Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

Political pollster Zac McCrary interviews interesting people who work in and around the political industry. Guests come from a multitude of backgrounds and specialties within the political industry, and span the partisan spectrum. This is not a podcast for partisan squabbling or punditry about the latest issue in DC - it is hearing directly from successful people in the industry...their stories, experiences, and advice. This is a podcast for anyone who works in politics, hopes to work in politics, or wants to get up close to see how things really work in the world of professional politics.

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Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

Mark Mellman on Four Decades in Polling

January 17, 2023 • Zac McCrary

For nearly 40 years, Mark Mellman has been an industry leader in Democratic polling. In this conversation, he talks the serendipitous start of his consulting firm, stories from his iconic clients Al Gore, John Glenn, and Harry Reid, and lessons as lead pollster from John Kerry's '04 Presidential campaign. Mark also talks his founding of Democratic Majority for Israel and the work DMFI is doing to help mold the Democratic Party and shape American policy toward Israel.

IN THIS EPISODE….

Mark talks his roots in a politically interested family in the Columbus, OH area…

The serendipitous phone call while at Yale that gave Mark the opportunity to become a pollster…

The 1982 House upset that kicked off Mark’s consulting career….

How Mark grew his new firm in the 1980s among the established “Big 3” Democratic pollsters…

Mark compares the polling process of his early days to the current approach…

Mark shares stories of some his iconic clients, including Al Gore, Harry Reid, John Glenn, and Steny Hoyer…

Mark on the good and bad as lead pollster from Kerry’ 04 vs George W. Bush…

What led Mark to found Democratic Majority for Israel…

Mark gets under the hood of the Nina Turner vs Shontel Brown special election primary & the role of DMFI…

Mark’s 101 on how Israeli politics work…

Mark on what makes a good pollster…

AND Yasser Arafat, Atari Democrats, Joe Biden, Pat Caddell, Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, Congressional Quarterly, Tom Daschle, Doak Shrum & Donilon, dominant troikas, Elizabeth Drew, Carter Eskew, giant hypodermic needles, John Gilligan, Bill Hamilton, Kamala Harris, Peter Hart, IBM cards, institutionalists, Yair Lapid, Carl Levin, long-haired college students, Joe McCarthy, Meretz, Walter Mondale, Bruce Morrison, Benjamin Netanyahu, Newsweek, Barack Obama, Ohio State University, the Oslo Agreement, Reaganomics, regression analysis, Bernie Sanders, sine qua non, Adlai Stevenson, Bob Squier, Swift Boat Veterans, Harry Truman, UW-Oshkosh, the UK Labour Party, unknown legal aid lawyers, Tim Wirth, Dick Wirthlin & more!