Oct 31, 2019
Newly released polls show wide-ranging political scenarios, but
reading the electorate can be hard. What exactly is going on and
what might pundits and media be getting wrong? In this week’s
episode, Joel Benenson discusses his work on four presidential
campaigns with Sam Wang and Julian Zelizer. Benenson argues for
tempered media coverage of these campaigns, suggesting the key to
winning an election centers around addressing people’s lived
experiences and economic struggles. Benenson is the founder and CEO
of the Benenson Group and one of the leading strategists in the
world for campaigns. He is an award-winning researcher and pollster
who helped run President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. He
also played a critical role in Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s
2016 campaign and President Bill Clinton’s 1996 campaign and is
currently working on Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 campaign. Benenson
was named “Pollster of the Year” by the American Association of
Political Consultants. He previously worked as a journalist for the
New York Daily News, communications director for Governor Cuomo,
and vice president at FCB, a global advertising agency.