Politics. Policy. Polling. Pop Culture.
Posted 6 months ago
In November, I was invited to be a guest on The World Tonight on BBC Radio 4, talking about Herman Cain. (Clip begins around 33 minutes.) This was, of course, pre-Ginger White. For some reason, my voice is nearly unrecognizable. I think I was trying not to slip into a Madonna/Britney Spears style faux British accent.
Posted 6 months ago
I got to join the crew at FoxNews.com LIVE on Wednesday to talk about Newt Gingrich and whether or not he can survive the bright spotlight that shines on the leader in the 2012 polls. Fun stuff! (I also was on Lou Dobbs Tonight on Fox Business last night, but alas, I can’t find video to embed.)
Posted 6 months ago
3 Notes
Photo by Herbie Knott, 1983, Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing St.
The full-color version of this photo appears in this month’s Vanity Fair accompanying a lengthy piece about the life of Margaret Thatcher. I love so much about this photo. Curled up on a couch, reading a stack of papers, shoes on the floor. The best part? The briefcase is red.
Posted 9 months ago
A pundit should aspire to inspire in every viewer the thought: “I understand better now.” Not some partisan spin on an argument. Not some lawyer’s brief. Not some politician’s blather. Not some gadfly’s moment. But rather a deeper understanding of the nuances that live within all of the modern political and legal conflicts of our time. “I have just learned something I did not know about an issue about which I care.” That’s the response an analyst should shoot for.
Posted 9 months ago
One of the biggest, coolest conferences out there, South by Southwest is a multifaceted film/music/tech conference that takes over Austin, TX every spring. I’ve never been, but my first exposure to the conference came from a college TA who attended in 2004 who came back and told our class we all needed to listen to an up-and-coming band named Modest Mouse.
For the 2011 SXSW Interactive, I’ve been asked to join a panel moderated by Patrick Ruffini of Engage about how big data will play a major role in the 2012 presidential campaigns. I’ve long believed that data culled from online behavior and social media is going to be the wave of the future for pollsters. Also joining me on the panel will be GOP micro targeting rockstar Alex Lundry as well as Josh Hendler and Dan Siroker, online gurus from the other side of the aisle.
We need your help getting our panel selected! Please vote for our panel today! You don’t need to be attending/have attended SXSW and it will take 30 seconds.
Now, it may be unorthodox to simultaneously promote other competing panels, but I’m a firm believer in the win-win scenario, and if I get to go to SXSW, I absolutely want to hear from the following panel options. All moderated by or involving good friends, I’d encourage readers to cast a vote for these panels too!
“Government as a Catalyst: Prizes 4 Tech Innovation,” organized by Jenn Gustetic of Phase One Consulting Group, a longtime friend, fellow Gator, uber-genius and Gov 2.0 expert.
“Engaging Congress on Net Neutrality,” organized by POLITICO Pro’s Kim Hart Jonson, another longtime friend, fellow Gator, and sorority sister! She’s a rockstar and has been a top reporter on tech news and government for years.
“Social Media Drives Viewership: Maximizing Impact,” organized by Blip.tv’s Derek Dodge and featuring two buddies and social media heavyweights, United Talent Agency’s Eric Kuhn and Twitter’s Erica Anderson.
There appears to be no limit on the number of panels you can vote for, so please sign up and give these three worthy panels your vote as well!
Posted 9 months ago
My latest at Huffington Post Pollster is all about Rick Perry’s chances of winning the Presidency if he is the GOP nominee. I take a look at his exit polling numbers among key swing groups and compare them to John McCain’s in 2008 in Texas and to the House Republicans’ nationwide in 2010. The numbers are all remarkably similar, which to me indicates two things: 1)He runs about as well as an average Republican among swing voters, meaning he shouldn’t be counted out as a niche candidate outside the mainstream, yet 2)he needs to do better if he wants to have a chance at defeating President Obama in 2012.
Posted 9 months ago
Ultimately, this won’t be an election decided on personality; it will be an election decided on vision.
Posted 9 months ago
I’ve been asked by Patrick Ruffini to join a proposed South by Southwest Interactive panel all about the use of data in campaigns. Since I deal in market research, my role in the panel is to talk about how conventional research is becoming less and less useful, and how big data is the next wave of how to understand voter behavior (though not without some caveats). Please vote for our panel!
Posted 9 months ago
Every so often I do a short blurb over at Politico’s “Arena” and today I jotted down some thoughts on Romney’s decision to lay low in Iowa. I ultimately think you’ve got to be able to win a lot of states with an economic message if you want to have a shot, which means neither an Iowa-centric or an Iowa-avoidant strategy is as good as an across the board jobs-focused strategy.
Posted 10 months ago
If an agreement is not reached and nervous voters watch their retirement accounts and stock portfolios take a hit, this moment will stick. The debt ceiling debate will no longer be just bothersome; it will be a real threat to personal economic security.
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