Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter briefly discuss the latest numbers from the "Zain Velji for Leader" campaign from Pollara before turning their attention to Rishi Sunak's snap election call in the UK and the strategy of early debates. Why do the UK Conservatives look more surprised by the election call than Labour? Would Trudeau benefit from stealing Joe Biden's early debate strategy? And will Stephen Carter make 32:49 his ringtone? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the strategy/tactic of "flooding the zone" - how it works, why it seems more common these days, and how it can be resisted by opposition parties - before turning to how to artfully pull out of a debate. Is frequent "flooding the zone" a consequence of more ideological politics? How do you avoid debates when people already know you're bad at them? And how much weaker is the Alberta NDP leadership contest with the loss of Gil McGowan and his 1964 energy?...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss Pierre Poilievre's Memo to Corporate Canada calling on corporations to invest in persuading Canadians and disinvest in play-nice lobbying - and names names while doing so. Was Corporate Canada really the target audience? Does this mark big changes coming to the lobbying profession should Poilievre win? And can we hear more about Project Black? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon:...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the impending creation of municipal political parties in Calgary and Edmonton - the strategic considerations in setting them up, the tactics to position them for success and more. How do you create a new political party from scratch? What level of coordination can we expect to see between politicians - within cities and between cities? And when it comes to podcast hosting, do we think Justin Trudeau is more of an Annalise or a Zain? Zain Velji, as...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter dive into Jagmeet Singh and the NDP's threats to bring down the Liberals on Budget 2024 and the Liberal appeal to "generational fairness". Is Singh's sabre rattling good strategy? Are there risks in the Liberals driving a message on "generational fairness"? And is it fair to say that - while we don't know what day Zain will start his leadership campaign - we know it will end on a Thursday? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the 2024 federal budget and the expectation game the Liberals willingly set for themselves. Does the budget tell the story the Liberals want to tell? What happens if the Liberals don't get their heavily-telegraphed 5-point polling bump? And isn't The Strategists an example of a three-man monologue? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon: http://www.strategistspatreon.com See omnystudio.com/listener...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss Liberal housing and school nutrition announcements, blockades on the Trans-Canada Highway and an Alberta NDP leadership race that is definitely over despite what Zain says. Are pre-budget announcements a good communications strategy? Do a new round of protests present Poilievre with risk - or opportunity? And is there a file on Doug in Finance now? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon:...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss Liberal attacks on Pierre Poilievre's conservatives, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek meeting with her petition antagonist and much more. Are attacks positioning Poilievre as an uncaring insider good strategy? Was Gondek going for a "West Wing" moment? And is it possible the gang actually already owns Strategists.ca? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon: http://www.strategistspatreon.com See...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the growing opposition to the carbon tax among progressive politicians, a motion on Palestine and a months-late rebuttal to Poilievre's housing video. Can the Prime Minister turn it around for the Liberals on the carbon tax? Did a wedge against the Liberals on Gaza turn into a wedge against the Conservatives? And just how do you define a region anyhow? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon:...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss Kate Middleton, institutional communications and crisis management at Kensington Palace. Why are the Prince and Princess of Wales breaking all of the rules of communications? Can the Royal Family win the game by not playing? Can other organizations learn anything from all of this? And has the great domain war of 2024 begun? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon: http://www.strategistspatreon.com See...

Stephen Carter and Corey Hogan talk two Trump-friendly decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, Super Tuesday, the state of polling and what the actuarial tables say about being 81 years old. Come appreciate the equinox both as a metaphor and a thing that's happening later this month. Subscribe on Patreon: http://www.strategistspatreon.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter talk about candidates bragging about almost joining other parties before discussing Alberta's Budget - the sneaky austerity, how it's framed and the downstream consequences. Are there any good reasons for candidates to talk publicly about almost joining other parties? Did Danielle Smith get away with framing austerity as investment? Or is this budget all about "two unrelated facts"? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the national pharmacare/national "pharmacare"/"national" pharmacare proposal as well as cultural voting blocs and Pierre Poilievre's stance on transgender rights. Is pharmacare a win for Jagmeet Singh? Has Pierre Poilievre fallen into a polling trap? And how does one book voyage on the "Noah's Ark of Drugs"? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon: http://www.strategistspatreon.com See...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter and Pollara Chief Strategy Officer Dan Arnold go over a 1500-person poll of Albertans on the Alberta NDP leadership race, trying to answer the question on everybody's mind: what it means for the Zain Velji for Leader campaign. How well known are the candidates with the general public? What does their membership sales universe look like? And can Zain's DGAF attitude catch fire in the race? Zain Velji (not to be confused with Zain Velji for Leader), as always,...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss recall efforts (using a petition to oust Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek) and leadership launches (using the Alberta NDP hopefuls). Is it time to "recall the recall"? Do air wars matter in leadership contests - or is it all about ground game? And will Kelce and Swift endorse one of the three NDP leadership hopefuls at the conclusion of Superbowl LVIII? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon:...

