Nix, the politics of sighs, Antonio Reynoso, Katie Riley, Sam Rockwell, John Shanley, Erica Smith, Nydia Velazquez, Yul Vasquez, villains...& more!