Political Trade Secrets: Winning Campaigns | Elections | Politics cover art

Political Trade Secrets: Winning Campaigns | Elections | Politics

Political Trade Secrets: Winning Campaigns | Elections | Politics

By: Dustin Olson
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Political Trade Secrets goes behind the scenes of campaigns, elections, and media strategy to reveal how American politics really works. Join host Dustin Olson as he pulls back the curtain on campaign strategy, political messaging, and voter persuasion—offering insights used by top consultants from both sides of the aisle. Whether you’re a political professional, media strategist, or engaged citizen, you’ll get actionable takeaways on how power, strategy, and communication shape modern politics.Copyright 2024 Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • 📊 Polling Club Strategy Session: Designing a Poll of America’s Political Strategists
    Feb 18 2026

    🗳 Political Trade Secrets: An exclusive Polling Club Strategy Session, designing our Study of America’s Political Strategists. What do the professionals who actually run campaigns think is coming in 2026 and 2028?

    Join Dustin Olson and American Pulse partner Sean Bartley as we build a first-of-its-kind study of political strategists on both sides of the aisle.

    This episode captures the real-time process of crafting a national survey on how strategy, tech, fundraising, and defining issues will shape 2026 and 2028.

    And we’re not just designing it ourselves—we’re asking you what America’s political consultants should be asked. Your input will directly shape the survey questions we field.

    You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at:

    💡 What strategists may be watching for 2026

    💡 How methodology choices tilt the results of media polls

    💡 How AI is reshaping political advertising, targeting, and persuasion

    💡 How polling narratives are being used to spur Congressional retirements

    What should we ask America’s political consultants? Drop your ideas in the comments or join the Polling Club to help shape the survey.

    👉 Unlock the full Strategy Session and join our next LIVE session: PollingClub.com

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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • 📰 Breaking the News: Clicks, Chaos & Censorship—How Business Media Really Works
    Feb 10 2026

    Political Trade Secrets: Media, Markets, and the Battle Over Public Perception — Join host Dustin Olson for a wide-ranging and candid conversation with legendary business journalist Dennis Kneale, host of the What’s Bugging Me podcast and author of The Leadership Genius of Elon Musk.

    A former anchor at CNBC and Fox Business Network, Kneale also held senior editor roles at The Wall Street Journal and Forbes. In this episode, he pulls back the curtain on how modern business media actually works—and how it’s changed over the past three decades.


    From the decline of traditional journalism to the rise of click-driven headlines, social media censorship, and the cultural battles shaping public perception, this is a behind-the-scenes look at the incentives, pressures, and players driving today’s information war.


    The episode digs into:


    💡 Why today’s newsrooms chase clicks, not truth

    💡 What business journalists get wrong about business

    💡 The unseen battle to dominate the public’s perception of issues

    💡 Why Elon Musk broke the media—and what it means for free speech


    📘 Buy Dennis Kneale’s book: The Leadership Genius of Elon Musk—Available wherever books are sold.


    🔹 Join our new Polling Club for exclusive insights: PollingClub.com


    👉 LIKE, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE to Political Trade Secrets for your front-row seat to how politics actually works


    The episode digs into:


    💡 Why today’s newsrooms chase clicks, not truth

    💡 What business journalists get wrong about business

    💡 The unseen battle to dominate the public’s perception of issues

    💡 Why Elon Musk broke the media—and what it means for free speech


    📘 Buy Dennis Kneale’s book: The Leadership Genius of Elon Musk—Available wherever books are sold.


    🔹 Join our new Polling Club for exclusive insights: PollingClub.com


    👉 LIKE, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE to Political Trade Secrets for your front-row seat to how politics actually works.

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    56 mins
  • 🪖 Life After the Military—The Challenges Veterans Face
    Feb 4 2026

    Political Trade Secrets: Why Some Veterans Struggle After Leaving the Military—Join host Dustin Olson for a candid and deeply personal conversation with veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and founder at VetClaims.ai Lukas Simianer, as they unpack what really happens when service members leave the military, and why the systems designed to help them so often fail.

    From combat injury and homelessness to navigating a six-year VA benefits battle and building a mission-driven organization, this episode explores Lukas’ personal story, and pulls back the curtain on the policies, bureaucracy, and realities that veterans face as they transition from military to civilian life.

    The episode digs into:

    💡 Why the VA claims process is so difficult to navigate

    💡 The biggest mistakes veterans make when transitioning

    💡 How to reverse-engineer your ideal life and job post-military

    🔹Join our new Polling Club community to get more polling and insights on public opinion: PollingClub.com

    👉 LIKE, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE to Political Trade Secrets for your front-row seat to how politics actually works.

    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
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