Just over two months ago, Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), announced he would not be seeking re-election in 2022. This opened an absolute whirlwind of activity in the succeeding weeks. Punditry and horse trading began in earnest within days of the announcement. Republicans and Democrats alike are making the case that this particular Senate seat isContinue reading “What I’m watching for in the Ohio Senate Primary”
Tag Archives: influence
Be bold. Be brief. Be gone.
“Be bold. Be brief. Be gone.” It’s a phrase I first heard as a young lieutenant. Like many graduates of liberal arts colleges, I’d mastered the art of adding more than enough fluff to any presentation to fill my allotted time. But what my classroom instruction failed to convey was the lack of patience theContinue reading “Be bold. Be brief. Be gone.”
It can only go so badly…
It’s important, from time to time, for advocates to be reminded that their lobbying meetings can only go so badly. The reality of our work is that the worst response we can typically get is “no.” But sometimes that’s not the low water mark of a meeting. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve workedContinue reading “It can only go so badly…”
Prime time with POTUS
Are you planning on watching President Biden’s prime time address tonight? If not, why? Just a few years ago, asking that first question would prompt predictable responses. Viewership of those defining public moments was reliably high. But has it changed? I’d offer an observation to the administration about tonight’s address. Media has changed drastically –Continue reading “Prime time with POTUS”
It’s quiet…a little too quiet…
If you’re a parent, you’ve come to know the duplicitous nature of silence. At one and the same time, silence is a blessed reprieve and an ominous cloud on the horizon. But in those waking hours, silence leaves us asking “what could those little disaster factories be getting themselves into now?” Except when we canContinue reading “It’s quiet…a little too quiet…”
5 Things I Learned in My First Week on Clubhouse
It’s not just a never ending podcast session – it’s an ongoing cup of coffee.
Speaking of social media…
In the year and a half since I left a staff position in the electoral politics realm to lobby for an association, I’ve experienced an immense paradigm shift with regards to social media. I think it’s especially fitting to share this personal shift with you all as we’re in the middle of a series onContinue reading “Speaking of social media…”
You Win with People
A few years ago, I was working for a member of Congress who decided to leave office before the end of his term. It was an absolutely wild experience. Just months earlier, it seemed he was on an entirely different trajectory. But on an autumn day he announced, without fanfare, that he would be leavingContinue reading “You Win with People”
Political Action Plans: Testing & Feedback
Last Thursday, I wrote about the hardest part of Political Action Planning to master: Timing. Timing is so nearly impossible to get right that it takes on the qualities of an art form, shrugging the conformity we’ve come to expect in so many other professional fields. But this week, we need to talk about theContinue reading “Political Action Plans: Testing & Feedback”
Political Action Plans: Timing
Welcome back to a series focused on helping you shape your political action plans. If you need to knock off some cobwebs at the start of the new year, here’s the first post in this series. Originally, I was going to post this last week, but the events that occurred on the Capitol grounds promptedContinue reading “Political Action Plans: Timing”
Part of the Possible 