Mark McKinnon Quotes
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Technology and social media have brought power back to the people.
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I think the press are good people; I think they're educated people.
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Outside events can change a presidential campaign, a president, and the history of the nation: the Iranian hostage crisis, the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, the downing of the helicopter in Mogadishu, Somalia, the suicide attack on the USS Cole, and, of course, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
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Drone attacks subvert the rule of law - we become judge, jury, and executioner - at the push of a button.
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Every president becomes a caricature. The press, partisans, late-night shows, and other arbiters of our culture these days boil down complicated and multi-faceted personalities into one-dimensional punchlines.
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Contrary to conventional military and game theory, the most effective offense is sometimes a direct attack against your political opponent's greatest strength - not his weaknesses - to place him immediately on the defensive.
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If you're a Democrat and 'The New York Times' is calling for your head, you know it's time for an exit strategy.
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Immigration reform almost happened under President George W. Bush. Twice. And it was comprehensive.
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The press doesn't just cover presidential campaigns, they influence them by making arbitrary decisions about who is 'top tier' and merits coverage.
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One thing is clear: Ron Paul defies labels.
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I'm no economist. I don't even play one on TV. I'm just a husband, a father, a taxpayer.
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Convention speeches are powerful tools to bend the curve of public opinion. George H. W. Bush's 1988 convention speech is a great example. His son's speech was also quite powerful.
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Party switching has all the emotional edges and baggage of divorce.
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Mention the name George W. Bush in mixed company, and you're likely to spark a lot of debate and emotion - hot and cold, good and bad. Not a lot of neutral reaction. He was elected in the most controversial contest in American electoral history and governed during one of the most tumultuous decades.
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I don't really care how or why Obama got to the right place on gay marriage. I'm just glad he got there.
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Republicans working in leadership and the trenches are largely old, white, male, out-of-touch, out of ideas, technology averse, and living in the past.
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As a Republican, I never expected to be working with Hillary Clinton.
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Debates require a lot of hard work and preparation. If you try to wing it, it shows.
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Conservative women in politics run a punishing gauntlet. They endure psychological evaluations and near-gynecological exams their male and liberal counterparts do not.
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Twitter is not a business. I know its founders would like to think it is. It is, for the most part, a diversion.
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Technology has had more of an impact on the presidency and how the presidency communicates than anything.
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For most of my life, I've considered myself a political centrist.
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Rand Paul comes off like an academic stiff who wants to give us a lecture on American civics.
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Voters crave authenticity.