Kristen Soltis

Apologies

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:43:43 -0500

I want to apologize to any readers who have noticed my absence over the last two months. Ever since my boss David was named senior advisor to the Newt Gingrich campaign, I’ve tried laying low and avoiding political commentary. On the occasions when I’ve appeared, I’ve had to awkwardly tiptoe around the fact that I am:

a) Not personally affiliated with nor a supporter of the Gingrich campaign, though,

b) I am employed by a Gingrich advisor and assist my boss, when asked, with matters related to clients of the firm.

I’ve got no shortage of thoughts and opinions on the race. However, as long as David works for Newt and I work for David, he’s asked me to avoid commenting on the 2012 race. I’ve taken leave from my co-hosting duties at Bloggingheads in the short term and hope to resume once the primary is resolved.

Thanks to everyone for your patience. I assure you I’m not gone! Just waiting for a better moment to get back out there into the media space.

"He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure..."

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:55:00 -0500

“He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never had a family or owned a home. He never set foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never wrote a book, or held an office. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. While He was still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends deserted Him. He was turned over to His enemies, and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had — His coat. When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave. Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure for much of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever sailed, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as this one solitary life.”

- Dr. James Allan Francis, 1926.

Encouraging data from Pew.

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:02:59 -0500

Encouraging data from Pew.

Destined to Win, Doomed to Fail

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:35:00 -0500

Destined to Win, Doomed to Fail:

I wrote a post late yesterday at Huffington Post Pollster offering a critical take on the cases both for Obama’s inevitable victory and inevitable loss next November.

Two weeks ago, I sat in the makeup chair over at Fox for the...

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:33:00 -0500

Two weeks ago, I sat in the makeup chair over at Fox for the first time. I was on the “A-Team” for Lou Dobbs’ show, along with Alan Colmes and Monica Crowley. We talked Super Committee, government spending, and Newt Gingrich. Thanks for my friend JP for pulling the clip for me!

London Calling

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:49:36 -0500

London Calling:

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.

I got to join the crew at FoxNews.com LIVE on Wednesday to talk...

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:43:29 -0500

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.)

Photo by Herbie Knott, 1983, Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing...

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:31:41 -0500

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.

"A pundit should aspire to inspire in every viewer the thought: “I understand better..."

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:30:07 -0400

“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.”

- A wise take on the world of punditry, from Andrew Cohen at the Atlantic.

SXSW Interactive 2011: Panel Picker Time!

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:42:25 -0400

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!

Rick Perry: Niche or National Candidate?

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:26:18 -0400

Rick Perry: Niche or National Candidate?:

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.

"Ultimately, this won’t be an election decided on personality; it will be an election decided..."

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:15:03 -0400

““Ultimately, this won’t be an election decided on personality; it will be an election decided on vision.””

- From my latest at the NYT “Room for Debate” on Rick Perry and the “Bush effect.”

SXSW Panel Proposal: Big Data

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:34:25 -0400

SXSW Panel Proposal: Big Data:

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!

Romney, Iowa, and the Economy

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:45:47 -0400

Romney, Iowa, and the Economy:

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.

"If an agreement is not reached and nervous voters watch their retirement accounts and stock..."

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:11:59 -0400

“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.”

- From my piece this week at New York Times’ “Room for Debate” about the real consequences of a failure to find a deal on the debt ceiling.

The Muddled Middle

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:07:29 -0400

The Muddled Middle:

This week’s “Wilshire and Washington” podcast from Variety is all about the political center, labels, and getting the tone of political discourse into a nicer zone.

Back to Bloggingheads! Bill and I tackle the debt limit,...

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:59:44 -0400

Back to Bloggingheads! Bill and I tackle the debt limit, migraines and News Corp.

Great news! Next week, the lovely Maegan Carberry and I will...

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:20:30 -0400

Great news! Next week, the lovely Maegan Carberry and I will jump start Variety’s “Wilshire and Washington” online radio show with Ted Johnson. We took this picture together at the 2011 “Webutante Ball” on Tuesday night in New York (photo courtesy www.dianalevine.com)

Mitt's Moment

Tue, 17 May 2011 17:20:04 -0400

Mitt's Moment:

I wrote a piece last month for The Daily about how Mitt Romney had been doing all the right things in his efforts to court voters in his potential quest for the GOP nomination. Since then, he’s had some rough patches - most notably the tough Wall Street Journal editorial eviscerating his health care stance. I still think, however, that with an economic focus, Romney has a very potent strength to play to and is a very serious contender for the nomination.

This week’s BHTV subbed in Matt Lewis in the place of the...

Fri, 13 May 2011 10:22:08 -0400

This week’s BHTV subbed in Matt Lewis in the place of the usual Bill Scher. In it, Matt and I break down the 2012 field and talk about the immigration issue.