perspectives on politics, public policy, journalism and assorted arcana
While much of the conversation and news coverage over the past several months has been usurped by health reform and the daily drama within the Trump White House, the clear escalation of the Beltway...
Axios published an excellent article this morning noting that smaller, Washington-based public affairs firms are going after business typically won by large agencies. “They lure clients with political expertise capable of handling crisis communications,...
We’ve heard ad infinitum from President Trump that Obamacare is a “disaster,” a “loser,” and “a disgrace.” But what do Americans really know about the substantive policy rationale behind the White House push to...
This Thursday’s scheduled vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to begin rolling back Obamacare with the American Health Care Act will be Majority Whip Steve Scalise’s biggest, most important test to date. The...
One of the more interesting sidebar PR discussions regarding House Speaker Paul Ryan’s media event yesterday detailing his “three-pronged approach” to repealing and replacing Obamacare was the format itself. A PowerPoint? skeptics asked. Ross...
During any Washington press briefing — after the political figure delivers his or her canned opening statement — that moment of truth arrives during an aggressive reporter Q and A session when success or...
Among Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s most attractive attributes: his deep understanding of policy detail — especially as it relates to the relationship between the federal and state governments. With “Repeal and Replace” of President...
It’s already been said: “Hillary Clinton’s campaign had an algorithm, but no message.” So when a Politico Magazine analysis piece by long-time Democratic messaging and direct mail expert David Gold appeared earlier this month,...
The last thing I wanted to write and think about over this past long weekend is Donald Trump — I do enough of that the rest of the week. The fact my recent posts...
Of the myriad observations one can make about President Donald Trump’s understanding of media and making news, perhaps the most pertinent is that he’s an extraordinarily quick study. Throughout the GOP primary and general...
Putting aside that PEOTUS Donald Trump convincingly crushed his first news conference in months — and did so by demonizing the media in general and Buzzfeed in particular — there was plenty of substantive...