Influences
Journalism
Our thinking is influenced by sources such as:
The New York Times
The Atlantic
The New Yorker
The Oregonian
We enjoy Scott Galloway’s Prof G podcasts, The Ezra Klein Show, and Terri Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air.
Books
‘The Fifth Risk’ by Michael Lewis
‘Battling the Big Lie’ by Dan Pfeiffer
‘Hot, Flat, and Crowded’ by Thomas L. Friedman
‘Tribe’ by Sebastian Junger
‘The Ministry of the Future’ by Kim Stanley Robinson
Obama’s Communications Team
President Barack Obama was a rock star. His campaign had cutting-edge branding—the world-famous HOPE poster, an iconic logo, pioneering social media—that was produced by a team of strategists and writers who fundamentally changed political communications. Pod Save America is required listening. David Axelrod, David Plouffe, Ben Rhodes, and Austan Goolsbee consistently offer some of the sharpest political thinking available on The Axe Files, MS NOW, CNN, and wherever else they show up.
“People learn from stories. They want a sense of the journey they’re on, a sense of why certain things are happening, a sense that they’re not alone in the feelings they wrestle with everyday. So I’ve always tried to paint a picture for people about where we are in this particular moment, and then suggest we have a set of choices available to us, and this is the choice I think is the most true to who we are, who we want to be, our best values, our deepest ideals. And it doesn’t always work. But when it does, it taps into something more than just short term self interest. More than just “Okay, I’m gonna get a tax cut.” Instead, it makes you feel as if the people you are supporting, and the ballot that you cast, aligns with how you hope the world can be.”
—Barack Obama
We don’t have all the answers
Our dear friend and colleague, a self-styled Ayn Rand Objectivist, offered feedback on this website. She said, “I’m proud of you for doing this. And I know you’ll always love me despite my extreme Libertarian views.”
It takes all of us to make this country great. The MAGA guy in rural Oregon isn’t trying to make a bad decision on election day. He’s doing the best he can with the information presented to him. So let’s give him good information. Democrats can’t win elections by being extreme, disrespectful, or elite. We can win by stating a clear purpose and offering a simple message that inspires people.
We’re ready to help craft that message.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” —Steve Jobs