Professional unprofessional strategists Stephen Carter, Corey Hogan and Zain Velji dissect the news of the day, pass judgment on strategy choices and lift back the curtain on how decisions are made. Described as "the least deliberate podcast of all time", "shockingly insightful" and "sports talk radio for politics". Not sponsored by Flair Airlines. Get Thursday episodes and bonus content on Patreon
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss three topics in a busy week in politics: the resignation of the Liberal national campaign director, the ending of the Liberal-NDP confidence and supply agreement, and the Alberta government pulling the plug on Calgary's multi-billion dollar "Green Line" transit project. Did the federal NDP spring a trap on the…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the end of the BC United/the-party-formerly-known-as-BC-Liberals, and how politicians and organizers can be expected to act when it all comes apart. Is the name change to blame? How will the BC NDP need to adjust their campaign? And now that the podcast wars are unilaterally settled, can we expect the gang to …
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Episode 1820: Like riding a bicycle
1:10:49
1:10:49
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss Senate appointments, stock image snafus, housing policy and more in the long-awaited return of classic segment "Fine, Fabulous, or F--ked". How did the Conservatives accidentally use a picture of Russian fighter jets in one of their videos? Is the Prime Minister's new steady-as-she-goes approach the right one?…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss Kamala Harris' Vice Presidential pick Tim Walz - how we ended up here and the strategy of "keeping the vibes going". How did Walz rocket to the top of the list so quickly? How do Harris and Walz keep the good times going when something finally forces the campaign back to earth? And is it a good sign for Trump …
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Episode 1816: A tight 8 minutes on cantaloupe followed by a conversation about Kamala Harris
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the strategic considerations and lessons in Kamala Harris' rapid consolidation of Democratic support. Is the jubilant Democratic response a "sugar high"? What's Donald Trump's story from here on out? And how many ways are there to pronounce "Joe"? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody …
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the assassination attempt against Donald Trump and how it has already upended the strategy of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. Is this election just over? Do the Democrats now pivot - or does the pivot just seal their fate? And why would any of us fear, when there's a donate button? Zain Velji, as always, …
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss challenges - explicit, implicit and accidental - to Justin Trudeau's leadership, and Trudeau's decision to skip the Calgary Stampede. Has a bunker mentality set in at the PMO? Do attempts at caucus management risk making the caucus unmanageable? And why did none of the gang make a joke about the Flair Airlines…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss a questionable investment in a Canada Day poll before giving the bulk of their attention to the chaos south of the border. Is it time for Joe Biden to retire? Has the Supreme Court just turned the American President into an American King? And why don't the media care about the dissolution of our country? Zain …
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the results of the Toronto-St.Paul's byelection. How big of a deal is this? Is there a path forward for Justin Trudeau? What does it mean for Pierre Poilievre and Liberal leadership hopefuls? And how many Douglas mattresses will be sold as a consequence of this episode? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questio…
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Episode 1810: Wisdom from the sidelines
1:04:17
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the Alberta NDP leadership results, lopsided leadership races and what the still-being-counted results in Toronto-St. Paul's mean for Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre. When a result looks like it's going to skew heavily to one candidate, why do other candidates run? Do the Liberals win the expectations game…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss a column where outgoing Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley appears to attack incoming-with-83%-of-the-vote Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi - before turning to the looming Toronto-St. Paul's byelection. How should Nenshi engage (or not) with Rachel Notley and Jagmeet Singh at Notley's farewell dinner? Is Toronto…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss Nenshi's inevitable victory and the complications a Lethbridge-West by-election present him before turning to Calgary's water main burst and crisis communications. Does Naheed Nenshi need to be in the Alberta Legislature? Is there ever a safe way for a politician to blame somebody else during a crisis? And why…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the joint media avail, the "Canadian scrum" and Furey's blaming of the Justin Trudeau Liberals for the walloping the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador received in a recent by-election. Should politicians be expected to jump in on disagreeable comments at press conferences? Is Furey in denial when he b…
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Episode 1805: Zain and Rishi's Excelent Adventure
1:01:54
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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…
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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 pe…
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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…
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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 …
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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 Zai…
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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,…
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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 …
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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…
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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? …
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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 …
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You The People Article 4: Super Tuesday Preview Show
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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 omnystud…
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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…
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Episode 1288: Immaculate contraception
1:01:46
1:01:46
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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"? Z…
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Episode 1286: The only poll that counts
