The Strategists

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips talk about what happens when the strategist becomes the spokesperson, whether the political backroom still exists, and why Carter is discovering that dealing with the public may be the hardest part of running a campaign. Then they dig into the strange out-of-province donations flowing to the Alberta Republican Party and the loopholes that could allow even more money to move through Alberta politics without anyone knowing where it came from. How much money would it actually take to seriously disrupt the referendum? Is voter suppression a bigger risk than anyone wants to admit? And is Jason Kenney becoming a Conservative elder statesman, or quietly auditioning for Pierre Poilievre’s job?

Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.

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Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down the increasingly crowded campaign to keep Alberta in Canada and ask whether anyone has the money or the nerve to run the air war the referendum may require. Then they strategize what the federal government, the NDP, organized labour and the various pro-Canada campaigns should actually be doing with just weeks left to reach voters. Can Canadian flags become a national unity organizing tool? Will No to the Nine hold together once voters start reading the individual questions? And has Carter finally escaped the same 2,000 people, or just ordered 4,000 signs for them?

Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.

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Be it resolved that the Minister of Podcasts, Stephen Carter, together with the Chair of Oral Questions, Zain Velji, do hereby call this sitting of The Ministry of Podcasts to order, notwithstanding an abandoned first recording, an unexplained middle finger, and Zain Velji arriving without sufficient battery life or advance knowledge of his own schedule.

Be it further resolved that the House shall receive testimony from the duly elected Member of Parliament for Calgary Confederation on matters including but not limited to:

The rapidly escalating scandal over who may receive a Canadian flag, how many flags constitute a reasonable request, and whether declining an order for one hundred of them amounts to a betrayal of the country,

The strange campaign to keep Alberta in Canada, the patchwork of parties, MPs and third-party advertisers attempting to fill the space where an actual referendum campaign ought to be,

The daily reality of serving as a constituency MP, parliamentary secretary and the closest government representative to roughly two million people while navigating what an MP can promise, influence and actually deliver,

And the Calgary Stampede as a ten-day exercise in political endurance, including 71 events, 40 visiting Liberal MPs and one Prime Minister turning the city into the country’s largest informal caucus meeting.

Therefore be it finally resolved that this episode shall be entered into the record as a defence of Canadian unity, an account of the work that happens between the speeches and the cameras, and a reminder that public service requires equal measures of stamina, candour and access to a reliable supply of Canadian flags.
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Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down the ways Mark Carney’s extended political honeymoon could finally come to an end, from a weakening economy and progressive defections to Liberal insider culture and the arrival of a shinier opponent. What happens if voters stop believing there is no deal to be made with Donald Trump and start blaming Carney for failing to make one? Can economic progressivism keep urban voters from drifting back to the NDP? And is Stephen Carter’s national basic income plan the bold political masterstroke nobody asked him to invent?

Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.

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Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down the emerging fight between moneyed interests and economic populists in the Democratic Party, and ask whether progressive candidates need broader coalitions, better slogans or simply better abs. Then they turn to Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats, Mark Carney’s restrained response and the premiers volunteering to play attack dog. Can economic populism work in Canada? Should Carney start treating Trump like the political villain Canadians already believe he is? And is Carter now pro-slogan, or just anti-admitting he was wrong?

Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.

Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.
https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod

You can also watch our episodes on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.