I'm very fortunate this week to be joined by my first Republican guest, GOP pollster Glen Bolger of Public Opinion Strategies.
Glen cut his teeth in polling in the Reagan / Bush era and helmed the polling operation for House Republicans before co-founding his own firm - a firm that now represents more than 40 members of Congress and 10+ US Senators. Glen tells some great stories of his early days in politics - matriculating at American University, interning on the Hill, cutting his teeth at polling with President Reagan's pollster and at the NRCC before being part of the founding of Public Opinion Strategies.
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
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IN THIS EPISODE
Glen gets “Potomac Fever” in high school…
What Glen learned at American University that guided him toward politics…
What did he learn that gave Glen a “leg up” when he started in politics…
Glen spends a semester working in politics across the pond in the UK…
Glen crosses path as a young staffer with Democratic Majority Leader Jim Wright…
How Glen’s first job out of college was working with President Reagan’s pollster…
Why Glen turned down the RNC and GOP Senate Committee to work for the GOP House Committee…
The one House race the Republicans lost that taught Glen an important lesson in politics…
Glen’s great story of the lack of GOP preparation before Dan Quayle was chosen as VP…
The one strategic decision that helped Ileana Ros-Lehtinen win her first congressional race…
What oversight at the NRCC led Glen to worry he was about to lose his job…
The origin story Public Opinion Strategies formed around a kitchen table…
The one strategic decision of Glen’s that helped win a New Hampshire Governor’s race…
Glen’s memories of the ’94 GOP wave…
Glen’s take on how important the Cal Cunningham affair was in Thom Tillis 2020 re-election…
Glen’s advice on how to get in the door of a polling firm…and then rise through the ranks…
ALSO…Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dick Cheney, Barbara Christmas, Mike Crapo, Dan Coats, Jim Courter, Cal Cunningham, Rob Engel, Jim Florio, George Gekas, Newt Gingrich, Wilma Goldstein, Bob Goodlatte, Jack Kingston, Peter Kostmayer, John McCain, Bill McInturff, Steve Merrill, Neil Newhouse, Chris Nicholas, Jim Nussle, Claude Pepper, Dan Quayle, Arlen Specter, Van Taylor, Thom Tillis, Craig Thomas, Lindsay Thomas, Jill Long Thompson, Richard Wirthlin
and more!
Podcast Website
Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod
Twitter: @ZacMcCrary
Facebook: The Pro Politics Podcast