1:24:57
1:24:57
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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 …
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Episode 1284: Tattoos and email services
1:17:28
1:17:28
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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…
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You The People Article 2: Abandon all hope, ye who podcast
32:26
32:26
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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.co…
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Episode 1283: You don't pick your family
1:02:55
1:02:55
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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 …
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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 Wha…
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Episode 1281: "Appointment" Viewing
1:03:15
1:03:15
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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 N…
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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 th…
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You The People Article 1: The Iowa Caucasus
51:26
51:26
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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 c…
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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"…
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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. …
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Episode 1275: Two Hours on the Alberta NDP Leadership Race
2:05:35
2:05:35
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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 Sara…
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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 ne…
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5 Days of Strategists - Episode 1271: If you're explaining you're winning
1:10:07
1:10:07
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It's the five days of Strategists! You, the non-paying listener get treated to five of our recent favourite paid episodes. See what you're missing and subscribe for as little as $6/month at: http://www.strategistspatreon.com Friday but Tuesday - Episode 1271: If you’re explaining, you’re winning Look, Pierre Poilievre's video on housing is the talk…
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5 Days of Strategists - Episode 1097: Shibboleths
1:01:50
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It's the five days of Strategists! You, the non-paying listener get treated to five of our recent favourite paid episodes. See what you're missing and subscribe for as little as $6/month at: http://www.strategistspatreon.com Thursday - Episode 1097: Shibboleths Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter talk about political party conventions - who they're for,…
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5 Days of Strategists - SPECIAL EPISODE: Choosing leaders
54:54
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It's the five days of Strategists! You, the non-paying listener get treated to five of our recent favourite paid episodes (okay, this one is from 2022). See what you're missing and subscribe for as little as $6/month at: http://www.strategistspatreon.com Wednesday - SPECIAL EPISODE - Choosing Leaders Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter talk about the sy…
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5 Days of Strategists - Episode 1254: The best laid pension plans
52:27
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It's the five days of Strategists! You, the non-paying listener get treated to five of our recent favourite paid episodes. See what you're missing and subscribe for as little as $6/month at: http://www.strategistspatreon.com Tuesday - Episode 1254 - The best laid pension plans Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter talk about Danielle Smith's play for an A…
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5 Days of Strategists - Episode 1268: Name Drop
1:10:41
1:10:41
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It's the five days of Strategists! You, the non-paying listener get treated to five of our recent favourite paid episodes. See what you're missing and subscribe for as little as $6/month at: http://www.strategistspatreon.com Monday - Episode 1268 - Name Drop Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter deep diver on whether the Alberta NDP should consider a name…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter talk about the political strategy lessons to be gleaned from the weekend drama related to the ousting of OpenAI's CEO by its non-profit board. What does the weekend's events tell us about power dynamics generally? About leadership? And what are we supposed to make of Corey defending Suncor CEO Rich Kruger? Zain Velji,…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss David Cameron's appointment as UK Foreign Secretary, a poll that shows support for an Alberta Pension Plan up from 21% to 27% and an Ontario Liberal leadership pile-on. Was the win for Sunak that we aren't leading with Suella Braverman being fired? Do incremental increases in support for an Alberta Pension Pla…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the Alberta UCP convention before turning attention to the growing conversation that it's time for Justin Trudeau to step down as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. Is Take Back Alberta Danielle Smith's biggest strength or biggest problem? Is there a path forward for Justin Trudeau that …
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss why politicians insist they don't look at the polls before diving deep into the Liberal's new carbon tax carve-out for heating oil. How did the Liberals end up here? How do they turn this seemingly one-off action into a coherent policy - and coherent political strategy? And are spoilers for Bulworth still spoi…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the Ontario NDP caucus expelling Sarah Jama from their ranks, the MPs who signed a letter calling for ceasefire, the head of the Alberta Pension Plan panel expressing surprise at the pension analysis and much more in a supersized edition of "Fine, Fabulous, or F--ked". Will the Ontario NDP regret their decisio…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss 5/7ths of the Supreme Court ruling against the Impact Assessment Act, 81% of the NDP endorsing Singh in his leadership review and the NDP convention's unanimous support to create a red line on the Supply and Confidence agreement. Has the Trudeau government been delivered a black eye by the Supreme Court? Shoul…
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Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter discuss the Hamas terror attack and Canadian politicians response on the same. What is expected of a politician at a moment like this? Why did so many seem to have trouble landing the plane? And is peace-and-love Carter the result of medicine or intestinal problems? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps…
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