Re-evaluating Field Operations with Scott Goodstein Catalyst Campaigns
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Release Date: 01/15/2025
Reporting on Abby Hoffman to Military Action Against Iran with Lucian Truscott IV
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Lucian K. Truscott IV, journalist, author, and screenwriter, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to shine a light on the challenges of writing about and reporting on current events, political voices, and cultural trends. Lucian started working for the Village Voice while still a cadet at West Point in the 1960s and comes from a long line of military leaders and political figures. He is currently covering politics on his Substack newsletter, Lucian Truscott. Note that this interview was recorded a few days before the US dropped bombs on Iran. Deepak and Lucian talk...
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Charley Chatbot Revolutionizing Access to Abortion Information and Services with Nicole Cushman
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Nicole Cushman joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to talk about Charley. This private, secure abortion focused AI chatbot was created in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The goal of this project is to provide personalized, accurate, up-to-date information about abortion services while protecting the privacy of those looking for resources. Deepak and Nicole talk about: Abortion access in America Databases powering Charley to track changes in clinic locations and state-level abortion policies The power of combining healthcare experts, lawyers, and...
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How Constituent Pressure Can Influence Congressional Budget Decisions with Catherine Rowland Congressional Progressive Caucus Center
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Catherine Rowland, Legislative Affairs Director at the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to explore the current budget reconciliation process in the US Congress. Regardless of the method, Catherine emphasizes that the voice of constituents can make a difference in the outcome and influence budget decisions. Deepak and Catherine talk about: The reconciliation process and rules that determine what provisions can be included in the budget The priorities of the Big Beautiful Bill and the competing priorities and interests at...
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How the Working Class Story Can Lead to Social Change with Gwenn Fulton Addition Project
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Gwenn Fulton from the Addition Project joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to explore how storytelling is a powerful way to translate personal experiences into public dialogue, building shared understanding and action around common challenges. Stories of the working class are particularly needed so that their concerns and aspirations are told in their own voices. Deepak and Gwenn talk about: Effective storytelling balances facts with emotional expression to allow listeners to see themselves as part of the story How storytelling can drive grassroots organizing and...
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Connecting Nonprofit Organizations with Lawyers for Pro Bono Legal Services with Anna Chu We the Action
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Anna Chu, Executive Director of We the Action, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the critical role lawyers play in defending the rule of law and supporting nonprofits during these challenging times. The We the Action platform connects lawyers with organizations addressing the challenges both sides face in finding specific expertise and meaningful opportunities. Deepak and Anna talk about Making it easier for lawyers to find nonprofits they can help Increasing need for legal support for nonprofits Working with unions to set up free legal counsel for Federal...
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Using Stories and Music to Explore the American Dream and Drive Activism with Jennifer Appel
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Jennifer Appel, filmmaker, teacher, and activist, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the American Dream and the need to provide a more complete and accurate portrayal of the American experience. Jennifer uses storytelling, music, and visuals to give voice to diverse perspectives, including those of Indigenous people and veterans, to rally the country and heal the divisions in American society. She reminds us of the Hopi Indian quote, "The one who tells the story rules the world." Deepak and Jennifer talk about What drives Jennifer to use music and film to inspire change...
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The Power of Protests with Shasti Conrad Washington State Democratic Party
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Shasti Conrad is the Chair of the Washington State Democratic Party and Associate Chair of the Democratic National Committee. Her involvement in political organizing and activism taught her that campaigns must focus on economic messages to build coalitions that cut across partisan lines. This year, before the 2026 mid-terms, there is an opportunity to engage diverse constituents in person and online to test new messaging and strategies for reaching consensus and winning races. We talk about: Who is participating in the nationwide protests against the Trump administration Reaching out to...
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Building and Maintaining Relationships with Voters with Zach Adams VDX.tv
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Zach Adams, Senior Specialist in Client Partnerships for Politics and Public Affairs at VDX.tv, discusses the evolving landscape of political campaigns and the importance of ongoing engagement with voters beyond election day. Candidates and campaigns often fail to maintain relationships with voters, except for requests for contributions. Data analytics is one path to effectively target messages to engage and motivate the base and attract new supporters. We talk about: Moving beyond the transactional nature of voter engagement Why political ads need to be more emotionally evocative and...
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How AI and Data are Reshaping Political Campaigns with Michael Cohen the Cohen Research Group
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Michael D. Cohen is the CEO of the Cohen Research Group, a political public affairs and corporate research firm, and the author of Modern Political Campaigns: How Professionalism, Technology, and Speed Have Revolutionized Elections. He has written a new chapter for this well-received book that focuses on the power of AI and opportunities to apply it in political campaigns. Michael emphasizes the need to balance the use of AI with maintaining the authenticity and voice of the candidate. We talk about: AI tools being used by campaigns to generate content ideas for fundraising emails and...
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How a Healthcare Advocate is Changing Access to Clinical Trials Robert Maxwell ClinConnect
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Robert Maxwell, Founder of ClinConnect, focuses on improving access to information about clinical trials and simplifying the path patients, doctors, and caregivers need to go through to find potentially life-saving trials. This clinical trial data is drawn directly from the database. The ClinConnect solution is updated more accurately and provides a user-friendly interface to explore possible trials, aid in applying to participate in a trial, and support participation. The community of people concerned about science-based healthcare and the need for access to clinical trials is...
info_outlineScott Goodstein is the Founder and CEO of Catalyst Campaigns and a digital pioneer. The results from the 2024 election indicate that the ground game needs a fresh review of how volunteers can be better deployed and how to find trusted messengers for a political campaign. The traditional ward and precinct system built relationships with voters over time. What's the new face of field operations?
We talk about:
- The history of door-knocking in political campaigns
- Measuring the success of field operations
- Political text abuses
- Online fundraising traps
- How the Trump campaign and supporting SuperPACs reached voters
#CatalystCampaigns #GroundGame #FieldOperations #Fundraising #PoliticalTexts #Voters #VoterOutreach
We've lost control of political text messaging
