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

Remembering Dianne Feinstein, with her former Chief Media Strategist Bill Carrick

October 24, 2023

Bill Carrick was the longtime chief media strategist for Senator Dianne Feinstein, as well as helping elect President Bill Clinton, multiple LA mayors, Congressman Jim Clyburn, and many more. In this conversation, Bill discusses his early political roots in South Carolina, his time working for Senator Ted Kennedy, his pivot to political media, and a deep dive on his time as chief strategist for Dianne Feinstein. We talk her early activist days in the 60s, the assassination that led to her becoming mayor of San Francisco, their first lunch meeting in 1989, how she leveraged a loss in the '90 Governor's race into 6 terms in the Senate, and her impact and legacy on priorities as varied as water policy, gun safety, choice, anti-torture policies, and more.

IN THIS EPISODE

Bill's roots in South Carolina Democratic politics...

One of Bill's favorite Fritz Hollings story...

Bill's time working for Senator Ted Kennedy...

The 1974 race that convinced Bill he should become a media consultant...

Bill talks the early career of Dianne Feinstein on the San Francisco Board...

Bill relates the story Dianne Feinstein would tell about the tragic assassination that propelled her to the Mayor's office...

The first meeting of Bill with then-Mayor Feinstein before her 1990 Governor's race against Pete Wilson...

The focus groups that helped ignite her statewide political career...

Her '94 re-election amidst the GOP wave and against one of the first deep-pocketed self-funders...

Bill relates Feinstein's views toward being on the short list of the '84 Vice Presidential process...

Bill on Senator Feinstein's top passions and priorities...

Feinstein's evolving views of the death penalty...

Memories of her final re-election in 2018...

Bill weighs in on the political legacy of Diane Feinstein...

AND Aiken, the assault weapons ban, Tony Bennett, Annette Bening, The Boston Herald, Barbara Boxer, Willie Brown, George H.W. Bush, cable cars, Bill Clinton, the Commerce Committee, DACA, Gray Davis, Kevin de León, The Desert Protection Act, George Deukmejian, Jim Eastland, Dwight Eisenhower, Geraldine Ferraro, Don Fowler, Dick Gephardt, Barry Goldwater, Aaron Henry, Michael Huffington, the Inland Empire, Olin Johnston, Joshua Tree, JFK, Bob Lagomarsino, lovefests, John McCain, Leo McCarthy, Harvey Milk, Walter Mondale, George Moscone, Earl Morris, Rupert Murdoch, the NRA, Richard Nixon, Ole Miss, Prop 187, Pug Ravenel, Ronald Reagan, Dick Riley, Ed Riley, Donald Russell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Seymour, Strom Thurmond, Mark Twain, VAWA, John Van de Kamp, Dan White, Curtis Wilkie...& more!