The Democratic Dilemma

<p>Democrats had record volunteers in 2024 and still only hit a 3% contact rate. Something is broken. </p><p>In this episode, Mary Noone and Josh Stanley break down why most Democratic candidates sound reactive, how to...

<p>Candidates keep asking us: how do I talk about policy cuts without going on defense? In this episode, we bring back Bruce Lesley from First Focus on Children to workshop exactly that. We dig into what the "Big Ugly...

<p>Public school funding is being gutted across the country, and most people don't even know it's happening. In this episode, education policy experts Andy Spears (Tennessee Education Report) and Stephen Dyer (10th...

<p>Most political consultants would say not to run here.</p><p>District 55 in Indiana has gone 80 percent Republican for years and hasn’t seen a real Democratic challenge in nearly a decade. </p><p>But candidate...

<p>If you’re still treating digital like a “final 6 weeks” add-on, you’re already behind. Mary and Josh break down why candidates have to control their narrative online, why the old “late splash” strategy fails, and how...

<p>Federal politics gets the headlines. Local government changes your life.</p><p>In this episode of The Democratic Dilemma, we sit down with two Indiana local officials who explain how townships and city councils...

<p>Young adults are not “lazy” or “apathetic,” they care, but they’re blocked by distrust and real-world barriers. In this episode of The Democratic Dilemma (Unfiltered Marketing for a New Generation of Candidates and...

<p>Indiana is nearly dead last in voter turnout, and this episode gets blunt about why, and what to do about it. Mary Noone is joined by Aimee Cook (Civitech), Brendan Kelly (Civitech), and Blythe Potter (candidate for...

<p>Indiana is staring down 70+ proposed data centers, and communities are being forced to play defense after decisions are already in motion. In this episode, Mary Noone hosts a straight talk panel with </p>Jan Cervelli...

<p>A no-fluff strategy conversation on education, messaging, and what it actually takes to move parents and voters. We dig into why the right keeps “owning” the narrative, even when they are not delivering results, and...

<p>Aram breaks down what AI is actually good for in campaigns: repetitive work, fast drafts, translation, and audience-specific versioning, while keeping humans in charge of quality and tone. We also talk privacy...

<p>What does “control the narrative” actually look like when you do not have a comms team, a budget, or a press list?</p><p>In this episode, we sit down with Calvin Davis, a government and politics reporter with Capital...

<p>Democrats don’t have a “young voter problem.” We have a messaging and trust problem.</p><p>In this episode of The Democratic Dilemma: Unfiltered Marketing for a New Generation of Candidates and Causes, we sit down...

<p>If you’re a first-time candidate, scrappy organizer, or nonprofit founder with no big donor pipeline, this is the playbook. Haley Bash (Founder and Executive Director of Donor Organizer Hub, co-author of The...

<p>If you are tired of being told to “run to the middle,” this episode is for you. Antonia joins The Democratic Dilemma to break down the neuroscience of persuasion, why polling is not a strategy, and how to talk about...