Stephen Carter and Corey Hogan return to discuss the South Carolina Primary, the law applying to Presidents and an overly compliant Congress. Join them on a thirty-minute journey as they fret about the state of American democracy, which Corey promises they will do only once every four episodes. Subscribe on Patreon: http://www.strategistspatreon.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the targeting of staff and advisors through the Liberals' new attacks on Jenni Byrne before talking about impending Alberta NDP campaign launches. Should Pierre Poilievre be held to account for the work of Jenni Byrne and Associates? How much do campaign launches matter? And did everybody appreciate the chill new vibe? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon: http://www.strategistspatreon.com See...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the new Alberta transgender youth policies through the lens of three groups: Alberta NDP leadership hopefuls, Take Back Alberta and a non-profit with $50,000 to take a stand on this issue. Are the NDP walking into a UCP trap? Is this a time for a non-profit to act incrementally or revolutionarily? And what WhatsApp groups have Stephen been banned from? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon:...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the role of strategy in getting a Senate appointment, before a cross Canada checkup through "Fine, Fabulous, or F--ked". Was it a mistake for Danielle Smith to take the stage with Tucker Carlson? How are members of the Prime Minister's Office supposed to act online? And who's the Joey Chestnut of the Alberta NDP leadership hopefuls? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon:...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss how the rules for leadership contests are set and how candidate camps should think about them and approach them. How are rules set? Are campaigns trying to get advantage or "level the playing field"? And this far past Stephen Carter's bedtime, can we trust anything that he says? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon: http://www.strategistspatreon.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The podcast-within-a-podcast, You The People, returns for a second season. We start, like all good American elections, with the Iowa Caucus and how it leads into New Hampshire. Corey Hogan, Stephen Carter and Stephen Carter's free ChatGPT account tackle the big questions like: Why Iowa? Where New Hampshire? When DeSantis? How Nikki Haley? And, of course, who Asa Hutchinson? Subscribe on Patreon: http://www.strategistspatreon.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss electricity alerts in Alberta, the opportunities and perils of sponsored MP travel and preview the Iowa Republican Caucuses. Is the emergency alert asking Albertans to conserve power a "political Rorschach test"? Is sponsored travel the next big loophole in conflict of interest rules? And did Carter just "Jeb" Nikki Haley? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Subscribe on Patreon: http://www.strategistspatreon.com See...

Break out the Karavaki and dress up in your finest sweaters and scarves because it's time again for The Strategists to unpack the year that was in their annual Holiday Spectacular. Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter talk about the best and the worst of the year, write political obituaries and talk about the year-to-come in this regular-length special. Our discount airline sponsor* picks the topics while Zain Velji keeps everybody in line. Dedicated to Ramos. Subscribe on Patreon:...

Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter go deep on the start of the still-unofficial Alberta NDP leadership race - the landscape, the rules, the perceived frontrunners - and what they need to do and the opportunities available to each of them. Did a column by CBC's Jason Markusoff putting all the open secrets out in public signal its launch? How should Sarah Hoffman, Kathleen Ganley, and Rakhi Pancholi position themselves in the race? And is there space for anybody else, or is all of Alberta too busy...

Corey Hogan and Zain Velji discuss the federal government's new dental plan, Liberal "negative ad" efforts and use a rumour about Rachel Notley stepping down as Alberta NDP leader as a jumping off point for a discussion of how a leader leaves and when they decide to do so. Should the NDP spend big to try to brand the dental plan as their own? Do negative ads work? And how long until The Strategists run out of "Zain Velji for Leader" posters? Stephen Carter continues his annual sabbatical. But...